Page 5 of Siege of Stone (Sister of Darkness: The Nicci Chronicles 3)

Bannon frowned, considering. His skin looked paler than usual, which emphasized his freckles. “The revolt still isn’t over in the city. If you have a war council, you can’t call only the gifted nobles. They were part of the problem. You need to listen to the rebels and the freed slaves, as well as the arena warriors. If it comes to a real fight, those are the best soldiers Ildakar has.”

Lila shot him a glance. “And the morazeth, boy. We are the best fighters.”

Nathan raised a hand to stall further debate. “It is not a competition. Everyone will defend Ildakar in their own way. I agree with you, dear Elsa. The duma needs to appoint replacement members as soon as possible, and someone has to lead the city, now that we’re at war.”

Gliding past Nicci, Mrra placed her feline head between the crenellations and peered out at the awakening army in the morning light. The panther growled at the booming of the hardened fists.

* * *

When Nicci and her companions entered the main chamber of the ruling tower, the two stone sorceresses had awakened and were locked in battle.

Sovrena Thora, whom Nicci despised, had been punished for her abuse of the people of Ildakar. Rather than being executed, Thora had suffered the same fate as Utros’s army, cursed by the stone spell. After pronouncing her sentence, Elsa, Quentin, and Damon had petrified her, leaving Thora a defiant statue in the ruling chamber.

The only other sorceress who had suffered that fate was Lani, after her failed challenge to Thora’s rule, centuries ago. Nicci had never seen Lani as anything other than a stone figure.

Now both women were reanimated and attacking each other on the open floor in the ruling tower. Nicci recognized Lani’s broad shoulders, the squarish yet pretty face, and the long locks of hair that had been marble before, but were now the color of smoked honey. The revived sorceress threw herself upon Thora, who looked just as furious. The dissolution of the stone spell that had thawed General Utros’s army must have also released these two from their fates.

Hearing the clash of the physical battle, Nicci rushed into the ruling chamber with Nathan and Elsa close behind, calling for the two sorceresses to stop fighting. The wizards Damon and Quentin came in, accompanied by other powerful wizards, who had answered the call for the war council.

The floor of the ruling chamber was made of blue marble, a lake of polished stone in front of the raised platform that had held thrones for the sovrena and the wizard commander. In a long gown of green silk, Thora grappled with Lani. The women, whose skin remained pale and grayish, battled with spells and physical blows, as well. Thora and Lani used fists and claws, but their tough skin deflected the damage.

As Nicci strode forward, commanding the women to stop, Lila dashed past her and leaped into the fray. Together, Nicci and the morazeth physically separated the two sorceresses. Lani and Thora both seemed confused, furious, and unsure of what had happened, but knowing their hatred for each other.

Nicci’s implacable glare made Thora hesitate, while the young morazeth held Lani back. With a sneer, Lani turned from Thora and softened in surrender as she recognized the familiar faces of Elsa, Damon, Quentin. “I know you are on my side. Where is the wizard commander?” She looked more intently. “And where’s Renn? Has something happened to my dear Renn?”

“We all have a great many questions,” Nathan said in an erudite voice, “and not enough answers.”

“Not enough time either,” Nicci said. “The petrification spell has dissipated, not just here but also with the hundreds of thousands of warriors outside the wall. The army of General Utros has awakened.”

The words were like a blow to the two women, and they fell awkwardly silent.

Nathan stepped in, looking at Quentin and Damon. “We’ve called the duma so we can decide how best to fight.”

Lani stared daggers at her rival. “I cannot serve on the duma if Thora is also a member. The sovrena has corrupted and destroyed Ildakar.”

Nicci broke in, “Thora is no longer sovrena, nor is she a member of the council. She betrayed Ildakar and will continue to pay the price.”

“Ildakar is my city!” Thora said. “Maxim is the one who destroyed it by inciting rebellion before he fled the city. I wouldn’t be surprised if he unraveled the stone spell himself, just so Ildakar could suffer.” She spun on Nicci. “And you, too—you are to blame for the uprising and all the destruction it caused.”

