Lightbringer (Empirium 3)

Behind Eliana, the others shifted nervously.

Ysabet marched forward, hands on hips, eyes narrowed. “She’s done something. Can you feel that? The stone is vibrating under our feet.” She jerked her head. “What have you done, angel?”

Beside Eliana, Simon shifted. She glanced at him. He would not look at her, but she sensed it was now for a different reason.

Ludivine gestured at the two acolytes flanking the door. At once, they began emptying the room—the chairs, the carpet, the pedestals on which the candles burned. Only the candles themselves remained, and Katell’s sheathed sword.

Remy silently came to Eliana’s side, found her free hand. The ache that now lived in her throat blossomed ruthlessly. If they did this, none of it would matter. Not Vaera Bashta, not Invictus, not the hard new glint of Remy’s eyes. He would be born to Ioseph and Rozen Ferracora and live a happy life in the city of Orline, writing stories and baking cakes. She refused to acknowledge any other possibility.

“This chamber lies at the heart of a labyrinth,” said Ludivine, very still as her acolytes bustled around her. “There are dozens of chambers, hundreds of passages. Some lead to rooms. Others lead nowhere. This will buy us some time. The cruciata are intelligent, but their bloodlust dulls their wits.”

Navi drew a sharp breath.

Just behind Eliana, Simon stood quietly, hands fisted at his sides.

Tentatively, Eliana reached for Ludivine’s mind. At once, Ludivine showed her the truth, her black eyes unblinking and unashamed.

“You’ve brought the cruciata underground,” Eliana whispered. Shrill, rasping cries, still distant, followed her words, as if the beasts had heard their name.

Someone behind her—Hob, she thought—muttered a sharp curse.

“Why?” Navi whispered harshly. “How?”

The chamber thrummed with rising vibrations. Something was approaching them, some ruthless marching weight. The beasts? Or worse?

Eliana’s stomach dropped. Clarity swept through her, heat chased by cold.

“Because the angels are coming for us,” she said, “and the cruciata will protect us.”

“Protect us?” Patrik scoffed, glaring at Ludivine. “They have no love for us, and now two enemies will soon be upon us, thanks to you.”

It had been so long since Eliana had seen Patrik that the sight of his furious pale face rested strangely on the surface of her mind, like oil topping water. He was familiar and yet not, flesh and blood and yet a memory. He glared at Ludivine, his ruined eye hidden behind a frayed black patch. And there was Hob, tall and frowning at his side, fresh scars on his dark-brown skin. Navi, her eyes bright with tears, her mouth thin with anger. Ysabet behind her, looking ready to tear out Ludivine’s throat with her teeth. Malik at the door, his face so like Navi’s—lovely straight nose, warm dark eyes. And crowding in the hallway, everyone Navi had brought with her across the ocean. Dozens of refugees and sailors and hardened fighters, all now trapped underground.

Looking at them, a slow tingle of horror spreading across her skin, Eliana understood why Ludivine had waited to guide her here. She had been waiting for Navi’s little army to arrive—a disposable infantry. Help is coming, the Prophet had told her. Help is close.

Ludivine smiled faintly at everyone gathered. “It’s time. Hurry. She needs you.”

One by one, their faces changed. A ripple of feeling passed through them like a shimmering wave of heat. Fear hardened into anger. Tears dried and mouths set. Patrik was the first to turn away and draw his sword, pushing past the others to hurry down the hallway. Hob followed shortly after him, then Malik, then Ysabet, with a ferocious growl.

Navi choked out a sob, pulled Eliana hard into her arms. A moment later, she was gone, the last of them to leave the chamber. Eliana stood frozen, the sounds of their war cries muffled by the blood pounding in her ears. Another breath, and her dread lifted. Sound came crashing back to her. She called Navi’s name, tried to run after them. Hands pulled her back against a strong chest. Too enraged to scream, she shoved Simon away with a burst of power from her castings. She didn’t realize she had tackled Ludivine to the ground and started punching her until Remy and Simon yanked her away.

“Every moment you helped me, every day you worked with me to strengthen my power,” she spat, “you knew what you would do. You saw Navi and the others coming to Elysium and guided them down here. You knew you would send them to fight the cruciata, sacrifice them without a thought if it bought us some time. You knew, and you never said anything to me.”

