Yet even as I cowered at his power, I raged within at what he had wrought upon my city. A god's power he might wield, but he was still a man, with all a man's failings and flaws. Impossible as it seemed to match his power, I had to hope that this warden was fallible. Somehow. A smile twisted onto my face, a sliver of bitter humor growing inside me. Ridiculous to think anyone could overcome him after the display he'd just put on.

  "You must rule yourselves!" the Visage finally answered his own question. "Follow me, and I will show you how. This night marks the first that we take back this city. This night, the men and women who call themselves Low Consuls and Servants of the people will tremble, for the real citizens of Oedija rise!"

  The Visage raised his arms, and the Claw lit as bright as the sun. "This night," he shouted, "each one of you will begin to become gods!"

  I grinned mockingly as the crowd's cheers reached a zenith. It felt like the smile worn by a skull.

  Amidst the fading light, the leader of the Manifest motioned for silence. "But I do not make promises without proof. You believe without seeing. Yet how much stronger will you believe when you see one of our own has succeeded in harnessing his power?"

  "Show him!" some called from the crowd. "Let us see Vessel!"

  "Yes," the Visage said, gratification plain in his voice. "Yes, you know him. Some of you have seen him before. But for the rest of you…" The man in white robes extended his arm to the side. "Vessel! Attend me!"

  As a slim figure in gray robes walked onto the stage, my rigid grin slid away. I couldn't see much at this distance, little more than a blonde head of hair atop an adolescent's head, but I still felt as if I'd taken a blow to the gut.

  The Visage clasped the boy's shoulder as he came near. The boy didn't react, staring out over the Claw.

  "This is Vessel," the Manifest leader declared. "The first of you to receive the One's grace. Vessel, show us your gift."

  The boy raised a hand. From it, a plume of fire erupted and shot halfway across the amphitheater. But I wasn't watching the display. I couldn't tear my eyes away from the boy, from the fear that held my chest in a deathly grip.

  The boy continued to channel radiance until the Visage said in a carrying whisper, "That is enough, Vessel." The boy obeyed immediately, cutting off the stream of flames and letting his hand fall back to his side. He was as rigidly obedient as a Shepherd. Hollow. Empty. Just as a proper vessel should be.

  "You see?" the Visage said to us in a calm voice. "If this boy can become a warden, then any of us can. All you must do is submit yourself to the One. Submit, Seekers, and the One will work wonders through you."

  The sound rose, bit by bit, as each took up the chant. First a tide, then a wave, then a tsunami flowing inexorably forward. "Dragon!" they called. "Dragon! Dragon!"

  The Visage stood calmly, accepting it all, as the Dishonored joined him at his side. But I did not look at either of them. I could not peel my eyes away from the boy who stood with them. I could not help but fear that despite all my efforts, I was too late to save Linos.

  But I didn't know for sure. And though doubt was a poor replacement for hope, I clung to it as the world reeled around me.

  I didn't look away from the stage until the Visage, the Dishonored, and Vessel had retreated into the eaves. Only then did I wade through the crowd to find a clear place outside the amphitheater's entrance. There I waited, stewing in my tumultuous thoughts, until I saw Nomusa dragging Hilarion in her wake. I waved and they made their way toward me.

  For a few moments, we were silent as the hum of excited conversation emanated from the crowd flowing past us. Hilarion looked sulkily between us. "Can't I go back to the palace now?"

  "No," I answered without looking at him. A glance at Nomusa showed my own fears reflected in her eyes. I hoped it wouldn't hold her back from what I'd resolved to do.

  I motioned my two accomplices near. "Once the crowds thin out, we'll approach one of the Seeker guards."

  "Why?" Hilarion asked, suspicious.

  The Archon and I had shared an understanding. No doubt Jaxas Wreath had hid his intentions from the boy. "There's no time to explain," I said, bridling my impatience. "The Archon instructed you to do as I say."

  "He didn't tell me to obey you," Hilarion argued. "He said to follow you here. I did that. Now it's time to go back to the palace."

  He started to walk away, but Nomusa's hand snaked out and seized his wrist. "I wouldn't do that," she warned in a low voice.

