Shadows Within the Flame (The Elder Stones Saga Book 2) Read online

  “You would change that?”

  “Not necessarily. I don’t think the knowledge of the Elder Stones needs to be shared widely. They are powerful, and they belong to each land, not to anyone in particular.”

  “You suggest that no one other than people who were born in those lands should be given the opportunity to experience the power of the stones, but you have held more than one stone.” It was more than just shadows and fire for her. She didn’t know the full extent of what Carth had done, but it seemed clear from the nature of her powers that Carth had experienced more than one of the Elder Stones.

  “I have come across three of the Elder Stones. Now four.”

  “How many do you think there are?”

  “That is something I have struggled to determine. In the time that I have pursued Olandar Fahr, I have found that he travels beyond where I would expect him to be. It’s possible that there are dozens of Elder Stones.”

  “And you think he has acquired more of them than you.”

  “I think it’s possible. Unfortunately, he has an advantage that I do not.” Carth glanced over to her. “Or did not.”

  “Sliding.”

  Carth nodded. “With his ability to travel from place to place, he’s not limited in the same way as I have always been. My pursuit of him, and my attempt to keep up with what he does and is after, has been tied to how quickly I can sail. I can use the shadows to propel me, but even in that, I am not nearly as fast as Olandar Fahr.”

  Lucy considered for a moment. The idea that Carth could use shadows to propel her was intriguing. “Why shadows and not your ability with fire?”

  “You would think that fire would grant the ability to travel more rapidly, and yet, I haven’t managed to uncover the key to that. It’s possible that I’m not as potent with fire as I could be, and because of it, I don’t—and can’t—use it in that way. It’s also possible that fire simply can’t be used to propel the same way the shadows can.”

  The fact that Carth explained as much as she did surprised Lucy, but it was almost as if Carth were aware that Lucy couldn’t Read her. Either that or she was explaining so that Lucy didn’t continue to attempt to do so. The temptation to try to dig into Carth’s mind was there. The other woman had experienced much, and she had a grasp of power that Lucy simply didn’t, and in order for them to know exactly what they were going to deal with, she thought she needed a better sense of the abilities.

  “You still haven’t told me, why here?”

  “This was once a place where the C’than had power.” Carth turned away from the shoreline and waited for Lucy.

  Lucy took a deep breath, focusing on the island barely visible in the distance, and Slid.

  When they emerged, they were much closer to the water and the waves, and they crashed around her, slamming on the rocks nearby, spray misting against her face. She wiped a hand across her face and wished that she had brought a warmer cloak.

  A narrow finger of rock stretched into the sky, a slender tower outlined against the darkness of the night. Without her enhanced eyesight, Lucy doubted she would be able to See it very well, but even with her eyesight, it still remained shrouded.

  “What did they use to conceal it?”

  “You recognize that?”

  Lucy glanced over to Carth. The other woman had her lips pressed together in a tight frown, and her brow wrinkled. Something troubled her, enough that Lucy wished she could Read Carth.

  “Perhaps not before, but now?”

  Her hand went to the back of her head, feeling for the implant. There was little of the metal remaining. For the most part, the implant had retreated deep into her skull, to the point where she could feel the ridge of metal beneath the skin, but even that was beginning to fade. Over time, the implant would be completely a part of her, changing her, and yet Lucy couldn’t help but feel as if the implant helped.

  “The C’than have acquired knowledge and power over the years. They have used that to help devise protections around many of their strongholds. This is but one of them.”

  “Is there someone here who holds on to the shadows?” It had to be the shadows, unless they had some way of trapping them here.

  “There used to be, but over time, the C’than discovered a way of holding power within the stone itself.” Lucy arched a brow at the mention of stone, and Carth shook her head. “Not an Elder Stone, though the power comes from them.”

  “If it’s not an Elder Stone, then how do they hold it within the stone?”

  “Through a technique that I expect Olandar Fahr has been searching to understand.” Carth took a deep breath, sighing. “He has attempted to perfect augmentations over the years. Through all that time, he has used metal, particularly various types of lorcith, to add those augmentations. Rsiran Lareth has been attempting to uncover the key to what they’ve done, but even Rsiran hasn’t been able to fully discover it.”

  “And now?”

  “Now something has changed.”

  “What?”

  “The C’than—at least, one among the C’than—used their knowledge in a way that opened it up to the one person they have been trying to shield it from.”

  Lucy continued to touch the implant in the back of her head. “Because of me.”

  Carth nodded. “Because of you. The attack should never have taken place. Because of it, I am forced to take a more direct approach, but even then, I’m not sure I will be able to ensure the safety of that knowledge. I suspect that your time with the man you call the Architect has revealed much more information to them.”

  “I had the sense that the Architect already knew quite a bit.”

  “Undoubtedly he did, but at the same time, the Architect hadn’t changed the design of the implants in many years. Perhaps the metal has changed, but nothing else about it was different. This,” Carth said, reaching for the back of Lucy’s head, “is something different.”

