Chapter XIII

  “The Teritus?” Ryokumo breathed, his tone trembling with a mixture of fear and disbelief. “You mean, the Kosah-Rei’s combustion ring? But that’s… How did you…? Liri, we never recovered them, I thought, so…?”

  Maybe it was foolish to reveal this to her old friend while he was as vulnerable as he currently was. Perhaps, by informing him she had been hiding this hated weapon of mass destruction, one that had caused Ryokumo and so many others terrible pain, she would lose his trust, too. She feared he would turn his back on her, abandon her to face the coming hours alone and unsupported. But the simple fact of the matter was that Ilirianna was desperate to protect Abi. She could feel her mind growing foggy, her logic abandoning her in place of emotion. There was a way she could turn this around—a means of saving Abi and putting a stop to her potential execution. In the process, she could halt any chance of Album erasing Scott and Eric. One single action—one vile decision to become a monster—was all it would take to salvage everything.

  But am I really willing to throw aside my honor, my pride, and my morality? Am I okay with stooping down to the level of the Kosah-Rei if it means protecting Abi and her family? If I did this, I would be playing right into Firrik’s hands. I would be no different from Rotana Vesh. I always told them the ends didn’t justify the means, so how could I live with myself if I did what I’m suddenly thinking about doing?

  The lift had rolled to a stop between levels, giving them privacy as Ryokumo slowly stepped back before moving around to stand in front of her. The Princess’s eyes remained locked onto the ring because she was scared of seeing the expression on her friend’s face—the potential judgment, disappointment, and disgust. Yet, when his fingers gently brushed her chin and raised her head, she found only concern in his eyes as he awaited her explanation.

  “Liri?” he pressed. “Where did you get that? Markreas said that the few cultists they interrogated reported the Tertiuses as having been destroyed by Firrik’s orders. None of them should remain, and while I never bought that as the truth, how do you have one? And for that matter, why have you not turned it over to the King?”

  Ilirianna laughed bitterly. “After what he did in Ildara, would you have given him this weapon?”

  “Fair point,” her friend conceded. “But then, why not destroy it? Why risk it falling into the wrong hands again?”

  “Kumo… Please don’t hate me.”

  His eyebrows shot up with alarm before he gently placed his hands upon her shoulders and insisted, “I could never. I love you, Ilirianna, and you know that. I would walk into hell if you asked me, too…so…” He paused, his features growing stern as he added, “Are you asking me to?”

  She had a feeling he already knew where her thoughts were headed, though she wasn’t certain whether he was preparing to talk her out of it, or if he literally meant he would go to hell at her side. Hell was certainly what waited beyond should she give in to her impulses, for the sins she would commit may become too great to wash away. What she did to Eganno Cartigan could maybe be justified as an act borne of one of the most stressful and horrifying events in her life, but this would be premeditated.

  This would be even more inexcusable.

  “After we parted ways in Ankalla, when I followed Sartella up into the fortress while you and Album confronted Vesh, I met with Tali Firrik, as you know.” Ilirianna found herself talking on autopilot, deciding that no matter what she decided to do, Ryokumo needed to know the entire truth. “Much of what she said was the same as in Stellareid. She told me we were destined to be allies, she confessed to being the Whistleblower who leaked Ankalla’s location to us, and she told me she foresaw the deaths of Barron and Quill. Everything that happened that day was by her design.”

  “You’re…kidding,” he uttered. “Then Firrik won? She wanted that?”

  Ilirianna shook her head. “I don’t think she necessarily wanted it, but she was prepared for it. She clearly believed that from the ashes of the Kosah-Rei, a new movement would be born with her and I at its helm. She said it didn’t have to be a bloody battle, then handed me this ring and told me to take the throne for myself—to eliminate Markreas and Toranei so I could rise to power and begin the process of healing this country. She even suggested I take out Koroha and appoint you Master of Wind.”

  “And…?” he began hesitantly, clearly uncertain of how to respond. “You weren’t considering it, were you? I mean, if you did that…?”

