Disclaimer:I do not own the Chronicles of Elantra. They belong to Michelle Sagara.
A lot of stuff happens in this chapter. ^^ Hope that it still turns out well for you guys! Enjoy!
XxXxX
CHAPTER 11
Kaylin stared up at the foreboding shape of Castle Nightshade. It had shifted to reflect the nightmare going on around it, becoming a dark structure against a blood red sky. This was the shape that defined her childhood, lurking in the background and quietly reminding her that the true dangers of the fief weren't the men that haunted it or the Ferals that invaded its streets. It was the shape that defined her adolescence, appearing in her dreams and memories. And it was the shape that defined her adulthood, keeping her tied to this fief like an anchor.
All around her, she could feel the signs of battle raging. Makuron's roar tore through the streets. The Barrani, for the most part, were silent, but occasionally she could hear a roar or a growl of pain that told her someone had been successful in landing a hit. She could only imagine what was going on at the border, at the front lines.
But for now, she had another task to do.
Kaylin stared at the portal in front of her, taking a deep breath. Tara's words from their conversation earlier rang into her mind, as well as Nightshade's words from a conversation that seemed like it was a lifetime ago.
"The Castle will defend its Lord. And you are tied to its Lord, in a definite way. It will listen to you, if you implore it…"
"…You are Erenne. It will accept you, in time…"
She took a deep breath. There wasn't any time for second guesses, or doubts. With a look of determination on her face, Kaylin stepped in, bracing herself and walking through the portal.
It didn't deposit her ungracefully onto the floor of the entrance hall, like it did on most days. Instead, she hovered there, feeling as though she was floating in water as she submitted herself to the Castle's regard. She could feel its hostility towards her—or at least what would have been hostility, if something like stone could feel, and could feel something that almost felt like jealousy. Kaylin looked around and noticed that the runes on her skin hovered about an inch above it in this space, surrounding her protectively and shining bright.
You are not welcome here.
She didn't hear it as a voice, not the same way that Nightshade spoke to her, and not even the same way as Tara spoke to her. But the sentiment echoed inside of her, and although she didn't technically hear it, she understood.
…Look, she thought towards it. I don't like this either, but I don't think either of us want to be controlled by Makuron. Do you?
It wasn't the most graceful way of talking to an entity like the Castle, but Kaylin had a feeling sentient buildings weren't covered in her classes on racial integration. She felt the Castle's quiet contemplation for a moment more, before it responded.
If I aid you, Chosen, what will you give me?
A word, replied Kaylin. It was the right answer. She didn't know how she knew, but she knew. She eyed the words that hovered around her, remembering the few she had used before.
…What word will you give me, Chosen?
Whatever you want.
Choose. Choose your word. I will decide if it is suitable for me.
Kaylin took a deep breath, staring at the words around her. She finally selected one golden rune, holding her hand out towards it. It hurt as she brushed her fingers against it, seeming sharp at first, but as she reached out and grabbed it, she realized that it was actually supple underneath. Not any less strong, but more willing to bend.
She pushed the rune into the void, watching as its gold light was quickly swallowed up by something bright blue.
The whole world seemed to pause for breath as the Castle considered, and then blue light answered in return.
I accept your word, it said, the world around her beginning to fade and depositing her on her feet outside the Castle again. She was pleased to discover that she didn't feel quite so dizzy this time. Instead, an undercurrent of power ran through her, making the runes on her arms itch. Aid my Lord.
The Castle's presence left her, but its power remained. Kaylin took a deep breath, turning her eyes towards the border. She suddenly knew which way the battle was, without needing to ask.
Aid my Lord, the Castle had said.
She left as quickly as she could, making her way towards the border of the fief.
XxXxX
By the time she arrived at the edge of the fiefs, the battle was in full swing. Kaylin could still feel the power she had borrowed from the Castle burning in her blood, the marks on her arms and legs flaring a bright gold. She knew where Nightshade was without even looking for him, knowing beyond any doubt that he was at the edge of the fief, fighting back Makuron. She found Andellen and the rest of Nightshade's guards a few feet away from the battle, fighting against the Shadows that had risen up from the border of the fief.
Dimly, she heard Andellen call out to her as she walked past him, but she ignored him, her eyes fixed on the Barrani fieflord in front of her as he landed on the ground, in a graceful flurry of dark robes and silver armor. She opened her mouth, a single word spilling past her lips.
Calarnenne…
He turned his head, fixing her with a bright blue stare. Kaylin watched as Nightshade jumped back, smoothly avoiding one of Makuron's claws as Meliannos trailed through the air, leaving a line of dark blood in its wake. His voice was cool in her mind.
Erenne. You should not be here.
Maybe not. But I'm here anyway, she replied.
You do not have your magic.
I have something more.
Kaylin felt Nightshade frown, felt him search through the link between them. She felt his slight surprise, just as she saw Makuron rear up and pull back his head, his wings forming a dark shape across the red sky.
Erenne…said Nightshade. What have you done?