Ludivine sat up, wiping her mouth. As Eliana watched, her lip stopped bleeding. “Of course I didn’t.”

“Because you feared I would fight you.”

“I feared nothing. I knew you would react as you’re reacting now.”

A sob burst out of Eliana as she imagined Navi’s face. “I love them.”

“And they love you. Even those who have never met you. They love what they have been told about you. They believe in your ability to save them. And if they must die to allow you that chance, then they must die.” A smile touched Ludivine’s lips. “Navi draws irresistible pictures of you for anyone who will listen. Of course they love you. One night at Navi’s side, listening to her stories about you, and anyone would believe what she says. That you are a queen for the ages.”

Eliana wrenched her arms free of Simon and Remy. Her feet were stones on the floor. “You got inside their heads just now, sent them away to fight. You could have done that with anyone, recruited dozens of people from Elysium. Two hundred, five hundred. Why them?”

Ludivine let out a thin laugh. It did not move her face. Her mouth was pale, her eyes grotesquely dark in the bleached canvas of her skin.

“I’m not sure you understand how angry he is,” she said, her voice smooth as a polished blade. “It requires so much of my strength to keep him out of this room. I have very little left to spare, only enough to encourage people already inclined to die for you to go and do just that. I could not have shepherded people from the city down to us. I could not have gotten inside their minds and made them into puppet soldiers. It would have left me too vulnerable. It would have left Simon too vulnerable, or you. And now, every part of me that still lives is fighting him.”

Eliana pressed her fists to her thighs. A hundred people paled in significance against the entirety of humankind. She knew this.

And yet she clung to her anger. “You gave them no choice,” she whispered.

“They chose to sail to you,” Ludivine said. “They chose to follow Zahra through a city tearing itself to pieces when at any moment she could have died and they would have been discovered. One chink in Zahra’s mental armor, and a warship could have found them, blasted them to pieces on the high seas. I merely made a suggestion just now. A slight breeze at the backs of warriors already prepared to die and eager to fight.” d Eliana, the others shifted nervously.

Ysabet marched forward, hands on hips, eyes narrowed. “She’s done something. Can you feel that? The stone is vibrating under our feet.” She jerked her head. “What have you done, angel?”

Beside Eliana, Simon shifted. She glanced at him. He would not look at her, but she sensed it was now for a different reason.

Ludivine gestured at the two acolytes flanking the door. At once, they began emptying the room—the chairs, the carpet, the pedestals on which the candles burned. Only the candles themselves remained, and Katell’s sheathed sword.

Remy silently came to Eliana’s side, found her free hand. The ache that now lived in her throat blossomed ruthlessly. If they did this, none of it would matter. Not Vaera Bashta, not Invictus, not the hard new glint of Remy’s eyes. He would be born to Ioseph and Rozen Ferracora and live a happy life in the city of Orline, writing stories and baking cakes. She refused to acknowledge any other possibility.

“This chamber lies at the heart of a labyrinth,” said Ludivine, very still as her acolytes bustled around her. “There are dozens of chambers, hundreds of passages. Some lead to rooms. Others lead nowhere. This will buy us some time. The cruciata are intelligent, but their bloodlust dulls their wits.”

Navi drew a sharp breath.

Just behind Eliana, Simon stood quietly, hands fisted at his sides.

Tentatively, Eliana reached for Ludivine’s mind. At once, Ludivine showed her the truth, her black eyes unblinking and unashamed.

“You’ve brought the cruciata underground,” Eliana whispered. Shrill, rasping cries, still distant, followed her words, as if the beasts had heard their name.

Someone behind her—Hob, she thought—muttered a sharp curse.

“Why?” Navi whispered harshly. “How?”

The chamber thrummed with rising vibrations. Something was approaching them, some ruthless marching weight. The beasts? Or worse?

Eliana’s stomach dropped. Clarity swept through her, heat chased by cold.

“Because the angels are coming for us,” she said, “and the cruciata will protect us.”

“Protect us?” Patrik scoffed, glaring at Ludivine. “They have no love for us, and now two enemies will soon be upon us, thanks to you.”