  The boy's eyes flashed. "Maybe you forget what I am."

  Nomusa didn't loosen her grip. "And maybe you forget what happens to a rebellious Hilarion. Or didn't you attend the last Ascension?"

  The boy's expression spasmed, and my gut twisted. But I knew we couldn't relent.

  "Fine," he muttered. He wrested his arm from Nomusa's grasp and rubbed at his wrist. "But no more grabbing."

  I nodded. "Come on. It looks like our opportunity has arrived."

  Weaving through the thinning crowd, I led them over to the nearest guard, a woman with a broad face and a dark braid draped over a shoulder like a snake. Summoning all the underclass charm I could, I said cheerily, "Eleven blessings to you! If you could spare a moment—?"

  "Move along," the Seeker snapped, barely looking around.

  "Now, no need to—"

  Her glare silenced me. "If I chatted with every pleb passing through here, this gate would still be jammed," she said. "Now move along."

  I struggled to keep my expression pleasant. "I have a cousin here, Hilly, and he wants to join you. He's a war— that is, you know…"

  That caught her attention. "Hand," she said to the boy.

  Hilarion stepped forward and gave her his hand. After a moment of intense concentration, the guard threw it aside and scowled. "You would try and trick me? The One has clearly passed over him. Leave, before I have a mind to do worse."

  "What?" I grabbed both of Hilarion's hands and understood at once. Hilarion only had his shifts on one hand, and he'd given the ordinary one to the guard. "He thinks he's a clever boy," I said apologetically and held out his other hand. "It's this one that shows his talent."

  The guard eyed me suspiciously, but accepted it again. After a moment, she nodded sharply. "You should hope he isn't so cheeky with the Visage. It won't end well for him. Come, Hilly. I will show you the way. Move!" Seizing Hilarion by the wrist, she started to drag him through the crowd. I could tell the boy was tired of being dragged around, but he was smart enough to go along with it. Or trusting enough. The pair moved quickly, the crowd parting for them, while Nomusa and I struggled to follow.

  As they climbed the stairs to the next tier, the guard noticed us and turned back with a snarl. "Not you two fools! Just him. You did your duty bringing your cousin here. Now he's in the care of the Visage."

  I thought fast. "It'd be best if we came with. Hilly was so nervous coming here — you saw how he acted out. I'd hate to see how he'd behave if we weren't there."

  "Save your air, woman. I've heard it all before. Come, boy." The guard turned back up the stairs.

  "Wait!" I took the stairs two at a time after them, ignoring the guard's glare. "Let me explain! He has a condition. Falls to the ground in spells, see. I know how to hold him down so he doesn't hurt himself."

  "I can hold a bucking invalid as well as any," the guard said drily. "What were you planning to do once you'd brought him here? Stay with him?" The Seeker laughed. "You're not half as special as to warrant that."

  The guard turned and tugged Hilarion after her again, eliciting a muttered protest from the boy. They strode down the wooden corridor along the long curve of the amphitheater, the same way I'd travelled with Talan and Xaron two nights before.

  I glanced back at Nomusa and saw she hadn't followed. "Come on!" I hissed at her. "They'll get away!"

  Nomusa looked away. "I'm not coming."

  "What? What are you talking about?"

  "This is going to get you killed. Me as well, if I were going with it. I won't do it, and you shouldn't either."

  I didn't have time for her excuses. The guard and Hilarion were disappearing out of sight. "Fine," I snapped. "I'll go by myself."

  I turned away and ran after the pair, trying to push away fear and frustration. Though I couldn't blame Nomusa for not jumping off the brink with me, it still felt as sharp as betrayal.

  When I caught up with the guard and Hilarion, an edge had crept into my voice. "Fine! I'll admit it!" I called to them. "I want to see him, the Visage. I want to know him, know his might—"

  "Get in his bed?" The guard gave a harsh laugh. "Not the first." She rounded on me again, all humor faded. "Listen, lady. If you don't walk back the way you came, we're going to have to settle this another way."

  "And how's that?" I dared to ask.

