The Shifter Part 21

Kione folded his arms across his chest. "Just because you work for someone doesn't mean you're loyal to them."

"Everyone knows what he'd do to them if he found out," Danello said. "So why risk lying to him?"

"Who cares? Are we going to go back for Lanelle or not?" Kione whined, his gaze darting to the window, the floor, the door, like he was- "Distracted," I said, shivering at the thought. "It's all a distraction! That's That's why the Luminary caused the riots. Not only does it help support the lie that the Takers are dead, but who'd notice the Luminary and Vinnot escaping in all the chaos?" What heartless rats! Both had proper Baseeri travel seals, but the Takers they planned to kidnap wouldn't. They'd show up on the travel records the Duke received, proof that two men he'd trusted had why the Luminary caused the riots. Not only does it help support the lie that the Takers are dead, but who'd notice the Luminary and Vinnot escaping in all the chaos?" What heartless rats! Both had proper Baseeri travel seals, but the Takers they planned to kidnap wouldn't. They'd show up on the travel records the Duke received, proof that two men he'd trusted had lied lied to him. to him. Stolen Stolen from him. They couldn't afford that. They had to bypa.s.s the checkpoints, distract everyone so they wouldn't see the escape. from him. They couldn't afford that. They had to bypa.s.s the checkpoints, distract everyone so they wouldn't see the escape.

Saints, they were actually planning to betray the Duke! I was all for turning against him, but not at the expense of Geveg.

Tali looked hopeful. "So if everyone hears that the Luminary lied to them and that this isn't the Duke trying to steal our Healers again, they'll stop fighting?"

"It's possible," I said, though it seemed like a lot to hope for. "It might make them angrier, but at least then the Governor-General could arrest him. That would calm folks down. But if the riots don't don't stop..." I didn't want to finish that sentence. The Duke might burn us out like he had Sorille. stop..." I didn't want to finish that sentence. The Duke might burn us out like he had Sorille.

"See?" said Kione. "You do do have to go back to the League." have to go back to the League."

I wanted to, I really did. All those Takers were just as helpless as Tali had been, but they didn't have anyone to come save them. "We'd never get back inside. There has to be another way to prove the Luminary is lying."

"What if you flashed your way in?" Soek said. I winced as all eyes turned to him.

Tali looked at me. "What's he talking about?"

"It's how we escaped. She was incredible," Soek gushed. "She threw pynvium chunks at the guard and flashed flashed them. I've never seen anyone do that before." them. I've never seen anyone do that before."

Tali's eyes got big as oppas. "You flashed? How?"

Soek and his big mouth. At least he hadn't mentioned what I'd done to Lanelle, and for that I was grateful. I pulled one of the chunks out of my pocket. "I don't know. I was angry, and hurt, and it...happened."

Tali got a funny look on her face and reached for the chunk. "Let me see that." She held it in her palms, her odd look shifting to disbelief. "This is empty."

"It can't be empty-we used them all. I know we did."

"You...shifted it out, maybe?" She held the plum-sized chunk between her hands, brows pulled tight together. "I don't know what you did, but this is usable again."

Excited murmurs raced around the room. Soek mumbled something about me being incredible. Even Kione seemed to realize the importance of this and stayed quiet.

"That's not possible," I said. The only way to empty pynvium was to enchant it to flash, and after that, it would never hold pain again. No one had ever found a way to reuse pynvium, and the enchanters had tried for years.

"Possible or not, you did it anyway."

I sat there, staring at the impossible chunk. What if I really could could empty pynvium? Forget testing for Takers; the Duke would send an army to bring me back if he found out. What a resource I would be for him! I shuddered. empty pynvium? Forget testing for Takers; the Duke would send an army to bring me back if he found out. What a resource I would be for him! I shuddered.

"Can I see that?" Soek asked, reaching out his hand. Tali nodded and dropped the chunk into it. His brows furrowed, and he nodded. "It is is empty." A moment later he sighed and handed me the chunk. "Mostly empty now. Good to be rid of those aches." He handed it back to me. "Your turn." empty." A moment later he sighed and handed me the chunk. "Mostly empty now. Good to be rid of those aches." He handed it back to me. "Your turn."

I just stared at it. Danello looked torn, as if he wanted to spare me the embarra.s.sment of explaining but didn't know if I wanted Soek to know I couldn't fill the pynvium chunk. Tali picked up the chunk and enclosed both our hands around it. My fingers tingled as she drew drew my pain away, into the chunk that should have been useless. She cupped the pynvium for a moment, then set it on the small table. Her fingers hovered over it, as if she was reluctant to let it go. my pain away, into the chunk that should have been useless. She cupped the pynvium for a moment, then set it on the small table. Her fingers hovered over it, as if she was reluctant to let it go.

