The Harbors of the Sun

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Moon shifted to his scaled form and leapt back to the ledge with Jade. Balm and Briar followed closely behind. Chime followed too, though Moon could practically scent the waves of nervous tension emanating from him. It was because of the kethel, but Moon couldn’t tell Chime that it would be all right.

He had explained about the kethel to Jade, quickly and just inside the cabin doorway. She had grabbed his shoulders like she was suppressing the urge to shake him and growled, “Only you and Stone. You knew the Fell were after you.”

Moon decided not to tell her about the Fell attack in the cloud forest. “Is Malachite here?” He had no sense of her presence, but with her that didn’t necessarily mean anything. She might be standing at his elbow.

Jade hesitated for a bare instant. “She had to take a message to the Reaches. She took some of her warriors with her, but Lithe and Shade and the others stayed with us.” She had tugged him back out on deck. “I’ll explain later.”

It left Moon with the distinct feeling that there was something she needed to tell him that he wasn’t going to want to hear.

The kethel backed away a few wary steps as they landed. Moon said, “We’ll go back now.”

It made a noise of assent and turned to head along the ledge. Jade said, “Wait. There are no rulers anywhere near, telling you what to do?”

“No.” It turned to glance at her, starlight catching a glint of reflection in its eyes. “Just me. She sent me to help the consorts.”

“That was . . . interesting . . . of her.” Jade’s voice was hard.

The kethel hunched its shoulders a little and turned to lead the way along the ledge. Beside Moon, Chime’s spines twitched in nervous dismay.

They were almost to the next flower-pod when the kethel said, “The queens tell you what to do?”

“Yes,” Moon said. The kethel knew that already, so he wasn’t certain where this was going.

“Just tell, nothing else?” the kethel said.

Now Moon understood. The kethel was asking if Raksura were controlled by the queens the way kethel and dakti were controlled by progenitors. It was strange to think that Fell, or at least kethel and dakti, might not know much about Raksura at all.

It was a complex question, with an answer Moon wouldn’t have understood himself a couple of turns ago. Queens could keep other Raksura from shifting, but it was more than that. There was a connection through and between each bloodline, a subtle pull on the heart that kept the court together or could push it apart. Pearl’s pain over her first consort’s death had echoed through all of Indigo Cloud for turns before Moon had arrived there. It had weakened the bonds of the court at a time when it was already vulnerable. Malachite’s determination had held the remnants of Opal Night’s eastern colony together through hardship that should not have been survivable. But that connection didn’t compel obedience.

Jade wasn’t answering and Moon had no idea how to explain it. He said, “Just telling. There is something else, but not like it is for the Fell.”

Chime reached over and squeezed Moon’s wrist.

The kethel didn’t ask any more questions, and soon they reached the point where the pods curved into the central well. Moon lowered his voice. “Careful through here. We think the Hian boat is in there somewhere.”

There hadn’t been much time for anything terrible to happen, but Moon was still relieved to reach the doorway and find Stone waiting impatiently for them. The kethel said, “We’re back,” in what Moon thought was a particularly pointed way.

Stone said, “I see that.” He added to Jade, “Glad you found us.”

“So am I,” she said. “We have a lot to discuss.” She would have added more, but Bramble and Merit threw themselves at her.

Balm carried Callumkal, and Moon picked up Delin, despite his protests that he was fine and could walk. Moon ignored that and said, “Diar and Niran are waiting for you.”

Delin gave in, holding onto Moon’s collar flanges. “They are much agitated?”

“Much,” Chime agreed. “We’ve all been very worried.”

They reached the wind-ship without trouble and leapt across to its deck. Moon set Delin on his feet so Niran and Diar could greet him. Delin began, “It was not my intention to cause so much—” before Niran half-smothered him in a hug. Diar said fondly, “We forgive you, grandfather. We’re only glad to have you back alive.”

