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  He scanned his surroundings, looking for a landmark he could use as a guide. In the distance, he saw a rock formation that vaguely resembled a raised fist. He brushed the sand and dirt from his robes and began walking.

  *****

  Lenai stared at the ceiling over her bed, barely noticing the flickering interaction of the light from the sconces at both ends of the room. I am a threat to Jason. It was an unsettling thought, one that had plagued her ever since her rescue. She could push it away from time to time, but as soon as she saw him, the words echoed through her mind again. She had always taken pride in being a valued asset in the defense of Lore’s Haven. She was a warrior. Her honor was everything to her. Now, she found herself a liability. One of the most precious gifts of her people, Chai na, the Bonding, had been turned into a weapon and used against her ch’nai. And as long as the Bond held, if Regor ever got her within his grasp again, it could be used against Jason.

  Her hands curled into tight fists as she remembered how Regor had used his power to invade the Bond between them and attack Jason. Outrage at the violation of her body and spirit still burned within her, accompanied by a bitter knowledge that, as an Altered, Regor was almost certainly beyond her retribution. Her only hope was that Jason, aided by Nyala and Nivek, would find some way of dealing with the Shadow Lord and end the threat she posed before it could be exploited again.

  She rolled onto her side and stared at the dagger resting on the small bedside table. The flickering light danced like glowing embers along the sharp blade. That was her other option. She had already decided; if no way could be found to defeat Regor, she would take her own life. Better that, than have Regor torture Jason through her again. The only thing preventing her from doing it now was uncertainty of how Jason would be affected by the breaking of the Bond in such a way. For Shanthi, the death of one in the Bond almost always led to the death of the other. Not in every instance, but enough that it was the expected outcome. Because of that, she considered this a last resort, even though she did not know how a human would react. It was possible that Jason would be well, but she was not willing to risk it. At least not yet. But, unless they could defeat Regor, she saw no other options.

  Unless…

  Her brother, Kelsu, now under guard in a cell in the lower levels of Lore’s Haven, had spoken of the Shadow Lord breaking the Bond between her and Jason. At the time, she had thought it nothing more than idle threats. Indeed, later on, Airam, disguised as Nyala, had admitted that the Bond was too strong for even an Altered to break. But Airam had deceived them into thinking she was Nyala; she could have lied to them about the Bond as well. To what end, Lenai could not even begin to guess. But what if the Bond could be broken without the death of either? Perhaps that was another possibility worth investigating. If she had the opportunity, she would ask Nyala about it.

  Her thoughts turned to her brother. She picked up the charcoal sketch of her family from beside the dagger and stared at the lines shaping her brother’s face. Kelsu, how could you do this? Kelsu had led her and three other Shanthi into the Shadow Lord’s grasp. Two of the others, Naruk and Sura, childhood friends of both Lenai and Kelsu, were now dead, slain by Regor’s hand. The third, Vashni, had managed to escape after pretending to be dead. When her brother’s deception had first been revealed, Lenai had thought Regor was controlling Kelsu. Whether that was even possible, she did not know, but later, after speaking with him between Regor’s visits, she came to realize he believed everything he was saying. That he had become rishna kel both saddened and angered her. His actions brought dishonor not only upon himself, but also upon his family.

  She wished she could speak with her father about Kelsu, but with their current situation, it would be too dangerous for her to go back to her telosh. She could not risk being taken by the Shadow Lord again. Vashni had said her father refused to believe Kelsu had done what they said, even accusing Vashni of being deceived when she told him that she had seen Kelsu’s betrayal with her own eyes. Maybe if they could find some way to safely break the Bond, or if they could find a way to deal with Regor, then she would go to her father and tell him the truth about Kelsu. Even then, with it coming from his own daughter, he still might not believe it.

  A soft knock on her door interrupted her thoughts. She laid the sketch on her bed, and opened the door to find one of the Warders outside.