  “Then what makes me different from them?” she finished. “Exactly. And yet, I still have this ring. I couldn't bring myself to destroy it, to toss out the opportunities it may provide. King Markreas’s death march home left even more scars in my heart. It once again made me question if I was on the right side of history, or if I had simply helped destroy one demon for the sake of another. How is what Vesh did in Hiriech different from what Markreas did in Ildara? One was King and the other wasn’t? It was murder either way…”

  Ryokumo’s grip tightened on her shoulders, his mouth opening to say something, though because the words didn’t come, she had no idea what was on his mind. When she realized he had no response, Ilirianna went on.

  “To be honest, I like to think I wasn’t going to do it, but there’s already blood on my hands. I’m…” She could feel her tears welling up, causing her voice to choke up as she again found herself fearing that Ryokumo may abandon her if she said what she was about to say. “I’m the one who killed Lord Cartigan in his office. He threatened to tell Markreas about our trip to the Jester’s Nirvana, and he told me he would do everything in his power to keep me from the throne. He was so pompous, so unapologetic about what happened, so I just acted. I opened his throat…and I enjoyed it.”

  Finally, he released his grip as he took a few steps back. She knew that must be it, that her murder of Cartigan would push Ryokumo away from her. He hated Vesh, and she was suddenly justifying some of what that man did, so it should not be surprising that Ryokumo Caeli would be appalled. Moments ago, he told her that he loved her, but would that love survive such a confession?

  “You really are considering it, aren’t you?” Ryokumo inquired softly. “You’re going to kill King Markreas to save Abi.”

  The Teritus glittered in her palm, the ruby red an almost hypnotizing color. “How could I not consider it? But, right now, Toranei would step in until everything could be arranged for my coronation. No, Kumo, to save Abi, I would need to kill her, too. I would have to eliminate the King and Queen in one single strike. So I would ask you again, Ryokumo Caeli… Please don’t hate me…”

  Perhaps even she hadn’t realized she was already planning to do as Tali wished, but as she answered Ryokumo’s question, she understood it was the only option she could take. Because of her lust for power and her desperation to take hold of the Masters, she exposed Abi and put her entire peaceful life in danger. Abi might be executed, Scott and Eric might be erased, and Ilirianna would be the sole person to blame.

  Abigail Reiner was an innocent, amazing person who only deserved the best in life. Before arriving in Erika, she spent all of her time and money caring for the forgotten people of the north. She helped cure a disease the Citadel did not care to combat, and when she came to the capital, she wished for nothing more than to become somebody who could make the world a better place. But the conflict with the Kosah-Rei forced her to become an enemy of the people she wished to protect, and the operation in Piriit was the final straw for her. She ran for her own mental health, for the sake of a family she loved dearly, and in all the time she’d hidden in Omaruo, she had just lived her life.

  Markreas and Toranei, on the other hand, were selfish, evil individuals. The King took pride in the butchering of his people. He was wild with glee as he cut down that pastor, as well as when he executed the townsman who stood up in support of his beloved saviors. Toranei was a hypocrite always toting about honor and trust, and who was fucking another man behind the back of her husband all for the sake of being Queen. They constantly put down the people, gloated about how they were lesser beings who deserved to stay in the dirt, and pretended to be the greatest ones who ever graced the earth.

  So, if I have to condemn one to death, would it not be more immoral to let Abigail be executed? In what world is choosing Markreas and Toranei over Abi a more honorable choice? Is it because they’re the King and Queen? Markreas was born into the position! His bloodline is what allows him to be where he is! His personality is rotten! He’s never earned anything, and he’s followed because nobody has a choice in the matter! Toranei is a poser, pretending to be honorable while just doing whatever she wants! But Abi’s a pure, wonderful person! She just wants to live her life in peace, and now she’s going to be killed because of some archaic law from centuries ago?! It’s not fair! Abi shouldn’t have to die while Markreas and Toranei get to live!

  “I…” Ilirianna breathed, her voice shaking with a growing anger as she closed her fingers around the Teritus. “I cannot let Abi die. I will not let Abi die. If I have to become a monster, if I have to become comparable to Rotana Vesh, I would do it for Abigail Reiner.”

  All that time, Ryokumo remained silent, leaving her still guessing as to what he might say and do. She wished she could hear his thoughts, to know what was running through his brain as he listened to someone he loved spewing rhetoric that resembled someone he loathed. She wasn’t sure what she would do if Ryokumo turned on her, if he decided to tell Markreas what she was plotting, because unlike with Nigreos, Ilirianna could never lay a finger on him. She would allow Ryokumo to get in the way, but she prayed it wouldn’t come to that.

