The Midnight Sea (The Fourth Element #1) (16 page)

Chapter Eighteen

D
arius’s trial was held the next morning in the Hall of a Hundred Columns. I’d been afraid Ilyas would prevent me from attending, but it seemed the King had insisted I be present. Most likely to keep my daēva under control when the judgment was passed.

I had thought all night, trying to foresee every outcome, looking for chinks in Ilyas’s claims. Of course, they were a complete fabrication. He had no real evidence, other than what Victor had said. But I knew Ilyas believed it and his words would carry the weight of conviction. He needed someone to blame. Someone to punish. The real culprits—Victor, the necromancer, even Queen Neblis herself—were out of his reach. That left Darius.

As I walked with my escort of Immortals to the audience chamber, I tried to keep calm, despite the dryness of my mouth. I had a strange floating feeling, from lack of sleep and, let’s face it, sheer terror. But I would need to choose my words carefully. If I offended the King, it was over.

The chamber was packed to bursting with Immortals, Numerators, magi and the King’s retinue of richly dressed nobles. The King himself sat stone-faced on the throne. A staff rested across his knees and he wore a crown of solid gold, adorned with jewels and serrations on top that looked like tiny towers.

I nearly wept with relief when I saw Tijah. She was standing next to Ilyas on the other side of the chamber. I moved to join them but one of my Immortal guards clamped a hand on my arm.

“Bring out the accused,” the King said.

A hush fell on the Hall as Darius was led out and shoved to his knees. My breath caught at the sight of him. I tried to send comfort through the bond, but he was oddly calm. As if he already accepted what was about to happen.

No one moved, except for the woman I had seen standing behind the throne the day before. She brought a hand to her mouth, as though stifling a cry. The King stared at her for a long moment, eyes narrowed. Then he motioned her to sit at his feet. She dropped the hand, her expression perfectly neutral, and sank to the ground, sheer gown puddling around her. The way her limbs flowed with an otherworldly grace confirmed my suspicions that she was a daēva. The King’s bonded. Her good eye, that astonishing blue, fixed on Darius as she drew her long legs to her chin.

“Captain Ilyas,” the King said. “You say this daēva committed an act of treason. Is that correct?”

“Yes, King of Kings,” Ilyas said, stepping forward. “We set out from Tel Khalujah eight days ago. A messenger had come from Gorgon-e Gaz, reporting the escape of six daēvas and their guards. They massacred fourteen good men and fled into the Khusk Range. We rode in pursuit. That daēva”—he pointed to Darius—”was our tracker. Someone, perhaps he himself, brought an avalanche down on us as we came out of the mountains. But we survived it and continued onto the Great Salt Plain, where the trail appeared to lead to the Barbican.”

I’d hoped Ilyas would appear as unhinged and delusional as I knew him to be, but his tone was mild, almost regretful, and my heart sank.

“We encountered a group of necromancers on the plain, King of Kings. He advised against engaging with them, as we were too evenly matched, and I agreed. The first priority was to ensure the security of the Barbican.”

I gritted my teeth as the King nodded. Not exactly a lie, but not the whole truth either. It had been Ilyas’s decision to let the necromancers go. And Darius had probably been correct in his assessment. They were more dangerous than I’d imagined. If the other daēvas hadn’t already killed two of them, we’d all be dead right now.

“Shortly after, he claimed to lose the trail of the runners. It made no sense. He had been tracking them since Tel Khalujah. Suddenly, they disappear? The Barbican appeared unmolested, but I thought it prudent to consult with the High Magus. It was he who confirmed that the holy fire had been stolen by two Purified not an hour before. Undoubtedly, Darius was in league with them.”

“I understand you managed to bring one back,” the King said. “Where is he? I would hear in his own words what transpired, and what drove him to commit this act of heresy.”

I pressed my lips together to stifle a smile. The Purified was our best hope. I just prayed he would keep his word. I thought he would. He feared the judgment of the Holy Father far more than these men.

Then Lieutenant Kamdin strode forward, his face grim. He prostrated himself before the King.

“Speak.”