  “The High One has called a meeting after Firstmeal,” he said.

  With a nod to the man, she closed the door, and turned back to the bedside table. The knife still lay there, torchlight beckoning to her along the blade. She picked it up, lightly running her fingers along the sharp edge. Then she slid it into the sheath at her hip. It was an option.

  But not yet.

  *****

  After Jason finished eating, he moved over to the table where the Circle was gathering while the Circle Chamber was undergoing repair, and took a seat. The table was at the far end of the hall, apart from the others. Gatlor was there already, standing behind one of the chairs. The warrior gave Jason a nod as he sat down. Some of the Loremasters, or those saiken filling in for the absent Loremasters, were still finishing their meals, so Jason passed the time letting his gaze wander around the room. A couple of minutes later, Lenai came in and sat beside him, but didn’t say anything, only offering him a faint smile. Eventually, everyone was seated, but Tal Vardyn, the High One of the Circle, still didn’t take his place. Instead, he turned to the assembled group. “We will begin shortly. I am awaiting the arrival of some others.”

  As murmured conversations began around the table, Jason turned to Lenai. “Any idea what this is about?”

  “No.”

  He waited, but she didn’t offer anything more.

  “Well, the High One doesn’t look upset, so maybe it’s good news.”

  “Perhaps.”

  He had to ask. “Are you okay?”

  She nodded without looking at him. “I need to speak with Nyala,” she said.

  “Nyala? Why? Lenai, what’s going on?”

  “Ah, here they are.” The High One’s voice kept Lenai from answering Jason’s question.

  He searched her face, hoping to get some glimmer of what she needed to ask the Altered, but her impassive expression offered no clues. The bond between them only told him something was bothering her, nothing more. Puzzled, he turned to look at the newcomers, and saw Seerka and Calador approaching their table.

  “We received your summons, High One,” Seerka said. “I am instructed to tell you the Ferrin stand ready to aid you if and when needed.”

  “As do the Dokal,” Calador added.

  Tal inclined his head. “The Circle has always been honored by the friendship and steadfastness of the Ferrin and Dokal. I hope, once this situation is resolved, you will relay our gratitude to your peoples.”

  Seerka took a seat. Calador, due to his size and bulk, and, Jason assumed, the fact that no chair close at hand could possibly support it, remained standing. Once they were settled, Tal turned to the gathering.

  “As most of you know,” he began, “Loremasters Delani, Brin, and Borin have yet to return from their mission to find Blood Iron for the staff shown in the ancient texts. However, the sketches show yet another component for the staff: a red diamond. I have asked Seerka and Calador to return because I believe we should move ahead with the search for this gemstone. We dare not waste time waiting for the Blood Iron. I would prefer to have all of the components available so that the Obsidian Order can begin crafting the staff at the earliest opportunity.”

  “What do you propose, High One?” Jarril asked. “Meaning no offense, but surely it would not be wise to divide our strength yet further.”

  “No, you are quite correct. And yet, we must have the red diamond in order to construct the staff. Each day without the staff is another day that the Shadow Lord and the Matron of Souls could return. We cannot wait for the Blood Iron to arrive before we even begin to search for the diamond.” He turned to Gatlor. “Theref
ore, Captain, I would like you and your team, along with Jason, to see if you can find it.”

  Jason opened his mouth to protest, but then closed it again. If they ran into Regor and Airam while they were gone, he wouldn’t be able to stand up to both of them. He would have to talk to the High One after this meeting was over. Maybe he’d already considered that possibility and had something in mind.

  Gatlor stood. “Forgive me, High One, as I have not had an opportunity to see the sketch of this staff, but is there any way of knowing where such a gemstone is to be found?”

  “According to the notes, the only one known to exist is in an ancient city called Ishadon, on the other side of the Riftlands.”

  “The Riftlands are extensive,” Gatlor said. “Do we have any idea as to the location of this city other than ‘the other side’ of the Riftlands? Without such knowledge, this could become a lengthy mission.”