Navigating by sound in the dark, Moon followed the others down the steps to the main corridor. It was a relief to step into the warm light of mentor-spelled lamps and the familiar scents of Raksura and Golden Islanders. Ivar-edel, the Golden Islander healer, said to Balm, “Here, bring him this way. We have a bed ready.” Balm carried Callumkal down the passage, Kalam following anxiously.

Jade told Bramble and Merit, “Go with Briar. There’s a cabin for us at the end of the passage, with water and beds.”

The two Arbora stumbled after Briar, and Moon went with Jade and Chime and the others into the big common room, hoping someone was making tea. Shade and Lithe were here, with Rorra, several of the Golden Islander crew, and another Janderi person who must be the horticultural they had intended to bring from the Kishan port. Most of the warriors were still out on the deck, on guard. There were questions, greetings. A pot of something that smelled warm and fishy was on the small stove.

Then everyone went silent. Moon turned. The kethel had followed Stone into the room. Moon was so used to the scent by now, he hadn’t realized it was behind them.

Jade turned, saw it, and glared at Stone. He said, “This is not my fault.”

The groundlings just looked confused. They would never have seen a kethel in groundling form, and even if they had heard one was here, had led Jade and the others to Stone and the rescued prisoners, they might not have realized this was it. Then Shade shoved past Moon and Jade to confront the kethel, his shape flowing into darkness and then his big scaled form. Moon thought, Uh oh.

The kethel stared at Shade. “You are—”

Shade’s spines lifted below his crest and his wings flexed and started to extend. He snarled, “I’m a Raksura. You’re a dead kethel.”

Moon hesitated. He was having trouble believing that he was about to have to put his body between Shade and a kethel, but someone was going to have to do it. Unless of course the kethel attacked Shade, then it was going to be a bloodbath in this cabin, because every Raksura and probably some of the groundlings would leap in to help. Someone bumped against his arm; it was Shade’s warrior Flicker, watching in consternation.

But before Moon could do anything, the kethel stepped back and turned away, raising its shoulders protectively. It said, “I don’t challenge you. But she is like you. She is our queen. I killed the rulers who challenged her.”

Shade stood there, still as a rock. From behind him, Jade said evenly, “Shade. It’s all right.”

Shade’s spines flicked and then started to lower. Flicker went forward and caught his wrist, his spines angled anxiously. Shade pushed Flicker behind him before he stepped back, a move to keep the young warrior out of the kethel’s reach. It was a caution Moon approved of. There was no point in being foolishly trusting.

Then Lithe stepped forward, watching the kethel. She said, “I’m like her, too. And I want you to prove to me that there’s no ruler controlling you.”

The kethel eyed her cautiously. “How?”

Lithe said, “Let me look into your mind.”

Jade’s spines twitched and then stilled. Moon hadn’t known it was possible for a mentor to look into a Fell. He glanced at Chime, who flicked one spine in a gesture of dubious assent. Moon guessed that meant it was theoretically possible, but no one had ever before been in a position to try it and live.

The kethel flinched a little, then bared its teeth. “Not in my head.”

Moon knew what it meant. After those cautious questions about how much control over Raksura queens had, it was obvious. He said, “That’s not how it works with us. A mentor can’t control what you do, or think. She can look into your mind, and see if there’s a ruler there hiding from us, but that’s all.”

The kethel hesitated, then looked at Stone. Stone folded his arms and said, “That’s true. Let her look, or leave here and don’t come back.”

A long fraught moment of silence passed, where Moon saw Rorra rest a hand worriedly on the fire weapon slung over her shoulder. The strange Janderi looked bewildered. Then the kethel said, “Then do it.”

Lithe stepped forward. “Sit down.” Her voice was hard, she didn’t flinch as it stared at her. This was her battle to fight, just as it was Shade’s.

“Why?” the kethel asked, eyes narrowing in suspicion.

Stone said flatly, “Because that’s the way you do it.”

The kethel hesitated again, then sat down heavily on the deck. Lithe stepped forward and crouched in front of it. She looked tiny next to the kethel. Moon was glad Stone stood so close, that he, Jade, and Shade were all in arm’s reach. But the kethel just sat there, radiating hostility.

