Page 52 of The Study of Fire
“A bit. The banners look like they’re secured to the rafters, but they are really hanging from metal rods. We can lower them to clean the banners or swap them with different decorations.”
“Clever.”
“Indeed.” He gestured to the exit. “Now if you would, sir. The afternoon session is closed to the public.”
“Oh, of course.” He glanced around. “Is it starting now?”
“No, sir. Not until after lunch.” The guard smiled. “But I need to clear this room so I can have my lunch, too.”
“Ah, I see. Thank you for your time.” Valek hurried out.
The guard had inadvertently given him a way to climb into the rafters. If they raised and lowered the rods, that meant there were pulleys and ropes that he could climb. Except, he hadn’t seen any. Probably because they were hidden by a magical illusion. Finding them shouldn’t be too difficult, Valek just needed to figure out how to get into the great hall without being seen.
When he left, the guard closed and locked the doors. Another guard moved to stand in front of them. Valek wondered if the door the council used was also protected. He guessed it led to the councilors’ offices, which were also open to visiting clan members. Valek thought back to when he’d visited as Adviser Ilom, and he remembered the small side room they had waited in before being invited into the great hall. Perfect.
Valek found an empty room and changed into a guard’s uniform. Then he strode through the hallways as if on a mission. No one looked at him twice. Most stepped out of his way. Fun.
The waiting room was unguarded. However, it was locked. Removing his lock pick and tension wrench, Valek quickly aligned the pins using his pick and turned the cylinder. He slipped inside. A few narrow windows let in the sunlight. The door to the great hall was on the opposite side. This one was locked as well. Not for long.
When Valek pulled it open, he encountered a sticky wall of magic. It resisted at first, but he pushed forward. It was like walking through a waterfall made of syrup. A syrupfall? That sounded like something Janco would say. Thankfully, it wasn’t thick.
The great hall remained empty. When Valek turned around, the door had disappeared from sight. Ah. It had been concealed by a magical illusion. Probably so no one knew about the side room. Smart. He ran his hands along the walls, seeking magic. Sticky strands met his fingertips on the same side as the hidden door. He’d found the ropes.
Once he grabbed them, he could see them. Double checking that they were securely tied, Valek pulled his body off the floor and wrapped his legs around them. Shimmying up the rope, Valek’s hands and shoulders burned with the effort. But it was far better than trying to find hand and foot holds on slick marble blocks.
A thick layer of dust coated the rafters. Valek stepped onto the wood, trying not to disturb the layer too much. The last thing he needed was for a dust cloud to give him away. Glancing down at the table, he settled into position behind a banner, which hid him from the majority of those seated below. The spot also allowed him to lean against the wall.
Eventually, voices sounded. Valek peeked. The council had returned. They resumed their appointed seats. Except for Councilor Harun Sandseed; his seat was empty. The others didn’t seem to be concerned and the meeting started.
Valek settled back, concentrating on their discussion. Unfortunately, there was no mention of Yelena’s status or of Ferde’s escape. They argued about the strained relationship with the Commander. Some wished to send a gift with a request for another meeting. Perhaps at the border, which was neutral territory. Others countered that the Commander should apologize tothem. After all, he had to have known his assassin was in Sitia.
Roze Featherstone was the most vocal, insisting they do neither. “The Commander is the enemy,” she said. Her words held power but not the magical kind. “He might not attack tomorrow, or next season, or next year, but he will. That is a guarantee. And if we’re not prepared, our clans will be transformed into military districts and assigned numbers. Our customs and our culture will be erased as our citizens are forced to wear uniforms and follow his Code of Behavior. Wemustbe prepared for an attack.”
“I disagree,” Irys said. “He hired Yelena to be a liaison between our countries. Why do that if he planned to attack?”
“So we won’t be prepared,” Roze countered. “So he catches us off guard.”
“Have you forgotten the history of the Ixian takeover?” Bain Bloodgood asked. “He won’t attack us with an army, that’s not his strategy. He’ll send Valek to assassinate all of us. He’ll bribe our soldiers and convince our younger generation that his way of life is better. He’ll promise the beggars and those without homes that they’ll all get jobs with equal wages for equal work.”
True. And the people of Sitia would be better off. Except, the Commander had no interest in taking over Sitia before this mess with Ferde and the Daviians. If the council wasn’t able to stop them from gaining power, the Daviians would become a direct threat to Ixia. The Commander sought to stop that chain of events to protect his people.
“Then we need to be prepared for those tactics as well.” Roze wasn’t backing down. “Our current security is not up to the challenge. Far from it. At least, let us start implementing the measures we need to keep the council safe.”
For once, the council was in total agreement. Valek silently applauded their decision. The extra efforts wouldn’t stop Valek, but they would make it harder for the Daviians to reach them.
The door banged open. Valek peered around a banner. Councilor Harun Sandseed entered. He swayed and pressed a hand against the wall. His dark face had an unhealthy hue. The rest of the council members jumped to their feet.
Irys was next to him in an instant. She cupped his elbow. “Harun, what happened? Are you all right?”
He looked at her with horror-filled eyes. “My clan…” Gulping, he tried again. “My clan was attacked. Killed. Decimated.”
Irys helped him to her chair. He sank down and buried his face into his hands. Sobs sounded as shock zipped through the others. Anger followed. Then the questions started. Who? What? How?
Shaken, Valek’s grip on the rafter tightened. An entire clan gone.
When Harun regained control of his emotions, he said, “Gede, a Story Weaver of my clan, arrived at my office today after our morning session. He said… He said the vermin…the Daviians…attacked our people without warning. They…killed almost everyone. Only about a dozen people survived.”
Valek wondered if the Sandseeds Fisk spotted in the Citadel were those survivors. But why wait two days to inform their councilor of the massacre?
