The Darkest Revenge Read online

  “Did they say anything?” his father asked.

  Daniel hesitated. He recognized the tone his father used, as well as the irritation within his voice. Maybe now wasn’t a good time to go rushing forward to eavesdrop. It was better to be cautious when his father got into moods like that.

  “Only that your assistance was appreciated.”

  His father grunted. “Assistance? We didn’t have much choice in the matter, did we?”

  “Malin…”

  Daniel didn’t recognize the other voice, but there was a familiarity to it.

  “They forced our hand, Val. I don’t have to like it.”

  Val would be Valence Elvraeth, a man who had sat on the council even longer than his father. Daniel didn’t know him all that well, but he knew that he was slow to make decisions, something that angered his father. His father wanted the council to act thoughtfully, but not too slowly. There was a balance, and it could often be tricky to find.

  “We will have to tell her eventually.”

  “We will, but three of us made the decision. The majority would rule.”

  Daniel crept forward, his curiosity overwhelming him. He reached the corner, and when he did, he found his father standing with Val and Inash. Inash was the newest member raised to the council, and as far as Daniel could tell, he was eager for power. He had schemed his way to his position, something that Daniel found amusing but his father considered irritating. From what he had understood, his father would have preferred any one of a number of different people from that branch of the family to sit upon the council.

  There was no sign of the tchalit.

  What he did see was his father cradling a small black lacquer box in his arm, with decorative swirls of color around the edges.

  At least he understood what his father had meant about the three of them making a decision. As the council had five members, they were lacking only Cael Elvraeth and Everett Elvraeth. His father rarely got along with Cael, resenting the way she had come to power. Everett was often fickle in his preferences.

  “We will present it at the next council meeting,” his father said, looking in Daniel’s direction.

  Val and Inash both frowned at him for a moment before following the direction of his father’s gaze and seeing Daniel standing there.

  When they departed, his father strode toward him, keeping the box underneath his arm. He wore a serious expression at all times, and his dark hair was slicked back, revealing a high forehead. Daniel’s curly hair was nothing like his father’s. The only thing they shared was the same deep green eyes, but that was a feature everyone within Elaeavn shared to varying degrees, especially those within the Elvraeth.

  “What’s that about?” Daniel asked.

  His gaze drifted to the box his father carried, and he wondered whether his father would share anything or not. It wouldn’t be surprising for his father to keep the details of what he was working on from him. Sometimes he did it merely to test Daniel, to have him practice trying to figure things out on his own, and other times he did it because he actually felt as if Daniel didn’t have a right to know specific details.

  “What do you think it’s about?” his father asked.

  “The tchalit met with someone, but I didn’t recognize who they were.”

  “Then you haven’t been paying attention.” His father started off down the hall, and Daniel followed. The palace was enormous, large enough to hold the ruling portions of the Elvraeth Council and their extended families. Other Elvraeth lived in houses surrounding the palace, and many of them fought over their position, wanting to find a way to get promoted to the council, where they could take on a greater role.

  “What did you see?” his father asked.

  “I saw a ship. I didn’t recognize anything from the sails or from the masthead.”

  His father glanced over at him. “When you do, let me know.”

  At least he understood what his father wanted from him. This was one of his challenges. He wanted Daniel to discover things on his own, not to keep matters from him. With access to the library, he thought he could figure out what that masthead represented, and then he could deduce out where the ship came from. Once he understood that, then he would go to his father with more questions. Thankfully, Daniel knew a library caretaker who might be able to help him.

  As they climbed the top of the stairs, a thin, lithe man greeted them. He had shaggy black hair streaked with gray, and his eyes were so deep green that he practically could have been one of the Elvraeth, though he wasn’t.

  His father stopped, taking a step back. “Galen.”

  Galen glanced from Malin to Daniel. “What were you using the tchalit for?”

  His father smiled. “I don’t have to answer to you.”

  “I lead the tchalit.”

  “You lead them? I thought you only trained them.”

  Galen glared at Malin. Anyone else would find themselves punished, Daniel thought, sent to the lorcith mines to serve out their penance, but Galen was different. As Cael Elvraeth’s consort, he was given a degree of latitude that someone else who was not Elvraeth would never be allowed.

  That relationship was something that Daniel had never fully understood. Cael Elvraeth was only a few years younger than Daniel’s father, but she was still incredibly lovely, and there were Elvraeth who thought that eventually she would come to her senses and choose someone with a better bloodline than Galen’s. So far, that had not happened.

  “I train them, and Cael has given me responsibility over them. The council has—”

  “I’m well aware of what the council has done.”

  Galen glanced to the box Daniel’s father carried before his gaze drifted back up to his eyes. “The tchalit are not messengers, Malin. Use them in such a way again, and I will—”

  His father took a step forward, leaning in toward Galen. “You will what?” His voice was low, pitched as a threat.