Makuron breathed, sending a curtain of red fire towards them. Nightshade moved, Meliannos in hand as he whispered the words that would guard them from the flames. She saw them take shape around him, forming a barrier between Makuron, him, and her. Kaylin watched as the fire rushed towards them, feeling its heat crackle in the air between her and the Dragon. She opened her mouth, the Castle's power still burning inside of her, and spoke a word.
Water rushed out from under the ground, forming a shield in front of them. It bolstered Nightshade's barrier, catching the fire. In that instant, she saw Nightshade turn towards her, and although his face was impassive, she thought she saw his eyes flash a shade of brownish-gold. It could have been the light. He stepped back, and although she could feel the surprise through their link, he didn't show it in his movements.
I see you have once again involved yourself in something better left alone.
It wasn't a scolding. Instead, it was simply a statement of fact, mixed in with equal parts exasperation and amusement. If it had been said differently, it might have been a joke. Kaylin felt a smile come onto her face, although she was still watching the wall of water with the Castle's eyes.
…Where would we be if I followed all of your instructions? she asked. Her eyes stared at the dark shape through the wall, and she held her hand out, her palm facing it. I'm going to give you an opening. Are you ready?
You insult me, Erenne.
She muttered something colorful under her breath about arrogant Barrani, letting the power pulse through her hand. The wall of water pushed back, tearing through Makuron's fire. Nightshade moved behind it, too fast for her eyes to track as he gripped Meliannos in both hands. He jumped up an almost impossible height as the water and flames parted, Meliannos's blade glowing brightly as he brought it down, the blade cutting through Makuron's scales and sliding down the side of his face.
Makuron roared in pain, retreating behind the border. Dark blood streamed in his wake, hissing as it struck the ground. Nightshade landed neatly, his eyes a brilliant blue as his curtain of dark hair fell around him. Kaylin felt her marks flare up as the gap in the border began to fade, the tear slowly coming closer together.
She exhaled under her breath as it all went quiet, lowering her arms. Nightshade was in front of her almost in an instant, Meliannos's hilt clutched in one hand as he stood in front of her.
She gave him a sheepish smile. He frowned down at her, his hand going up to cup her cheek. His fingers brushed against the mark slightly, his eyes still a deep blue. Without thinking about it, her hand rose to cover his, keeping it there.
"…You…" he finally said. "…can be quite the nuisance."
Get rid of me, then, she thought, jokingly.
His response was so serious it unnerved her for a moment.
Never, Erenne. Never.
She stared up at him, her eyes wide. He said nothing, his thumb brushing lightly over her bottom lip.
A roar came up from the fading portal, pulling her away from Nightshade suddenly and dragging her towards it. Kaylin's eyes widened as she felt herself get pulled. She saw Nightshade reach for her, his hand just barely missing hers as he grabbed at empty air. She heard him say a word. His tone made her recognize it as a curse word, but it wasn't one she had heard before.
"Nightshade!" she shouted, struggling against Makuron's grip. His grip on her wasn't physical, but it was just as persuasive. It dragged her towards the border, no matter how much she struggled, no matter how much she tried to dig her heels into the ground.
"Erenne!" called Nightshade, holding Meliannos in both hands again.
Kaylin's eyes widened in fear, and she struggled, feeling herself get closer to the border. Nightshade ran towards her, and she saw him crash against something, somehow managing to look graceful even as he bounced right off the barrier and landed on the ground a few inches away. She felt herself get pulled closer, and she clenched her fists, trying to pull away again.
Erenne, I cannot reach you, said Nightshade's voice in her mind. You must help me.
How? She practically screamed the question at him. What can I do?
Your name, replied Nightshade. You must give me your name.
My name? she repeated.
Could she give Nightshade her name? If she gave him her name, it would mean that he could control her? Would he do that?
He was Barrani, and not to be trusted. That was something she knew, almost as certainly as she knew her name, almost as certainly as she knew him. But he stared at her now, and there was genuine urgency in his voice, genuine worry drifting through the link between them. Kaylin stared at him, her eyes wide and her lips moving soundlessly. She tried, but the syllables of her name, so carefully guarded inside of her, refused to come.
Why? Did that mean she didn't trust Nightshade enough? Well, of course she didn't. It wasn't smart to.
But she was in love with him.
Was that a feeling he could ever return?
Her foot passed through the wall into Ravellon, followed by her left hand. Nightshade called for her again, and Kaylin's eyes widened as she saw him, digging her heels into the ground and trying to stop herself as the Outcaste pulled her in further, pulling viciously at her name.
Erenne, said Nightshade again. You must—
E…she tried, her eyes widening in fear as she felt the Outcaste pull her towards him again, trying to stop her. Ella—Ellar—
The Outcaste pulled her towards him again, and Kaylin could feel herself sliding back, could feel her body falling back into the heart of the fiefs, so that only her head and her right hand remained across the border. She caught sight of Nightshade's eyes as he tried to reach for her, the brilliant blue she saw in them.
Erenne!
She squeezed her eyes shut then, the syllables of her name tumbling breathlessly through the air between them.