  “For the moment, no. Although I have searched the ancient texts thoroughly, they are hardly a complete record of Teleria before the Devastation. There is no mention of Ishadon other than on the sketches. Still, I would prefer not to delay. We will simply have to hope fortune smiles upon our efforts.”

  “As you wish, High One, although I have always found that fortune smiles upon well-laid plans much more often than upon efforts with no clear direction.”

  “Maybe Nyala knows where Ishadon is,” Jason said. “After all, the Altered were all human before the war.” Anything to make this quicker and easier had to be a good thing.

  Tal raised an eyebrow. “Could you contact her and ask?”

  Jason nodded and closed his eyes. Crin?

  “Yes, Jason?”

  Can you find Nyala and ask her if she can come here?

  “Of course.”

  Jason opened his eyes. “Crin’s going to find her,” he said. A moment later, Nyala’s shining form stepped into the room from out of thin air.

  “You wanted to see me?” she asked.

  Tal bowed. “Thank you for coming. Jason suggested you may know the answer to a question we have.”

  “What is it?”

  “We have come across some sketches in the ancient texts of—“

  “The staff.”

  “Why, yes. You are aware of it?”

  “I am the one who created the sketches and placed them in the texts for the Circle to find.”

  Tal’s eyes widened and he seemed at a loss for words. “You?” he managed.

  “Yes.”

  “The sketches had the initials ‘A.S.’ on them. We assumed Agathon Saltor, the founder of the Circle, had placed them in the texts.”

  “The initials stand for Alayn Solarin, my name before the Devastation. When the seven of us became Altered, we agreed on the reversal of our names to serve as a constant reminder that, although we were human no longer, we were human once. Thus, Alayn became Nyala.”

  T’kel stood, the gills on her neck fluttering slightly, as if surprised by her audacity in facing the Altered. “I do not mean to sound skeptical, but why would you create plans for something that could potentially be used against you?”

  The shimmering sparkles faded until Nyala stood before them in her human appearance. “When I learned of Regor’s attempts to use Bodann, I knew the Covenant between the Altered would be ending soon. I’ve never shared the belief of some among the Altered who considered us to be gods. But without something, some weapon you could use, the people of Teleria would have no chance against our power. I’d studied dimsai for centuries, and, using what I knew from before the Devastation, I surmised a staff configured in this way would be able to drain dimsai from an Altered. They…we…would have no defense against it. So, I drew up the plans and went into the past to add them to your texts.”

  Kalen stood as T’kel took her seat. “Forgive me, Nyala, for questioning your methods, but why not just give the plans directly to the Circle?”

  “The Altered are, for the most part, rather suspicious, even to the point of spying on each other from time to time. I could not risk openly giving the plans to the Circle for fear that I might be seen. In that case, the plans would have been destroyed immediately, and my actions may have begun a conflict between us. By going into the past, I risked less detection. If the Altered in the past were watching, they would have been watching the Nyala of that time, not me. However, the possibility of being discovered prevented me from giving them to your predecessors also. Placing them in your texts seemed like the safest way to get them to the Circle.” She looked at the High One. “I actually expected them to be discovered before now.”

  Jason thought the High One almost looked embarrassed. “In truth,” he said, “I had seen the papers before. However, with Jason’s arrival, the events with Bodann, and then the Altered, it clearly slipped my mind until Regor imprisoned us.”

  “I understand,” Nyala said, “although it is unfortunate. Much suffering might have been prevented with the staff.”

  “No one is more aware of that than I.”

  “Of course. I didn’t mean to imply any failure on your part,” she said. “Now, what was your question?”

  “The sketches…your sketches…say the red diamond can only be found in the city of Ishadon. Do you know where that is?”

  “I should,” she said with a little smile. “I used to live there.”

  “Indeed? Do you know where the red diamond is?” Tal asked.

