Incandescence - 24. Change of Plans

The air as I descended the stairs became heavier and far too moist for my taste. It was dank and dark. The less time I could spend below deck the better. I snapped my fingers and held a light aloft in my hand. I wasn’t used to the layout of ships, but there couldn’t be that much space to cover. Moving as quickly as I could, I barely saw my surroundings. Finally, I reached filthy bars and the cells came into view. The floors here were wet and if not for my Magik, I’d be freezing. It was truly uninhabitable if not outright cruel. There was evidence that there had been people kept down here, but none of those poor souls remained. Anika wasn’t here and my stomach sank. How long was this going to take?

Illiath wasn’t opposed to Magik and they’d already shown us that they had access to teleporters. How would I know if they hadn’t taken her away? Whisked back to Illiath. I stood in the dark, my dingy surroundings letting the situation sink in. My Magik went out as I clenched my fists. The Illiathian navy would be destroyed no matter what, but I had to know how far I needed to go. I didn’t have time to launch a one-man attack on an entire country for one person. This wasn’t the only threat to Dimian. Even though I wanted to grab Talon and tear Illiath down together, there was no way I could be selfish.

Turning, my steps took me back the way I had come. Stomping up the damp steps, seeing the sun seemed to break me out of the trance I’d been in. Metal still met metal as Rydian and Suman danced across the ship. Both were covered in superficial wounds. There was a cut above Suman’s eyes that was dripping blood down his face. They now stood a few feet apart, both panting. Suman’s left eye blinked rapidly and then squeezed closed before opening again. Red covered the white sclera and his face twitched in a wince before he schooled his features.

He noticed me and frowned as I continued toward them. Rydian followed his gaze, but he wasn’t fast enough. I jerked my hand to the side, my fingers straight and stiff. He gasped as blood splattered over the wooden deck. Suman glared at me, but I glared right back. He walked forward, stepping in front of the other prince who was bent over, gripping the boat’s railing to stay upright as blood soaked his clothing. The wound on his chest wasn’t big, but it was probably deeper than I needed it to be. I was mostly sure it wasn’t deep enough to hit anything vital. Suman raised his chin, looking down his nose at me. Narrowing my eyes, I lifted a hand slowly.

“You can finish him off, but I need to question him.” I said quietly.

“We were in a fair fight to the death. You can’t jus-“

“I can and I’m going to. Either stand down of I’ll drop your ass back on the beach. Is that clear?” Suman let out a frustrated growl and I lifted my hand, “Is that clear, Suman?”

He sneered at me, but I was too busy watching the movement behind him. I flicked my wrist. He flinched but turned when Rydian cried out and staggered back, his blade dropping to the ground. Suman looked from the blade to me, eyes widening. Stepping forward, I shoved the prince aside, “You’re a trained fighter. Isn’t turning your back on an opponent like a big no no?”

Suman glanced from him to me again and I held eye contact for a long moment, meeting his attempt at a stare down with annoyance. I had no patience for this. When he refused to look away, I waved my hand and his back slammed into the mast, “Stay there then. Next time you get in my way, you’ll be eating sand.”
Suman let out a pained gasp as he recovered from the air being knocked out of him. I turned away, shifting attention from one annoying prince to the other. Rydian too in the exchange, watching intently as he eased down to try and retrieve his weapon. Another hand wave and the blade sailed over the side of boat and into the ocean. My hands lifted into the air and gold spread from my fingertips. Rydian’s eyes widened as the shifting gold slid from me across the deck. He scrambled back on all fours like a crab. Unbothered by his attempt to flee, I funneled more Magik into my fingers and the tendrils of power spread out over his legs. They worked up his waist, then stomach before spidering over his arms and up to his chin. I clenched my hands into fists and Rydian gasped as the Magik constricted. Blood oozed from his open wounds and my head tilted as I walked closer.

Stooping, the gold gripped his chin and forced him to look at me as I moved one of my fingers to the side, “Now, baby prince, we need to have a discussion. I don’t share my husband’s talent for torture, but I’m sure we’ll manage.”

