Page 47 of Acolyte (Tempris #2)

-From the personal notes of Ivain Castaro, Marquess of Tempris

Breena is angry with me again. She’s so talented, so smart, which unfortunately means she grows bored easily. I’ve tried to keep her challenged, but I still caught her dabbling in forbidden magic two nights ago. She hasn’t spoken to me since, and I’m afraid I may have punished her too severely.

The spells contained within the Vetiri are forbidden for a reason, but as someone who began his study in bloodcraft, I can see how those restrictions might feel limiting.

No other class of mage is regulated as heavily as we are, and for the gifted, nothing is as devastating as the knowledge that you’ve been confined.

That you could go farther, that you could reach for the heavens and pluck the stars from the sky if it weren’t for an arbitrary set of rules chaining you to the ground .

Skye’s heart beat out a nervous rhythm as he strode down the familiar hallway.

The Castaros’ townhome was more of an estate than a house, sprawling up instead of out in the way that Harbor Manor did.

Eight stories—three of them underground—it was a marvel of white marble and dark mahogany, so elegant and new it was sometimes easy to forget the horrors that lay in wait just outside the city.

Skye hadn’t been able to eat after he returned from the tavern. He’d barely been able to sleep. The knowledge that Taly was alive sparked inside him, and he’d spent most of the night glancing at the stack of diaries sitting on his bedside table, afraid they might disappear.

He still didn’t have a plan for how to bring her home.

After all, Aiden had tried and failed, and Skye didn’t have anything that could compare to an earth mage’s locator spell.

But he knew her scent, and he had Aiden’s maps and notes.

That was enough to get him started, so long as he succeeded in getting outside the city.

Ivain was monitoring everyone that came and went, and without special permission, he’d never get past the gates.

Skye sighed. He had considered telling Ivain about the dreams, the woman in the tunnels, the diaries—all of it. But then he’d actually imagined how that conversation might go.

So… I’ve been having dreams. About Taly.

And even though she’s human with absolutely no magic, I think they might be real.

You see, she told me about the tunnels, and that’s actually why I was down there that night.

And then after spending three days cutting down shades in the dark, I followed these little blue lights off by myself where I actually saw her.

Or a version of her. She didn’t really act or look like herself, and she was wearing a dress.

Which, granted, seems unlikely considering Taly only ever consented to wearing a dress on pain of death, and no—no one else saw her but me, but just go with me here because she gave me proof that she’s not just some figment of my grief-stricken imagination.

She sent me to her old apartment. Where I broke in.

And then I found some diaries underneath an old floorboard, so yeah, I think the evidence should really speak for itself.

In conclusion, not crazy, and please let me leave the city to go look for her.

He was pretty sure any version of that would end with him restrained and heavily sedated, waiting for a healer to come poke around in his head to see which wires had gotten crossed.

Which meant he was going to have to lie.

Too soon, Skye found himself standing in front of Ivain’s office door. Voices filtered from inside, and he steeled himself, raising his hand to knock.

Breathe, he thought as he rapped on the door. His heart was pounding. You’re a shadow mage for Shards’ sake. You know how to lie.

Just never to Ivain. Never anything more than a few childhood stories, trying to avoid getting in trouble for some terrible idea Taly had dragged him into.

The door swung open, and Skye was greeted by a pretty Lowborn girl with freckled cheeks and dark hair that had been pinned and tucked beneath a white maid’s cap.

Most of the serving staff had decided to stay on after they’d found their way to Ryme, some having nowhere else to go.

She bobbed out a nervous courtesy as he stepped past her.

Ivain was already at his desk, a half-eaten breakfast tray pushed to the side, and Sarina stood by the window, sipping a steaming cup of tea. They were both dressed in black, a stark contrast to the plain white shirt and gray slacks Skye had chosen to wear instead.

Sarina took in his appearance, pursing her lips but choosing to say nothing. It was his choice if he wanted to go into mourning. Taly wasn’t related to him by blood, so she couldn’t force the issue.

“Ryanne.” Sarina looked to the maid. “Have Eliza prepare a breakfast tray for Skye.”

“I’m fine,” Skye said, holding up a hand.

Sarina gave him a pointed look. “Eliza tells me you haven’t been eating.”

