The Echolone Mine by Elaina J Davidson Page A

caused
this, nor is it fear, whether complicated or simple.
    “Nemisin
carried guilt such as only you would understand, Torrullin, and
possibly you, Elianas. He has not seen what has become of the
universe. He believes he wronged the Valleur. He believes he
wronged all sentience. In his heart of hearts, Nemisin wanted to do
right by his people and thinks he failed. That is his guilt.”
    Torrullin
poured more wine, saying nothing. The other two followed his
lead.
    Saska went on.
“Having said that, the time has been long and matters are more
complicated now. Guilt remains, fear is muted, and anger is
uppermost. Nemisin is pissed off, to put it simply.”
    She looked at
Torrullin. “With you, yes, but mostly with Neolone. The Dragon
bound him to the bier. Torrullin, he meant to arise around the time
the One came into his own and he meant to prevent the passing of
the gift across time. The Nemisin you met then was the Nemisin of a
long ago time, a Nemisin who came forward to meet you. You told me
once he was indistinct … and you were to him. He did not see you
clearly enough to know you, and you had not your memory then. All
thus transpired smoothly and according to prophecy.
    “But the
Nemisin you were meant to meet was the one in the bier, and he
wanted to take your place. He wanted to be the One. He thought to
make his Valleur glorious again, rebuild his empire, prove to all,
including himself, he was not the monster he believes he is. But
Neolone, clever, far-seeing Neolone, scratched on his bier and
bound him, effectively halting ambition. It bound the rest with
him, unfortunately.”
    She paused
there and took a few breaths.
    And faced
Elianas.
    “Cassiopin
told him about her project and he used it to his own ends. She
wanted you to see her, the unloved wife, the mother struggling to
keep her family together and failing, and, yes, there was a measure
of revenge in the desire. Still, her net was not meant to punish
anyone except you; it was meant to do good, and has. Her father saw
in her project a way to reach Torrullin.”
    Saska swung
her gaze that way. “Heart of Darkness was his imagination, used by
successive Ladies to renew life, and left for you to find. You are
the failsafe. He failed to leave his bier to take your place, which
he did not foresee, but he wasn’t stupid and didn’t rely on only
one method of exit.”
    She looked
away. Her gaze grazed over Lowen and moved on to the tree in the
courtyard.
    “It’s crazy in
there. Everyone has felt you and the Heart and they want out. They
desperately want out.”
    Silence.
    Torrullin
asked, “Is there more?”
    She nodded.
“Those who were delayed over Neolone’s symbiosis know exactly
nothing of said symbiosis, or did not until Nemisin trapped them
with him. There are six and they desire only to move onto another
realm. Valen and his unit want nothing to do with this time; they
would not fit. The Throne’s creators believe they are innocent of
ill deed and want to see Nemisin pay for what he did to them, and
who can blame them? The Orb planners claim they were duped, which
they were. They say let Orb deal with him; they want to move on
quickly.”
    Saska closed
her eyes and then, “Cassiopin says Elianas must decide her fate. He
did it before, and why not again? Nemisin, well, he …”
    “… wants me,”
Torrullin murmured.
    “Yes. What he
plans now is unclear and he does not know what he will find. He
knows, though, you are here. He always knew you would be around. He
knew then you were a true Immortal.”
    “I was not at
first.”
    “You looped
back. To him that is real immortality.”
    “Anything
else?”
    She was
thoughtful. “He does not know of alternate futures or the Void or
the non-past you had with him recently. His mind-set was entrenched
at the time Elianas was born. As for you, Kalgaia is his frame of
reference and all the good you did before does not count.”
    Lowen spoke
then. “What do you suggest we do?”
    “Banish