  Daniel rarely saw his father like this, but when he did, he knew to be cautious. His father could scheme with the best of them, and if he didn’t care for someone, he had no qualms about removing them. It was why Daniel wondered how long Inash would last in his position. If he wasn’t careful, his father would ensure that another would take his place. But perhaps that was why the other man had sided with his father. There was safety in that.

  As much as his father didn’t care for Galen, he still hadn’t managed to remove him from any position of power within the palace. That left Daniel with questions he had yet to discover the answers to.

  “You don’t want me as an enemy, Malin Elvraeth.” With that, Galen strode past him, heading down the stairs.

  His father took a deep breath, drawing his shoulders up. “That man never ceases to exacerbate me.”

  “Why don’t you remove him from any position of authority?”

  His father shook his head. “If only it were so simple.”

  They continued down the hallway, and Daniel glanced over. “Why isn’t it?”

  “Cael has a certain talent that requires caution.”

  She was rumored to be a powerful Reader, one who could overwhelm even the stoutest barriers someone might place within their mind. Daniel suspected that was nothing more than rumor, but if his father believed it, there was reason to wonder.

  “Was there anything that you needed?” his father asked.

  Daniel hesitated. “I suppose not.”

  He paused, watching his father as he continued onward before turning and heading back down the stairs. Maybe he should go and question Galen, see what he knew about who the tchalit had been meeting with. But if his father found out about that, he would probably be angry. It was better to uncover those answers a different way.

  Heading to the library had little appeal to him with the questions that he had. It might be more interesting to see what he could uncover from the tchalit, anyway. Gabe knew something, Daniel was certain of that. If he could push him just a little bit, he might be able to uncover what the
other man knew, and when he did, then Daniel could use that to find the next piece of information.

  It was something of a game to him, but then, it was a game his father had wanted him to learn and play. He had taught him, training him from his earliest days, instructing him on what it took to maneuver the politics within the palace. Daniel’s mother didn’t always approve, preferring him to use his time to understand how best to help the people of the city rather than continue to scheme for power the way his father did. In her mind, helping the city meant finding a way to involve the people living within the Aisl Forest, though why would he want to help them when they had chosen to live outside of the city?

  When he reached the main level, he headed back out toward the courtyard. If Gabe was still out there, Daniel would take the opportunity to challenge the other man, hoping to convince Gabe to share a little bit more during their sparring. Every piece of information Daniel could tease out of him could be useful.

  Instead, he saw someone else.

  Gabe was there, standing guard along the wall with another of the tchalit that Daniel often worked with, but it was Lucy Elvraeth who drew his eye.

  She was stunning, with waves of golden hair cascading down her back. A deep green cloak was draped over her shoulders, similar to those worn by the tchalit, though she wore it for a very different purpose. Unlike most who lived within the palace, Lucy spent considerable time in Trelaeavn. One hand rested on her hip, and she chewed on her lip in thought.

  “You need company?” Daniel would much rather travel with her, even though he thought he could uncover the secrets of the tchalit meeting if he sparred with Gabe.

  When Lucy turned to him, one hand went to her hair, twisting it between her fingers. “Daniel,” she said, smiling at him. “What are you doing here?”

  “I do live within the palace.”

  Her gaze darted past him, looking toward the palace behind him. “And yet, here you are, outside of the palace.”

  “And here you are, heading to Trelaeavn.”

  Her mouth twisted into a sour frown. “You know they don’t care for that title.”

  “Why not? It’s fitting, after all.”

  “They see themselves as all part of Elaeavn.”

  “Elaeavn doesn’t extend into the trees, Lucy.”

  She crossed her arms over her chest, tapping one foot. He’d known her nearly his entire life and recognized the expression of frustration. They were from different families, but his parents and Lucy’s were close. If his father had his way, Lucy’s father would serve on the council alongside him when Val eventually stepped down.

  “The people who live in the trees are still people of Elaeavn. Many of them still have homes here, Daniel Elvraeth.”

  “If they cared about the city so much, they could live within it.”

  “You know why they choose not to.”

  Daniel smiled. He shouldn’t needle her, but he didn’t like the fact that she’d spent so much time in the forest, and he absolutely didn’t like the fact that she spent so much time with Haern Lareth. She claimed they were only friends, but he saw the way she looked at him… and the way he looked at her.

  “The Elder Trees are in no danger. They’ve not been in any danger for decades, and even if they were, don’t you think that the tchalit should be involved in the protection of them?”

  The trees were supposedly a source of power, though Daniel didn’t know whether that was true or not. What likely was true was that the trees provided some protection for the sacred crystals, themselves a source of power for his people. It was the sacred crystals that granted abilities, and for centuries, only the Elvraeth had been allowed the opportunity to hold one. Because of Haern Lareth’s father, everyone within the city was now granted the opportunity to hold one of the sacred crystals. Some—including Daniel’s father—still felt that only those with Elvraeth blood should be allowed to do so, but the council, led by Cael Elvraeth, had given the people of Trelaeavn the ability to control who held the crystals.

