Voice of the Gods

“So long as the emperor doesn’t change his mind at the last moment.”

“He won’t,” she assured him. “Not this time. We are going to take this battle to the Pentadrians, and he knows that means it will be fought on his land, at the Isthmus.”

Danjin looked at the arrested villagers. “What of these people? How will I-Portak know who is innocent if you are not there to read their minds?”

Ella shrugged. “Their system of justice has operated well enough without my assistance in the past, as I’m sure it will now.”

“Do you really believe that?” he asked.

She looked at him, then sighed. “I have to. What else can I do?”

“Write a list,” he suggested. “Noting which villagers are guilty of which crimes.”

She considered him, then nodded. “I can do that.”

“I don’t suppose I can persuade you to excuse the children and the sick from this march at the same time?”

Ella shook her head. “Who would look after them?”

“Surely someone would.”

“Even if someone did, would you like to be the one to take a child from their parent?”

He could not answer that. I’d want to spend as much time with my child as possible if I thought I did not have much time left, he found himself thinking.

She sighed and suddenly looked tired. “I must admit, it’s a relief to leave at last.”

Danjin felt a pang of sympathy. “Watching other lands deal out such harsh punishment is never an easy task.”

She gave him an odd look. “I meant to go to war. The gods kept changing their minds. They had us prepare for war, then stand down our armies, then rouse them again. I think it was because of Auraya. When she decided to stay in Glymma it spoiled the gods’ plans. Now perhaps she has left, and we are free to make our move.”

Danjin nodded. “So will she be joining us soon?”

“I don’t know.” Ella shrugged and turned to meet Gret, who was driving a platten pulled by two fresh arem.

36

Footsteps were like hammers in Teel’s head. He opened his eyes. Black-robed men were approaching. They crowded around. He felt hands under him, around him, gripping hard. Pain ripped through him. It crushed his thoughts.

Something cool touched his lips. Rousing again, he swallowed as water was poured down his throat. It tasted sour. He remembered a voice from earlier. A familiar voice.

“He has been poisoned.”

He spat out the water, but the hands and black robes crowded him. Cruel fingers pressed into his jaw. The foul water came again and he surrendered to it. The sooner he died, the sooner the pain would end. He would go to Huan. He was her favorite. She would take him in.

For a time he wallowed in blackness. The pain eased. He had no strength and he was very cold, but he felt better. Opening his eyes, he looked up at the high ceiling of the hall, and remembered his fellow Siyee flying carefully in the close quarters.

All gone, he thought. I’m alone here.

:No, Teel, you are not.

The voice in his mind startled him. It was not Huan. It had a maleness about it.

:I am Chaia.

Chaia!

:Yes. Look to your right, Teel.

He obeyed. The oversized throne loomed above him. He could remember being dragged there after the illness - poison - took hold. He also remembered being lifted and carried back.

A movement attracted his gaze and for a moment he couldn’t believe what he was seeing. A woman stood before the throne. Chained.

Auraya!

:Yes. She has been betrayed.

Teel groaned.

:I’m never going to get out of here, am I?

:It is unlikely. I cannot free you. There is nobody here who will obey my orders.

Why doesn’t Auraya use magic to break the chains?

:She is in a place of no magic.

Auraya’s gaze was focused on some distant place. She looked dazed. Teel felt an unexpected sympathy for her. She was so used to being powerful and invulnerable. This must be hard to accept. And humiliating.

:I cannot reach her, Chaia repeated. So you must. Will you speak to her for me?

:Of course.

:Tell her this...

Teel listened carefully, then drew a breath and called out to her. It came out weaker than he’d intended, but her gaze sharpened and her eyes snapped to his.

“Teel!” She frowned in concern. “How are you feeling? The Servants gave you something. I hoped it was an antidote to the poison.”

Suddenly he knew who he had heard speak of poison.

“Oh. I thought they were...” he paused, suddenly breathless “... giving me more poison.” Talking was hard. It seemed to drain more energy from him.

She smiled faintly. “No, but it was a logical conclusion to make. I would have.”

He would have shrugged if he could bother moving. “Doesn’t matter. Chaia... gave me... a message for you.”

“Chaia?” Her eyes widened and he saw hope in them.

“Yes. He said... he will try to keep... talking to you... through me.” It was such an effort to talk. “If the enemy... takes me away... he’ll find... someone else. You’ll know... him from... a word... ‘shadow.’ ”

He stopped, his head spinning. Closing his eyes, he felt himself drifting away.

“Teel!”

Dragging his eyes open, he smiled at her.

“Stay awake, Teel,” she said. “Talk to me.”

He opened his mouth to speak, but it was too much effort. There was a rushing sound in his ears. The room brightened and grew hazy at the same time. It was a cold light. He could not feel his hands. Or his feet. Breathing was such an effort.

Too much. He gave it up and the light rushed in to burn his thoughts away.

Reivan sighed as she climbed into bed. The summer heat was relentless. She found it hard to remember what the other seasons were like, but easy to imagine this one had no end.

It had been more than a month since Nekaun had visited her. Lately she had begun telling herself that he wouldn’t again. He’d seen all he’d wanted to see of her. His curiosity had been satisfied. He had moved on to more interesting challenges.

Like Auraya.

But Nekaun was no longer trying to charm Auraya. Imenja had told Reivan, with obvious satisfaction, that