“King of Kings,” Kamdin said. “I am afraid the Purified has taken his own life. One of the Immortals just informed me that they discovered his body hanging from the cell bars. It must have happened sometime in the night. He used the sash from his robes.”

Excited whispering broke out in the Hall.

“A pity,” the King said, cutting through the babble. “But a sure sign of a guilty heart.”

I raised a shaking hand to my forehead. It took every ounce of control I could muster not to point a finger at Ilyas and scream, “Murderer!” For that’s what he was. I had no doubts.

“Continue, Captain Ilyas,” the King said, as if the man’s death was a trifling matter.

Ilyas paused to gather his thoughts. “When I learned that the fire had been taken, I ordered our daēvas to send a sandstorm, hoping to slow them down.”

“A clever strategy,” the King said approvingly.

“It worked. We caught them shortly afterwards, but the necromancers had found them first. We arrived in the middle of a heated battle between the two sides. I have been told that Darius engaged the Druj, although I was otherwise occupied with slaying one of the necromancers and their unholy minions, so I can’t verify this myself.”

I stared at Ilyas. He knew Darius had almost lost his life a dozen times in that fight. And it wasn’t because he had no choice. He was a warrior. And no matter what they did to him, no matter how badly they treated him, he would choose the light. He had done it again and again. And now he would die for it, at the hands of the very people he had tried to save.

If I could have seized the power myself in that moment, I would have. I would have levelled that palace and everyone in it, even if it killed me. I reached for it through the cuff, as futile as the gesture was, and thought that half-seen star glowed brighter for a second. I tried to still my thoughts, as Darius stilled his, and delve deeper into my body. My blood surged, and the power seemed to pulse in time with my heart. It felt so close…

And then Ilyas’s voice dragged me back. It had taken on a hard edge. He was about to deliver the most damning evidence of all.

“The fight appeared to be over. We had slain our enemies, but the holy fire was gone. My daēva…” Ilyas cleared his throat. “My daēva, Tommas, succumbed to a wight. I was still reeling from the loss when one of the daēvas from Gorgon-e Gaz came back. The only survivor of their group. Victor.”

The woman at the King’s feet stirred at this. Some strong emotion seemed to flow through the bond between them, for he shifted in the throne, gripping his staff with white knuckles.

“I commanded Darius to slay him. Victor had used the fire to break the cuffs and there was no way to bring him to justice. They pretended to fight, but at the very moment that Darius had the upper hand, he allowed Victor to break free.” Ilyas paused for dramatic effect. “Perhaps not surprising, since Victor is his father. I heard Victor claim him myself.”

Several of the nobles gasped at this revelation, but the Numerators flanking the throne and the King himself seemed unmoved. Of course, they knew already. The entire audience was just a show, I realized with disgust.

“Did anyone else hear it?” the King asked.

“Yes, King of Kings. Nazafareen, his bonded. And Tijah, the third of the Water Dogs from Tel Khalujah.”

“Where are they?” the King’s eyes roved through the Hall.

“I am Nazafareen,” I said, heart thumping in my ears.

“Come forward.” His gaze settled on Tijah, whom Ilyas was whispering to. “You also.”

I walked to Darius and knelt at his side. His hands and feet were chained together. Blood oozed from cuts in his skin where the manacles had bitten deep. I caught his eye for only an instant before his gaze flicked away.

Tijah’s steps dragged as she approached the king and paid obeisance. Her expression was a picture of misery.

“Let’s start with you,” the King said to Tijah. “Did the rogue daēva named Victor claim Darius as his son in your presence?”

She licked her lips. “Yes, but—”

“And did he say that he intended to free Darius and the other daēvas with the Prophet’s fire?”

Now I knew for certain that Ilyas had briefed the King privately, for he hadn’t even mentioned this part.

“That wasn’t Darius’s fault, he didn’t know—”

“Did he say it?” the King thundered.

Tijah’s shoulders slumped. “Yes.”

The King turned to me. “Two witnesses have confirmed the collusion between these daēvas. Do you dare deny it?”

I took a slow breath, the stares of the entire court boring into me. The faces of the nobles bore thinly veiled contempt. No matter what color tunic I wore, they saw only a dirty, backwards nomad girl. The King himself seemed impatient to conclude the proceedings.