It had been so long since Eliana had seen Patrik that the sight of his furious pale face rested strangely on the surface of her mind, like oil topping water. He was familiar and yet not, flesh and blood and yet a memory. He glared at Ludivine, his ruined eye hidden behind a frayed black patch. And there was Hob, tall and frowning at his side, fresh scars on his dark-brown skin. Navi, her eyes bright with tears, her mouth thin with anger. Ysabet behind her, looking ready to tear out Ludivine’s throat with her teeth. Malik at the door, his face so like Navi’s—lovely straight nose, warm dark eyes. And crowding in the hallway, everyone Navi had brought with her across the ocean. Dozens of refugees and sailors and hardened fighters, all now trapped underground.

Looking at them, a slow tingle of horror spreading across her skin, Eliana understood why Ludivine had waited to guide her here. She had been waiting for Navi’s little army to arrive—a disposable infantry. Help is coming, the Prophet had told her. Help is close.

Ludivine smiled faintly at everyone gathered. “It’s time. Hurry. She needs you.”

One by one, their faces changed. A ripple of feeling passed through them like a shimmering wave of heat. Fear hardened into anger. Tears dried and mouths set. Patrik was the first to turn away and draw his sword, pushing past the others to hurry down the hallway. Hob followed shortly after him, then Malik, then Ysabet, with a ferocious growl.

Navi choked out a sob, pulled Eliana hard into her arms. A moment later, she was gone, the last of them to leave the chamber. Eliana stood frozen, the sounds of their war cries muffled by the blood pounding in her ears. Another breath, and her dread lifted. Sound came crashing back to her. She called Navi’s name, tried to run after them. Hands pulled her back against a strong chest. Too enraged to scream, she shoved Simon away with a burst of power from her castings. She didn’t realize she had tackled Ludivine to the ground and started punching her until Remy and Simon yanked her away.

“Every moment you helped me, every day you worked with me to strengthen my power,” she spat, “you knew what you would do. You saw Navi and the others coming to Elysium and guided them down here. You knew you would send them to fight the cruciata, sacrifice them without a thought if it bought us some time. You knew, and you never said anything to me.”

Ludivine sat up, wiping her mouth. As Eliana watched, her lip stopped bleeding. “Of course I didn’t.”

“Because you feared I would fight you.”

“I feared nothing. I knew you would react as you’re reacting now.”

A sob burst out of Eliana as she imagined Navi’s face. “I love them.”

“And they love you. Even those who have never met you. They love what they have been told about you. They believe in your ability to save them. And if they must die to allow you that chance, then they must die.” A smile touched Ludivine’s lips. “Navi draws irresistible pictures of you for anyone who will listen. Of course they love you. One night at Navi’s side, listening to her stories about you, and anyone would believe what she says. That you are a queen for the ages.”

Eliana wrenched her arms free of Simon and Remy. Her feet were stones on the floor. “You got inside their heads just now, sent them away to fight. You could have done that with anyone, recruited dozens of people from Elysium. Two hundred, five hundred. Why them?”

Ludivine let out a thin laugh. It did not move her face. Her mouth was pale, her eyes grotesquely dark in the bleached canvas of her skin.

“I’m not sure you understand how angry he is,” she said, her voice smooth as a polished blade. “It requires so much of my strength to keep him out of this room. I have very little left to spare, only enough to encourage people already inclined to die for you to go and do just that. I could not have shepherded people from the city down to us. I could not have gotten inside their minds and made them into puppet soldiers. It would have left me too vulnerable. It would have left Simon too vulnerable, or you. And now, every part of me that still lives is fighting him.”

Eliana pressed her fists to her thighs. A hundred people paled in significance against the entirety of humankind. She knew this.

And yet she clung to her anger. “You gave them no choice,” she whispered.

“They chose to sail to you,” Ludivine said. “They chose to follow Zahra through a city tearing itself to pieces when at any moment she could have died and they would have been discovered. One chink in Zahra’s mental armor, and a warship could have found them, blasted them to pieces on the high seas. I merely made a suggestion just now. A slight breeze at the backs of warriors already prepared to die and eager to fight.”