Page 111 of Requiem of Silence

Zeli’s words reverberated inside Jasminda’s head. “If it’s truly possible to give everyone their Song back, then we might stand a chance against the True Father.” She looked up, excitement sweeping through her. “There would be enough Singers to protect the non-Singers from the wraiths. Without bodies to possess, Kyara and the other Nethersingers might be able to find a way to banish them for good.

“There’s another problem though. Even if every Singer is willing to protect the ungrateful Elsirans, the wraiths move so quickly. By the time the portal appears, there’s no chance for folks to find a Singer to help them. Logistically, it’s a nightmare.”

“I may be able to help in that regard.” Everyone turned to Yllis, who’d remained quiet so far.

“After I was killed by Eero, I went to the World After, as all do. But I was determined to find my way to the World Between, back to Oola. I had studied magic for so many years and felt certain there was a passageway between the worlds. I searched for it for… well, I don’t know how long. There is no time there. But eventually I found what I was looking for. The passageways were not what I expected, however, and I became stuck in the Void.”

Jasminda was only glancingly familiar with the Void. She’d heard Darvyn discuss it before, but as a concept it was new to her.

“The Void is something like the space between worlds,” Yllis said, answering an unasked question. “A glue of sorts that holds things together—when the worlds are in balance, that is. When they’re not in balance, like when the Physicks rent the barrier in order to let the spirits flow into the Living World, the Void goes a bit… haywire. I felt when that happened and recognized that the old Cavefolk prophecy of a war between the worlds was coming to pass. And so I found my way out of the Void and came here.”

Jasminda opened herself to Earthsong and examined him again. He had very little life energy and a great preponderance of something she almost couldn’t identify. Something hazy and staticky, which put her in mind of the burn of cola against your nostrils when you first take a sip. Was this the Void?

“So what are you saying, Yllis?Whydid you come back?” she asked.

He moved languidly away from the fireplace to settle in the other armchair opposite her. “After so long spent investigating the passageways and locked within the Void, I became sensitive to its energy. I can sense the disturbance in the Void when a portal opens, and I believe I can give some kind of warning. I was able to feel the opening of the last attack, even thousands of kilometers away. I’ve felt each of the other trials that Eero has done.”

He steepled his fingers together, balancing elbows on knees. “You need a way to give an alert and gather people together so that Singers can help non-Singers. It will only be a few minutes, but I can give you notice of an impending attack.”

Varten’s leg began to bounce. “Perhaps we can create shelters, places where people can go when the warning comes in. They’d be manned by the Singers willing to help and non-Singers can go there to be protected from the wraiths.”

“The city already has emergency shelters,” Jasminda said. “Forhurricanes that hit the coast during the rainy season. We can direct people there.”

“Some could be manned by Raunians as well,” Roshon added. “King Pia says the vats of selakki oil will be arriving tomorrow. She diverted a shipment that had been headed south.”

Gratitude filled her. “Well, this may work,” she said, cautious. Variables and question marks still riddled the plan, but it was solidly possible. “Zeli, what else do you need to restore the Songs? We could use as many Singers as we can get.”

Zeli twisted her mouth in a grimace. “Two things. One, a willing sacrifice from every Lagrimari wanting their Song back. Gilmer said it must be consciously and sincerely given. That, I expect, will not be easy.”

That was putting it lightly. “And what’s the second thing?”

“I need to find the Rosiran obelisk.”

Jasminda looked questioningly to Yllis, who frowned. “When I was a Cantor, we used the obelisks to focus and extend our power. There was one in each city and every Singer could connect to it. They allowed us to link without touching, to combine and magnify Earthsong.”

“Gilmer had one in his Archives,” Zeli said. “I’ll need to be at the obelisk in order to restore the Songs.”

“Well, where was the Rosiran obelisk?” Jasminda asked.

Yllis spread his arms. “Here, in the palace. But it’s gone.”

“What do you mean it’s gone?”

He pursed his lips. “This place has grown and changed much in the centuries since I was last here. I do not recognize the layout any longer. But the obelisk was large, with a great chamber built around it. I cannot fathom why it’s now hidden.”

“It must have been in the older section,” Varten said, knee jumping as he thought.

“Would Oola know?” Jasminda asked. Yllis froze, tension visible. “Have you talked to Her since you’ve been back?”

He looked away.

“Have you talked with Mooriah?” she asked softly. Chaos had reigned after the strategy meeting had broken up and she hadn’t noticed where Mooriah had disappeared to. Yllis refused to answer. It looked like a family reunion was on its way; Jasminda wondered if it would be a joyous one.

In the meantime, they had quite a list of impossible things to do in order to prepare for the next attack.

CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

The table legs must each bear their weight

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