“You’ll get nothing from me.” He hissed; his voice surprisingly controlled given how much pain he had to be in.

“I’ll get everything from you and yours whether you want me to or not. Make this easier for yourself.” Clearing my throat and bracing myself, I thought of my loved ones. Talon was on the beach, but many of them were far from me right now. I didn’t know whether Rydian’s men had killed my mother. I didn’t know if my father would survive. The prince had killed Loren. He’d kill the rest of them given the chance. My eyes fell closed as air filled my lungs, my chest expanding with it as I pictured green eyes with kaleidoscopes around the pupil. No one would put my boy in the dark again.

Rydian flinched when my eyes snapped open, “Where is my sister?”

“I told you, you’re not going to get anything from me!” Rydian snapped. His unfriendly smirk fell into shocked horror when I sighed and flicked my fingers. He glanced down the best he could, noticing his new lack of right hand.

“Where is she?” I tried again. He was still staring down at his stump as if his brain couldn’t process.

Lifting my hand, palm down, I pressed it in a downward motion in the air. Small daggers of light dropped, four for each leg, spaced evenly. Rydian cried out, thrashing under the gold that still held him.

“Let me go!” The light faded from his legs but the wounds remained. I was close enough now that the light shone in his eyes and it let me see myself. The me from Anders’ trial stared back at me. The one with the crazed expression and dead eyes.

“One more time,” I said softly as I looked away from myself in his gaze, “Where is she?”

“Won’t break. Won’t tell you.” Rydian said, gasping.

“Please, I get no joy from this. Tell me where she is. Dead or alive, and I’ll make Suman finish you off quick.” A outraged noise sounded behind me, but I ignored it.

Rydian shook his head, lips clamped together. This wasn’t working. It made my stomach churn. Vomiting over the side of the ship was just what I needed right now. My Magik may be strong, but I wasn’t meant to hurt people this way. It felt wrong. Tainted. I stood and released him, “Suman.”

The prince stalked forward, giving me a wide berth. After I’d moved a safe distance away from the princes. I gathered my Magik, more and more. My vision went white and I felt my power branch out, speeding over the water and onto each boat. My insides seemed to rattle and I tried to relax into that place in my mind where the voice talked to me The place I went the other times I’d needed this power. The white light dropped like a heavy curtain and I was in the dark. Then the light exploded again and I sighed as a sense of calm filled me. There was no voice but as I turned in a circle, across an immeasurable distance I saw a figure. They were outlined in grey and black flames. Seeing it made me downright tranquil. I’d never seen Talon here like this, but I knew it was him. I could feel him. It was how I felt when he’d entered my dreams after we’d fought off the Soul Eater.

Kalian?

I’m taking a short cut. I need your power so I don’t pass out.

Take what you need.

The black flames spread from him and my light met him halfway. The colors began to twist together as if getting reacquainted. I saw two wisps of color near Talon, one black and one grey to match his flames. Then power surged through me. Enough to take my breath away. We’d never done this before-at least not on this scale-and it lit something in me. I felt like I was on fire and my fingertips drifted through the flames. A mixture of grey, black, white, and gold. My blood was boiling and it took everything in me to calm down. I made a conscious effort to relax my body, one part at a time. By the time I wiggled my toes, the tension had completely dropped off. Then, I imploded. Magik spread from me faster than ever before. Scouring every inch of every boat in the Illiathian fleet.

As I held on for the ride, shapes flitted across my vision. My physical eyes were unseeing, but my power wasn’t. I seemed to have discovered a new kind of sight. Gold and white torn through every inch of a boat and once it found nothing, black flame spread up the hull and onto the deck until each ship was fully engulfed. There was faint screaming. It was like it was a few walls and closed doors away from me, but I knew it was Talon and I taking these lives. I could feel them being snuffed out. Insignificant like ants under a shoe.

Kalian, you’re slipping.

Talon’s words made no sense to me at first. I didn’t care either way. I couldn’t tell how many ships I’d gone through, but finally, a faint glimmer. Dark blue and seafoam green dancing around a person.