  A sense of cold washed over her at Carth’s touch. “You’re saying they knew how to trap the power of the Elder Stones within this metal.”

  “That is what I’m saying.”

  “And now that they have discovered me…”

  “Rumors of the Architect have been around for many years. He is quite high-ranking among the Forgers, and I think he is quite close to Olandar Fahr himself. With the knowledge he acquired by studying you—and I’m certain that he studied you as much as he tried to help you understand your abilities—he will be able to change the type of implant they use. If they learn to trap the power of the Elder Stones within them more than they do already, then we will be facing a very different sort of battle.”

  “How many others within the C’than do you think will reveal the secrets?”

  “I would’ve said none. Now?” Carth shook her head. “The C’than have been a closely guarded secret for many years. Even gaining access to the C’than requires multiple steps, a gradual introduction, and it’s not until they can ensure someone’s trustworthiness that they are allowed to join fully. In this case, Alera caused far more damage than I suspect even she realizes.”

  Carth started forward, traveling on the shadows, gliding along them. It was a strange thing to see her moving in such a way, slipping forward, using the shadows as if they were something physical and real. For her part, Lucy trailed after her, Sliding as she went, keeping pace but not going any further.

  At the top of the small rise, the base of the tower greeted them. It was a gently curving mound, and the design seemed almost as if it were intentional, a way of trying to blend into the rock of the island. The only part of it that didn’t blend was the slender tower that stretched up into the sky, yet that stood out only because of Lucy’s ability to See beyond the shadows and whatever they were trying to mask.

  “Can I Slide inside?” Lucy asked.

  Carth frowned. “I would’ve said no, but I’m curious as to whether or not you would be able to.”

  “What happens if I can?”

  “It suggests that
the C’than strongholds can be breached.”

  Lucy focused on the center of the tower. Now that she could Slide as she did, she no longer needed to take a step. Always before, that had been a limiting factor, but now she could simply imagine where she wanted to go, and she was there. There remained the sense of movement, power swirling around her, but everything else about Sliding was different.

  If she had had more time with Rsiran, she would have liked to ask him whether he Slid in the same way or whether his ability was considerably different. His was tied to the metal, at least from what he had described over the years, whereas hers was not quite bonded in the same way. With the implant in her head, it was entirely possible that she still was limited compared to Rsiran.

  Lucy focused on the inside of the tower. The Slide carried her forward, and then it met resistance. She tried to push through the resistance, but the more she pushed, the greater the resistance seemed to push back against her.

  She strained, and pain surged within her, a burst of agony that she had not felt in quite some time. The last time she had known pain like this was when the implant had first been inserted.

  Crying out, she released her attempt at Sliding, stepping backward.

  Through it all, Carth watched her, an unreadable expression on her face. Lucy’s head throbbed, pain pounding within it, and she leaned forward, trying to catch her breath.

  “I take it that you were unable to succeed.”

  Lucy nodded. “It didn’t work.”

  “I suppose that is reassuring.”

  “You suppose?”

  “I’m not convinced that the protections are still as stout as they once were. I suspect that there remains danger to the C’than. Even if the defenses are what they were, it is still possible that the Ai’thol have uncovered a way past them.”

  “They wouldn’t have a way to Slide any better than I would.”

  Carth clenched her jaw, her brow furrowing as she seemed to consider. “Perhaps not. It’s possible we are better protected than I had imagined. That is good.”

  “Why do I get the sense that you aren’t completely thrilled by that?”

  “There is much about this that has been problematic, Lucy. Over the last few years, I have been trying to gain insight about what Olandar Fahr might be planning. And let me assure you that he is planning something. Despite everything I have tried, I haven’t managed to uncover the secret to what he’s doing.” She continued to stare straight ahead, as if there were something she could reveal by doing so. “He is skilled. I knew that from the very first moment I came across him, but there is something about the way he maneuvers that is dangerous.”

  “You fear him.”

  “Yes. And I respect him.”

  “What happens if he gains the power of the Elder Stones?”

  “It’s likely that he has already acquired power from most of the Elder Stones, but if he acquires all of them?” She shrugged. “I can’t say that I have an answer to that.”

  “And the Wisdom Stone?”

  “I had hoped that holding the Wisdom Stone would grant me insight into what he is after, but unfortunately, I don’t feel as if I have discovered anything from it. In the time that I held the Wisdom Stone, I had understanding and knowledge, and I could use my power in ways that I couldn’t otherwise, but beyond that…”

  Carth started forward, the shadows sweeping around her in a tight spiral, and headed up to the rock, reaching what appeared to be a doorway leading into the tower. As Carth approached, Lucy felt resistance and was slowly pushed back despite every attempt she made to step forward.

  “Carth?”

  “You aren’t able to come.”

  “Is this another part of the C’than technique to prevent others from getting into their strongholds?”

  “This is something that I placed.”

  “Can you remove it?”

  “Unfortunately, only those who are C’than are able to cross.”

  Lucy stared at her. “Then you intend to leave me out here?”

  “You aren’t one of the C’than.”

