Page 39 of Sightwitch
I reached the door, and in a frantic movement that sent the button flying off my leather sheath, I had the knife free.
I slammed it into the eye-level hole.
The door creaked wide.
The Nubrevnan grabbed my biceps and threw me inside, right as black cold and knee-shaking screams swallowed all my senses.
Then we were through the door, running—still running—as it thundered shut behind us.
The wyrms had not followed. We were safe.
Y2786 D354
MEMORIES
I met with the Six today, in my workshop and by cover of night. Always by cover of night.
They came to me, each by his or her own magical means. Only the Rook King could not come, but he sent his bird as a proxy. A rook trained as well as any dog. Better, even, for somehow after these meetings, the bird communicates all we discuss to his master.
That rook unsettles me. I wish the King would send his general instead. I’ve never met the man, but at least he is human.
It has been almost half a year since the Six last met and half a year since I promised them I could make the doorways between kingdoms as well as a way to kill the Exalted Ones once and for all.
But I have no doorways, and I am scarcely any closer to producing a weapon than I was at our last meeting.
I did not tell that to the Six, though. The cards show me again and again that an answer is coming—which meansSirmaya Herselfis telling me to be patient.
So patient I will be.
“The underground city is almost finished,” Bastien said as we went around the table with our various updates. For once, he had removed the mask he always wore, and his scars from the Exalted Ones were plain for us to see.
A not so subtle reminder of why we fought as well as the power we were up against. For as powerful as the six Paladins were that I worked with, the other six, who called themselves the Exalted Ones, were even more so.
“There is currently space for twenty thousand,” Bastien continued with a scratch at the brow over his missing eye, “but Saria assures me we can expand.”
“We can,” Saria inserted. “The wheat and sorghum crops are finally responding to foxfire and magic light.”
“And we,” Rhian said, “have almost finished the lamps and the heating apparatus.”
“All that we lack,” finished Midne, looking to Baile, “is a source of energy to keep the billows blowing.”
Baile smiled. “It is done. I finished three days ago. The currents inside the plateau will flow and move exactly where we need them.”
“Oh, excellent!” cried Midne, and Rhian beamed at her aunt. “That means we can begin moving families as soon as the doorways are prepared.”
In perfect synchrony, all gazes swiveled to me. Even the bird’s, for of course the doorways are my responsibility. My promise to the Six.
“Soon,” I murmured. “’Tis no small amount of magic, and unlike all of you, I was not born with power.”
I use this excuse every time—that I am not a Paladin. That I do not have magic. But I know this tale will not keep working forever.
The rest of the meeting we spent lost in discussion. Family by family, we would move the people most oppressed by the Exalted Ones out of danger. They would remain in the underground city to the south until we could kill the corrupted Paladins and end their reincarnations forever.
Although our plans might soon come to fruition, one wrong move could still give us all away. And the violence Bastien had faced at the hands of the Exalted Ones would be nothing compared to the punishment our rebellion would unleash.
When the quicksilver in my hourglass ran out, the Six took their leave. All except Lady Baile. She lingered, pretending to examine my latest assortment of stones. Yet as soon as we were alone, she spoke, “You seem preoccupied today, Dysi.”
I cringed. This was exactly what I had feared—that Lisbet and Cora were taking up more of my mind and energy than I had to spare.