There. She was there.

Elation filled me and I gasped. Then I started pulling more power. It pooled inside me and I felt giddy. I cast it across the water, back to the beach and watched a forest green wisp slowly build in the distance. A warped sort of glee slid through me and I started to realize what Talon met. My power had always been comforting and gentle inside me. I was slowly spinning it into something horrible. I didn’t need this much power coursing through me, and I certainly didn’t need more. The boon that Talon had given me was plenty, but I was beginning to thirst for more. As I forced myself to release my death grip on the force around me, I wondered if this is what Talon’s corruption had felt like. The sheer energy inside me had been intoxicating and it was enough to take my breath away.

The connection to Talon fell and I struggled to get air into my lungs as the blinding light faded from around me. Reality dripped back into my perception and I collapsed on the ground. Hands gripped under my arms and I was pulled up none too gently. I was too tired to fight back, but quickly realized it was Suman. He dragged me over to the side of the boat and for a moment, I though he might be trying to throw me over. Instead, he dropped me against a hard surface and crouched over me. I struggled to keep my eyes open and I about lost my lunch as the boat we were on shook. It lifted and jerked. Suman’s hands held tighter as we started to move. Too out of it to pay attention, I jolted when the boat dropped violently and then I heard scraping under us. It was like nails on a chalkboard. The sensation made my back teeth hurt.

Suman was gone in an instant and I watched him throw himself over the side. That couldn’t be safe. Why would he jump into the ocean this far out? My head rolled on my shoulders and I kept fighting to stay awake. After a few seconds, I realized I’d never heard him hit the water. Confused I tried to prop myself up to look. I didn’t have enough strength. There were noises, but I couldn’t make them out. Rolling onto my side, I cringed when I saw Rydian. Suman had done a number on him. Being in my little trance must have deafened me to the screaming that must’ve taken place. The prince stared up at the sky, eyes empty and blank. It pulled at my heart. He was little more than a boy. He’d done horrible things but I wondered if he’d ever known anything else? How warped does your mind have to be to kill your brother? He also hadn’t reacted strongly when his other brother had died on the beach. Legs drop down beside me, cutting off my possibly misplaced mourning. I let out some kind of pitiful noise. I’m sure I had annoyed Suman but I thought we’d gotten past the phase where he would leave me defenseless to die.

“Look at me.” A hand gripped my chin and familiar graphite eyes darted over my face, “Tired, my love?”

My head jerked in a nod and Talon smirked, “Up you go.”

My world lurched around again and then I was in Talon’s arms. He must’ve used his Magik to get us to the beach as I wasn’t jostled roughly, but we were suddenly on sand. Shifting, I shook my head, “I have to get to Anika.”

“You brought her to us my love. Well, you brought the whole ship, really. Then, I dragged you to me.”

“Is she safe?”

“Hanja’s healing her. You brought the goblin back too, unfortunately.” Talon was walking. I didn’t know where we were going and I didn’t care. Talon was here, I was safe. My tired eyes watched his grey and black wisps dance over his head and my brain tried to piece together if they were his soul or his Magik.

“Is he alright?” A slow, uncomfortable voice asked. My father.

“Don’t feel like you’re obligated to start caring about your son now. I’ve got him. Feels a little fake after almost thirty years, eh? Doesn’t fit right in your cruel mind?” Talon’s voice rumbled against my ear.

I gripped the fabric under my cheek weakly, “Be nice.”

“Are you going to check the estate?” A quiet voice asked. This time female, familiar. Anika.

“Why?” I was laid on something soft and my hair was brushed away from my face, “There’s no way it hasn’t burnt up by now.”

“Our mother may still be alive.” Anika argued and I felt cool hands touch my cheeks.

A spike of violent protectiveness ran over the bond and I flopped my hand around until my husband gripped it, “Talon.”

“Do you want me to check?” He sighed dramatically. He sounded like he would rather chew on glass whilst crossing hot coals bare-footed. A happy warmth filled my chest as the knowledge that he would popped into my mind. Talon would do it for me. Mind you, he’d probably complain the whole time and I’d have to make it up to him.

