stepped forward into his line of sight as he leisurely said, “Now, my young friend, we have some questions that need answering.”
Thomas wasn’t shaking anymore. In fact, he looked up at Thanar with something akin to eagerness.
“Anything you ask.”
Revolted, Ciardis echoed, “What’s wrong with him?”
Vana stood back, her face like stone.
Pleased with his work, Thanar stood over Thomas’s kneeling form and said to Ciardis, “It’s only temporary. He’s just more eager to please. Now he’ll tell us what we need to know.”
Ciardis didn’t have Vana’s restraint. She slapped Thanar across the face so hard that the sound of the slap echoed. In the silence that ensued, only one noise broke through the glacial feelings that permeated the air: the sound of Kane’s labored breath as he awoke and struggled to stand.
Ciardis’s hand stung but she was ready to slap Thanar again or whatever it would take to release Thomas.
“What’s going on?” Caemon asked from where he was helping Kane to his feet.
Ciardis said, “Thanar turned Thomas into his slave.”
She didn’t even register the pale look on her brother’s face as he helped Kane hobble over quickly. Thanar’s heavy-lidded eyes darkened and Caemon’s skin turned him into a ghost.
“Watch what you accuse a person of, Weathervane,” Thanar hissed.
Ciardis laughed so sharply it was almost a cackle. “I’m not the one who just took over a young mage’s mind in order to force him to do his bidding.”
Caemon slowly released Kane so that he could stand without support. Coming forward with tightness in his expression, he said to Thanar, “ Bruder, was hast du getan ?” Brother, what have you done?
Vana answered before Thanar could respond. “He made him more amenable to our inquiries.”
Ciardis interjected, “And he needs to fix it!”
Vana continued with reluctance, “Not yet.”
Ciardis whirled around, her mouth agape. “You condone this? Never mind—of course you do.” The last was said bitterly as she remembered Vana presiding over her own torture under the truth serum.
Vana’s mouth tightened. “I’ve watched as you let your anger towards those who have wronged you dwindle. You didn’t attack us for the torture session in the north. You let your mother and brother dictate the actions which lead others into peril. Today you take this mage’s side even though he stands here with proof written on his face that he attacked Inga. You forgive and you forget much too easily, Ciardis. Let this be a lesson. Many of us will do much to serve the greater good and if one person is hurt along the way, so be it.”
Ciardis shook her head. “That’s where you and I differ. Every person is worth saving. Every person is needed.”
Thanar said, “Even when one person has the power to destroy countless others?”
Ciardis turned to him, bitterness in her throat. “We all have that power. Every person, mage or mundane, can kill another being. Whether it’s through the force of their hand or the orders that spring from their lips, it is their burden to bear. And I will never forgive you for what you did in the sanctuary. You killed thousands of innocent kith to build your own power and open the rift between this world and the next. It was and is unconscionable. But I need you. We need you. To halt the blutgott ’s advance.”
“And as I have told you time and again, Weathervane, I am his servant.”
With fury, Ciardis said, “Well, in this moment you serve me. You serve my goals. You are here under my command.”
Thanar said, “If you think that, then you are fooling yourself.”
“Enough,” said Caemon sharply. “Everyone’s loyalties may lie elsewhere, but right now we need to focus on Inga and why she attempted to kill Kane. What can Thomas tell us that necessitates you bind him like this?”
Vana said simply, “He’s the mage that nearly killed Inga and forced her to attack Kane.”
Caemon swallowed sharply and
Thomas wasn’t shaking anymore. In fact, he looked up at Thanar with something akin to eagerness.
“Anything you ask.”
Revolted, Ciardis echoed, “What’s wrong with him?”
Vana stood back, her face like stone.
Pleased with his work, Thanar stood over Thomas’s kneeling form and said to Ciardis, “It’s only temporary. He’s just more eager to please. Now he’ll tell us what we need to know.”
Ciardis didn’t have Vana’s restraint. She slapped Thanar across the face so hard that the sound of the slap echoed. In the silence that ensued, only one noise broke through the glacial feelings that permeated the air: the sound of Kane’s labored breath as he awoke and struggled to stand.
Ciardis’s hand stung but she was ready to slap Thanar again or whatever it would take to release Thomas.
“What’s going on?” Caemon asked from where he was helping Kane to his feet.
Ciardis said, “Thanar turned Thomas into his slave.”
She didn’t even register the pale look on her brother’s face as he helped Kane hobble over quickly. Thanar’s heavy-lidded eyes darkened and Caemon’s skin turned him into a ghost.
“Watch what you accuse a person of, Weathervane,” Thanar hissed.
Ciardis laughed so sharply it was almost a cackle. “I’m not the one who just took over a young mage’s mind in order to force him to do his bidding.”
Caemon slowly released Kane so that he could stand without support. Coming forward with tightness in his expression, he said to Thanar, “ Bruder, was hast du getan ?” Brother, what have you done?
Vana answered before Thanar could respond. “He made him more amenable to our inquiries.”
Ciardis interjected, “And he needs to fix it!”
Vana continued with reluctance, “Not yet.”
Ciardis whirled around, her mouth agape. “You condone this? Never mind—of course you do.” The last was said bitterly as she remembered Vana presiding over her own torture under the truth serum.
Vana’s mouth tightened. “I’ve watched as you let your anger towards those who have wronged you dwindle. You didn’t attack us for the torture session in the north. You let your mother and brother dictate the actions which lead others into peril. Today you take this mage’s side even though he stands here with proof written on his face that he attacked Inga. You forgive and you forget much too easily, Ciardis. Let this be a lesson. Many of us will do much to serve the greater good and if one person is hurt along the way, so be it.”
Ciardis shook her head. “That’s where you and I differ. Every person is worth saving. Every person is needed.”
Thanar said, “Even when one person has the power to destroy countless others?”
Ciardis turned to him, bitterness in her throat. “We all have that power. Every person, mage or mundane, can kill another being. Whether it’s through the force of their hand or the orders that spring from their lips, it is their burden to bear. And I will never forgive you for what you did in the sanctuary. You killed thousands of innocent kith to build your own power and open the rift between this world and the next. It was and is unconscionable. But I need you. We need you. To halt the blutgott ’s advance.”
“And as I have told you time and again, Weathervane, I am his servant.”
With fury, Ciardis said, “Well, in this moment you serve me. You serve my goals. You are here under my command.”
Thanar said, “If you think that, then you are fooling yourself.”
“Enough,” said Caemon sharply. “Everyone’s loyalties may lie elsewhere, but right now we need to focus on Inga and why she attempted to kill Kane. What can Thomas tell us that necessitates you bind him like this?”
Vana said simply, “He’s the mage that nearly killed Inga and forced her to attack Kane.”
Caemon swallowed sharply and
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