Fear's Union

Chapter Seven

—Xen—

Xen couldn't believe her eyes. "What are you doing?"

"The Black Guild is down there. Someone needs to stop them."

No. That was stupid, surely. It was suicidal. She watched, mouth aghast. Was there anything she could do to stop it? Come on, think. She had to stop Anejo. She rose to her feet, ignoring the discomfort.

"No Anejo. This is madness."

Her childhood friend looked back and smiled at her. She was enjoying it! "It's only madness if it fails."

And then she was gone, exploding into the enemy formation. She rolled into space, which was impossibly fortunate in itself. Did every stupid thing she did have to be edged with gold? It seemed that way. Her fortunate streak only drove her on, but no amount of luck was getting her out of this. It was suicidal, however good her swordplay was.

There was movement on top of the gatehouse. Not him too. She watched Keles ready himself, stepping onto the edge of the stone parapet. Waiting to leap. He uncoiled a length of rope, dropping it three-quarters of the way down the gates. Out of reach of the enemy. And then he dropped, descending into hell. At its end, he released the rope and dropped into the death-pit below. He was gone, dissolved into the mass of the enemy. It was suicide.

"Keles!"

She couldn't live without him, so she had to follow. Had to follow. She unclipped her grabber and swung it for the flagpole. The claw slipped over the pole, but ultimately bounced away. She reeled it back in.

"You can't go over there!"

She turned on Aran, snarling. How dare he interfere. Her dearest friend and her lover had just thrown themselves into that chaos. She couldn't just sit back and do nothing. They couldn't all be as cowardly as Aran.

"Shut up, just shut up! Don't tell me what I can and can't do, you little coward?"

That shut him up. He returned to his cowering, where he belonged. She turned to the crisis, a lump in her throat. She flung the rope a second time, but it completely missed, swinging below the flagpole. She should try it again, but what was the point. She'd never had Anejo's luck. She dropped to her knees and sobbed, her chest heaving. Then she slumped to the stone. Aran peered at her, but didn't say anything. They were both left to their own misery.

Her whole life, everything she existed for, was at the mercy of the Delfinian army. They were a famously unforgiving foe.

—Keles—

Keles couldn't believe the stupidity of the girl. It was pure rebellious insolence. She swept into their ranks, skittling men this way and that, landing in a small space. He sent quick instructions, ordering the arrows to focus on her – to keep her alive. What was she doing?

Her blade flashed elegantly, he had to concede that. But ability did not diminish idiocy. And this was an idiotic act. There was no certainty in this outcome, and that spoke volumes. She was too volatile for a mandahoi, and she could never master her emotions. It was her weakness, and it drove her to wild acts like this. She was mindless, dangerous, and idiot—

There was a guildsman down there too. That was why she'd jumped. And there, there it was, in amongst the press of bodies. It was a rattler. The gates would never hold, and she had been right. Was she always right? The Father had a way with her, and he frowned. Maybe the Archmaster was right about her after all.

He rolled his shoulders, loosening himself for his own act of madness. No, not madness. Necessity. He uncoiled the rope and turned to his Mandahoi seniors.