At some point, Delin, Niran, and Diar had come down from the deck and stood in the doorway, watching. Moon was shocked at how bad Delin looked in this light. The gold of his skin was blotchy, and the lines in his face were deeper. He looked smaller. Moon hoped Lithe was able to do this fast, so they could get Delin some food.

Lithe said, “Just look at me.”

The kethel met her gaze. Then the stubborn set to its face relaxed and its expression went still.

Chime whispered, “She’s got him.”

It was always strange to watch, even though Moon had experienced it himself. When a mentor looked into your mind you felt nothing. It sounded like it would be a traumatic process, but it was like falling instantly asleep and then waking again. Keeping his voice low, Moon said, “How did she know she could do it?”

Shade’s expression was conflicted. “She’s done me, and the others at Opal Night. I guess it’s not that different.”

After what seemed a long time, long enough for the groundlings to stir uneasily, Lithe sat back. She was frowning. Released, the kethel gasped a breath and stared in confusion. Lithe pushed to her feet, saying, “There’s no ruler, no influence.”

Rorra eased forward a step. “How can that be? We know the flight has rulers, we’ve seen them.”

Stone eyed the kethel thoughtfully. “It told us it killed the dominant rulers in its flight. I guess that’s true.”

The kethel looked up, still wary, but the confusion was gone. It climbed to its feet, clearly off-balance. “They were young. The progenitor was dead.”

Jade said, “So Consolation sent you here to take the weapon back from the Hians.” Moon managed not to react, wondering when exactly Jade had spoken to the Fellborn queen long enough to learn her name. That was probably a part of the thing she had to tell him that she knew he wasn’t going to like.

The kethel focused on Jade. “She told you her name.”

“She did,” Jade said. “We saw her on the way here. She brought us news. But she didn’t tell us about you and why you’re following our consorts.”

“To help you,” the kethel said. Then it looked at Lithe, and added, “To get help from you. A place to live. And she sent me to learn from the consorts.”

“Learn?” Lithe said.

The kethel said, “If no one who knows things will come live with us, then I need to learn.”

There was a moment of silence while everyone digested that. Moon looked helplessly at Stone, who sighed and rubbed his eyes.

Jade hissed out a breath. She told the kethel, “Go up on deck, and wait. We need to talk. And if you touch anyone on this wind-ship, we’ll kill you.”

The kethel threw a sideways glance at Shade and Lithe again, but Moon thought it seemed relieved at the dismissal. It turned and went out of the room, up the passage to the stairs. There was a shudder of relief, mostly from the groundlings. A Golden Islander at the back of the room sat down heavily. Jade told Balm, “Get the other warriors and watch it, but be careful. Tell them not to get within arm’s reach.”

Balm flicked her spines in grim assent and followed the kethel. Shade shook himself, shedding tension, and shifted back to his groundling form. Lithe frowned absently at the doorway. She said, “That was a very strange experience.”

“That’s one way to describe it,” Moon told her. He shifted to his groundling form and felt the weight of bruises and sore muscles settle over him. He blinked and scratched his head, trying to shake off the sudden urge to just lie down on the floor and sleep.

Still upset, Shade said, “How do we know it’s really from the half-Fell queen’s flight? It could be . . .” He folded his arms, uncomfortable. “A spy.”

“This is too smart for rulers. They’d never think of something like this,” Stone said wearily. “And I doubt a kethel from a normal Fell flight would be able to pull this off. It has to be the half-Fell queen who sent it.”

“And the way he—it—talks about her,” Moon said. He gave Shade a nudge to the shoulder. “It’s not lying about that, at least.”

Shade seemed to reluctantly accept that. He put an arm around Lithe’s shoulders and she leaned into his side.

Niran helped Delin over to take a seat on a stool, and Diar said, “It presents an interesting problem.”

Jade turned to Diar. “If you don’t want it on the boat, we’ll understand,” she said. “But it’s here, and I think it’s better if we can keep an eye on it.”

Diar grimaced, obviously reluctant. “I agree. But it’s a complication we don’t need.”

