Chapter 22 22
DRAVEN'S POV
I stare at Aria's face, watching the way her expression changes after she reads the message from the Fifth King, and I know that she was terrified before she tamped it down. She was also learning to conceal her feelings, but I could still read her. The tightness in her shoulders, the tremble in her hands until she made fists.
We were losing. The Fifth King had gotten in three steps ahead. He was in our courts, turning our people against us, and now he was mocking us.
Unless we did something to completely change the game.
"Everyone out," I commanded. "Except the kings and Aria. Now."
The advisors and commanders hesitated but then slowly filed out. Once they were gone I turned to the remainder.
“We’re known as a defensive team, and we’re getting crushed in the defensive game,” I said bluntly. “It seems like everything we do, he tacks in a different direction. We are reacting, and that is killing us.”
"So what do you suggest?" Kael asked.
"We go on the offensive. We stop shielding Aria and start baiting her. We fake her death."
"Absolutely not," Ronan growled immediately. “We’re not putting her in harm’s way more.
“She is already at risk,” I said. “The Fifth King is aware she’s alive and where she’s at. But what if we convinced him he had won? If his forces think she’s dead, they may come out and make errors.”
"That's insane," Lucien said thoughtfully. “It would have to be totally convincing.”
"I can make a good enough illusion," Kael mused. “A body that would deceive even a magical examination for a time.”
"I'll do it," Aria interrupted. All eyes turned to her. "Draven's right. I’m sick of being reactive, sick of being the reward.” It shouldn’t be that I’m the piece; let’s make me the player.”
"Aria," Ronan started.
"No," she said firmly. "I'm not asking for permission. The Fifth King believes I’m weak, that I need protecting. Let's use that against him."
I felt the little twinge of pride. This was the woman I remembered, the goddess who'd fought off armies.
“We’ll do it in Noctra,” I said. “A public statement on the unrest. Mid speech, an assassination. Kael provides a body double for Aria. We have a very public funeral.”
“And while they believe her to be dead? Lucien asked.
“We transfer her to the Sanctuary,” I said. "The ancient fortress between realms. We are the only known, it is warded with magics of a time before kingdoms. From there, do the rest of the trials without being pummeled.”
Ronan’s expression was unhappy, but finally he nodded. "Fine. But if anything happens, we abort right away.”
"Agreed," I said.
We planned every detail for hours. Kael and Aria worked on the illusion until it was perfect. Lucien worked with informants to proliferate confoundizing rumors. Ronan's wolves spread throughout Noctra.
And I prepped my people for the show of a lifetime.
Show me,” Aria blurted out suddenly, coming closer to him. "Before I go into isolation. Teach me what you actually do know about strategy, about reading people and using information as a weapon.”
I studied her, then nodded. "Very well. Lesson one: everyone lies. Your job is to find out why.”
Over the following hours I taught her everything that I knew. Reading Micro Expressions ans Body Language How to articles! How to identify inconsistencies. Silence and how to put it to use, as well as questioning.
I leaned in behind her as she practiced, hands on hers, guiding her movements, my voice soft in her ear while I regaled her with the psychology of power.
"Watch his eyes," I murmured. “He did check to the left when you asked him where he was. That's accessing creative memory. He's constructing a lie."
"How do I get the truth?"
"You don't ask directly. You do not tell him he knows, you somehow make him feel that you do. Bend forward, crowd his interior; let him squirm.
She followed through, and the adviser broke, confessing to the minor deception we'd buried in there.
"Good," I said. “Now do it again, only this time make him think he’s the one who decided to confess.”
The staged assassination went perfectly. Aria was addressing thousands of vampires from her position on a balcony in Noctra’s capital. I was on her left, Ronan at her right, with Kael and Lucien close by.
Her remarks were stirring, filled with talk of unity and hope. I almost believed them.
Then, right on cue, an arrow shot out from a rooftop. One of Kael's deceptions, only the enemy can see it though. It hit Aria in the chest, causing her to gasp and crumple.
Ronan caught her, and they both played their roles perfectly. His my-gods-what-have-I-done “Wail” was as real as one could get. Kael got close to the fray, and he replaced the real Aria for his illusion in all the confusion.
The next hours were performance. Healers declaring her dead. Ronan's rage. Kael's grief. Lucien's stillness. And my cold fury — the promise of vengeance.
The true Aria was already enroute to the Sanctuary.
The funeral, three days later was lavish. Thousands were present from the four estates. I deliver a speech about her sacrifice. Ronan stood in his wolf, the embodiment of a mourning mate. Kael wept. The shadows of Lucien stretched in the entire square, covering half it's area.
And I watched. Watched who appeared truly grieved, and who looked relieved. Monitored for agents of the Fifth King to show themselves.
We got three that day, celebrated too loudly. A small victory.
I went to the Sanctuary following the funeral. The old stronghold stood in one of those pocket dimensions and could be reached only through certain portal points. Its walls were built of substance older than the four divisions.
Aria was out in the training yard when I arrived, practicing sword forms with the Luminous Blade.
"How did it go?" she asked without stopping.
"Perfectly," I reported. The entire world thinks you're dead. And the forces of the Fifth King are getting careless.”
"Good." She turned to face me. "Then let's use this time. I have to finish the Shadow Trial. Where do we go?"
I'd been dreading this question. "Here, actually. There is a cavern far beneath that has always been in eternal darkness. The Shadow Fang That's where the The Shadow Fang is waiting."
"Tell me about this trial."
I hesitated. “While the Trial of Light tested your belief and ability to be truthful, the Trial of Shadow challenges you to do what’s required. Your ability to be ruthless, to make tough decisions with no real good options.”
The blood drained from her face, but she held her voice firm. "When do we start?"
"Now, if you're ready. But Aria, this trial makes people different. Don’t let it eat you up.
"I won't," she promised. “And I will not allow fear of change prevent me from doing what’s necessary today.”
I took her on deep into the Sanctuary down winding spiral stairs. We at last found a door that emanated wrongness.
For more on this, see my discussion of the trial chamber. "I can't go with you. This is all something you go through in isolation.”
She nodded. “See you on the other side.”
I saw her enter; the door closed, with a sound as of a coffin-lid. Then came nothing but waiting.
Hours passed. I could see bits of what she was seeing through my scrying mirror. I witnessed close-up facial scenarios that sent shivers down my spine. Decisions on whether to sacrifice the innocent to stop the guilty, to kill one person in order to save many or break a confidence in order to prevent a disaster.
Each time I watched her face harden a little more, something soft in her eyes turned to steel.
When she finally returned, Shadow Fang in hand, she was different. The blade was wicked black metal that drank in the light. It recognized her.
But I was worried about her eyes. They were hard in a way they hadn’t been before.
"Aria?" I approached carefully. "Are you alright?"
“I’m fine,” she said, but her tone was colder. “Now I know what to do. “You don’t always have good options available; you just have choices that are necessary sometimes.”
"Don't lose yourself," I warned. “The trials are supposed to make you, not break you.”
“Maybe who I used to be isn’t enough,” she countered. “Maybe I should be meaner, more ruthless.”
Before I could reply, the Sanctuary's alarms sounded across my head.
The wards were cracking.
Aria followed as I bolted to the control room. The scrying mirrors revealed dozens of areas where the ancient wards were weakening, shadow magic gnawing away at protections that should have been unbreakable.
"That's impossible," I breathed. “Not a soul should be able to locate this place.”
Then words showed up on all the mirrors. Written in blood:
The wards collapsed entirely, and I felt something huge and ancient suddenly become aware of us.
The Fifth King had found us.
And we had simply run out of time.