Those days had led to his first nightmares as a soldier. Going to sleep anywhere near those mountains was almost impossible. More than once Brandt had woken in the middle of the night, the watch vanished as though it had never existed. But the Falar would leave the sleeping untouched, their threat silent but explicit.
Expeditions into Falar never lasted long.
To retrieve the prince, Hanns could have sent the entire army and still failed to save his son.
“I had given him up for dead,” the emperor confessed. “And then a month later he reappeared. He was lean and hard, but he had escaped.”
“How?”
“A story better told by him. Suffice it to say, the journey was not easy, and he came back a far different man.”
“Are you certain it’s a good idea to send him? His feelings are sure to be strained among them again.”
“I expect they will,” Hanns said.
“It’s another test,” Ana intuited.
Hanns grimaced. “Of a sort. I do need to ensure that he is capable of calm and rationality while dealing with the Falari. You two are a large part of that. No matter what role he assumes in the empire, emotion can’t control his decisions.”
“And if emotion does get the best of him?” Ana asked.
“Prevent it from becoming a problem,” Hanns said. “His presence will give the negotiation another advantage. His escape earned him the respect of the Falari.”
Brandt hadn’t thought of that. They didn’t know many details about the Falari, but they seemed to be far more militant than the empire. They respected martial skills, even in their enemies. An imperial soldier caught off guard might have their body mutilated as a warning to others. But a warrior who died after besting several Falari was left untouched where they fell.
If Regar had earned the Falari’s respect, he might be the best person to bargain with them.
“What are our objectives?” Brandt asked.
“I need the gate. I’m willing to consider almost any option so long as they give us that.”
“Do you know what they might request in return?” Brandt asked.
Hanns shook his head. “No. I know they are ruled by a council of elders, but my impression is that they rarely act as a unified whole.”
And that, Brandt thought, was why the empire would eventually win. The line of Anders had unified much of the continent, and Hanns had a whole people supporting him.
Hanns reiterated his points. “I need that gate. It’s the only one left on the continent, and if we’re going to fight the queen, it’s our only option.”
Brandt glanced over at Ana. There was no question they’d accept. Familiar as he preferred to be around them, Hanns was still their emperor. She gave a small nod, though.
Hanns noticed. “Good. Preparations have already begun. I spoke to Regar this morning.”
Brandt and Ana stood to leave. Hanns held up a hand. “One last thing. Should you succeed and come close to the Falari gate, keep a close eye on Regar. I trust him, but the power of the gate is a temptation not to be underestimated. He knows enough about them to feel that temptation acutely. Help him not give in to it.”
“We’ll do our best,” Brandt said.
“It’s all any of us can do,” Hanns replied. “Now let’s hope it’s good enough.”
12
Despite her years in Etar, navigation over the endless plains challenged Alena. Beyond the occasional grouping of trees or a small pond, few landmarks existed to guide her way. Thanks to the motion of the sun she could tell their direction, but little else.
Today they would meet Sooni. Ligt was giving them advice for the meeting, and Alena signed an affirmation, but her mind was in other places. It was stuck in the past, as it too often was these days.
Ligt didn’t push her, though Alena sensed that he wanted to. He gave her space, just as Jace had, ever since her last soulwalk.
She’d returned to the physical world in pain. Then she’d slept for almost a full day. Her sleep was restless, troubled by nameless horrors.
She shuddered every time she closed her eyes, the darkness behind her eyelids a pale imitation of that perfect emptiness.
Only her connection to Jace had saved them.
Jace’s own emotions cut even deeper. She felt his love and concern, his fear that he might lose her again. It was too much to bear, and as soon as she felt up to the task, she cut most of their ties. It had taken her longer than usual to enter the soulwalk, but once started the work had gone quickly. Only the original thread between the siblings remained.
She thought constantly of the Lolani queen. Returning from her first battle with the queen had been difficult, but they’d won that fight. She had no such comfort after this second meeting. Alena might have broken the queen’s connection to the imperial gate, but it had been dependent on Hanns surprising the queen with his control of a second gate.
Alena couldn’t shake the “what if” questions.
What if she hadn’t tied herself so tightly to Jace?
What if she hadn’t used the strength from the priest to break the final thread to the gate?
What if she hadn’t been able to return? That had clearly been the queen’s intent, to strand them there.
Jace would have been left with her body, its heart still beating but its soul gone, a living death.
And her soul would have been trapped, forever.
As the leagues passed, Alena retreated into herself. She didn’t want to. All she wanted was to keep Jace close, to hear his voice telling her his exaggerated tales of heroism. She thought she needed that now.
But she couldn’t. Whenever she tried, all she thought of was the void, or of Anders I’s warnings.
She’d learned something valuable in that warning, though. The Lolani queen tied her soul to others, then killed them to gain her strength. That was how she paid the cost.
With the lives of others.
Alena should tell Brandt, but couldn’t bear to reach out to him. She wasn’t sure she