Delin tugged on Niran’s sleeve. “Do you know where we are?”

Niran said, “I took a star sighting when the clouds cleared. We should still be near the southern coast, exactly where we were.” He lifted a hand helplessly. “Except of course, we know we must have moved.”

“You took a what?” Jade asked.

“Groundlings can look at the stars to tell where they are,” Moon told her. “I never knew how it worked.” It wasn’t something Raksura needed to know.

Delin nodded, absently threading his fingers through his tangled beard. “Then Merit’s theory is correct. We were taken up into the air, and are on the cloudwalls.”

“The what?” Rorra said, her brow furrowed.

The Janderi woman said, hesitantly, “It’s that mass of flying islands, very high in the air, that we saw on the way here. But it’s unreachable by flying craft.”

Rorra looked aghast. “I thought that was a cloud bank. Cloudwalls are supposed to be mythical. My people called them Cloud Reefs.”

Rorra must be rattled. It was the first time Moon had heard her admit that she actually had people, and hadn’t just sprang into being as a fully grown adult right before meeting Callumkal and becoming his navigator.

Niran said, “Well, we know it’s not mythical now.”

“So how do we get back down?” another Golden Islander asked. “Do the lines of force extend this far up? Can we sail along them or will we fall?”

Diar scratched under her head scarf wearily. “Hopefully it will become more apparent in the morning.”

“But we cannot leave,” Delin said, as a young Golden Islander put a blanket around his shoulders. “We must get the artifact away from the Hians. They brought it here in order to use it to activate some device that they believe is near. The weapon will kill all the Raksura, as well as the Fell, and possibly any other races descended from the forerunners or foundation builders.”

Rorra and the Golden Islanders stared at Delin as if they suspected he was out of his mind. Niran said, “Grandfather . . .” He turned to Moon and Stone. “This can’t be true?”

Delin said, stiffly, “Do not think I missed your implication that I am delusional.”

“I was not implying—” Niran began.

“It’s true.” Stone cut the argument off. “At least, it’s what the Hians told Bramble and Delin.”

“That’s the other thing we had to tell you,” Moon said to Jade. Chime covered his face and groaned.

Jade eyed Moon. “Is there anything else?”

“I think so,” Moon admitted. “A lot of things happened. Did you get the message we left at the river trading city?”

“We did, and it was not encouraging,” Rorra said. She turned to Delin. “The dead Jandera—Was it the weapon that killed them?”

Delin nodded grimly. “We were very lucky. Bramble was too near, and it almost killed her. If the Hians can use the weapon the way they believe they can—This is why the foundation builders locked it away, only accessible to their allies the forerunners. It does not work the way they intended. It is a terrible mistake.”

The silence stretched as everyone absorbed the implications. Jade’s spines flared as she thought furiously. She said, “The Fellborn queen couldn’t have known about this. Of course, she didn’t tell us about sending the kethel after you, either. When Malachite went back to the Reaches with her—”

Moon stared at her. “When she did what?”

Jade turned to him, then her brow furrowed and she looked at Stone. “You two need to rest. So does Delin. Go and take care of Bramble and Merit, and I’ll come and tell you about it.”

Moon stirred mutinously, but Chime took his arm and dragged him toward the doorway. Behind him, Stone protested, “I have to watch the kethel.”

Jade told him, “And you can do that, after you take care of the two Arbora who need you and get some rest.”

In the corridor, they passed the cabin where Callumkal lay on a bed of cushions with the Golden Isles healer and Kalam sitting beside him. Kalam had his arms wrapped tightly around himself, as if he might fly apart if he let go. It didn’t look good. It would be terrible if they had been too late and rescued Callumkal only to have him die. But at least he would be doing it here, with Kalam and among friends, and not as a prisoner of the Hians.

The next cabin was a larger room, with packs piled up against the far wall and blankets and cushions in mostly neat piles. Briar was in her groundling form, sitting with the two Arbora, looking worried. Merit huddled on a cushion with a blanket wrapped around him, half asleep, and Bramble had wet a cloth from one of the water jars and was giving herself a vigorous bath.