  Carth turned away from her, and the shadows continued to swirl from her. As she reached the door, she barely seemed to touch it before the door swung open. Lucy stood outside of some invisible barrier, watching.

  Her mind worked over what she had encountered, struggling to make sense of the things Carth had shown her. All of this was designed to ensure that the C’than were intact, that there wasn’t any risk to their power, and the longer Lucy accompanied her, the more she questioned. Carth was secretive, though not nearly as secretive as Lucy had been led to believe. Part of that was likely tied to the fact that Carth shared information she thought Lucy would need for this role, but part of it had to be for a different reason.

  She had no choice but to wait. A sense of silence surrounded her. There was something peaceful about it, and though she might be far from home, the sound of the water crashing along the shore reminded her of Elaeavn and of the comfort she felt when she was there.

  Moments passed, minutes stretching into an hour. Through it all, she breathed in the salt air, waiting for Carth to return.

  It was strange coming here. Despite the power she had developed, and the exquisite control over her abilities, control that had increased considerably over the last few weeks, she was still powerless to enter this place.

  It was part of the reason she stayed with Carth. If anyone could help her understand her abilities and what was required of her, it would be Carth. She knew that she needed someone to guide her, to help her comprehend what had happened to her and the way that power had changed her. She couldn’t learn it on her own. Then again, she could go back to the Forgers, stay with them, risk losing herself with them. But if she did, how much control would she have?

  That was what scared her the most. Despite everything that had happened, she had not been in control at all. She wanted to ensure that she did have that control, that she was not used like that again, but she didn’t know if there was any way to do so.

  Eventually, the door opened, and Carth emerged again. She held something tucked under her arm, and Lucy attempted to Read her, trying to see what Carth might be carrying out, but it felt as if her attempt slipped across the other woman’s mind. It was a strange sensation, as though she glided past, unable to reach her mind.

  “Did you find what you came for?”

  “The C’than are still safe here.”

  “Didn’t you realize that before?”

  “Before, I only knew that we had not lost control over the stronghold.”

  “How many people are here?”

  “Enough that I am sure the C’than remain stable.”

  Stable didn’t sound all that reassuring to Lucy, but then, it wasn’t for her to decide. These were Carth’s people, and if anyone would know what to make of them, it would be Carth.

  “Where now?”

  “Now we will go on to our next stop.”

  “How many places are like this?”

  “More than even Olandar Fahr knows.”

  “Are you sure?”

  Carth hesitated, glancing back at the tower for a moment, darkness swirling around her face. Lucy wondered if that was intentional or whether it happened without Carth’s control. Either way, it gave a troubled look to the other woman’s face, and it made Lucy realize that Carth was far more bothered than she let on by what was taking place. Not that Lucy could blame her. She herself was bothered.

  “I’m as sure as I can be,” she said. “The challenge with him, as it always has been, is playing a game that he doesn’t see.”

  “A game?”

  “Unfortunately, that’s how he views this. To him, everything is a game.”

  Lucy smiled. “I seem to remember Reading something from Rayen that suggested you felt the same.”

  “I recognize that there is a difference between a game and the people who are impacted. Perhaps I didn’t always, but I do now.”

  “And O
landar Fahr?”

  “He is different. To him, all of this is a means to an end—a way for him to gain more power. That is what I oppose. That is why we continue to fight. And if we fail, many will suffer. He views all of us as pieces in his game. In order to stop him, we have to find moves—and pieces—he cannot see.”

  “How much time do you think we have?”

  “Not nearly as much as I would like. I fear that we are nearing the end of his maneuvering.” Carth turned again to look out at the water, staring into the distance. “He has been at this a long time. And because of it, he has made plan after plan, each of them giving him greater control. All of it is sweeping us up in his machinations, and I fear that we don’t have anyone who can outmaneuver him.”

  4

  Haern

  Haern stayed low, keeping his eyes on the forest but moving carefully so as not to draw attention. It was one of the earliest lessons Galen had taught him, cautioning him to move slowly so as not to draw attention to himself. Sudden movement could be jarring, and it was that kind of movement that he needed to avoid.

  The only problem was trying to move in such a way that he could keep an eye on the figure in the distance. Anything he did was far too noticeable. He needed to be careful, make his way quietly, and only then could he begin to avoid detection.

  The trees were thick, smooth trunks blocking his view, heavy foliage all around. The scent of grass and rotting leaves hung in the air, mixed with a wet earthy sort of odor. The rain made moving difficult, as he would leave prints anyplace he went, and though he had learned to avoid detection, there were limits to how well he could navigate.

  Haern gripped his lorcith-forged knives in his hand, keeping them clutched close to him as he went. If nothing else, he could push on the knives, and when he did, he could attack.

  Nervous energy filled him. Every movement had to be careful, subtle, so as not to attract notice, but he was no longer certain whether he was successful.

  Haern continued to connect to the lorcith. It was the most useful of his abilities, though he had talents with Sight. Sight was not nearly as useful to him as it needed to be.