Riddle of Fate (23 page)

“I do not see how we would have made use of this ability,” Garelle said.

“Come now, Garelle,” Derrin burst out. “You used him so that you could interact with humans. Humans such as Khaya's friend Brier with whom you conspired to murder her. You had servants in that mansion, not to mention messengers. And, of course Khaya herself was able to see you.”

“You are speaking out of turn,” Meir growled. “You should know your place. You are the one on trial today.”

“I am not so certain about that anymore,” Liron said.

“What are you on about, you wrinkled old lizard?” Meir said.

Garelle’s chin lifted at his words and her eyes widened for a second before she regained control of her emotions.

Liron stared at Meir, dumbstruck, his face changing from embarrassed to shocked to outraged in a few short breaths. “You, Meir Amber, and your associate, Garelle Prect, appear to be guilty of more crimes than Derrin.”

“How dare you?” Garelle said softly. “Derrin is a confessed traitor, a betrayer of our values and a breaker of oaths.”

“Sometimes,” Liron said, “the snake you do not see is deadlier than the big spider on the wall. In fact, often, the spider on the wall is merely catching flies and insects. Doing a service, if you like.”

“Highest,” Garelle said, “I fear you have lost control over these proceedings. We should deal with Derrin first and then we can sit down and address any concerns you may have with my conduct.”

“I agree,” the Highest said.

For a second, relief flooded over Garelle’s face, but then the Highest continued. “We should take a small recess. We will reconvene shortly to continue this process.” He waved a hand and four Collectors came forward to escort Garelle and Meir from the room.

“What is the meaning of this?” Garelle asked, her icy mask crumbling as she gave in to anger. “Unhand me! I am a Master and I demand you release me!”

Meir struggled in vain with his captors who ignored his and Garelle’s protests, hauling them from the room.

Digging Out The Truth

Khaya stood in her front room, her hand on the door handle. She should go. They were expecting her back at the library. She closed her eyes, seeing before her the faces of her colleagues. The scornful glares, the mistrustful glances she was sure to get when she walked back in.

She should go.

What else was she meant to do, anyway? Derrin wasn’t coming back. She didn’t know anyone outside Arroe.

She could leave… Why go back? The Company no longer held any power over her. She didn’t owe them anything. She would just leave.

But Derrin wouldn’t be able to find her if she left.
Fool,
she cursed herself. He wasn’t coming back. She swallowed the knot in her throat. She had to move on. She couldn’t face staying.

She turned to fetch her belongings. Taking the first step onto the staircase she froze. How could she have forgotten about Yarissa? The poor girl. Held to ransom. Threatened with the murder of her mother. Could she really help her?

She had to.

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

Khaya reached for the library door. Her hand was trembling. She took a deep breath, clenching and unclenching her fist, giving her hand a shake. Gritting her teeth, she pushed through the door and marched up the stairs. She didn’t allow herself to pause before striding through the door to the right.

Eyes fixed on Peater’s office door, she ignored the sudden silence, the eyes burning holes in her. She knocked briefly before going in.

Peater’s chair scraped as he stood. He dismissed a man who was vaguely familiar from the room. The man stared at Khaya with wide eyes before regaining his wits. He shot Peater a grateful look and practically ran from the office.

She turned around and locked the door. Peater still stood, his arms folded across his chest. “You don’t look happy to see me, Peater,” Khaya said.

“Um, I guess I am just surprised to see you. I’m glad to have you with us again. You are, of course, welcome back.”

“I’m not here to come back to work.”

“I don’t understand.”

“I’m not returning to work. I simply have a matter that needs to be dealt with. A loose end I need to tie up.”

“I thought you understood,” Peater said. “Once you’ve worked for us, seen what you’ve seen, you can’t leave. You are bound to us. You signed the contract.”

“Do me a favour. Don’t talk about honouring contracts. Not three days ago, you were hunting me. Trying to get me executed.”

“We believed you posed a threat to society, that you –”

“Stop it,” Khaya said, cutting him off. “I don’t care about your explanations. I don’t care about my contract.”

“Very well. Why are you here then?”

“Yarissa.”

Peater swallowed, but he showed no other reaction.

“I know you are keeping her mother someplace. I’m going to ask you nicely to release the girl and her mother.”

