The Blinding

Chapter 21 - Loyaan

The task force hadn't significantly altered my daily routine thus far. We held weekly briefings with Deputy Samatar, but with no new intel, there wasn't much to discuss. The prime minister had requested that I handpick a few soldiers to aid us in our mission, and I chose my two right-hand men, Zahi and Dahir, both of whom were up for the challenge. The three of us were also ordered to attend daily training sessions, which left me wary. As far as I knew, the mage we were seeking wasn't a warrior, so training for a war that I was told would not happen seemed futile. I had learned that lesson the hard way battling the Nubians. With my father closely monitoring me, I did not have the authority to challenge the Prime Minister's demands.
The search for Tissa was over before it even began. My new position in the task force made it nearly impossible to have time away from the palace. The only silver lining was that it allowed me to avoid Batuulo and her advances. Regardless of our last interaction, she somehow took Tissa's absence as an opportunity to get closer to me. Fortunately, she rarely had the chance.
Every night, I would reread Tissa's letter, searching for some hidden message that wasn't there. In my downtime, I attempted to tail Iftin, hoping she would lead me to a clue about Tissa's whereabouts. Unfortunately, her movements proved fruitless. I followed her on the one day she ventured out of the castle, only to find her buying produce for the kitchens. She spent much of her days ordering servants around and doing little else.
My father had been somewhat kinder to me since I joined the task force, or as kind as he could be. So when he called me into his office, I was not as hesitant as usual. "Have a seat," he said. I eyed him curiously as I sat, wondering if Samatar had made a complaint about my performance. As far as I knew, I was following orders as usual.
"There has been a new development in the task force. We've received some new intel regarding the mage."
"Why are you telling me this? Isn't Samatar the point person?"
"This information is only disclosed on a need-to-know basis. Samatar, it turns out, does not need to know."
"And you do?" I asked, unsure of how much involvement my father had in the mission. From what I could tell, he was only privy to the same information as me.
"I do not," he replied with a hint of irritation in his voice. "No, the prime minister has asked that I bring you here, away from the ears of Samatar, Zahi, and Dahir. He will be arriving momentarily. At which point, I will leave the room. He will tell you whatever you need to know."
"But why me?"
Aabo rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Loyaan, are you really unaware of the importance of this task force? Prime Minister Shire has chosen you to lead this mission. I trust you will act accordingly."
I nodded in response. I guess there wasn't much more to say. My father pretended to busy himself with the papers on his desk, not bothering to ask me anything else about my life. He looked weary, tired, and somehow older than when I'd last seen him. Although he appeared back to his normal self since Magan's funeral, I was beginning to think that the death had been more traumatic for him than I had previously thought.
"Aabo, are you -" I was interrupted by the door opening. Both Aabo and I flew to our feet, turning to face the door where Shire stood. It was odd to see him on his own. He was so rarely found without Samatar or the rest of his entourage. We both bowed our heads, as was the custom, before Aabo excused himself, glaring at me as he left the room. I could hear the words of warning as if he had spoken them: "Remember what I've told you."
Prime Minister Shire gestured for me to have a seat and clasped his arms behind his back. I waited for the important intel.
"We've received some intriguing details from Bulhar regarding the prophecy. I believe you are familiar with the Council?" he asked.
"The Council, sir?" I inquired, trying to recall but failing to place it.
"The palace's secrets, though well-guarded, have been suspected by the mages for years. When we began to eliminate high-level Mages with the help of a select few Seers, the mages formed the Council to thwart us. Fortunately for us, they've had no such luck. We believe, however, that they are behind the protests and riots that have begun to take place across the country."
Understanding dawned on me. It was evident that suppressing the protests was a way for the palace to demonstrate its might and make this Council understand that we were not to be trifled with. I kept my face calm, though anger simmered in my stomach. Rather than voicing my suspicions, I patiently waited for him to continue.
"It has come to my attention that the Magician we are looking for has not yet joined the Council. But they are searching for him just as ardently as we are, if not more so. If they find him before we do, war will be inevitable, and they just might win."
"What can we do then, sir?" Concern replaced my anger. If the Council got to the mage before we did, devastation was all but guaranteed.
Shire did not answer. Instead, he rapped on the door. "Bring him in," he said loudly. I should have known that he would never go anywhere alone.
I recognized two of his henchmen who followed the Prime Minister nearly everywhere he went. They brought with them a third individual whom I was not familiar with. A look of disgust briefly painted Shire's face. If I hadn't been anticipating an explanation, I might've missed it. "Dismissed," said Shire, and his henchmen exited. He turned to me then. "What I'm about to tell you cannot leave this room. This man," he gestured lazily at the individual before us, "is a spy. For your own safety, I will keep his identity secret. From here on, you will know him simply as 'the spy.' He will feed us information from the Council until we can determine the identity of the Magician."
I nodded slowly, absorbing his words. The man wore a white cloth tied tightly over his thin torso and a white macawiis to match. He was older, with grey thinning hair, his face turned towards the ground. At least he felt some shame at being a traitor. I almost scoffed at his audacity.
Though he would be useful to us, traitors were loyal to the cause that benefited them. I wondered how he had proven himself to the prime minister, but I kept my mouth shut. It would be unwise to question Shire's judgment.
"Go on then, tell him what you know," Shire barked at the spy.
Despite being addressed, the man did not look up.
"They do not know the identity of the Magician as of yet. The Council is in search of a Seer to help them find the Magician and to make them aware of the Shifters' movements."
"And where are they hoping to find this Seer? Are most Seers not under the palace's employment?" I asked, attempting to conceal my lack of trust in the man's retelling. Luckily, it seemed as though Shire approved of my line of questioning.
"I cannot say what the Seer's name is, but I've been told they are looking for him here in Sarapion, in the slums."
"Cannot say or will not say?" I questioned further.
The man remained silent. I gathered he would have told us whatever he knew. The palace would have his head if they believed him to be dishonest.
"Who has the Council sent to find the Seer?"
"They have placed the responsibility on the leader of the Council. I don't believe he will complete his task. He's young and arrogant, not fit to lead anyone if you ask me. He should be in the city by now."
Ah, so we've reached the reason for his betrayal: envy. He believed himself to be the rightful leader of this Council. Or perhaps he simply disagreed with the leader's choices.
"We need a name," I pressed, ignoring his little speech.
He took a deep breath; this information would cement him as a double agent, and he knew it.
"Samakaab."
I noted the name and then turned my attention back to the spy. "You understand the dangers you face by coming here and sharing this information. If the Council suspects your loyalty has wavered, they will not hesitate to eliminate you."
The spy nodded, his eyes still fixed on the floor. His voice quivered as he responded, "I am aware of the risks, but I believe in the cause we serve."
"Very well," I said, though I harbored doubts about the man's loyalty. Only time would tell if he could be trusted in the treacherous game we were playing.