Page 22 of Acolyte (Tempris #2)

Ivain gave him a quiet, steady look, as if he could see the inadequacy.

“You’re right,” he said, reaching into his pocket.

He produced a small drawstring bag and dumped out its contents.

A handful of blue stones caked with gravel and dirt spilled onto the cluttered tabletop.

“My men found water crystals buried just behind the highway wardline. These were discovered on the north side of the canyon, but there were twice as many on the south side, some as far as the turnpike. The enchantments were complex and expertly woven; I’m surprised you noticed anything at all.

My guess is our enemy glamoured their forces and waited until you were crossing the bridge to launch their attack. ”

Kato’s eyes cut to Skye. “Which would mean they knew where and when we planned to move. Almost like someone told them.”

The sudden pulse of strained silence that passed between the two brothers wasn’t lost on the rest of the group.

“Sire,” Eula interjected, turning to Ivain. “On the subject of security—”

Ivain held up a hand, and Eula ducked her head. Even Kato’s mouth clicked closed. “I’m already well aware of your troubles with foreign agents.”

The room stilled, the low din of the camp outside trickling into the tent as every eye settled on Ivain.

“How?” Harin asked in that low, gruff way of his.

“The same way I knew to come to your aid.” Ivain hesitated a moment. “I think it would be easier to hear for yourselves.”

The group glanced at each other apprehensively, trying to anticipate what Ivain was about to reveal.

His expression was stoic as he reached beneath a stack of papers and produced a fogged sheet of glass rimmed with alternating rows of shadow and water crystals. It was a glamour interface, the kind typically used in scrying relays.

Keying in a command that had the water and shadow crystals blinking to life, Ivain said, “We received this transmission from Vale five days ago.”

The picture on the interface remained stubbornly blank, but Ivain’s voice came through: “This is Relay 12-001—Ryme. Identify yourself .”

“Ivain?” came a breathless, feminine voice .

Eula gasped, and Skye flinched. Kato’s eyes went impossibly wide, and even Harin looked a bit more interested.

Because that voice—that was Taly , and Skye wasn’t sure if he wanted to laugh or cry. She had made it to the relay. She had actually gone for the relay. She hadn’t betrayed them.

Her voice was grainy through the playback, and Skye listened greedily, irritated when she would fade away, nearly snarling every time someone spoke over her. Her image flashed in his mind—dirty, flushed, hair a mess and falling out of its braid.

Beautiful. So beautiful. So alive .

Taly started speaking faster, her words rushed and panicked.

“I don’t know how much time I have. Um… Plum was burned, Vale is overrun, and someone here was talking to Strio.

They said something about what sounded like a leader of some sort, and they have a list of people that they’re trying to recruit.

That’s all I was able to overhear before they cut the connection. ”

Something groaned in the background, and Taly muttered a quiet curse. “I need to go. Just to be safe, I wouldn’t trust any more transmissions from this relay or Strio.”

The message clicked, the lights along the interface flickering and finally fading. The room went silent.

Several long moments passed, and, surprisingly, Kato was the first to ask, “Where is she?” with what appeared to be genuine concern.

Because even he couldn’t refute this evidence.

No matter what kind of foreign magic he’d discovered penned onto her skin, Taly had done exactly what she said she’d do.

She had made her way to the relay. She had sent out a distress signal and gathered valuable intel.

She had secured the backup they so desperately needed and saved the life of every man, woman, and child on that bridge.

She wasn’t a traitor. Or a spy.

She was a hero.

“We don’t know where she is,” Ivain said softly. “This transmission came in just after the attacks began, and we haven’t heard anything since.”

“Shit,” Harin quietly cursed, turning his face away. The fire mage had always had a soft spot for Taly.

“Who was in the room?” Eula asked, mirroring Skye’s own concern.

“And did she get away?” Kato again.

Skye shifted, inching towards the entrance of the tent, but Ivain’s eyes locked with his, anchoring him in place.

“Vale is only a few hours on foot,” Skye said, clinging precariously to what was left of his composure. He could make it there before dawn, have the entire area scouted and surveyed before even the earliest of early risers began to stir.

“I’m aware,” Ivain said, never letting Skye out from underneath that icy blue stare. “And I’ve already sent Aiden to search the area. He left shortly after we made camp in Della.”