  She scowled and glanced back at the Claw's entrance, no doubt looking for reinforcements. But a glimpse behind showed no one had noticed us below, nor was anyone close enough to hear her shout over the remaining crowd.

  The Seeker realized it too. "Fine," she snapped. "If you don't turn back before we reach the door at the other end, you may not leave here alive."

  She continued to drag Hilarion on, and I set off after them. My throat was so dry that it was hard to swallow, but we were too close for me to give in now. I had to continue. I had to see Linos.

  We reached the door, and the Seeker turned. "This is your last warning."

  I crossed my arms, trying to appear more certain than I felt. "Open it. I'm not going anywhere."

  "On your head." The guard knocked sharply, then leaned into the door to whisper an entry phrase. I held my breath as we waited, pushing away my doubts. Too late to turn back now.

  The door opened, and a woman answered it. She was young, and might have looked comely had she cared for her appearance.

  The guard spoke softly to her for a moment before pulling Hilarion forward and gesturing back to me. The woman at the door turned to study me. "Who are you?" she asked.

  "Jaxale of Hull," I lied.

  The woman looked about to speak, then stiffened with her mouth open. She held rigid for so long even the Seeker guard grew uncomfortable. "Honor Seda?" the guard prompted her, eyes wary.

  I stared at the woman in confusion. The guard named her an honor, yet her name and features seemed Avvadin, and she lacked the shaved head and tin spiral earrings. It did nothing to ease my nerves.

  The woman finally stirred. "He wishes to see you," she muttered. She stepped aside from the door, holding it open. "If you'll come with me. The boy as well."

  Gooseflesh spread over my skin. The greater part of me wished to turn and flee. But as the woman led Hilarion within, the boy cast me an uneasy glance, and I knew I could do nothing but follow.

  "Watch your step," the supposed honor warned us from the darkness. "If the boy wishes to channel any light, he may."

  Hilarion immediately complied, a bright glow emanating from his fingertips. The sparse surroundings were revealed under the faint illumination, little changed since my recent visit. My breath came quick and shallow as we entered the hallway, approaching the door at the end. From beneath the door, light escaped from the room beyond. My heart pounded harder.

  The woman Seda set a hand to the handle. "My master will see you now."

  She opened the door, spilling light into the dim corridor and blinding me. I blinked and followed mutely forward. My heart threatened to escape my chest. My folly struck me in full force. But I couldn't turn back now.

  The room bore scars from our battle with the Seeker wardens, wood splintered and blackened along the walls and floors, but the main elements were still intact. The map table stood with its red circles, the stage bore its wicker wood chair. But now, the chair was occupied by a man with dark skin in a white peplos. A red mask with the aspect of a dragon hung on the back of the chair. The man sat before the windows, back erect, eyes sharp and studying me. My breath hissed out as my eyes settled on him. The Visage of the Wyvern. Unmasked.

  I knew him.

  Recognition dulled my wits, and I could do nothing but stop in the doorway and stare at him. The Visage smiled sadly back, and I saw him as I'd known him before. Tribune Vusumuzi.

  "Please bring her closer, Seda," Vusu said with a motion. "Airene and I have much to discuss."

  17

  The Visage of the Wyvern

  You cannot pen us in. You cannot bind us to your will. We have the power of gods at our fingertips. Try to cow us with your hounds — we will strike them down. And you along with them.

  - Augur Naldeia, Daemon, at her trial, shortly before her execution; 1065 SLP

  I stared at Vusu. He sat straight-backed on his throne. Clad in his sleeveless white peplos, his white gloves were gone, his arms and hands left bare, his tatu visible. They were the familiar vibrant blue of Nomusa's, but they extended far beyond hers, all the way up to his shoulders. They also moved before my eyes, slithering like snakes along his skin. The whole of his arms composed his shifts. Even having witnessed his displays before, it was only now that I fully grasped the extent of his power. And the extent to which I'd deceived myself.

  I looked away from Vusu to the stranger to his right. A man swathed in dark robes — the Dishonored, I assumed. His name suddenly made sense as I took in the shaved head and spiral earrings of an honor glimmering beneath his hood. The Dishonored nodded slowly to me, and in his blue-green speckled eyes, I sensed familiarity, as if this was not the first time we had met, though he was a stranger to me.

