Page 32 of Ironhold: Trial Five

Chapter Eighteen

I sit in my cell inIronhold that night and I reach out with my mind, wanting to know that what Ihave achieved is going to be enough. It is dark outside, andI know that soon the first steps ofmy plan will start to come to fruition.

I stretch my powers, leaping intothe mind of a night flying bat. I guide it through the darkness, seeing withboth eyes and ears, the world a place of echoes and shadows. What I do tonightwill require me to connect to this animal at a distance further than I havestate connected to one before. Yet I believe it to be possible because LadyElara has sent birds to me in the past. If she can maintain control at such adistance, I believe that I must be able to.

I guide the bat down into the city,searching for the ways into the crypts beneath it. Aetheria is built oncenturies of its own past, layers of the city that have been forgotten, sewersand tunnels, crypts and hidden places. I find a way in for the bat, but I donot stick to its mind. Instead, I use it as a point from which to reach outfurther, feeling for more minds beneath the city.

This is something I have not beentaught how to do. It is something I am having to feel the way to do, working itout as I go. I can feel the minds of small animals as they move beneathAetheria. Small animals and larger ones too. The beast whisperers like to keepsome of the beasts they have tamed down near the temple. I can feel the smallminds of rats and spiders, the harsh predatory mind of a crocodile, and severalstranger things.

I split my attention between them,balancing myself as I look through their eyes, careful never to lose touch withown being. I borrow sight in a dozen or more different ways, seeing the worldin different shades and from different angles. I hear as well, hearing theconversation of the beast whisperers.

“We should run, Elara!” a voicesays.

“No, if we run, we will never stoprunning. Our rebellion will be over before it begins. Lyra has betrayed us, butshe has also given us a chance to succeed. She has told us that our enemies arecoming. We can make use of that.”

I do not dare get too close tothem. I know that if I do there is too much of a risk that they will sense mypower riding on the animals. They will know I am watching, and it may be thatthey're able to retaliate.

“Why would she do this?” a man'svoice asks.

“She's trying to save the nobleyoung man she's so besotted with,” Lady Elara says. “Maybe our enemiesthreatened him. Or maybe they just got a hold of her and beat the informationfrom her. It's hard to say for sure. She will pay you for what she's done indue course.”

“But why tell us?” The man insists.

“Maybe she's trying to make up forthat betrayal, or maybe she has some idea that we will run. Maybe this is heridea of mercy. You all know how attached she is to that concept. It doesn'tmatter. What matters is that we are ready. Go to your positions.”

I switch between the eyes ofdifferent animals, watching the beast whisperers as they spread out in thespaces beneath the earth, ready for the fights to come. Lady Elara stands atthe center of the temple of Deira, both in challenge to anyone coming and as away of luring them closer.

I can see the others making theirway along the passageways: a mixture of nobles, soldiers whose loyalty theyhave bought, and retainers. Some of them hold flames in their hands to lightthe way. Others crackle with lightning. Vex is there, blades already floatingaround him ready for use.

I could still put an end to this,still call it all off by controlling something that can talk and shouting awarning. I don’t. I can’t. If I give the different sides any warning now, mywhole plan will fall apart. There is only one way out of this for me, forAlaric, and for the people of Aetheria. This is the only option, as painful asit is to sit and watch it all.

I see the moment when Vex and theothers supporting him burst into the temple, ready for violence. Lady Elarastands there in front of them, her arms spread wide.

“You?” Vex says, obviously notquite believing it. “You're connected to the spectral covenant.”

“Not just connected to it, mydear,” Lady Elara says. “I lead it. And you are here to try to crush us.”

“It doesn't have to be that way,”Vex says. “You can submit to us. You would be useful servants in the fightagainst the emperor. Do that, and I will let you live.”

“You'll let me live?” Lady Elarasays. She laughs then, and as she laughs, I see figures detaching themselvesfrom hidden places, partly hidden by her illusions.

The spectral covenant charges atthose who would destroy them, roaring and shrieking as they come.

The two sides attack each other ina sudden blaze of violence. Beast whisperers leap out from their hiding places,catching Vex’s forces by surprise. Animals charge forward alongside them,starving hounds, big cats, even one of the crocodiles that stalks the tunnels.

They are prepared for this momentand Vex is not. It means that they slam into his forces with sickeningviolence, teeth and claws rending. In just seconds, the world seems to befilled with blood and death. I see a nobleman brought down by a beast whispererwhose hands turn to claws to disembowel him. I see the jaws of a crocodileclamp down on the leg of a mercenary soldier.

Vex is the first one to fight back,sending his knives singing through the air to plunge into flesh, bringing downpeople and animals alike. For all the power of the beast whisperers, they arenot invulnerable, and several are brought down in that first rush of combat.Vex has brought allies with him with their own powers, and now the air isfilled with the crackle of lightning and with bursts of flame.

The beast whisperers have someadvantages, because they know the territory, know all the best hiding spots,and they have had time to bring animals to their side. That is good. It waspart of my reason for telling them the danger was coming. If I had not, therewas too much of a chance they would simply be wiped out.

Instead though I have sparked abloody battle. Lady Elara wades through it, manipulating her illusions to tryto distract her enemies even as she sends creatures against them. A flock ofbats flies at the nobles, sharp teeth ready to bite until Vex sends his knivesto intercept them.

“Hit and move!” Lady Elaracommands. At least some of the beast whisperers obey, running back into thetunnels, drawing the nobles and their allies forward. By drawing them out,they're able to bring them into more ambushes. This is far from the easy victoryVex was hoping for.

They start to pull back from oneanother, as if realizing that they're evenly matched. My fear is that they willbe able to put aside their differences and work together, at least for now. Ido not know if Lady Elara would lead such an alliance or if Vex would, but I'msure it would not be good for the city either way.

Thankfully the emperor’s forceschoose that moment to attack, ambushing both sides at once. The emperor hassent guards, but even they have powers of their own, some with elementsflickering on their blades, some conjuring lights so there is no way to hide.If the battle was relenting a moment ago now it is a thing of utter chaos withlosses on every side.

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