  “You would think so.” She glanced over at the tchalit before looking back at Daniel and smiling. “Is it another day of preparing for your time on the council?”

  “You talk as if I shouldn’t want that.”

  “I talk as if you should want to understand yourself better first.”

  “Like you?”

  She shrugged. “There’s value in my going to the forest. When I go there, I get the opportunity to better understand how to Slide. You know, they would welcome you, too.”

  Daniel shook his head. “They might welcome me, but I have no interest.”

  “You can Slide, Daniel. If you would only take the time to understand what that means and how you’re connected—”

  “I’m not connected to them.”

  Lucy stared at him. “If you say so. Goodbye, Daniel.”

  With that, she Slid.

  He noticed it as little more than a shimmering of color. Those who were more powerfully Sighted were able to follow the track of someone who Slid, but that was not one of Daniel’s strengths. When he had been given the opportunity to hold one of the sacred crystals, none of them had glowed for him the way they were said to do when a person was chosen to hold them.

  Taking a deep breath, Daniel turned away. Eventually, Lucy would abandon her time in the forest. She would have to see how useless it was. For now, he would work with the tchalit, figure out who they were meeting with, and maybe wait for Lucy’s return.

  2

  Haern

  The sheer rock wall stretched before Haern, much higher than he could see. He gripped the hilt of his knife, jamming it into the stone, thankful for the strength of lorcith. The metal was nearly indestructible, chipping away at the stone in such a way as to allow him to use it to pull himself up. From where he hung, over one hundred feet above the ground, wind whipped around him, coming in off the sea. Haern refused to look around, not risking the possibility of distraction sending him tumbling to the rocks far below.

  This was the highest he had ever climbed, and he wasn’t going to abandon the journey this time. He might not have his father’s ability to Slide, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t travel where he wanted. Haern was determined to reach the top of the rock.

  Jamming with his other knife, he slipped. The blade scraped along the stone, not catching, almost as if the rock had decided it didn’t want him to reach the top of Krali Rock.

  He dangled by one hand, swinging, praying to the Great Watcher that he wouldn’t fall. He could just imagine what his mother would say if she learned of his foolishness.

  When he managed to gather himself again, Haern twisted himself back toward the rock and slammed the knife into the face of the stone, pushing much deeper than he needed to. It didn’t matter. He wasn’t going to slip again.

  One handhold after another he climbed. His arms began to shake from the effort, but he’d trained himself to do this, and he wasn’t going to let a little fatigue drop him back to the ground. And he wasn’t going to let a little fatigue prevent him from reaching the top. He could rest when he got there. Besides, once he was there, he didn’t have to climb back down.

  A strong gust of wind caught him, whipping across the stone, threatening to throw him off. He squeezed the hilts of the knives, holding himself against the wall and waiting for the wind to die down. It took far too long, and when the wind passed, Haern continued up. And to think he’d chosen today to climb because the wind had seemed gentler than usual. Then again, it was difficult to judge. The wind could often pick up violently, and especially here, where it was unpredictable compared to lower down in the city.

  He had to be quite a ways up, but it would be difficult to see just how high he had climbed. The rock sloped inward somewhat, so that looking down revealed only the gentle slope. He didn’t dare look all the way to the ground. It might be too disorienting and lead him to fall just the same as if he were to get caught by the wind.

  Unfortunately, he didn’t know how much f
urther he had to climb. It could be another hundred feet. Krali Rock was incredibly high, a massive finger of rock rising up over Elaeavn as if to remind the people within the city of the power of the Great Watcher. It was a place few visited—at least those without the ability to Slide.

  His father had been here. Haern had overheard him talking about his visits to the top of the rock, how he would come here to sit and think, planning before his movements. It had become something of a challenge to Haern, and he was determined to reach the top the same way his father had.

  Well… perhaps not quite the same way. His father could Slide, an ability that transported him from place to place, one of his many gifts from the Great Watcher. Haern wasn’t nearly as gifted as his father. He had the gift of Sight, which enabled him to see things much more clearly, but Sight was fairly common, to the point where it might as well be useless. His other gift, that of Reading, was faint, little more than a hint of an ability. Were it not for his connection to lorcith, he would have felt abandoned by the Great Watcher.

  Another few movements and he had to rest. He propped himself in such a way that he could take some of the strain off each arm, giving his muscles a chance to relax, to recover from the effort he’d expended in climbing. He jammed his feet against the stone, trying to anchor himself so that he could have a moment’s reprieve.

  Another gust of wind came. Haern shifted his feet, maneuvering so that he could hold on to the knives, using them for support rather than run the risk of getting blown off the rock.

  Gritting his teeth, he continued upward. He needed to get this over with. If nothing else, by the time he reached the top of the rock, he could take a real break, letting his entire body rest.

  He jabbed at the rock, and his knife met nothing but air.