  “I wish I could be angry, Liri,” he suddenly said. “I wish I could urge you to reconsider. That ring has resulted in so many tragedies. It killed Aeyir, Master Acostav, Faye, and so many other people… The entire Fifth Ring of Stellareid was burnt to the ground because of it. The thought of activating it for my own gain makes me sick to my stomach, but you know what? You’re not wrong.”

  Hearing the conviction in his voice, Ilirianna raised her head and found his features firm with determination, his brow drawn tight and his eyes dark with anger, though an anger directed at the world as opposed to her.

  “Vesh will probably stare up at me from hell and laugh,” Ryokumo growled. “But if I had to choose between Abi and Markreas, I’d sacrifice that son of a bitch any day. You already tried to convince him to spare Abi. You’ve attempted diplomacy and it failed, so…” He laughed mirthlessly. “Perhaps Keskivaara had a fucking point.” Then, without warning, Ryokumo dropped to a knee and bowed his head before her. “My Queen, tell me what you would have me do. If it means saving Abi, I’ll do it, so, what’s the plan?”

  Relief flooded her body, and it was so intense she felt on top of the world in a twisted sort of way. Despite her fears, she would not stand alone.

  “Rise, Ryokumo,” she responded, watching as he did as requested before standing at his full height. “During his battle with the King, Keskivaara succeeded at cursing Markreas, but probably because of the surprise the lightning magic caused, he didn’t realize. That means cursing Toranei is the only other step in preparing the Teritus.”

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  The wind mage frowned with confusion. “How do you know that?”

  “Our dear People’s Mind told me,” she clarified. “I guess that’s something else I’ve kept to myself. Nigreos should be leaving for Omaruo as we speak, which means that if we’re going to do this, we have to do it now. I’ll head back to the royal levels, find my mother, and handle things there. If Markreas and Toranei are dead before Nigreos returns, I’ll have the authority to spare Abi.”

  Ryokumo nodded. “Perfect. And me? I obviously can’t go with you, so what do you require of me?”

  “What do I require of you?” Ilirianna parroted with a grim smile. “Well, obviously somebody needs to take the blame for their deaths. If anybody realizes you and I were the ones who did this, it’s all for nothing, so what I need you to do is…

  “Go release our scapegoat.”

  ***

  Once upon a time, Album Luz would have gazed with awe at the blueish-green blade being presented before her. When she first saw it not long after the rest of the royal team returned from Omaruo, she had been honored to be among a select few who would ever witness one with their own eyes. Only three existed in Ijiria, but a fourth was brought to their realm by Uma Miyon, only to vanish a few years after it was recovered. Except, the reason for its disappearance was not the one Album always believed. Abi stole it and ran away from her responsibilities—to have a family she did not trust Album to know about. Now, as she and Nigreos stood in Markreas’s office and took in the sight of a realm dagger, all it represented to the Master of Light was loss and deceit. Abi, Ryokumo, and Ilirianna had \been lying to her face, and now she was left looking like a fool.

  “Be quick about it,” Markreas told them as he passed the dagger to Nigreos. “Who knows what’ll happen when Kloras finally hears about what took place in his absence. Go to Omaruo, collect Abi as discreetly as possible, and return. With luck, she’ll still be in the town near the entry point, so it shouldn't take long. Best of luck to you both.”

  Since the King still needed to speak with Grunly, Nigreos and Album were swiftly sent on their way as they departed the office with the dagger. They intended to make for the Ijirian entry point on the bottom level of the Citadel. There was no particular reason to do it there since Album would be remaining behind to let Nigreos back into their realm at a designated time, but traditionally, usage of these daggers was reserved for that room, so that was where they would conduct this operation.

  Walking beside the Master of Darkness, Album had no idea what to think or feel anymore. The betrayal she felt was digging so deep into her body that she was surprised she didn’t give in to the call of death the night before. Having passed out on top of that roof, alone and in the rain, Album was seconds away from placing her hand to her throat and vaporizing it. What reason did she have left to live? After Nigreos helped slaughter her family beside Lunara, Album found herself only able to trust Ryokumo and Ilirianna. She believed Abi was dead, so the two of them were all she had left. She latched onto them, relied on them for rare moments of happiness and comfort. They were a reprieve from the trauma of Stellareid.