“Please. For their peace of mind. Mine and Eon’s too.”

Talon grumbled and I felt his presence leave my side, “Goblin, Hanja, and Kalian’s sister, you stay here with him. Suman, Meryck, with me. I want this fast and thorough.”

A weak voice chuckled hoarsely, “Awe Kalian, is that how it normally is? Fast? Could be worse.”

I didn’t care what he said, tears gathered in my eyes. I never thought I’d hear his stupid voice again. My mind had been forcing myself to piece together what my life would be without the obnoxious prince. I would never let him know, but I’d accepted Loren into my family without truly realizing it.

“You forgot thorough. Loren, I will put you down again. Shut up.”

“Don’t act like you didn’t about shit when I sat up. You missed me Tallie.”

“Someone stab him again. Let’s go. I don’t have time for this.”

A soft blanket dropped on top of me and I heard Hanja’s irritated grumbling. It made me smile more and I let myself relax. I didn’t have to hold on anymore. I could let myself slip into sleep. Even so, I listened for a bit longer. There was bickering, and Talon was getting more and more irritated. Hanja snapped something and Talon let out a sigh so long, I was surprised he didn’t lose consciousness from lack of oxygen. Unlike every other time I’d expended so much power, I didn’t feel too bad. I was tired, but my body wasn’t shutting down. A short nap and I’d be good to go. Snuggling into the blanket, I listened to the noises around me and fell asleep.

*Talon*

Trudging along, I tried to avoid looking at my cousin. Loren was back, but something was still off about Suman. His eyes were empty and it didn’t look like he was really seeing anything around him. I should probably talk to him. Maybe I could channel Kalian and act like I cared about how he was feeling I didn’t completely get it. Sure, he’d watched his lover die, but he’d only dealt with the grief for a very short amount of time.

That was unfair. The very worst part of my brain reminded me of every time I thought I’d lost Kalian. It took you out in a strange way. Grief rattled every part of you. Whether it was mental or physical, you didn’t just get over it. It crept in between your lungs and seized your heart, squeezing until it took your strength completely away. My day was going to be filled with sighs and annoyance. As it normally was when Kalian decided to explode and then take a nap. We should get back. I wasn’t supposed to be here and Meep was alone. Well, not alone, but neither of us were there. That unsettled me.

I rubbed my cheek and shook my head. What happened to the days where the kid and I were at odds? Never in a million years did I think I’d be a parent. It’d never occurred to me. Not even when Amaris and I had been…spending time together. Shuddering, I thought about the ornery preteen we’d left behind and the toddler Kalian was shoehorning into our life. I really didn’t have any control of my future, did I? Things would have been so much different if I hadn’t intervened that day when he’d been assaulted on my doorstep. When I was irritated like this, I couldn’t help but think if things might’ve been different, better, if I’d kept to myself. Gods knew, Kalian had been the prettiest nuisance I’d ever met. He did gross things to my heart whilst simultaneously giving me the most spectacular headaches. It I wanted to be honest to myself, giving Kalian the reins to our life had given me a family. It’d dragged me out of my shadows and allowed me to hope. That was if I was being honest, and who wanted that? Not me.

“Smoke.” Meryck murmured to my left, “It’s a lighter color. It was black before.”

I glanced up at the sky and tried to remember who I was before my husband and child. I’d spent most of my time alone. Visits with Amaris were few and far between because I had a strong aversion to my species. It made sense, the world hadn’t been kind. My family, my mentor, myself. The world had taken a lot from me and I would never admit aloud that Kalian had slowly pieced me back together. Sometimes that fact was hard to focus on when he reverted to a whining, spoiled brat. Or when he dove headfirst into stupid, obvious traps with no regard for his safety.

“People.” Meryck offered quietly and that pulled me out of my musing again.

“There are people. Where?” I asked. My patience was thin, but I had to remember that Meryck was alone more than anyone I knew. His only competition might’ve been Wren if he was still in his gross dungeon room. The boy didn’t like conversation. I guessed it must be overwhelming for him. The same way Wyn had struggled when he first had his hearing partially restored.