Tread carefully, Nazafareen
, I thought.
Do not anger this man more
.

“King of Kings, I would never deny the obvious truth. But I can tell you as his bonded that he did everything in his power to hold Victor. Ilyas did not mention that Victor is one of the strongest daēvas in the empire. That he cracked the stone fortress of Gorgon-e Gaz in half.”

Astonished murmurs greeted this statement. The magi and Numerators looked at each other in alarm.

“Darius sustained severe injuries fighting the Druj, and then his own father. If you examine him, you will see for yourself that it is true. These are not the actions of a traitor, but of a daēva loyal heart and soul to the empire. When Victor told us his plans, Darius said he didn’t wish to be free. Those were his exact words.”

Tijah nodded. Ilyas scowled deeply, but he didn’t deny it.

“Darius was raised by the magi in Karnopolis,” I said. “He is the most devout person I have ever met. He even wears the faravahar around his neck, as a symbol of his faith. We’ve only been bonded for two years, but in that time I have seen him kill hundreds of Druj.” I raised my arm and held the cuff high so everyone could see it. “The bond does not lie. It would have been impossible for him to conceal his true intentions from me. I can attest that his heart is pure.”

Some of the Immortals nodded at this. The King just watched me, his expression unreadable. But he himself was bonded. He had to know that my words rang true.

“I think that my captain is a good man”—those words almost choked me, but they had to be uttered—”who has suffered an unimaginable loss. He sees snakes in the grass where there are none to be found. With all due respect, Queen Neblis is the true enemy. It is she who sent her necromancers across our borders, she who now has possession of the Prophet’s holy fire. The threat lies to the north, not in this chamber. And we will need to stand together if we hope to defeat her. We will need every soldier, every daēva.” I pointed to Darius. “He is your weapon, King of Kings. He lives only to kill Druj, and he is very good at it. Do not throw him away on the false claims of a man who himself has failed you.”

Ilyas stared daggers at me for that last bit, but I sensed that the mood in the Hall had subtly shifted. The Numerators didn’t look pleased but they were a sour bunch, concerned mainly with hoarding their own power. The magi were already nervous, since two of their own had been certain conspirators. But many of the Immortals wore thoughtful expressions. They would be the ones called on if another war broke out. They understood the need for unity.

I caught Lieutenant Kamdin’s eye and he gave me the barest nod.

The King tapped his fingers on the staff.

“Darius,” he said. “Do you also refute these charges?”

“I do,” Darius said in a soft voice. “Victor may be my father, but I am a loyal son of the empire.”

“Lies—” Ilyas hissed.

“Silence!” The King stood. He surveyed the room, then fixed his gaze on Darius. “In the name of the Holy Father, my judgment is thus.” The entire Hall seemed to hold its breath. “The Water Dog daēva is a traitor and will be given to the Numerators. They will see him burn.” His gaze landed on me. “His bonded is also guilty by default. Take her to the cells. I will determine her punishment at a later date.”

My knees buckled as a phalanx of Immortals swept over and grabbed me and Darius. He was shouting my innocence, finally roused from his apathy, but it was too late. A breeze swept the chamber as dozens of daēvas summoned their power to hold him in check.

As they dragged me out for the second time in as many days, I saw Tijah’s horrified face, Ilyas’s smug grin, and lastly, the King’s own daēva. She was staring at me intensely, and I had the odd sensation that her dead, milky eye was not blind after all.

All the way to the dungeons, Darius screamed my name. Screamed until he was hoarse. I knew he hadn’t meant for this to happen. It was Ilyas’s fault. Ilyas and the King.

They put us too far apart to hear each other. As I curled up on the cold stone floor, all I could think of was the fact that I never kissed him. Not even once. Of all the regrets in my life, and I had many, that was the biggest.

Chapter Nineteen

T
he Numerators came the next day. At least, I think it was the next day. There was no way to judge the passage of time in the dungeons. I had slept, and woken, and slept some more. It was my only escape. I welcomed the darkness, even if it was plagued by nightmares of Darius on a fire altar, that huge statue of the Prophet looming over him as faceless men prayed for his soul.