"So what about Lanelle?" Kione insisted again.

Soek shook his head. "After what she did to me? I'm never going back there."

"It wasn't her fault," Kione said.

"She got what she deserved."

Kione swore and stepped toward Soek as if he was going to hit him. Aylin grabbed his arm. "We don't have time for this. This isn't about one person. If the Luminary gets nervous enough, he might really really kill them. We have to expose the Luminary before the Duke sends more soldiers here." kill them. We have to expose the Luminary before the Duke sends more soldiers here."

"And before people start taking their anger out on the Governor-General," I added. Once that happened, the Duke might decide merely occupying Geveg wasn't enough to control us. He might decide to obliterate us-just as he'd done to Sorille. I sighed. "You're right. We have to go back."

Heads nodded all around, except Soek's.

"I can't go back," he pleaded. "I want to help, really I do, but I've escaped both Verlatta's siege and that room, and I don't think I have another escape in me. My luck can't be that good."

No one said anything. Kione looked ready to join him, even though he was the one trying to get us to go.

"I'll stay here and guard Aylin's room," Soek said after the silence became uncomfortable. "I can make sure no one loots it. I know it's not much, but I don't...I just can't go back."

Aylin looked uncertain. "It's a nice gesture, and I don't mean to offend, but I have no idea who you are. I'm not just going to leave you in my room."

Soek didn't seem offended. "I'll stay in the hall then, or on the stairs."

She thought about it a moment, then nodded. "Well, okay, I guess that's good enough."

I stared at them: at Tali, the sister I loved, at Aylin, the friend I loved like a sister, at Danello-who was someone I probably could could love if we survived long enough to spend any real time together and find out. They were all willing to risk their lives to save strangers. Just like Mama, like Papa, in the war. Should we do this? love if we survived long enough to spend any real time together and find out. They were all willing to risk their lives to save strangers. Just like Mama, like Papa, in the war. Should we do this? Could Could we? Grannyma's words nudged me. we? Grannyma's words nudged me. Doing what's right is seldom easy Doing what's right is seldom easy.

"We can't fight our way in. We're not trained soldiers, so even with the flashing it won't work," I said. I looked at the chunks just waiting to be emptied and filled again, and a plan started to form. "We'll have to sneak in, just like I did to get Tali, and then get back out."

Danello frowned and rubbed the back of his neck "How do we sneak out sixty injured apprentices?"

"We don't. We flash and use this pynvium to heal them and all escape together. We'll be able to refill the chunks inside, so we should be able to flash our way out as far as the courtyard. Once we get to League Circle, we can show everyone in Geveg the Luminary is a liar." And save who knew how many lives at the same time.

"Can we hold off the guards that long?" Aylin asked.

Danello shrugged. "Depends on how many the Luminary sends to stop us. But if we can get inside without alerting the guards, we might have a while before anyone checks on the apprentices. With the mob outside, they probably don't have many guards inside."

A big if. "The door to the spire room locks, doesn't it?" I asked.

Tali nodded.

"As you heal the apprentices, we could use their cots to barricade the door," said Danello.

It wasn't a great plan, but it was our only hope. I pulled out a handful of pynvium. "All we need to know now is if I can flash these things on purpose." If not, our rescue plan didn't stand a chance. I turned to Tali, staring at me with fear and excitement in her eyes. "Do you still have the chunks I gave you for Danello's pain?"

"Yes. I didn't know what else to do with them." She dug into her pockets and handed them to me.

"Everyone move back. I don't know how large the flash will be."

"I'll be in the hall," Kione muttered. Soek and Aylin nodded and followed him outside.

"I'm staying," Tali said.

"Me too." Danello leaned back against the wall and smiled.

I took a deep breath and tried to clean my churning mind. The pynvium felt cool and rough. How had I I felt before? Hot and angry? I reached for that anger and threw. felt before? Hot and angry? I reached for that anger and threw.

Thud.

The pynvium bounced off the wall and rolled under the bed.

"It didn't work, right?" asked Tali.

"No. Trust me, you'll know it when it happens."

Anger wasn't right. I had been angry, but I'd been more scared of getting caught when it flashed. I took a deep breath and tried again.

Thud.

"Maybe if you-"

"Tali, I'm working on it."

"I'm just trying to help."

"Maybe you should wait outside."