…Ellariayn…
She felt Nightshade take a hold of them, saw for a moment, through his eyes, she saw herself sliding deeper and deeper into Ravellon. She felt his rage more keenly than she had ever felt it, and she felt something else, something driving that rage. Something that felt very much like fear, although she knew he would never admit it.
ELLARIAYN!
It was like getting struck by lightning. One moment, she was in Makuron's grasp, getting pulled into Ravellon, and in the next, she was ripped viciously from the border, propelled bodily towards Nightshade like from a slingshot. He caught her in his arms as the gap in the border faded away, holding her tightly as the Dragon on the other side let out a defeated roar. Nightshade kept one arm around her, the other raising up towards him, and the waters she had brought earlier rose up in defiance, streaming towards him through the rapidly closing gap.
The Dragon's roar faded away, the gap in the border closing and the sky above the fief becoming black and star-filled again.
Kaylin's knees buckled, and she would have collapsed if Nightshade hadn't been holding her, his arms wrapped around her tightly and pulling her to him. His mouth moved, and she felt rather than saw him whispering the same word over and over again.
Ellariayn…Ellariayn…Ellariayn…
She shivered as the syllables of her name rang through her, grabbing hold of the front of his robes with one hand and resting her head against his chest. His armor was cold and somewhat uncomfortable, but at the moment, she didn't care—as wrapped up as she was in the heat of him and the closeness of their names.
Calarnenne…she whispered once, as if to confirm that she heard. Their names wove into each other, intertwining and tangling with each other in a way that made it difficult for her to tell, at the moment, where her name ended and his began.
It was over. They had won. At least for now, the world could be quiet and peaceful again.
Calarnenne…she said again, quietly, biting her lip.
It was over.
…But not quite.
Kaylin's eyes widened as she felt a sudden jolt of pain, and she straightened up, one arm suddenly wrapping around her stomach. Nightshade looked down at her, and she saw his eyes—eyes that had already begun their transition towards deep green—begin to shade towards blue again.
"Erenne," he said. "Is it—?"
"Yes," said Kaylin quickly, nodding once. There was no mistaking that. "Yes, it's time."
XxXxX
All in all, it wasn't as bad as Kaylin expected. There was pain, but she had felt pain before, and she was ready for the pain. She had attended enough bad births to know how things could go wrong, and given her track record for attracting disaster, she had half-expected something horrible to go wrong, but it seemed like the gods were smiling on her for once. A midwife had been brought in, but given the late hour and the urgency, it hadn't been from the midwives' guild. Instead it had been a terrified young woman from the fiefs, who seemed to know what she was doing and was street smart enough to keep quiet about it.
The whole process took an annoying few hours, and Kaylin was sure that the sun rose at some point in the middle of that. She stopped paying attention. She did remember cursing Nightshade quite a bit. He stood there and endured it with the same maddeningly condescending smile on his face that he had used the first time she had dined with him.
If anything, the whole process seemed to serve to remind her that this was definitely her child. It couldn't come at a decent hour, and it had to be at what was the most inconvenient moment.
But as she lay there on the bed when it was over, catching her breath and listening to the silence, it occurred to her that that was what it was. Silent. The midwife had long since been dismissed, and only she and Nightshade remained in the small bedroom that wasn't her quarters. She, Nightshade, and what was supposed to be the child.
Her heart sank like a stone, cold fear gripping her.
She had attended countless births before. It was never silent. There were always people talking, babies crying, people congratulating the mother or commenting on the child. This time, there was none of that. She looked up, afraid of what she would see, and propped herself up on her elbows.
Nightshade stood at the foot of the bed, holding a small, silent bundle. His eyes were a deep blue, his expression unreadable as he studied it. Kaylin felt the fear she had been holding back rush through her in a wave as she stared at the unmoving bundle of cloth.
No.
This couldn't be happening.
No.
"N-Nightshade…" said Kaylin, quietly. "Is…is it…?"
Nightshade's eyes flicked towards her, and she could feel something through the link between them. It wasn't quite the same, but if he weren't Barrani, she would have said that it was grief.
No…even if he were Barrani, she would have said that it was grief.
Her heart seemed to sink even further, but Nightshade shook his head.
"No, Erenne," he said. "The child is not dead. She sleeps."
She. That statement seemed slightly less important now, especially when coupled with Nightshade's words. For a moment, Kaylin didn't understand his meaning. Sleeps? Babies didn't sleep, not right after they were born. Not unless there was something terribly wrong. But Nightshade's eyes fixed hers again, and he repeated the words.
"She sleeps, Erenne," he said.
Sleeps.
Barrani infants didn't wake. Not until they had her name.
A sudden sense of relief flooded her, and she felt almost giddy. She looked up at Nightshade. "The High Halls," she said. "That's all we have to do, right? We have to take her to the High Halls?"
Nightshade looked at her again, and this time, as he spoke, she understood. She knew why he seemed almost grieved as he stood there, watching her. When he spoke, he spoke very slowly, as if he were speaking to a child, or about to deliver terrible news.
"Erenne…" he said. "I am Outcaste."
She stared at him numbly, her mind working through the implications of that.