Skye opened his mouth… and then shut it. She wasn’t wrong. He’d missed dinner last night, and when he was down in the airtram tunnels, most of the meals Sarina had sent had gone untouched. “It’s hard to have an appetite when you’ve been dealing with corpses all day.”

“Bring him a tray,” Sarina repeated in a tone that brooked no argument.

Before he could lodge a second complaint, the maid had already sketched out another nervous curtsey and scuttled out the door.

“I thought you’d be downstairs already.” Ivain’s voice was gruff, and he didn’t look up from the stack of paperwork in front of him—the inventory for the food supply, from what Skye could tell.

“Did you finish the repairs on that Mechanica armor the ensigns pulled out of storage? Now that we have the tunnels sorted, that’s your priority. ”

Skye approached the desk. “Uh… no. There was…” He shifted his weight from side-to-side, fumbling for words. “There was something I was hoping to speak to you about.”

Ivain still didn’t look up. “I’m listening. What is it you need?”

Skye took a breath, thankful that his voice sounded steady as he said, “Now that the Ebondrift refugees have gotten settled and the tunnels have been secured, my role here inside the city has become redundant. My brother is better suited to repairing the Mechanica, and Eula is overseeing the Gate Watchers and monitoring data collection for Aion. Going forward, I’d like to be reassigned to the search-and-rescue effort. I think I could do some good there.”

Ivain finally looked up. “You want to look for survivors?” he asked, frowning.

Skye nodded. “The preliminary census data indicates that 75% of the island population is still unaccounted for. And while I understand that we’re fighting an enemy capable of turning our own against us, I believe we owe it to the people of Tempris to try to recover as many individuals as possible.”

Ivain and Sarina shared a glance.

Ivain said, “Why do I get the feeling you’re only concerned about one individual in particular?”

Skye’s throat bobbed. “I won’t deny that I still hope to find Taly. Without a body, we can’t know anything for sure. However, I don’t believe that diminishes the validity of my overall goal. ”

“Skye,” Sarina interjected softly. Her skirts hissed as she moved to refill her cup from a small tea service that had been left beside the desk.

“We’ve already talked about this. As much we all want to believe that Taly is still out there, the overwhelming amount of evidence points to the contrary. Aiden’s locator spell—”

“Was inconclusive,” Skye said as calmly as he could manage. “It led him to Infinity’s Edge.”

“It led him to the place where Taly likely died,” Ivain said. Sarina’s breath hitched. His expression softened as though to say, I’m sorry.

“You don’t know that she’s dead,” Skye insisted.

“I do know,” Ivain said as he pushed himself to stand.

He looked tired, worn around the edges, but his expression was stern.

“I know because I’ve seen what shades are—what they can do.

Taly was strong. Her actions at the relay proved that, and now thousands of people owe her their lives.

But it’s been two weeks since that transmission, and during that time, not only was Aiden unable to find her, but he found her horse and her personal effects, all of which were covered in blood—fey, human, and shade alike. ”

“The evidence is overwhelming.” Sarina took a sip of tea, the cup rattling as she placed it back in the saucer. “I know we used to joke that Taly was too stubborn to die, but a human in a forest full of dead men and magical beasts, all alone with no supplies… It really is an impossible situation.”

Skye made a small, disgusted noise in the back of his throat. “You’ve already given up,” he said lowly. “You’ve both given up on her, and you’re just going to leave her out there to die based on an assumption. ”

Ivain let out an uncharacteristic growl, but Sarina’s answering hiss had the old man backing down.

She turned. “Hold your tongue, Skylen .” And just that tone was enough to make him feel like a child again. “You’re not the only one grieving.”

But he couldn’t back down. He needed out of this city, and if subterfuge didn’t work, he’d use force instead. “You’re grieving someone that’s still alive.”

“And you know that how?” Ivain snapped.

Because I’ve seen her , Skye wanted to say, even if he knew he couldn’t. What he had witnessed down in those tunnels—it was too absurd, and they were already looking at him with concern.

“I just do,” he said, willing them to believe him. “She’s out there. I can feel it.”

A pause. Sarina and Ivain shared another glance.

“I know it’s a difficult reality to face,” Ivain said. The pity in his eyes made Skye want to hit something. “I really do. But my answer is no. If you’re unhappy with your duties, then I will reassign you, but I won’t let you throw your life away trying to find a corpse.”