The Midnight Sea (The Fourth Element #1) (19 page)

I didn’t know what to say. If Victor was telling the truth—and I saw no reason he would lie—a staggering evil had been done. I’d always thought Xeros the Great was our savior, the greatest general ever born, and perhaps he was, but at a terrible price.

“A few managed to flee, but not many. Xeros bonded us to his army. Thus began the Immortals.”

“I didn’t know…not any of it. Nor does Darius. The magi say you fought with the Druj. That you
are
Druj.” I paused. “Is Neblis truly a daēva?”

“She was. What she is now…I’m not sure.”

“What do you mean?”

He sighed. “I can’t say where the Druj come from, but she’s the one who made them. She dabbles in powers beyond my understanding.”

“But where do the daēvas come from originally? How old
are
you?”

Victor stared at me for a long moment. “I don’t know, and that is the truth, Water Dog. I remember nothing beyond a decade or so before they cuffed me. It is the same for all of us.” Wood cracked as he gripped the armrest. “Xeros could have freed us after we won his war, but he was afraid, and rightfully so. I’ve waited two hundred years for my revenge. I’m only sorry Xeros is no longer alive to see his works turned to dust and ashes!”

“Yes,” I said uneasily. “I can’t really blame you.”

Victor looked down and blinked at the chunk of carved cedar in his hand. He carefully placed it on the floor. “I’ve noticed how the boy looks at you.” He’d never used Darius’s name in my presence, not once. “Tell me, why did you join the Water Dogs?”

His tone bore no malice, but still I felt ashamed. “To kill Druj,” I said. “That’s all.”

“You hate them. I see it in your eyes. That’s good. Hatred will keep you going when you have nothing else.”

“What about love?” I said softly.

His black eyes flickered. “That too.” Then he abruptly stood and walked to the door.

“Victor!”

He turned back.

“What is the nexus?”

He seemed surprised by the question. Then he laughed in amusement. “What do
you
think it is?”

“I have no idea.”

“Nor do I. And maybe that’s the point.”

I lay there for a long time after he left, thinking on all Victor had said. Some of it I had started to suspect. Other parts, like the Prophet’s refusal to sanction his creation, came as a shock. He had been a friend to the daēvas. The Way of the Flame…was that just propaganda to make us believe they were devils because they couldn’t tolerate fire?

There was nothing inherently wrong in most of the teachings, I decided.
Good thoughts, good words, good deeds
. I still believed that part. It was the way the King and the magi practiced them here on earth I objected to.

Darius needed to know. Even if he never accepted Victor, he needed to understand his true nature. For the magi had twisted him. Just as Ilyas was twisted, by his birth, his pride, and finally, his inability to accept the truth. In the end, it had taken his sanity. I prayed Darius was stronger than that. I also knew the simmering tension between them would come to a boil eventually.

And we needed to be well away from this place before it did.

Chapter Twenty-Four

B
y the fourth day, I started to feel restless. I dressed and sat at the window, watching for the sails of the
Amestris
. Karon Komai was built into the rugged cliffs above the sea. Its conical houses were made of mudbrick, and each had a walled garden with orange and pomegranate trees. A young boy drove a herd of goats down the winding road to the harbor. I stared out at the cobalt water. It was flat as a pond today. Small fishing boats plied the waters near to shore, but the horizon stayed empty.

I longed to wander into the town, to get some exercise and breathe the fresh sea air. To get out of this manor house. It was starting to feel like a gilded cage.

I idly flipped through the stack of books Darius had found. Their scribbles made my eyes swim. Finally, I decided to go see if any word had come about our ship. I was just approaching the door when Darius gave a tentative knock.

“It’s open,” I said.

He wore a belted white tunic identical to Victor’s, with pants and short boots. His walls were up, but I could read him nonetheless. He thought I was angry at him.

“I’m sorry to disturb you,” he said.

“You’re not. I was just coming down.”

