Furyborn (Empirium 1)

“Stop leaving me behind,” he whispered into her hair. “El, I woke up, and you were gone.”

She closed her eyes, pressed her palms against the delicate bones of his back. He’d grown thinner since leaving Orline.

Then, as he wiped his cheeks on her shirt, she remembered Zahra’s words: The woman you think is your mother but truly is not.

The boy she thought was her brother but—

Remy pulled away from her, face splotchy and tear-streaked, and gave her a brave smile. “Hob taught me how to use the stove. I’ll make you some supper.”

And Eliana decided at once that Zahra was wrong, even if the wraith had been speaking the truth. Even if Ioseph, Rozen, and Remy Ferracora were not hers through blood, they were hers at heart, always, and if anyone tried to tell her differently, she would send them crashing to their knees at her feet.

She dried Remy’s cheeks with her thumbs. “Only if you make some for yourself too.”

As he hurried away toward the stove, Eliana found Hob himself at the far side of the room, settling Navi into a small bed.

“Is Camille safe?” she asked.

“When we left her, she and her people were alive and well,” Hob replied. “Simon sent that Invictus assassin limping off into the night.”

Eliana’s stomach dropped. “Rahzavel. Simon didn’t kill him?”

“Unfortunately, no.”

She closed her eyes. “He won’t rest until he finds me.”

“Well, at least he’s not here now. You can thank Simon for that.”

Eliana refused to acknowledge that or the man in question. “Why are you here? What about Patrik?”

“Simon took some blows in that fight. I wanted to help him get the boy to safety.” Hob smiled at Remy. “He’s good company, your brother.”

On her cot, Navi shifted with a moan. Hob wrung out a rag in a pail of water and draped it over Navi’s forehead.

“Have you seen this before?” Eliana asked her. “What’s been done to her?”

Hob’s face was tight with anger. “No. I don’t know what this is, and I’m not sure I care to.” He drew a quilt up to Navi’s chin, tucked it around her body. “Camille requested I ask after Laenys. The girl, her missing attendant. She was taken by Fidelia as well?”

Laenys. She had completely forgotten to look for the girl.

Eliana shook her head, hoping Hob couldn’t see the truth on her face. “There wasn’t time to look for her. I’m sorry.”

“Do you know what they were doing there? Fidelia. Did you find out why they steal girls?”

“I don’t, but the sounds I heard while in my cell—”

“It’s all right. You don’t need to tell me, Dread.” The word had no venom in it, only a heavy sadness. “You should rest. When Simon returns, you’ll be leaving soon after.”

Simon.

Eliana turned, searching the room for him—but he was gone.

She barely restrained herself from flinging Arabeth at the wall. “Where did he go?”

“To meet a contact at the border who will help you across the Narrow Sea to Astavar,” Hob said.

Eliana began unstrapping the knives from her body. “Do you have clothes for me? Something other than prison garb.”

“You’re not leaving again?” Remy asked quickly.

She gave him a small smile. “Not leaving. I just want to sit outside, get some air after being cooped up in a cell for a week.”

And so she could see Simon before the others—and not let him past until she’d gotten the answers she deserved.

• • •

Zahra arrived two hours later, appearing without warning at Eliana’s side.

Eliana spat out a curse and jumped up from the tree stump she’d been sitting on.

The wraith’s black smile was barely visible in the shadowed trees. “Hello, my queen. I mean…Eliana.”

“Next time,” Eliana hissed, returning to her seat, “give me some warning before you just pop into the air like that.”

“I am overjoyed to see you as well, especially since we parted in such a dire moment.”

Eliana sighed sharply. “Yes. Thank you for that.”

“For what?”

Despite her irritation, Eliana smirked. “You’re going to make me say it, aren’t you?”

“I did risk much by engaging Semyaza,” Zahra pointed out. “Though I would do it again, and happily, to serve you.”

“Thank you, Zahra,” said Eliana with a sweep of her hand, “for battling Semyaza so Navi and I could escape. Your loyalty and bravery are to be commended.”

Zahra’s form shimmered with pleasure. “You sounded very regal just then, Eliana. Blood will out, as they say.”

“I don’t want to talk about my blood,” Eliana snapped.

“As you wish.” Zahra paused. “It will, however, have to be discussed eventually.”

Eliana looked away into the trees. “And if I don’t believe what you claim?”

“You forget I was in your mind, back in your cell,” Zahra said gently. “I think you’ve known for some time that something was misaligned in your past. That you aren’t like those around you. There is the matter of your body’s ability to heal itself, for one.”

Eliana whirled on her. “Listen to me right now, wraith. You may have the power to enter my mind, but you will not do so again unless at some point in the future I demand it of you. And until then, you will not even once mention the Blood Queen or the Lightbringer or whatever person it is you think I am. Is that understood?”

Zahra bowed her head. “Of course, Eliana. I will respect your wishes.”

“Thank you.”

They sat in silence for a long time, the woods quiet and dark around them.

“Do you know what they did to Navi?” Eliana asked at last.

“I wish I didn’t,” Zahra replied. “Throughout the long years since the Blood Queen’s Fall, the Emperor has undertaken many experiments in an attempt to achieve resurrection without her. Medicines, drugs, surgical procedures, manipulation of what he calls genetics.”

“What is that?”

“Put simply, it is the basic life structure of any living creature. Not the empirium—not even the Emperor can touch that, much to his despair—but it is effective nonetheless.” o;Stop leaving me behind,” he whispered into her hair. “El, I woke up, and you were gone.”