“The consorts need rest,” Chime told Briar, in what Moon felt was a far too urgent manner.

“We’re fine,” Moon told Briar, and sat down next to Merit. Merit leaned against him and Moon put an arm around him. “What is Malachite doing with the Fellborn queen?” he asked Chime. “Why are they going back to the Reaches?”

“I think Jade wants to tell you,” Chime said, not quite meeting Moon’s gaze.

Stone sat down heavily near Moon. Merit lifted his head, blearily confused. “What? Malachite’s not here?”

Moon eyed Chime suspiciously. He wasn’t certain if this was one of those “the emergency is over and now Moon needs to start acting like a delicate consort again” moments, or if this was part of the thing that the others knew he really wasn’t going to like. He doubted it was the former; there weren’t any Raksura here who hadn’t already had a chance to be judgy about his behavior.

Briar pushed to her feet. “I’ll get some blankets—”

“I’ll do it.” Bramble dropped the wet cloth and turned to the piles of bedding.

“She won’t sit down—” Briar began, waving a hand helplessly at Bramble.

Bramble snapped, “I’m fine! You’re not an Arbora, you won’t do it right.”

In a voice that clearly indicated the need for instant obedience or else, Stone said, “Bramble, I didn’t cross half the Three Worlds to argue with you. Come here and sit down.”

Bramble froze for an instant, staring. Briar and Chime watched her anxiously. Then she flung herself into Stone’s lap and wrapped herself around him. He hugged her close, then asked Briar and Chime, “What do you have to do on this boat to get some tea?”

“I’ll get it!” Briar whipped out of the room before Chime could move.

Moon told Chime, “Waiting for Jade to tell us is making it worse, whatever it is. Why did Malachite go back to the Reaches with the Fellborn queen?”

Chime sunk down to sit on the floor, and winced in anticipation of their reaction. “The Fellborn queen told us at least four or five Fell flights, maybe more, are gathering to attack the Reaches.”

Moon felt his chest constrict. Merit, still huddled under his arm, went still. He heard Stone let out a slow breath. Bramble made a noise of weary dismay.

Chime said, “We don’t know that it’s true, except, of course, it matches the visions the mentors had before we left.” He shrugged, clearly miserable. “It’s not as bad as if there hadn’t been any warning. From what Malachite told us, your clutchmate Celadon should be at Indigo Cloud by now, and Pearl agreed to let her bring all those Opal Night warriors. If the other eastern courts are starting to have the visions like Indigo Cloud and Opal Night did . . . They’ll be prepared.”

It took Moon a moment to fight past the lump of sick dread in his throat. He told himself, Chime’s right, we’ve known this could happen ever since the shared dream. Now it was happening. The court should be as prepared as it could get. He put aside all the questions that Chime couldn’t possibly have any answers to, and said, “How did the Fellborn queen know?”

“She said she has rulers who can listen to other flights.” Chime twitched a little at that uncomfortable thought. “She said the other Fell flights hated them, like the one they followed to the foundation builder city.”

Moon bit his lip and looked helplessly at Stone. Stone sighed, and stroked Bramble’s hair.

Chime continued, “Malachite found her and her flight when we were coming overland from isl-Maharat, before we got to the swampling port and found your first message.” Chime repeated what Jade had told him about the first meeting, then described the second, when the Fellborn queen had come to the wind-ship to warn them.

Stone was frowning. “When did Malachite leave?”

“Five—No, six days ago,” Chime said. He massaged his temple, as if trying to make his memory more accurate. “They were flying on a kethel, so they should be traveling much faster than they could on their own.”

“A kethel?” Moon said, startled. It was a relief to know Malachite was headed back to the Reaches. Pearl would have a powerful ally. “Not that we can point fingers about that, but . . . A kethel?”