“Now, the revolt was a long time coming,” Nathan explained. “You planted the seeds, and your oppression nurtured all that violence. Don’t complain about the bitter harvest.”

“Enough about the revolt and the unruly slaves,” said a man with long, grayish-yellow hair braided down the left side of his face. “Our city is under siege. After fifteen centuries, Emperor Kurgan’s army is now pounding at our walls again. If we bicker about petty things, we may as well throw open the gates to the enemy.”

Nicci looked over at the stranger, deciding that she liked the man’s hard-line attitude. Elsa leaned close and whispered to her, “That is Oron, a powerful wizard. He leads the skinners’ guild. He has been suggested as a duma member, but the sovrena never allowed any replacement, fearing that new members might overthrow her.”

Bannon added, “I think Lord Oron is Brock’s father. I saw him once when Amos, Jed, and Brock took me around the city.”

“I hope he’s more worthy than his son,” Nicci muttered. Brock and his two companions had been a bad influence on Bannon, taking advantage of him and setting him up to be captured for the combat pits.

Though she knew that Ildakar was not her responsibility, Nicci stepped to the middle of the blue marble tiles. Someone had to set this meeting on track. “We must convene the duma and get to work.” She gestured for the gifted members, even Lani, to take their places at the curved side tables.

Also in the crowded audience, the military commanders and other high-level spectators found places, along with angry slaves and workers. High Captain Stuart and two city guards took Sovrena Thora into custody and pulled her aside. She remained defiant, though she was still convicted and a prisoner. As the people muttered and listened, Nicci, Nathan, and Elsa told everyone about the movement of the enormous enemy army.

Concerned merchants and gifted nobles argued, expressing their dissatisfaction. They seemed far more concerned about the unrest in the city. “What about the rebels and the damage they caused?” demanded a member of the silk spinners’ guild. “Are we supposed to just forget about that? Some of those unruly bastards have murdered nobles, chopping off their heads!”

Members of the lower classes also spoke up. Rendell, still soot-stained from fighting the fire at the silk warehouse, raised his voice over the chatter. “How can we overlook all the damage the nobles have caused? For generations they’ve harmed us. What about our blood that’s been spilled?”

“D

oes cutting off a few heads make up for all that?” Nathan asked. “I sincerely doubt it.”

“Only fools would keep arguing while an enemy army pounds on their walls,” Nicci said, impatient. “Concentrate on the real problem. Everyone in the city needs to know how to fight General Utros. That is the most important thing.”

Quentin cleared his throat and spoke up. He was a dark-skinned wizard with smoky-gray hair. Deep lines on his face emphasized his habitual frown. “Long ago, Ildakar had more powerful wizards than we do today. Fleshmancer Andre created the three giant Ixax warriors, which were never unleashed. Wizard Commander Maxim developed and cast the stone spell that petrified the entire siege army. It took all of our population, at the cost of a great many lives, to work the blood magic that protected us all behind the shroud of eternity.”

Damon stood beside his friend, adding his voice to Quentin’s. Damon was a thin-faced, olive-skinned man with drooping mustaches that dangled on either side of his mouth. “If we couldn’t defeat General Utros before, what chance do we have now?”

As grumbling ricocheted around the chamber, Nicci raised her voice. “Ildakar’s situation has changed dramatically, but that doesn’t mean the city is weaker.” She swept her intense blue gaze across the audience. “I am here now, as is Nathan Rahl. We bring new ideas, new magic, and new ways of fighting.”

“And I am back, too,” Lani said.

“But the enemy army is different, as well,” Bannon interjected. “Those aren’t normal soldiers. Remember when Ulrich woke up, he was still partly stone and very hard to kill. Now there are many thousands more just like him out beyond the wall.” He held his sword, turning the discolored blade from side to side. “I don’t think our weapons will be enough against them.”

“We’ll fight with our magic, and for that we need to rebuild the duma,” said Oron. “We’ve lost too many of our wizards already.”

“And Thora,” said Elsa in a stern tone. “She’s been banished from the duma and will not be allowed to serve.”

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