another’s soul, I presume?”
“Never!”
“Then you wouldn’t know the feeling, would you?”
“I suppose not,” Shel admitted. She hadn’t thought of that. Still, there had to be something. By saying she wouldn’t know the feeling, he implied there was something to feel. She didn’t feel any different. Except she had felt something in the dungeon. The explosion of pain and pleasure had sent her reeling.
“He did it,” she whispered now, completely stunned. The dying man had given his soul to her. She remembered the glowing white mist. Was that Aemond’s soul? “He really did it. His soul is inside me, somehow.”
“Yes.” Sanook unfolded his hands and reached out to her. He placed a hand gently on her shoulder. “That is why Rez brought you to us.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Aemond was central to our plans,” Sanook explained, taking his hand off her shoulder and sitting back in his chair. “His capture was a terrible blow to the…to the gang. Besides Rez and myself, he was the only member of our little tribe who possessed the abilities your people call weaving. And there was one weave in particular, a very important weave, which only Aemond knew.”
Shel gasped in realization. Though the shadows had deepened and she could see nothing within his hood but darkness, she stared at Sanook in amazement. “Does that mean I'm a Soulweaver now?”
“It does,” Sanook said slowly. “All of Aemond’s abilities are now your abilities. Even his memories are a part of you now, though it will take much training before you are able to use them.”
“And you're going to train me?”
“That’s right.”
Shel thought about it. Weavers had always made her uncomfortable. Everything about the soul trade bothered her. Now that she knew what made it so that summer never ended, everything she’d ever believed about the empire was called into question. She hadn’t had time to really take it all in yet. But the way Sanook talked about his people, and the way their souls passed on, was different.
It didn’t seem so wrong.
“Okay,” she said. “When do you we start?”
Chapter 7 - Preparations
“He’s summoned the archons,” said Rez, striding into the council chamber. Maul and Kal both sat at the massive table, studying the charts and maps laid out there. It had been a little over a week since Rez brought the girl Shel to this room and told her the darkest secret of the empire.
“There isn’t much time then,” said Kal, looking up from the map. Beside her, Maul grunted.
Rez took a seat at the head of the table. Besides the chairs occupied by Maul and Kal, there were two empty seats. Sanook was busy training the girl. The fourth chair…well, maybe Shel would sit there one day. It seemed fitting that she would take Aemond’s place among his lieutenants.
But not yet.
“No,” Rez said aloud, answering Kal although she hadn’t asked a question. “Time is short, indeed.”
Too short. He needed Aemond’s talents, but Shel was still a long way from earning her place at this table. Rez couldn’t be sure of her; not yet.
Sanook had come to him the night before with a report. Shel was doing well in her training, according to the Shadowman. Almost as though she were born to weaving. Sanook was pleased with her progress and seemed to think she’d be ready in no time.
In a way, that was an even bigger problem than if she were struggling. Very few people were “born” to weaving.
“You still plan to strike before the Conclave?” Kal watched him closely, searching the leader’s face for subtle hints to his thoughts. Five years with him, and still the honey-haired thief didn’t entirely trust him. Rez sighed.
“I don’t see much choice,” he said. “Do you?”
Kal said nothing, and Maul only grunted again. They both knew what was really at stake, and they both knew that once the emperor’s archons were gathered at the palace there’d be no hope of facing them. After the
“Never!”
“Then you wouldn’t know the feeling, would you?”
“I suppose not,” Shel admitted. She hadn’t thought of that. Still, there had to be something. By saying she wouldn’t know the feeling, he implied there was something to feel. She didn’t feel any different. Except she had felt something in the dungeon. The explosion of pain and pleasure had sent her reeling.
“He did it,” she whispered now, completely stunned. The dying man had given his soul to her. She remembered the glowing white mist. Was that Aemond’s soul? “He really did it. His soul is inside me, somehow.”
“Yes.” Sanook unfolded his hands and reached out to her. He placed a hand gently on her shoulder. “That is why Rez brought you to us.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Aemond was central to our plans,” Sanook explained, taking his hand off her shoulder and sitting back in his chair. “His capture was a terrible blow to the…to the gang. Besides Rez and myself, he was the only member of our little tribe who possessed the abilities your people call weaving. And there was one weave in particular, a very important weave, which only Aemond knew.”
Shel gasped in realization. Though the shadows had deepened and she could see nothing within his hood but darkness, she stared at Sanook in amazement. “Does that mean I'm a Soulweaver now?”
“It does,” Sanook said slowly. “All of Aemond’s abilities are now your abilities. Even his memories are a part of you now, though it will take much training before you are able to use them.”
“And you're going to train me?”
“That’s right.”
Shel thought about it. Weavers had always made her uncomfortable. Everything about the soul trade bothered her. Now that she knew what made it so that summer never ended, everything she’d ever believed about the empire was called into question. She hadn’t had time to really take it all in yet. But the way Sanook talked about his people, and the way their souls passed on, was different.
It didn’t seem so wrong.
“Okay,” she said. “When do you we start?”
Chapter 7 - Preparations
“He’s summoned the archons,” said Rez, striding into the council chamber. Maul and Kal both sat at the massive table, studying the charts and maps laid out there. It had been a little over a week since Rez brought the girl Shel to this room and told her the darkest secret of the empire.
“There isn’t much time then,” said Kal, looking up from the map. Beside her, Maul grunted.
Rez took a seat at the head of the table. Besides the chairs occupied by Maul and Kal, there were two empty seats. Sanook was busy training the girl. The fourth chair…well, maybe Shel would sit there one day. It seemed fitting that she would take Aemond’s place among his lieutenants.
But not yet.
“No,” Rez said aloud, answering Kal although she hadn’t asked a question. “Time is short, indeed.”
Too short. He needed Aemond’s talents, but Shel was still a long way from earning her place at this table. Rez couldn’t be sure of her; not yet.
Sanook had come to him the night before with a report. Shel was doing well in her training, according to the Shadowman. Almost as though she were born to weaving. Sanook was pleased with her progress and seemed to think she’d be ready in no time.
In a way, that was an even bigger problem than if she were struggling. Very few people were “born” to weaving.
“You still plan to strike before the Conclave?” Kal watched him closely, searching the leader’s face for subtle hints to his thoughts. Five years with him, and still the honey-haired thief didn’t entirely trust him. Rez sighed.
“I don’t see much choice,” he said. “Do you?”
Kal said nothing, and Maul only grunted again. They both knew what was really at stake, and they both knew that once the emperor’s archons were gathered at the palace there’d be no hope of facing them. After the
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