“I have something for you.” Darius held out his hand. Nestled in his palm was a gold pin with a tiny bird on the end. “Give me your sleeve.”

I held my right arm out. He tucked my hem under the stump and pinned it in place.

“Thank you.” I frowned, and he looked at me anxiously. “I was using it to wipe my nose, but…”

“Savage nomad.” Darius grinned. It was so good to see him smile.

I examined the pin. “It’s pretty. Where did it come from?”

“Our host. He should be returning any moment. Come, let’s wait for him.”

Darius led me downstairs to an airy room furnished with more of the beautiful, ornately carved pieces I’d seen throughout the upper floor of the manor. I took an orange from a bowl and peeled it with my teeth. Now that I was no longer ill, my appetite seemed bottomless.

“Who is he?” I asked, offering Darius a sticky wedge. The fruit smelled heavenly.

“His name is Kayan Zaaykar. He’s a Follower of the Prophet.”

“What does that mean?”

“A splinter sect, apparently.” Darius seemed uneasy. “They claim the Prophet opposes the bonding of daēvas. That it’s a mortal sin.”

“Victor told me the same thing last night. He came to my room.”

Darius’s eyes fixed on me. “Why?” he asked in a neutral tone.

“Only to ask about your…Delilah.” I paused. “Has he spoken of her?”

“We’ve hardly exchanged two words. I am a
Water
Dog
.”

“Was.”

“It makes no difference to him.”

I sensed thin ice and started paddling for shore. “What else do you know about the…Followers of the Prophet? How many are there?”

“I’m not sure. They’ve existed in secret since the war. They claim to have infiltrated every corner of the empire, except for the Numerators.”

“The guards from the Barbican. And the Purified…I suppose they were part of this sect?” I grabbed another orange. “The one they murdered in his cell told me he was loyal to the Prophet. That by stealing the fire and giving it to Victor, he was carrying out the will of the Holy Father. I thought he was mad.”

“Whether they’re mad or not, they see Eskander as their chance to strike,” Darius said. “Do you remember the men we tracked in Tel Khalujah?”

I remembered. It seemed a hundred years ago.

“They were part of it,” Darius said.

“Well, now I feel bad.”

“Me too.”

Voices in the courtyard made us turn. A moment later, Victor entered with a stocky, red-faced man of middle years. They were deep in conversation.

I jumped to my feet, surreptitiously wiping juice from my lips. When he saw me, Kayan Zaaykar gave a formal bow.

“Welcome,” he said. “My heart is glad to see you recovered from the grievous injury you suffered in the King’s dungeons, may the Holy Father curse him and his offspring for ten generations.” He pressed a hand to his substantial belly. “My home is but a poor hovel, but I hope you have wanted for nothing.”

“Thank you, Kayan Zaaykar,” I said, returning the bow. “I could not have wished for a more gracious host. I hope I can repay your hospitality someday.”

He brushed the notion aside with a wave of his pudgy hand. “I have good news. Let us eat together and I will share it.”

The servants brought out platters of lamb with honeyed yoghurt, artichokes stuffed with fruit and nuts, and a host of other rich foods. It was my first time eating anything besides soup and I struggled to cut my meat until Kayan Zaaykar quietly did it for me.

“The
Amestris
is due to arrive tomorrow,” he said. “The journey to the Hellespont normally takes five or six days, but I’ve no doubt you can make her fly more swiftly.” This last was directed at Victor and Darius. “You will need to avoid the King’s fleet, but my captain has experience in these matters.”

So he’s a smuggler, I thought. And a good one, if it bought him this house.

Kayan Zaaykar took a delicate sip of wine. “I have also received word that the King is sending a force to Bactria to take back the holy urn. I think he is far more worried about Neblis than about you three.”

“Has the
Amestris
made the run before?” I asked.

“I have had the privilege of helping daēvas and their bonded reach freedom several times,” Kayan Zaaykar said.

“And Eskander truly welcomes them?” Darius asked.

“With open arms.”