  I thought the room otherwise empty, until Vusu, his dark eyes still on me, made a beckoning gesture, though it did not seem aimed at anyone. "Vessel," he said. "There is someone here I'd like you to meet."

  An adolescent boy stepped out from behind the throne. Gray robes clung to his thin frame, but even with the unfamiliar dress, he had the same shock of blonde hair, the same nose he shared with myself and our mother. Linos.

  Many changes had been wrought upon him, and I clung to the doorframe as I observed them. His blue eyes, ordinarily alive and intelligent, were dull amid the spiderweb of lavender tatu. His tatu were jagged and erratic, not straight-edged like the designs Seekers painted onto themselves. Jagged as Thero's had been, fourteen long years before.

  "What have they done to you?" I whispered.

  "This must be a shock," Vusu said mildly, drawing my attention back. "I apologize for the falsities I perpetuated. But sometimes lies are necessary for the truth to be unveiled."

  I didn't look at him, but continued staring at my brother. "Linos," I said, voice trembling. "Linos, look at me."

  "He won't respond to that name anymore. He is Vessel now." Vusu looked at my brother. "Vessel, tell your sister what you are."

  "I am Vessel, empty in preparation for the One." His voice was monotone, eyes staring at the wall behind me.

  The anger simmering beneath my fear caught fire. "Linos!" I snapped. "Look at me!"

  Vusu held up a hand, and I flinched. I remembered the inferno that had come from those fingertips. "Calm, Airene," he said softly.

  His words only inflamed me further. "Why?" I demanded, glancing back at Linos, my heart rending a little more. "Why do this? He's just a boy."

  Vusu shook his head. "You crave understanding in all things. To you, an unanswered question is as good as a festering wound. Soon enough, you will learn the necessity of it. But that will come in time. I have other work for you."

  My emotions simmered so near the surface, I almost laughed. What else could I do when the world had become an absurdity? "You have work for me? You're too kind."

  His eyes narrowed slightly, betraying his annoyance. It gave me more satisfaction than it should have. "You jest, but you will obey. Not willingly, I know all too well. Your loyalty to the realm is strong, if misguided." His gaze slid over to my brother. "But I believe your loyalty to your family is stronger, is it not?"

  Rage almost stole words from me. I managed to choke out, "What do you want?"

  His eyes studied me for a moment. "Consent. Fear. Admiration. The three pillars to a strong rule. The foundation for a necessary resistance. I need these, Airene, for the sake of all. And I will acquire them. With your aid."

  "I don't understand."

  "Then let me be clearer. You have been investigating Myron Wreath's disappearance. You need not wonder about that anymore. I am responsible."

  The bald admission astonished me. For once, no question came to mind.

  The false Tribune smiled thinly. "Perhaps you think you understand now. But full understanding will come later. What you must focus on now is the task I lay before you. While I am responsible for the Despot missing, you must interpret the evidence as if Asileia Wreath is responsible. I know there is ample evidence to frame her. Including her own admissions."

  I listened, straining to understand what the man behind the Visage wanted, what he hoped to gain. But my anger burned away any reason still within me.

  "Finally," Vusu continued, "you will leverage your burgeoning relationship with Archon Jaxas Wreath to summon a trial of the Despoina within the next span. There, you will present your case against Asileia Wreath and convince the High Tribune to convict her of Myron's death."

  My fragmented thoughts struggled to put themselves together. "And if I refuse?"

  Vusu shook his head, a sad smile on his face. "Of course you would ask. I knew you might need convincing to understand the depth of my convictions. Yet I wish you hadn't forced me to it." He looked slowly over at Linos. "Vessel. Demonstrate your obedience. Kill the boy."

  My brother, still a moment before, whipped into motion. His hand shot out toward Hilarion, whom I'd nearly forgotten was present with us, and a beam of fire erupted from his fingertips. I stumbled back from the blast of heat and fell to the floor as the room filled with screams. Hilarion fell to the floor, writhing, as flames eagerly consumed his blackened body. I stared in horror, stomach churning.

 

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