He turned back to me, blinking owlishly as he pointed to the drive we were approaching, “Inside the house. At least ten.”

Krinn was foreign to me now even though I still technically owned a home here. The streets had been deserted and a younger version of myself might have loved that fact. It wasn’t just kids who treated me like filth when I was little more than a child trying to survive. The spiteful part of me wanted to see it as karma, but no one deserved this. The town was empty and if none of them had survived, that meant the destruction of generations of people. War was known to have heavy casualties, but that never made it okay.

The walk from the beach to Kalian’s estate was longer than I remembered. Then came the actual pathway leading up to the mansion. Flashbacks of dragging myself up the path came to me. I was angry, annoyed, but intrigued, and curious too. When we reached the home itself, my mind conjured up a frail and hurt Kalian sitting on grand front steps. He didn’t even look like the same person. Beat down and resigned. A spark of rage like I hadn’t felt for years struck me as I remembered him that day, knowing just where the bruises and hopelessness had come from. Or who. At that point, it had been a long time since I’d been angry on someone’s behalf. Did Kalian ever think of that day? I knew he had nightmares from when Mallex had captured all of us, but before that? I had no idea.

“I’m not sure if it’s structurally sound.” I said as I frowned up at the ruined house. The air still smelled like fire and the smoke hadn’t slowed at all. The place was so huge, it was like endless fuel for the flames. It probably wouldn’t stop burning until there was nothing left. I didn’t have a problem with that. How many awful memories had these walls held for Kalian? Even Eon and Anika suffered here. Not that I cared much about my sister-in-law but she’d had her share of hardship and pain.

Getting lost in my tangled thoughts was a favorite past time, but I was quickly pulled from them the first time my foot went through the floor. Suman steadied me and it surprised me. He still looked dead inside, but he tried for a smile, “Careful cousin. Enough people have died today.”

Ahead of us, Meryck was gracefully picking his way over the floor. He looked behind him when he reached what looked like a partial door frame, waiting for us. Suman started following the path Meryck had taken and I did the same. We were heavier than Meryck which made for more close calls, but we made it. Our progress was slow, but I found myself clueing into specific noises the burnt flooring would make before it collapsed under one of my feet. We got better the farther we went. Meryck still moved much quicker while Suman and I stepped as gently as we could, our hands flying up every so often when we stepped wrong.

“You know goblin man is going to be okay, right?” I said. Suman was family. He’d been through a lot and maybe I owed him some comfort.

“I’m aware he’s alive, yes.” Suman answered, eyes still on his feet.

“Okay.” I shrugged and nearly tripped over a chunk of…something.

“He went down too easy.” Suman’s voice wasn’t pained or sad. It was angry.

“You think so?” This was good, right? Talking through stuff? Kalian seemed to like when that happened.

“That boy telegraphed every single one of his attacks. Loren is a better fighter than I am and I almost had him.” Suman said. As I came up behind him, I saw his face. Rage. Total, naked rage.

“Maybe Loren was tired. Rydian is much younger than him.” I shrugged. Why did this matter? Suman had been sad. Loren had died, but now he was back. He was doing well enough to think he was funny.

“He threw the fight.”

I stopped, not hearing the dangerous creaking for a moment. Throwing the fight would be suicide. I blinked and swore softly. I started moving again and tried to figure out how to respond. I didn’t console. I didn’t know what to say to make him feel less awful about the situation. I rested my hand on another ruined door frame, “Kick his ass?”

Suman stopped suddenly and looked at me, “What?”

Shrugging yet again I continued past him, “You two are weird. You could use punishment as some kind of weird foreplay.”

I heard him following again and kept my eyes on Meryck. The boy was still ahead of us, but he’d stopped. He was still as he waited for us to catch up. He didn’t look impatient. He wasn’t frustrated. It was like the boy had just…turned off. Once we reached him, he looked up at me and jerked his thumb over his shoulder.