“What else do you know of him?” I asked. “What’s he like as a man?”

Kayan Zaaykar thought on this for a moment. “He is only twenty-two, but already myth and legend swirl around him. He claims to be descended from gods—barbarian gods, of course—and the Greek hero Achilles.”

I shrugged. The name meant nothing to me. But Xeros’s line also claimed divine authority. I supposed they all did. And who could prove differently?

“His father was murdered by the captain of his own bodyguard, and Eskander now wears the crown of Macydon. He immediately put down several rebellions. When Thebes persisted, he razed it to the ground.”

“Sounds ruthless,” Darius said.

“Yes, and no. He has a passion for glory, that is certain, and prefers warfare to diplomacy. But he usually treats those he conquers with respect. It is said he will not tolerate the rape or abuse of women. And he always leads his troops from the front.”

“He doesn’t force the daēvas to fight for him?”

“He forces no one to fight for him. By all accounts, his men adore him. But he does have a small unit of daēvas, including some who fled the empire during the war.”

Victor looked away, uncomfortable, and I remembered that he had been made to hunt down and leash his own kind. Those who got away would have little love for Victor.

“I too was leery of Eskander at first,” Kayan Zaaykar said. “When he reached the Hellespont, he drove a spear into the soil and declared that he accepted the empire as a gift from his barbarian gods. But he has vowed to free the daēvas, and the Prophet as well. That is the greatest wish of the Followers.”

“Free the Prophet?” I said. “I don’t understand.”

“We believe he’s been imprisoned in Karnopolis since the war,” Victor said. “Held by the magi.”

“How could he still be alive after all this time?” I asked.

Victor raised an eyebrow. There was only one possibility.

“You think they bonded him?”

“Why not?” Victor said. “No one else understands all the secrets of the cuffs. He’s of more use alive than dead.”

“I was raised in Karnopolis and I never heard a whisper of this,” Darius said.

“Yes, you’re every inch one of theirs,” Victor muttered.

Darius turned icy blue eyes on his father. “What did you say?”

“You still wear their symbol.” Victor nodded at the faravahar around Darius’s neck.

“I follow the way of the flame. The righteous path.”

Victor barked out a laugh. “Indeed. You pretend to be human, boy, but you’re not. What you think is daēva is a pale imitation. A shadow on the wall.”

“You tried to kill us,” Darius spat. “In the mountains. So spare me your lectures.”

Victor scowled. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“You brought an avalanche down on our heads! Nazafareen almost died!”

“That wasn’t me,” Victor snapped.

Kayan Zaaykar fluttered his hands anxiously. “Perhaps we should call for dessert?”

“Then who was it?” Darius demanded, gripping the edge of the table.

“The Antimagi, perhaps.”

“And the slaughter at Gorgon-e Gaz? I suppose that wasn’t you either.”

“It was unavoidable,” Victor said through clenched teeth.

“You may have healed her, but she wouldn’t have lost her hand in the first place if it weren’t for you,” Darius shouted. “All of this is your fault!”

Victor stared at him. When he spoke, his voice was like a knife. “I don’t blame you for what they made you into. That can’t be helped. I blame you for refusing to see the truth when it’s right in front of your eyes.”

“And what’s the truth?” Darius sneered.

“That you don’t belong to them. You belong to us.”

“I belong to
no one
!” Darius yelled.

A sudden breeze lifted the hair from my neck. I felt him reach for the power.

“No!” I cried, as Victor’s plate flew across the room and smashed into a priceless tapestry.

“You fool,” Victor growled.

The table began to quiver, rattling the cutlery and spilling Kayan Zaaykar’s cup of wine. I stared at the spreading red pool. I could feel Darius’s rage building out of control. If I didn’t do something, this would end badly. So I clamped down on the power. Darius’s head whipped around.

“Let go of me!” he said.

“No. I won’t let you do this.”

“It’s not your decision!”

Victor bared his teeth in a grin. “Not yours either,” he said to Darius.