"What if you-"

"Tali, will you just go..." away away. I stared at the pynvium chunks in my hands while Papa's words whispered in my ears. Enchanting a trigger feels like blowing dandelions in the wind Enchanting a trigger feels like blowing dandelions in the wind. I'd been six, maybe seven, sitting by the forge as Papa shaped and enchanted the pynvium bricks. It's easy to set them, Nya-pie It's easy to set them, Nya-pie, he'd said, cooling the brick in the water bucket at his feet. You'll feel the pain gather in the metal, tickling under your fingers. Next, you think about what it needs to do, and you give it an order. Then you let it go. Just picture it drifting away like dandelions blowing in the wind You'll feel the pain gather in the metal, tickling under your fingers. Next, you think about what it needs to do, and you give it an order. Then you let it go. Just picture it drifting away like dandelions blowing in the wind.

Dandelions.

"I have it. Stay back."

I took another breath and threw, picturing light and fluffy seeds bursting apart, flying away on a wind I couldn't see.

Whoomp!

The fine-sand tingle washed over me, same as it had when I'd flashed the guard. Tali and Danello yelped behind me.

"We're okay," Tali said as I spun around. "Just a sting." She picked up the flashed chunk and held it, her eyes closed. Then she looked at me with wonder and a little bit of pride. "You really can can do it. And you thought you were useless." do it. And you thought you were useless."

My eyes watered, but she ran outside before I could figure out how to answer that that. Maybe not useless, but was this how I wanted to be useful? I heard their excited voices in the hall. For good or bad, I could could do this. There'd be no excuses to stay now. do this. There'd be no excuses to stay now.

Saints save us, we were going back to the League.

EIGHTEEN.

Moving with the mob was a lot easier than fighting against it, and we made it to the League with less fuss than we'd left it. Most people were cramming themselves into the front courtyard and the main doors, so the side path around to the rear gardens was clear. We sank down behind the all-too-familiar hibiscus bushes by the side gate seldom used by anyone but apprentices and League staff. If I was going to keep this up, I might as well set up a cot here and move in. Guards patrolled the outer courtyard and stood by all the entrances, while the Governor-General's soldiers shoved angry people around League Circle. More than a few shoved back.

"So how do we get in?" Danello whispered into my ear.

Shiverflesh pimpled my arms. "We sneak."

"Is there a back way in?" Aylin asked, poking her head over his shoulder.

"Several, but all the public entrances so far have looked well guarded. Kione, think you can get us past one of them? Any friends working?"

"I know a few guys who work the south gate."

That gate opened onto the rear docks along the lakeside of the grounds. It probably wouldn't have crowds trying to shove their way in-not unless they came by pole boat. "Okay, so we pretend to be apprentices and Kione and Danello can pretend to be protecting us. They can say we were out on heal calls or something. We get inside, then make our way to the spire room."

"But we're not wearing uniforms," Tali pointed out. Those were too torn and stained to be of any use even if we had been wearing them.

"Kione is. Maybe he'll give us enough credibility. We both still have braids."

Her expression said she didn't believe that, but we didn't have much choice. If they didn't fall for it, we wouldn't get inside. Any fighting would draw not only more guards, but the Governor-General's soldiers as well.

We crept through the gardens toward the south side. Two guards stood by the gate, neither of whom I recognized. But I did recognize the man next to them. Jeatar! What was he doing here? He was speaking to the guards, gesturing instructions I could guess by now. Keep an eye out, watch these areas.

Kione's colorful swear was exactly what my dry throat wouldn't let out. "Those aren't my friends," he whispered.

Nor mine, though who Jeatar really was I wasn't sure.

"Should we attack?" Danello edged closer. I put a hand on his arm and stopped him.

"I don't want to hurt them," Tali said. "The short one tells me a joke every time I see him."

Aylin waved a hand at me. "Nya, what if we go in the same way you got out?"

We all looked up.

"The roof?"

Kione shook his head. "You're as crazy as she is."

"What's wrong?" Tali actually smiled at him. "Lanelle not worth it?"

I never wanted to hug her more in my life.

"She is," he grumbled.

"Okay, new plan," I said. "We go around the garden wall and up on the roof. Hopefully, there won't be any guards there." And hopefully Jeatar wouldn't see us.

"And if there are?"

Had Mama and Papa been this scared the first time they faced the Duke's soldiers? "Then we fight them. Quietly." we fight them. Quietly."

We slipped away from the hedge's protection and crept around the vine-draped wall, staying in the trees and bushes as much as possible. For the first time, I was thankful the League charged so much for heals; otherwise, they'd never have had enough money to waste on so many gardens.

The area where Soek and I had tackled the guards was clear, but there was at least one patrol circling the grounds. Probably more by now, with the riots and the mob out front.