“I don’t know what –”

“Stop!” she spat, holding up her hand. “Let’s cut through the chaff. I know it’s true and you know it. You also know I don’t need to ask nicely. Don’t make me insist.”

Peater’s lips pursed and his adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed. “I can’t let her go.”

“Sure you can. Only question is how you’re going to do it. Now, get Yarissa and let’s go see her mother.”

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

Khaya looked back the way they had come through the marketplace. It wouldn’t surprise her if Peater had somehow managed to indicate to someone to follow them. They turned down a narrow alleyway between rows of houses.

Yarissa’s face remained still, showing no emotion as they walked along the road. Khaya grimaced when the girl – again – cracked her knuckles. She’d been doing that since they left the library.

“How much further,” Yarissa asked.

“Round that corner, two blocks ahead,” Peater said, gesturing with his hand.

“If you try anything,” Khaya said, “there will be painful consequences for you.”

“I’m guessing that’s what’s in store for me no matter what I do,” he mumbled.

Khaya didn’t want to hurt him. She didn’t want to hurt anyone, but if he forced her hand… She hoped he would cooperate.

“It’s that house up ahead,” Peater said. “The one with the open window.”

Yarissa made to run to it, but Khaya grabbed her arm. “We don’t know how many of them are in there. Be patient. We will get her out shortly.”

The girl scowled, but did not push ahead. “After you,” Khaya said to Peater as they approached the door.

He rapped his knuckles on the door, three times in quick succession and then once again after a brief pause. The door swung open and a woman in her later years glared at them. Her eyelids drooped, as though she was half asleep. Her thin lips pulled down at the corners. “I only agreed to this on the condition that I was to be left unbothered,” she said. “You are bothering me.”

“I apologise, Mareta,” Peater said. “You’ll be delighted that I am taking Elease off your hands today.”

Mareta didn’t look pleased, muttering as she let them in. Yarissa dashed forward. “Mother!” she called before Khaya could stop her.

A scrambling noise came from the first floor above their heads and Yarissa flew up the stairs. Khaya shoved Peater ahead of her to follow the girl. A yelp came from somewhere upstairs and Khaya gave Peater another push. “Go!” she barked.

“Let go of her!” a woman screamed.

Khaya grabbed Peater by the arm and dragged him to where the yell had come from. The windows were covered by a thick black curtain and the small bedroom was stuffy. A woman stood on a small cot that was pushed up against the far wall, her fingers twisted into her scruffy brown hair. Her cheeks were gaunt and pale.

Res, Khaya’s cat-like colleague, held Yarissa by the throat. His nails were extended into claws. Red pinpricks bloomed where they pierced her skin. She had her neck stretched, her back pressed up against the wall. Her eyes darted around the room.

Why hadn’t Yarissa used her ability to bind his ability? Khaya took hold of Res’s body with her Insight. Taking control of his hands first, she forced him to release his grip on Yarissa.

Res made a furious hissing sound, his nose wrinkling in a snarl. Khaya felt him fighting back against her, but it was a futile struggle. She’d never liked him, but now she felt hatred boiling her blood.

Yarissa’s hands balled into fists and she lashed out, smacking Res across the face. He reeled back, losing his balance and landing with a crash on the ground. “I trusted you!” Yarissa screeched. “You pretended to be my friend! All this time, you knew where my mother was.” While still glaring at Res, she rushed over to her mother who jumped from the bed and embraced her daughter.

Khaya turned to speak to Peater. He was gone. “Yarissa,” she said, interrupting their tearful reunion, “we need to leave. Peater is gone and I believe it won’t be long before he returns with more people to stop you from escaping.”

Yarissa nodded, wiping the tears from her face. She grabbed her mother’s hand and pulled her along.

They ran from the house and didn’t slow until they were several roads away. Having turned down a narrow path between houses, they stood with their backs against a building, catching their breaths.

Khaya stuck her hand into her pocket and pulled out a pouch. She held it out to Yarissa’s mother. The woman took it hesitantly. “What’s this?”

The coins inside made a tinkling noise as she took it from Khaya. “It will be enough to get you a horse and some supplies.”

The woman nearly dropped the pouch as if it suddenly burnt her. “We can’t possibly take this,” she said, holding it out at arm’s length.

Khaya held both hands up. “Please, take it. I have no need of it. Please,” she repeated when the woman still hesitated.