  “I know precisely where it is,” she said. “It’s in my lab at the research facility where I worked.”

  “So you could just go get it then,” Jason said. If she could get it for them, he wouldn’t have to worry about Regor and Airam catching them away from Lore’s Haven.

  She shook her head. “I’m afraid not. The metal alloy used in the buildings contains Blood Iron. Of course, I didn’t find that out until I tried to go back after the war. I almost didn’t get out alive.” She shrugged. “I can take you close to Ishadon, but I can’t go into the city.”

  Well, so much for that idea, Jason thought. “So, what do you think the odds are of us running into Regor or Airam while we’re there?” He didn’t want to make it sound like he was questioning the High One’s decision to include him, but he had to ask.

  “I doubt either of them has thought about Ishadon for centuries. Even if they did know about your mission, they couldn’t enter the city any more than I could.”

  That made him feel a little better, but only a little. The fact was, he just wanted it over. All of it. After they’d defeated Bothan and his army, they’d thought everything was done. Then the Altered had shown up, and since then, even on the days when nothing happened, everyone was on edge. Four Loremasters were gone, the High One couldn’t use his power, and it seemed like all anyone could do was wait for Regor to make his next move. The constant tension was wearing on everyone, not just him. Something had to give soon. Maybe this mission is a good idea after all. At least we’d be doing something instead of just waiting around.

  “Well then,” Tal said, “I believe we…” His voice trailed off as he looked toward the door to the dining hall. Then he motioned for whoever he was looking at to come forward.

  Jason turned and saw a Warder approaching, accompanied by two of the werewolf-type creatures Jason had first seen in the marketplace in Drey’s Glenn. Yellowtooth, he thought to himself. He hadn’t had a chance to see one up close since. At the battle on the Scorched Plains, he’d been too busy to notice much of anything.

  They wore dark studded leather armor. The taller of the two, a little taller than the Warder, had black fur, just starting to go grey around the snout. A spiked mace hung at its hip, with a long dagger hanging opposite. The other had brown fur and appeared to be a bit younger. A sword hung at its side, again with a long dagger opposite. Jason couldn’t tell from looking at them if they were male or female.

  The Warder bowed. “High One, may I present envoys from the Yellowtooth.” He indicated the taller of the two. “This is Nekoor,” he turned to the short
er, “and Sharr.” Each bowed slightly as he gave their names. He turned to the envoys. “Before you, stands Tal Vardyn, Pearl Loremaster, and High One of the Circle of Nine.” Introductions made, he bowed again and moved to stand by the door.

  Nekoor stepped forward. “We bring greetings from the Yellowtooth. We are also to tell you that, in the spirit of good relations between the Yellowtooth and the Circle, we are again ready to render whatever aid or assistance you may require in the days to come.”

  Considering how many teeth he could see when it opened its mouth, Jason was surprised at how easy its growly speech was to understand. He was still trying to figure out if they were male or female, but nothing in their appearance or the way Nekoor sounded offered any clues.

  Tal inclined his head. “Your aid is much appreciated. I hope we will not need to call upon you, but it is good to know we can rely upon your support.” He motioned toward the group sitting at the table. “We were just discussing our next steps. Perhaps you would care to join us?”

  “Yes, thank you.”

  Once the newcomers were seated, Tal resumed. “We are sending a party to one of the ancient cities to retrieve a component needed for a weapon that we hope will be effective against the Altered.”

  “A city of the ancients?” Nekoor asked, leaning forward. “Truly? Forgive me if I am out of line, but may I join you? The ancients have long fascinated me.”

  Out of the corner of his eye, Jason saw Seerka straighten. The Ferrin’s eyes were focused intently on the envoy, a slight smile flickering across his lips. Uh oh. Jason knew that smile. He’d seen it before, usually in his own reflection just before he played a prank on one of his friends. This can’t be good. Beside him, he noticed Lenai looking at Seerka, shaking her head slightly.