Godslayers

It was cool in the service tunnel of the Kabiadesian arena. The use of ghostlights to light the tunnels meant you didn’t get any of the ambient heat from torches, and the cobblestones in the road above us insulated the tunnel from this universe’s version of the Mediterranean sun. My eyes traced the arches holding up the ceiling rather than look directly at Falerior and the information vacuum that lived in his face. His eyes didn’t leave my face. I was finding the attempted eye contact weirdly uncomfortable with the Estheni social senses I was starting to develop, and also uncomfortable for the normal reasons it’s creepy when people stare at you.

“Let go of me,” I ordered.

“Of course,” he said. “Forgive me. Tiresia, there’s no need for you to stand there. I’m sure Lady Ajarel is perfectly willing to cooperate.”

There was no way in hell I was about to turn my back on Falerior, so I shifted slightly to the side to catch Tiresia turning to help Vanerel tie up Lirian. She was barely paying attention to the process, reacting only by grunting in pain when they jostled her dislocated arm. Those dark eyes were fixed intently on me.

You have more secrets than anyone I’ve ever met, she’d told me during her first assassination attempt. I’d gotten inconclusive evidence whether Meris’s or Javei’s blessing was stronger today, but something told me Lirian was fine with getting captured if it meant learning more about me. Whatever fuzziness I’d inflicted with those kicks to the head was gone. I really should have found a way to stab her earlier.

“What am I cooperating with, exactly?” I asked Falerior.

“All we ask is that you come to the Javeiron and answer some questions. About the fate of Salaphi, and your business here.”

Right, sure, the temple to Javei with all the high-powered etheric surveillance that implied. We didn’t even know how to counter the Oathkeepers’ normal blessings, much less the heavy duty stuff waiting on Javei’s holy ground. They’d rip my cover story to shreds in minutes. I raised Val on the comms.

“Val, I need that blessing analyzed like yesterday.”

“I’m afraid that window has passed, but I’ll work on it.”

“Do it!” I hissed subvocally, then addressed Falerior out loud. “And if I don’t comply?”

Falerior gave me a resigned sort of smile. “I am not threatening you.”

“But? There’s a but in that sentence.”

“It would make it harder for me to vouch for your honesty the next time you need a contract witnessed.” His tone was regretful. Dude was probably the kind of lame woobie who just wished everyone could get along.

“Yeah, okay, you’re threatening me. Well guess what? Maybe I’m gonna have second thoughts about vouching for your honesty,” I shot back, exhaling sharply through my nose. “You said you were gonna be mindful of my position in the House, but now you’re dragging me off to the station like some common criminal?”

“I did not lie to you—”

“You sure?” I interrupted. “Seems like it from—”

He didn’t stop talking, rolling right over my interruption.

“—but you declared the situation urgent and moved before we could clarify what that meant. And this new information changes things.”

I bristled, throwing a hand toward the incarceration party on my left. “Vanerel said we had a deal!”

“You were goin’ to kill her!” she shouted. “Who’d argue technicalities with blades out?”

“Oh, wow, let’s make this my fault. Fuck you guys. I’m out. If that means you can’t witness my contracts, I guess Kuril will have to do them. Or Roel, not that you actually give a fuck.” My voice rose to a screech by the end of the sentence.

“She did this to me, too,” Lirian remarked, as though she were just hanging out with us rather than restrained and tied to Vanerel. “Using outrage to deflect from questions she didn’t want answered.”

“You think I’m faking this!?”

“Lady Ajarel, either calm yourself or put the sword down,” said Falerior.

“Like hell,” I said, but took a deep breath anyway. Keep your head in the game, Lilith. They were playing it smart, pitting me and Lirian against each other. Could I throw a wrench in that maneuver?

“Alright, first off,” I said, glancing back and forth between Falerior and the other Oathkeepers, “I’m not answering questions where Buttface can hear the answers. This is why she stabbed Roel in the first place, we shouldn’t reward that by—”

“Lady Ajarel,” Falerior interrupted, “The Vitaressi have requested the Oathkeepers’ justice in this matter, and it is the Oathkeepers’ justice that will be executed here. I hope we can understand one another.”

I gripped my sword until my knuckles creaked, then let off on the pressure. “Fine.”

“If you’d prefer to speak in private,” he continued leadingly, nodding to the west.

“I’d prefer not to speak at all,” I said. “I’m finally having nights where I don’t wake up screaming, and now you want to dredge that all up again?”

The conversation paused as I, and presumably Falerior, digested the realization that I was being honest.

“You’re so soft,” Lirian marveled. “Was everyone in Salaphi a coward, or just you?”

The Oathkeepers collectively took a step back from me. I laughed. “There’s like three of you. Chill.”

“I must insist,” said Falerior. “None of us want House Vitares barred from trade in the city of her ancestor.”

“Wait, it’s not just me personally?” I said. “Isn’t that a little too much escalation?”