Skye’s brows rose. “Aiden?” he asked. That didn’t make any sense. True, he and Taly were friends, had grown even closer after the incident with the harpy. But Aiden was an earth mage. Why would Ivain risk a healer when there were so many wounded ?

Sensing the question, Ivain said, “He insisted. Quite vehemently.” Sadness tempered with guilt flickered in his eyes, as if to say, I couldn’t say no.

Healers were precious, but Taly was as much a daughter to Ivain as if she’d been born of his own flesh.

If she was in danger, he couldn’t stand by and do nothing.

Not when someone was volunteering to go where he couldn’t because the situation demanded he prioritize the lives of the many over the lives of those he never wanted to live without.

“Now then,” Ivain said, and Skye breathed out a slow sigh when those eyes finally slid away. “Harin, Eula, you’re dismissed. Skye and Kato—you stay.”

Harin made a hasty exit, shoulders straight and head held high. Eula lingered, accepting a firm clap on the shoulder from Ivain as well as a few words of encouragement. She gave Skye a tight smile before she too exited the tent.

When they were alone, Ivain turned to Kato, who—to Skye’s surprise—had the good sense to hang his head.

“Kato Emrys,” Ivain drawled with something that almost sounded like amusement. “To say that you were the last person I expected to see today would be quite the understatement. Would you mind telling me just what you’re doing on my island?”

“I’m a Marshal in the Gate Watchers, Sire.” Kato’s answer was easy and swift, said with a hint of a smile—so at odds with the tense set of his shoulders and the way he shifted from foot-to-foot.

“So I’ve gathered,” Ivain said. “However, I’m curious to know why I was unaware of your enrollment until just a few hours ago.

The Gate Watchers are an elite group, and I take pride in cultivating the men and women in our ranks.

I can’t review every new application, but I still should have been made aware when you began to advance.

Especially considering how quickly. Why have I never seen your name, Marshal? ”

Kato’s throat bobbed. “A little bit of persuasion and a sizeable donation,” he answered, then hastily added, “I’m not here to cause trouble, Sire.

I just wasn’t willing to risk having my relationship with my brother be the reason for having my application rejected.

I have legitimate business to attend to in the mortal realm, and I wanted to be close by when the Aion Gate opened. That’s all.”

“The Aion Gate won’t be opening for a few months yet,” Ivain countered. “Eula tells me you’ve been here for almost a year.”

“True,” Kato conceded. “But the bridging connections have been less and less stable, the last one only lasting a week. I needed more time than that, so I decided to come to Tempris to see the gates for myself. I’ve been working on the Mechanica for almost two decades, and there’s so much proprietary technology tied up in those suits of armor.

I thought there might be something that could stabilize the connection, keep the gates open longer.

Turns out I was right. That new tuning harmonic you’re using this year?

That was me. It was part of the comm system for a prototype suit I was helping to develop. ”

Ivain almost looked impressed as he slipped his hands into his pockets. “I require loyalty from my recruits. Loyalty and honesty and honor—all things you have yet to demonstrate. ”

“Sire,” was all Kato said in reply. Not arguing for once.

Ivain looked to Skye. “Is this going to be a problem?”

Skye heard Kato’s heart fumble. He waited just a beat longer than necessary before saying, “No. My brother fought well today, and I have no doubt that he will commit himself to this cause and these people. He has shown himself to be a man willing to make difficult decisions in the pursuit of what he believes to be right.”

Kato’s face went slack with surprise, but Skye just shrugged. He’d meant every word.

Ivain’s lips thinned as he glanced between the two men, his attention finally settling on Kato.

“A ringing endorsement, your history considered. You’ll be on guard duty every night until I say otherwise, and if I were you, I’d use those hours to consider the role of subterfuge and just how far it won’t get you within this organization.

Prove to me that you’re worthy of my trust. You won’t be getting a second chance. Dismissed.”

Skye watched his brother slink through the break in the canvas, waiting for the flicker of the air wards as they reengaged. When he turned, Ivain was already staring at him expectantly.

“Well?” he asked.

Skye schooled his expression. “Well what?”

“ Skylen ,” Ivain warned. “Do not test my patience. Word around camp is that you sent Taly to the relay as your scout, but I sincerely hope you’re not dumb enough to try to pass that off on me.

You’d sooner throw yourself in front of a sword than put that girl in harm’s way. Why was she in Vale? Explain. ”