  “You speak like we’re parting ways for good. You’re more than welcome to stop by and visit Glaus and I whenever you’d like. Liri drops in without announcement all the damn time, so by all means… Come for dinner sometime.”

  That was one of the last things Ryokumo said to her before she found out about his lies, and those words made her happier than she could articulate. She would have loved to stop by his house more often. She would have been so excited to go have dinner with him, even if it was just platonic.

  She truly had loved him in a way she didn't love anybody else.

  Some of the happiest moments of her life included him. She remembered how encouraging he was after her abysmal performance at their Academy orientation. She recalled the many hours spent training together as Ryokumo helped her refine her newfound magic after The Angel healed her. Their battle against Vesh in the corridors of Ankalla showed just how in tune they were, how strong of a team they could be.

  She knew he didn’t like her as much as she liked him, but she never realized how true that was.

  Am I not good enough? she had asked herself the previous night while sobbing. Why does this keep happening to me? I loved Nigreos like a brother, but he couldn’t feel that way about me. I trusted Ryokumo more than anybody, but he couldn’t trust me. What did I do wrong? How could I have been better? Am I the problem? Am I doing something to push everybody away from me? I feel like I’m a good person—a good friend, yet nobody seems to feel for me what I feel for them. Even Liri and Abi left me in the dark. Nobody cared for me…

  Even now, Album wasn’t sure what prevented her from committing suicide. She had nothing left to live for, but she was living anyway. Was she just scared of death? Or was there still a little piece of hope in her heart that she could recover things? Maybe seeing Abi would help? Or maybe she could find something else to latch onto?

  It’s all hopeless though, isn’t it? Father, Mother, and Eko are all dead. Luna and Neah were shipped into the erased realm. Nigreos, Ryokumo, Abi, and Ilirianna all betrayed me. I have no friends. I have no family. I’m alone… And I don’t understand why…

  “Album, why did you vote in favor of locking Ryokumo away?” Nigreos asked when they were walking to Markreas’s office. “I understand he betrayed us, but incarceration is a little intense after all the good he’s done otherwise. Why wouldn’t you vote to save him?”

  Naturally, she’d told Nigreos to shut up and hadn’t confessed her reasons, but when Markreas ordered them to put Ryokumo’s fate to a vote, she recalled something he shouted at her the night before.

  “If you tell the Masters about Abi, I’ll reveal what you did to Lunara!”

  Of anything, that was what hurt the most. When put on the spot, Ryokumo decided to use her greatest secret as a weapon against her, even though it was him who convinced her to do it. Taking his memories of Luna had been impulsive, but it meant she was safe from retaliation.

  It also meant it was now her burden to bear alone.

  She could feel her heart growing cold as she tried to lock her emotions away, because if she didn’t, they would overwhelm her again. She and Nigreos were going to recover Abi, but until they spoke with her, they were going to spare her family. Would it stay that way, she wasn’t sure. But at this point, Album Luz could only rely on her logic. Being emotional had gotten her nothing but betrayal, so she supposed there was no longer a reason to be anything but frozen inside.

  After a long and silent walk to the first floor of the Citadel, Nigreos pushed open the door into the Portal Room—a place that was constructed of obsidian, with purplish-black walls and no furniture to be found. It was designed that way for the very low chance of a foreigner entering the realm through this particular point. It was next to impossible to break out through force, so if they ever sensed the opening of this portal, they could take precautions before the visitor could do anything to them.

  Closing the door behind them, the Master of Darkness took a long breath as he lowered his gaze to the realm dagger still clutched in his hand. “In some ways, I wish things would move a little slower,” he muttered. “In others, I think I’m only keeping my cool because I’m not being given the chance to think. Within the hour, I may very well see Abi again…after years of believing her dead.”

  Album snorted with annoyance. “You say that like it’s going to be a joyful reunion. She’s going to hate you, you know? When she lays eyes on you and realizes you’re there to steal her away from her son and husband, she’ll wish nothing but misfortune upon you.”

  “No, I like to think she’ll understand,” he asserted. “The law is the law, and I’m merely following it. But for her sake, I have no intention of telling Markreas or anybody else about her family. She will return, but she can live in peace knowing that they’re safe and sound.”