“I’ll let go if you let go,” I said.

He battered futilely at the bond. Then he seized a platter and threw it at Victor’s head. It missed.

Victor laughed. “I see you have my temper, at least.” He glanced at me. “Is he always like this?”

I shook my head.

Victor turned to Kayan Zaaykar, who was discreetly collecting the knives and stowing them in his robes. “I apologize for my Water Dog son. It seems the magi in Karnopolis failed to teach him proper table manners.”

“You’re not my father.” Darius jumped to his feet. “You’re a killer and a thief. Just stay well away from me.”

Victor mockingly made the sign of the flame. “No dessert, then?” he inquired of Darius’s back as he stalked upstairs.

I sighed. “Do you have to provoke him?”

“He makes it too easy.”

“They did things to him in the dungeons. You should be kinder!”

“And I spent the last two hundred years in Gorgon-e Gaz. Do you think it was better?”

I stared at Victor. His arrogance staggered me. “You expect him to accept you right away? Darius isn’t the only one whose pride makes him blind.”

“I’m sorry if being hunted by my own son doesn’t make me feel
kind
toward him.”

“That’s not his fault! He didn’t know who you were. And the way you told him…It was only to break his control, make him lose the power. It was a selfish act.”

“Yes. And I’d do it again.” He stuffed a candied turnip into his mouth. “The boy had to find out sometime. Why not then?”

I shook my head. “We’ll, you’d better talk to him. I won’t keep him on a leash forever. And I don’t relish the thought of spending days on a ship, in the middle of the sea, with two bickering children who are capable of drowning everyone aboard!”

Victor laughed in delight. “At least they gave my son a Water Dog with some spirit. Those worms at the prison used to quake at the sight of me. They drew straws to see who had to bond me for the day. More than once the loser actually wept.”

“Well, you don’t scare me,” I lied. Then, to Kayan Zaaykar, “Thank you for the lovely meal. If you’ll excuse me?”

“Of course, my dear,” he said faintly. “By all means. Go after him.”

Darius’s room was at the end of the hall, overlooking the courtyard and the stables. He’d slammed the door behind him. I kicked it back open.

“You need to calm down,” I snapped.

“Get out.”

I sat down on the edge of his bed. “No.”

Darius whirled around. Suddenly, he was on top of me, pinning both my arms with his right hand. I struggled to break free but he was far too strong.

“Don’t tell me what do to,” he grated. “You’re not my master anymore.”

I felt something savage in him surge forth. It scared me.

“Stop it!”

“I’m not your pet, Nazafareen,” he seethed. “I won’t do tricks for you. And you can’t take away what’s rightfully mine.”

Darius’s face was only inches away from mine, his blue eyes dark as the sea on a moonless night. A pulse hammered in his throat. I let the power go and he ripped it from my grasp, but didn’t use it. How he managed to touch the nexus in this condition, I had no idea. Only that he was capable of tearing the manor house to shreds if he chose to.

“I can when you put us all in danger,” I countered, trying vainly to free myself from his crushing weight.

“You’re just like
her
.” Darius stared right through me, as if he saw someone else lying there. “Kind words and kisses when I please you, but one misstep…Do you know what it feels like to be burned alive?”

“Darius, please…”

“To feel your skin peel off, your bones crack? To be told each and every day of your life how evil you are? That the bond is the only thing keeping your monstrous nature in check? But you wouldn’t know those things, would you?” His fury seemed bottomless. “I was so afraid of you when we first met. Wondering what new hell awaited.”

“I was afraid too,” I whispered. He didn’t seem to hear me.

His voice broke, then grew even harder. “Why did you never compel me, Nazafareen? Why?”

“I—”

“You must have wanted to. That’s what bonded
do
. No matter how much I prayed for forgiveness, it was never enough. Did you want to hurt me?” He gave me a shake. “Did you? Then go ahead and do it. Get it over with. Make me stop. Make me!”