She closed her eyes, pressed her palms against the delicate bones of his back. He’d grown thinner since leaving Orline.

Then, as he wiped his cheeks on her shirt, she remembered Zahra’s words: The woman you think is your mother but truly is not.

The boy she thought was her brother but—

Remy pulled away from her, face splotchy and tear-streaked, and gave her a brave smile. “Hob taught me how to use the stove. I’ll make you some supper.”

And Eliana decided at once that Zahra was wrong, even if the wraith had been speaking the truth. Even if Ioseph, Rozen, and Remy Ferracora were not hers through blood, they were hers at heart, always, and if anyone tried to tell her differently, she would send them crashing to their knees at her feet.

She dried Remy’s cheeks with her thumbs. “Only if you make some for yourself too.”

As he hurried away toward the stove, Eliana found Hob himself at the far side of the room, settling Navi into a small bed.

“Is Camille safe?” she asked.

“When we left her, she and her people were alive and well,” Hob replied. “Simon sent that Invictus assassin limping off into the night.”

Eliana’s stomach dropped. “Rahzavel. Simon didn’t kill him?”

“Unfortunately, no.”

She closed her eyes. “He won’t rest until he finds me.”

“Well, at least he’s not here now. You can thank Simon for that.”

Eliana refused to acknowledge that or the man in question. “Why are you here? What about Patrik?”

“Simon took some blows in that fight. I wanted to help him get the boy to safety.” Hob smiled at Remy. “He’s good company, your brother.”

On her cot, Navi shifted with a moan. Hob wrung out a rag in a pail of water and draped it over Navi’s forehead.

“Have you seen this before?” Eliana asked her. “What’s been done to her?”

Hob’s face was tight with anger. “No. I don’t know what this is, and I’m not sure I care to.” He drew a quilt up to Navi’s chin, tucked it around her body. “Camille requested I ask after Laenys. The girl, her missing attendant. She was taken by Fidelia as well?”

Laenys. She had completely forgotten to look for the girl.

Eliana shook her head, hoping Hob couldn’t see the truth on her face. “There wasn’t time to look for her. I’m sorry.”

“Do you know what they were doing there? Fidelia. Did you find out why they steal girls?”

“I don’t, but the sounds I heard while in my cell—”

“It’s all right. You don’t need to tell me, Dread.” The word had no venom in it, only a heavy sadness. “You should rest. When Simon returns, you’ll be leaving soon after.”

Simon.

Eliana turned, searching the room for him—but he was gone.

She barely restrained herself from flinging Arabeth at the wall. “Where did he go?”

“To meet a contact at the border who will help you across the Narrow Sea to Astavar,” Hob said.

Eliana began unstrapping the knives from her body. “Do you have clothes for me? Something other than prison garb.”

“You’re not leaving again?” Remy asked quickly.

She gave him a small smile. “Not leaving. I just want to sit outside, get some air after being cooped up in a cell for a week.”

And so she could see Simon before the others—and not let him past until she’d gotten the answers she deserved.

• • •

Zahra arrived two hours later, appearing without warning at Eliana’s side.

Eliana spat out a curse and jumped up from the tree stump she’d been sitting on.

The wraith’s black smile was barely visible in the shadowed trees. “Hello, my queen. I mean…Eliana.”

“Next time,” Eliana hissed, returning to her seat, “give me some warning before you just pop into the air like that.”

“I am overjoyed to see you as well, especially since we parted in such a dire moment.”

Eliana sighed sharply. “Yes. Thank you for that.”

“For what?”

Despite her irritation, Eliana smirked. “You’re going to make me say it, aren’t you?”

“I did risk much by engaging Semyaza,” Zahra pointed out. “Though I would do it again, and happily, to serve you.”

“Thank you, Zahra,” said Eliana with a sweep of her hand, “for battling Semyaza so Navi and I could escape. Your loyalty and bravery are to be commended.”

Zahra’s form shimmered with pleasure. “You sounded very regal just then, Eliana. Blood will out, as they say.”

“I don’t want to talk about my blood,” Eliana snapped.

“As you wish.” Zahra paused. “It will, however, have to be discussed eventually.”

Eliana looked away into the trees. “And if I don’t believe what you claim?”

“You forget I was in your mind, back in your cell,” Zahra said gently. “I think you’ve known for some time that something was misaligned in your past. That you aren’t like those around you. There is the matter of your body’s ability to heal itself, for one.”

Eliana whirled on her. “Listen to me right now, wraith. You may have the power to enter my mind, but you will not do so again unless at some point in the future I demand it of you. And until then, you will not even once mention the Blood Queen or the Lightbringer or whatever person it is you think I am. Is that understood?”

Zahra bowed her head. “Of course, Eliana. I will respect your wishes.”

“Thank you.”

They sat in silence for a long time, the woods quiet and dark around them.

“Do you know what they did to Navi?” Eliana asked at last.

“I wish I didn’t,” Zahra replied. “Throughout the long years since the Blood Queen’s Fall, the Emperor has undertaken many experiments in an attempt to achieve resurrection without her. Medicines, drugs, surgical procedures, manipulation of what he calls genetics.”

“What is that?”

“Put simply, it is the basic life structure of any living creature. Not the empirium—not even the Emperor can touch that, much to his despair—but it is effective nonetheless.”