“You know the truth about a great calamity,” Falerior said, meeting my eyes with a look of conviction. I suppressed a flinch at the c-word, letting myself relax after double-checking that the comm said he hadn’t meant capital-C Calamity like the angels were naming us. “The rumors are that Alcebios herself descended on the village. Every temple of Kives has proclaimed a warning to stay away! The sheer number of questions we’ve had, Lady Ajarel! Now I have the answers in my city, if you’d only just—”

A voice cut through the dim tunnel. “Your city?”

Falerior startled at the sound, turning to watch Kuril approach down the hallway with a hulking muscle dude two steps behind her.

“Godsmile, Councilwoman,” he said hurriedly.

“Ah, good, Lady Ajarel,” Kuril said. “I’m glad to have found you. One worries when one’s prospective sashbearer charges off after a whisper and fails to reappear. But I see these Oathkeepers have defended my House, as they were hired to do.”

Falerior didn’t say anything.

“W-wait, sashbearer?” I said. “Isn’t that, like, for when you’re pregnant?”

“Obviously not yet,” said Kuril. “Keep up, Ajarel. Is this Lady Lirian? I haven’t had the pleasure, which I assume will continue to be the case.”

“Blessings of Meris upon you,” Lirian said in the most threatening pleasant tone I’ve ever heard.

“Quite,” said Kuril. She drew near to the captive whisper, followed by the lumbering dude in the competition loincloth. “Explain what you did to my sister.”

“Nothing.” Lirian smirked.

Kuril looked expectantly at Vanerel. Vanerel stared mutely back.

“The power dynamic here is convoluted,” said Markus. “Commander, can I be an Oathkeeper next op?”

“Well?” said Kuril. “The truth belongs to Javei, does it not? You were paid well for this investigation.”

Vanerel sighed. “You’re askin’ a real deep secret. With whispers, that’s supposed to mean Cult business. You won’t get that out of her.”

“Mm,” said Kuril. “I wouldn’t pretend to understand. The Sisterhood has no secrets—our laws are taught publicly. Surely you haven’t skulked around this city—the city of my ancestor,” with a pointed look at Falerior, “without learning the Law of Opposing Force. Genoma?”

She held out a hand. Genoma’s brow furrowed for a moment, then enlightenment dawned and he drew the dagger at his side. In Kuril’s hand it looked considerably larger.

Kuril wasn’t a trained combatant: her stab wasn’t elegant or precise. But it was quick, it was vicious, and neither Vanerel nor Tiresia were in position to stop her before it plunged into Lirian’s leg. She screamed once, then bit her lip to keep from calling out again. Kuril pulled the blade out as Tiresia hurriedly tore strips of bandage off a roll on his hip.

“Lady Kuril! That’s enough!” Falerior snapped. “You paid for the Oathkeepers’ justice.”

“Then may it be,” said Kuril. “Vitaressi justice has already been served.”

“Damn,” said Markus approvingly.

None of the Oathkeepers dared to speak up; Lirian was in obvious pain and kept her eyes closed. Tears were trickling down her cheeks. I never thought I’d see her cry—it was pretty great, let me tell you. I didn’t let myself enjoy it for too long, though.

“So, uh,” I said, breaking the awkward silence. “We good then?”

Kuril nodded matter-of-factly. “Let’s exit this way. I estimate we’ll be late for the next event if we retrace our steps.”

“Lady Kuril,” Falerior spoke up, “there is still the matter of Salaphi.”

She regarded him coldly. “You did not name yourself Falerior of Salaphi when I hired you.”

“I did not,” he agreed.

“Are we in Salaphi?”

“You stand beneath Vitareas.”

“Does Salaphi pay for the upkeep of the Javeiron?”

“It does not, but—”

“Then let the Oathkeepers of Salaphi tend to Salaphi. You are far beyond the scope of your investigation, Falerior.”

His face gave no evidence of whatever analysis was running behind that polite blankness. Eventually he nodded.

“Then we will complete our investigation as contracted,” he said.

“I cut her hair!” Lirian yelled suddenly. “I crippled her legs! Now it’s like nothing happened!”

“Shut up,” said Kuril.

“They all know I’m speaking the truth,” Lirian said.

“I don’t recall paying for that information,” said Kuril. Her gaze fixed on Falerior. “Punish her. Ajarel, we’re late.”

I made mocking eye contact with Lirian as we passed, feeling a little like a second grader sticking her tongue out from behind the teacher, but whatever.

“Hands find their way, Ajarel,” said Lirian. “Hands find their way.”

“Tell it to the judge,” I said, following my adoptive mother as she power-walked toward the arena.

“I’ve always wanted to say that,” I confessed when I caught up.

“I don’t understand what judges have to do with this,” said Kuril. “Did you mean magistrate?”

I sighed. Genius is never appreciated in its own time.