But I couldn’t sleep forever. And when they brought me a bowl of slops, I drank every drop. There was no point in starving myself to death. I doubted I’d even have time to.

I was cautiously probing the various cuts and bruises on my body when I saw the flickering light of a torch coming down the passage. That told me right away it wasn’t the Immortals. They always stayed in bonded pairs, and the daēvas would be unable to tolerate the fire.

I’d thought I was past fear since the worst had already happened, but as soon as I saw those pure white robes, my gut tightened.

There were six of them. Five kept their faces cloaked in shadow, but the last produced a key and entered my cell. He looked like a kindly grandfather. Thick silver hair, twinkling blue eyes, skin glowing with good health, although it sagged around his jowls a bit.

“Nazafareen,” he said, smiling. His voice was rich, silky, like a purring cat, but it held an edge of authority. Besides the red embroidery at the hem, his robe bore the symbol of an eye with a dancing flame where the pupil should be. I had no idea what it meant, only that this man held some kind of special rank within their order.

I pressed my back against the wall and said nothing.

“I understand you come from the Four-Legs Clan,” he said. “Mountain people. I wouldn’t have expected a nomad to speak so eloquently.” He chuckled. “I hope that doesn’t offend you. It was meant as a compliment. I suppose you were educated by the magus in Tel Khalujah?”

His lips thinned at my continued silence.

“We haven’t paid a visit to the Khusk Range in far too long,” he mused. “Not that I doubt your people’s loyalty. But I’ve found that even those in the farthest reaches of the empire need a reminder, from time to time.”

“What do you want?”

“Straight to the point, eh? I’ll dispense with the pleasantries then. Your daēva will be put to death in five days’ time. He’s a traitor. This is clear. And yet the King feels it would be prudent if he confessed his sins. Thanks to your pretty speech, some seem to think he might be innocent.”

I guessed he was talking about the Immortals.

“It’s a small matter, but we would like to lay those rumors to rest.”

“Darius will never do it,” I said. “Never.”

The Numerator studied me. “How well do you understand the bond?”

“Enough.”

“Are you aware that it can be used to…coerce?”

I suddenly remembered Ilyas’s words to Tommas on the plain, right before he summoned the sandstorm.

You’ll make it happen. Now! Or you’ll learn what the bond can do to a daēva that disobeys its
master…

“You want me to torture him,” I said flatly. “With the cuff.”

The Numerator’s eyes glittered. “Torture is a strong word. The process leaves no physical mark. But yes, pain can be caused. Mortal agony, even.”

I wondered if I could manage to snap his neck before the others got inside the cell. The odds seemed decent.

“If he confesses, his sentence will be commuted. As will yours. Not a full pardon, of course. But he’ll escape the flames. Think on it, Nazafareen. You hold his life in your hands.” He made a fluttering motion with his fingers. “Don’t worry, they tend to break very quickly. I can teach you the most efficient techniques.”

I stared at him, and wondered how I could ever have been a part of this. They were monsters. All of them.

“Would you like to hear something very interesting?” I said.

“What?” He leaned forward eagerly.

“Did you know that the stars are actually suns? Hot, burning orbs in the heavens?”

The Numerator frowned in confusion.

“Yes, it’s true,” I said. “My daēva told me. Another thing: mountains dream. But a single dream may last a thousand years.”

“Have you lost your wits?” he snapped.

“Oh, and if you’re very still, you can hear the forest breathing.” I smiled. “It’s all in a place called the nexus. A pity you’re too stupid to notice it.”

The Numerator’s face darkened. His blue eyes no longer twinkled.

“I will see you’re kept alive to feel him burn,” he said. “And then I’ll make sure your clan is wiped off the face of the earth.”

I did attack him then, but the others were on me in a heartbeat, kicking and stomping until blood splattered their white robes. When they were done, and the cell door clanged shut again, I curled on the floor in a ball. I thought of my mother and father, my brother Kian, my uncles and aunts and cousins. And I wept, for them, for myself, for Darius.

I didn’t move for a long time. Everything hurt. I had no energy left. They’d probably go ahead and torture him anyway, but I wouldn’t help them do it.

Time passed. Distant voices approached, receded.