Yarissa threw her arms around Khaya, hugging her tightly. “Thank you! How can we ever repay you?”

“Just make sure you get far away from here and never allow the Company to get their filthy claws in you again.”

Yarissa stepped back and took the pouch from her mother who mouthed a ‘thank you’. The pair trotted away. Khaya took a certain pleasure in watching the crowd swallow them. It was made all the sweeter knowing what a blow this would be to the Company.

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

“Derrin, please come with us,” the Highest said and strode from the Hall of Angels.

He followed the Highest to his study, running through all that had been said. It had gone well. Better, in fact, than they could have hoped for. They had Meir and Garelle exactly where they wanted them. Their lies were tripping them up, twisting around them like spiders being trapped by their own webs.

A knock at the door. “Enter!” the Highest called.

The Collector who Derrin had seen tell the Highest of Garelle and Meir’s deception walked in. She was taller than he remembered, but her hair – short at the back and longer at the top – gave her a young appearance.

“Reez, thank you for coming,” the Highest said. He turned to Derrin. “I have just a few questions for you before we go back in.”

“You don’t trust me?”

“I believe you have honourable intentions, but I have to be sure. You understand, don’t you?”

The Highest didn’t want to look a fool should some untruth come to light before all the gathered Collectors,
Derrin thought. Perhaps he was still having trouble accepting the truth of the matter.

He was about to have a rude awakening then. Derrin nodded.

The Highest closed the door behind them, shutting out the other Masters. He paced up and down. “I think they’ve spun themselves a nice thick web of lies now.”

“Are we moving to phase two then?”

“Yes, it’s time.” He stopped pacing and regarded Derrin with something akin to regret. “You realise that none of this can influence your own situation?”

“I never expected it to.”

Reez sat down beside the Highest, her eyes fixed on Derrin. “Reez is able to say if someone is telling the truth or not.”

“I know,” Derrin said.

“How… actually, I don’t want to know,” the Highest said, rubbing the side of his nose. “So, what was your motivation for coming to speak with me in the first place?”

“The Collectors were being threatened as a whole. I couldn’t stand by and watch them attack you.”

“This is true,” Reez said, “but there is more.”

Derrin glared at the woman. She was unmoved. Silence hung in the air. “I needed to get away from Khaya,” he finally said.

The Highest’s eyebrows arched. Obviously not the answer he was expecting. “Why?”

“I don’t think it is relevant,” Derrin said.

“I cannot afford you the luxury of choosing what information to reveal,” the Highest said, leaning forward in his chair. “Too much is at stake. Why did you need to get away from her? Is she dangerous?”

“No,” Derrin gave a small laugh. “I was getting too close to her,” he said, keeping his eyes to the ground. “I was afraid that if I didn’t leave her now, I wouldn’t be strong enough to do it. She deserves more than… more than what I could give her.”

“You love her?”

He nodded, unable to admit it in words. The Highest blew out a breath. “You have got yourself all tangled up, haven’t you?

“Does she know you will not return to her?”

“She knows.”

“And all you’ve told me about Garelle, Meir and Seb is true?”

“To the best of my knowledge.”

“Just one last thing,” the Highest said, “where is Khaya now?”

“Why do you need to know?”

“As I’ve said, what’s happened won’t change anything for you. And neither will it for her. She is still living a life that she was never meant to have.”

“So you approve of her being killed? Through Collector interference?”

“No. As much as I feel that would be the simplest solution, we cannot allow it. She is to be banished from all human contact. She is to live an isolated life. A solitary existence, but still more than what she was meant for. She should be grateful for it.”

“No!” Derrin said, leaping to his feet and sending his chair crashing back. “I was willing to sacrifice myself to help you, but I won’t offer her up to you on a plate. She doesn’t deserve a life of loneliness. I won’t allow you to deprive her of a life. To be shut away like a diseased dog. Without her, I wouldn’t have had half – less than half – of the information that I gave you.”

“Calm down, Derrin,” the Highest said. “We will be eternally grateful for her service, but she cannot remain as she is. You should have known we wouldn’t simply give up, stop trying to restore the natural balance.”

“It doesn’t matter. I won’t tell you where she is. What can you do to me that you won’t do anyway? I am to be sent to damnation – an eternity of suffering. All you could do to me pales in comparison.”