  Sure, without their mother and wife, Album added internally. You’re not thinking logically, Nigreos. You just want the woman you loved back in your life, but you’re not going to be welcomed with open arms. The second you step foot in that realm, you will become Abigail Reiner’s enemy. I’m mentally prepared for that, but I know as a fact you aren’t.

  “One hour there is a half hour here,” Nigreos went on. “That’s the timeline we’ll use. Does that sound good?”

  She shrugged. “I’ll open it whenever. Just get the job done.”

  “S-sure…” Nigreos shook his head with his own irritation. “You know, Album, you could stand to be a little nicer to me. After all these years of treating me like shit, don’t ever forget that I wasn’t the one who betrayed you.”

  Maybe not you… But you wear the face of the man who did, and that’s something I’ll never forget, Nigreos Noctis.

  When Album didn’t answer, the Master of Darkness sighed, then placed his finger on dagger’s ruby button to ignite the yellow mana within. It surged up the length of the blade, and following the directions Markreas gave him on how to use it, Nigreos sliced downwards across the air in front of him, cleaving apart reality itself. A cut appeared, one that rapidly expanded into a swirling oval of yellow. Like the dagger, perhaps there was a time when witnessing the opening of a realm would have been surreal and amazing, but as Album gazed at that portal, she felt nothing but rage.

  Nigreos nodded to himself, then spared one last glance back at her as he passed the blade over. “See you soon.”

  “Good luck,” she said curtly.

  With that, the Master of Darkness faced forward and stalked through the portal, disappearing into the mass of mana. Seconds later, that portal closed in on itself, sealing Omaruo off and leaving Album standing in that room alone, just as she preferred.

  ***

  How many days has it been? I don’t think it’s been longer than a week, but I’ve already lost count. Has Taurus visited five times? Six? Eight? Ten? I don’t have a damn clue, but all I know is that to keep my secret, I’ve still got plenty of time left in me.

  Rickori Keskivaara was slumped over, his head hanging low and his one remaining arm, as well as his legs, still cuffed to the dungeon wall behind him. The cell was bathed in pitch blackness, a sensation that was both comforting and claustrophobic. Nakoma’s torture was doing a number on his mental state, but because the Master of Fire kept healing his wounds, his body wouldn’t die. The People’s Mind knew that Markreas would get impatient eventually, but he wasn’t sure how long that would take. The King desperately wanted to understand Keskivaara’s secret, just as Keskivaara desperately wanted to keep it.

  And I’m not going to be the one who will break first…

  In addition, he was still latching onto the one flicker of hope he’d been given during his time in the dungeons. Three or four days ago, he heard a voice in his mind that said,

  “Keep fighting, dear Keskivaara. Help will be here shortly.”

  Even now, he thought it was a hallucination, but the vain belief that somebody may be coming to save him enabled Keskivaara to power through more days of pain and agony. Was it possible somebody in the Citadel would go rogue and free him from this hell? Or was Tali Firrik actually going to find a way to break him out? Maybe it was possible he’d see Velanor again, so he continued doing as he had been. He filled his thoughts with those he loved and respected, hoping and hoping that the time would come where he could live again.

  And then, at an hour he didn’t know, the cell door was shoved open, allowing torchlight from the outer corridor to flood inside and cause him to squint with pain. He was a bit confused since Nakoma had only left a few hours prior, but he supposed that the Master of Fire had merely decided to take a break and continue their interrogations quicker than usual. He couldn’t make out the identity of the silhouette looming in the doorway, but eventually, the door was shut once again, returning them to darkness.

  “Igo,” chanted the newcomer, tiny balls of fire appearing in his hands that flew towards the cell’s firelamps and ignited them. “Well, well, well, Keskivaara. You look like shit.”

  Huh? That voice? The People’s Mind frowned with utter confusion. That’s not Taurus’s… That’s… But how could he…?

  “Caeli?” Keskivaara rasped. “What are you…doing here?”

  Ryokumo Caeli snorted, and when he answered the question, his words were utterly ridiculous and spoken in a tone that betrayed his disgust.

  “That’s a good damn question, my friend. But circumstances have changed, and as such, I’m breaking your sorry ass out of here.”