Chime lifted his hands in a sign of resignation. “I know, I know. We were hoping to head back as soon as the Hians were dealt with. Niran and Diar were going to take the Jandera and Rorra to Kedmar for us. But if it’s true about the weapon, and, of course, we have to figure out if we’re really on the cloudwalls and how to get back from here . . .” He grimaced and added, “Oh, and the Kish in isl-Maharat didn’t believe Kalam and Rorra and Esankel and the others about the Hians, so I don’t know what’s going to happen with that. Maybe nothing.”

Moon hissed at the stupidity of it. “Why do they think Kalam and Rorra and the whole crew would lie about something like that? And what about the dead people?”

“They believe it happened, but they think the Jandera got into a fight with the Hians?” Chime shook his head helplessly. “I didn’t understand it. Maybe it’s a groundling thing.”

Moon rubbed his face wearily. Merit had slumped against his side and breathed deeply in sleep.

Chime hesitated, then said, reluctantly, “I don’t suppose . . . The weapon. Were the Hians telling the truth about it? It wasn’t a lie to frighten us?”

Moon saw Jade step into the doorway, her spines down, listening intently.

Bramble, her face still pressed to Stone’s chest, said flatly, “It’s the truth. I know it.”

Stone grimaced. “From what they told Delin and Bramble, there’s no way to tell it who to kill or not kill. The Hians thought it would destroy all the Fell from this coast across Kish and down to the tip of the Abascene peninsula. They knew it would kill all the Raksura too, and the Jandera. The area they’re talking about is a big chunk of Kishan territory. But it’s worth it to them to kill the Fell.”

Bramble stirred, and lifted her head and blinked blearily. “It killed Aldoan, too.”

“Who?” Moon asked her.

“The Hian who was holding it, when the Fell grabbed her. At the river trading city. They don’t know how she did it, but they think that’s how it works when it isn’t attached to the rest of it, the part they think is here somewhere. Aldoan must have accidentally made it work because she was so afraid. But she was probably thinking ‘kill Fell’ not ‘kill Fell and all the Jandera in the town and oh, take a swipe at that Bramble back on the flying boat and oh, kill me too while you’re at it.’” Bramble rubbed her nose. “So it does kill Hians too. Maybe they’re related to the foundation builders, like the Jandera.”

Stone frowned and Moon thought of the Hian scholar and her family. It would make more sense than Vendoin killing them.

Jade stepped into the room. “We have to assume it’s true. It’s too dangerous not to. Once we get the weapon, we’ll have to find somewhere to hide it again.”

Chime nodded. “A good hiding place.”

Then Briar came in with a jug of tea and an armful of ceramic cups. Shade, Lithe, and Flicker followed her in, Rorra and Kalam trailing behind. As Flicker helped her distribute the tea, Moon told the others everything they had been able to find out about the artifact. When he repeated Bramble’s description of the message stones and how the Hians had used magic to find them, Kalam was astonished. “I’ve never heard of the Hians being able to manipulate rock, or anyone able to do that.” Kalam turned to Rorra. “Have you?”

Rorra shook her head a little, her frown grim. “It’s bizarre, to conceal an ability like that just so no one would suspect they were hiding the discovery of foundation builder ruins.”

“Have they fought with the Jandera before?” Chime asked. Moon thought he was trying to make sense of that apparent indifference the Hians had to the possibility of Jandera victims. The indifference to Raksuran victims needed no explanation, but the Jandera were groundlings, not much different from the Hians.

“No.” Kalam made a gesture of confusion. “Well, a long time ago, when the Hians were first driven from Hia Majora by the Fell. They wanted the Imperial Conclave to extend the border and protect it, but the Jandera speakers didn’t agree. There are mountains in the way, and it would have used up so many moss reserves.” He looked painfully baffled. “Could that be it?”

No one had an answer for that. Jade asked Moon, “Chime told you why Malachite left? Are you all right?”

“Uh, no, not really,” Moon said honestly. If he wasn’t so exhausted, he knew he would have been more upset. Merit was deeply asleep, and Moon lifted him and put him down on the blankets Briar had gotten ready. “Bramble, do you want to lay down here with Merit?”

Stone ruffled her hair. “I’ll stay until you fall asleep.”