I may have slept a little more. I could still feel Darius, although his state of mind was as bleak as my own. I found his heartbeat, and focused on that, letting my own fall into rhythm with it. The next best thing to having him with me.

I tried reaching for the power again, as I had in the Hall of a Hundred Columns, but I was too numb, too exhausted. I could sense it though, swirling through the stones of the prison, the dank air that filled my lungs. It was everywhere, in everything. I knew Darius would seize if it he could. They must have been blocking him somehow.

Three days. I had three days to think of something. But my mind was blank. There was no way out of this place, not alive at any rate.

Dim daylight filtered down the corridor. I sat up, wincing in pain. Footsteps, soft and stealthy. My heart lifted, hoping it might be Tijah. I pictured her with her scimitar drawn, wet with the blood of the guards, Myrri at her side.

Then I saw it was Ilyas. His eyes looked like black holes in his face, like he hadn’t slept in days.

“We need to talk,” he said, stopping in front of my cell. “I didn’t mean for this to happen.”

I surprised myself by laughing, although it stabbed my ribs like a knife. “You didn’t?”

“No. Not you. I didn’t think they would arrest
you
.”

“Take it all back then,” I said, although I knew it was already too late for that.

“Save yourself,” Ilyas urged. “Please. Renounce him. Say you know he’s a demon. That he corrupted you, but you walk in the light now. The Numerators will go easier on you. I can bring you home to Tel Khalujah. The satrap will—”

“No.”

“Why not?” He smashed a fist against the bars. “Why do you insist on defending him?”

I held his gaze. “Because I won’t be like you, Ilyas.”

He froze. “What do you mean?”

“You know what I mean.”

“No,” he said in a deadly tone. “I don’t.”

“You loved Tommas,” I said. “Just as I love Darius.” As I spoke the words, I knew they were true. “But instead of accepting it, you let it poison you.”

Ilyas shook his head, his red-gold curls flying.

“No, no…”

“Tommas must have known. Of course he knew. I don’t know whether he loved you back, but he put up with you all those years with more grace and patience than I would have.” I knew I was pushing him too hard, but I no longer cared. “Maybe he did love you. Maybe he did. You should have been better to him, Ilyas! He wasn’t Druj. None of them are Druj! It’s all lies. And I won’t be a part of it anymore.”

“Your daēva let him die!”
Ilyas raged, and I suddenly realized we had reached the heart of the matter. “He could have saved him, but he didn’t. He let his blood pour out…” Ilyas’s hand clamped down on the cuff. “I can still feel him. Feel him rotting. The bond is still there, Nazafareen. It never goes away! And I can’t get it off.” He broke into a sob.

I took a step forward. As much as I hated him, I wouldn’t wish this on anyone. It chilled me to the bone.

“Ilyas—” I said. And his hand shot out, grabbing my wrist and dragging me hard against the bars.

“You have the taint too,” he whispered, his breath hot in my ear. “I saw it that day down by the river, and again in the mountains. It’s filthy. Unholy. There’s a reason human-daēva offspring aren’t permitted to live. They’re an abomination. I won’t let it happen to you, Nazafareen. I won’t.”

“Let go of me!” I screamed, but my face was pressed against the cell bars and his grip on my right arm was like iron.

“You’re like a sister. It’s my duty to protect you. Protect you from yourself.” He pulled a long knife from a sheath at his waist. “Don’t fight, Nazafareen. It will just make it worse.”

“Ilyas, please…please don’t…”

I did beg then. Begged and screamed and cried. Promised to do whatever he asked of me. But a strange calm had descended on him and I knew with a thrill of perfect terror that he had planned this all along, if things didn’t go his way.

“Guards!” I yelled, my voice high and cracked. “Help me! Somebody help me!”

But nobody did. Nobody came. Ilyas twisted my arm so the elbow was locked down tight. I struggled. Oh, how I struggled. When the blade bit into the soft flesh above the cuff, I saw starbursts explode in front of my eyes. And when it caught in the bone, and he started sawing, I wished for death.

But the very worst part was the end. As I slipped into blackness, I felt an empty hole where Darius used to live. Our bond had been broken. My daēva was gone.