“They’re underneath us. I think there’s an entrance in there.”

I looked around him and saw a small broom closet. Confused, I looked at Meryck questioningly, but he had shut off again. I went into the small room. It was partially intact and shelves lined the wall. Some of them had broken or burned jars that were once filled with food. A pantry then. There wasn’t anything unusual and for the first time, I doubted Meryck’s ears.

Then my foot made a strange sound on a particular part of the floor. Clearing debris away with my foot, I let out an incredulous laugh. There was a circle in front of my foot dand I hooked my finger through it before yanking upward.

A hand gripped my arm and jerked me to the side. Something whipped past my face and cut clear through a shelf. Well, that could’ve been uncomfortable. Suman was standing close and looking over my shoulder.

“Talon? Is that you? Oh thank the gods.”

I hadn’t seen her many times but I recognized her immediately. She was an older, female version of Kalian. He was pretty for a reason. Genetics were wonderful. Water dropped in front of her and I realized that’s what she’d almost taken my head off with.

“We’ve been down here since before they set the house on fire. I was actually worried we’d die from the smoke before the flames even reached us. Luckily there must’ve been enough air to disperse the smoke.” I ignored her rambling and looked behind her. There was a set of stairs and a few dirty, scared faces. She was still going, “I don’t where they took Ellenion, but I saved as many as I could.

“You saved your servants?” My eyes returned to hers. Did I even know her name? She was technically my mother in law, but we didn’t speak of Kalian’s parents often.

“As many as I could.” We backtracked and spent the next half hour guiding the people out of the mansion. There was a startling number of them. That space really hadn’t been very large. Kalian’s mother was darting around, checking on them and t hey were smiling gratefully. Weird. I’d only ever felt animosity towards the woman.

“There are some injuries and most should still probably be checked over due to smoke inhalation.” She said as she looked up at me. Suman and Meryck were standing to the side. Suman had returned to stewing angrily about Loren and Meryck was motionless and devoid of expression.

“Suman, it’ll be easier to jump everyone if they’re all in one place and I have Kalian’s help. Go get everyone and bring them here.” He turned and stalked off without a word and I glanced over the displaced people again.

“They came in the night. I think…my husband may have had some kind of agreement with them that went wrong. By the time we knew what was happening, the town’s population was decimated.” She pulled her dirty hair away from her face and rested her hands on her hips.

“If they killed that many people, where are the bodies?”

“I don’t know. Mass grave maybe? I didn’t have time to worry about that.” I nodded and lowered myself onto the ruined steps, twisting my wedding ring around my finger as I thought. She fidgeted uneasily next to me and I briefly wondered if we’d ever had to talk to each other while not arguing. There was a sharp intake, then she spoke, “Is my husband alive?”

“I assume so. He was when I left. There’s a healer with him.”

“Is…is Kalian here?” She asked quietly.

“He’s on the beach too. He found Anika.”

“She’s okay?” Her voice had become…watery and I cringed. I had definitely done my good deed for the day with Suman. I wasn’t going to console someone that I honestly didn’t even like that much. Saving her people was admirable but it was also their responsibility.

“Define okay.” I rubbed my thumb over my ring and wished the beach was closer.

“Alive?”

“She is that. Not sure how good that is after all she’s been through.” I shrugged.

“You have every right to hate us. Especially since my husband hasn’t been…honorable and the way he’s treated our children but thank you for coming to our aid.” I flinched away as she tried to rest a hand on my shoulder.

I stood, putting some distance between us, “For starters, I’m not here for you. I’m not even here for the civilians that you were supposed to keep safe. I came because Kalian wanted me to. Also, your husband isn’t the only guilty one. You’ve done more than your fair share of damage.”

She blinked away tears and looked away, “You’re right.”

“I know. If either of you say anything to hurt him, I’ll throw you off a cliff myself.” I needed to get away from her before I did or said anything worse. Kalian wasn’t on good terms with his parents, but his heart wouldn’t let him treat them the way they deserved. He’d be upset if he heard the way I’d already been speaking to her. Even though I was right. Like usual.