Speechless in Achten Tan: Book 1 of The Sands of Achten Tan, page 24
"Dust," Sozi says.
"Excuse me?"
"Everything in Achten Tan accumulates dust, or sand, whatever. If there are symbols he steps on and others he doesn't, you should be able to discern by the accumulation of dust."
"Of course," Geb continues his idea, "the tiles he steps on will have less dust, whereas the untouched tiles… untouched dust."
"I just hope he doesn't let the cleaning staff in there," Valla mutters.
"You're joking, right?" Kaii retorts. "He doesn't let anyone in here."
The only light in the room comes from our muted glow, reduced by the layer of tar and Jelthune's rays. It's hard to notice any difference in the dust coating in this light.
"It's okay. I can do this. Small magic." I swipe my finger along the corner of the floor and lift a finger full of dust to my eye-level.
GLOW, I mouth.
The dust takes on a yellowish shine, gradually spreading till the entire room glows. In the center of the room, there are visible smudges.
“Look." Geb points. "Footprints."
"Great thinking, Sozi," I think. Sozi beams, his pleasure at the praise warm and rosy in my mind. Sticking close to the wall, I traverse the edge of the room till we're by the door. Carefully, I step onto the first footprint.
"What happens if you step in the wrong place?" Valla asks.
"Nothing good, that's for sure."
Treading carefully, I make it across the room to the cupboard, then look back.
"I'm coming too." Kaii follows in my steps.
Geb hangs back. "It'll be too crowded if I come over too. I'll stay here."
"This is it, Sozi." I turn my gaze to the bone cupboard. "This is what we came to get. It's all up to you now."
"No pressure or anything," Kaii adds with a grin.
Chapter 29
What Lies Beneath
Sozi makes a sound that is the mental equivalent of cracking his knuckles.
"Let me translate it first, real quick, to make sure I've got it, and then I'll sound it out for you. Kaii, you'll have to say the words, since Mila can't speak." I wince and Sozi backtracks. "Sorry. That was insensitive of me."
The six of us listen intently as Sozi reads the words inscribed on the cabinet. It's rather strange to be standing here with nothing to do mid-heist. Kaii and I exchange amused glances. He wiggles his eyebrows at me, making me laugh, which makes Kaii laugh too, and soon we're consumed by silent giggles. I look over my shoulder at Geb, who raises an eyebrow, perplexed by our laughter, which only makes me laugh harder. Geb shrugs and starts to laugh, too.
"Have you three gone completely mad?" Kamal asks quietly. "What’s so funny?"
"I don't know," I pant, grabbing Kaii's arm as I double over with laughter. He shifts and I lose my balance, placing my other hand on the cabinet door to steady myself. We all freeze. Our laughter ceases abruptly. I hadn't meant to touch the engraving. As soon as my hand lands on the carvings I hear voices speaking in my mind, like I did when I touched the Craven scroll in the library. But this time everyone else hears them too.
"Mila?" Sozi sounds fearful. "Can you lift your hand?"
Bracing my hand on Kaii's arm, I pull my fingers away from the cabinet. The voices stop, leaving an echoing silence in my mind like an empty cavern. I let out a breath of relief.
"Do we want to risk running your fingers over the text from the beginning?"
"It's dangerous," Geb says at once. "Remember last time? Something tried to get through Kaii."
"I won't touch him," I say. "Just the carvings. So, I can read the inscription."
"I studied Craven for four days," Sozi says morosely. His disappointment is palpable.
"Are you completely sure you'll say the words correctly?" I ask.
"No," he answers sadly.
"How about I'll start, and if it sounds right to you, we'll continue. If not, we'll let you feed us the translation. All right?"
Sozi sends affirmation, perking up a bit.
I let go of Kaii's arm and place my fingers at the top of the writing.
"Wait," Sozi cries out before I can begin. "Craven is written in lines from top to bottom, starting at the right-hand corner."
"See, we're lucky we've got you," Geb says, sending Sozi a mental nod.
Sozi beams back. "Okay. Go ahead."
I run my fingers across the carved letters. Words form in my mind, each rune swirling large in my consciousness. I move my lips to vocalize and start speaking in the same strangely accented voice I used in the library. Just like last time, I don't understand the words I'm speaking.
"Satul Grinhar, dvar tishual min hertser zoom piskal, dvar hertser min zaman.” The cabinet shimmers, glowing brighter with every word. My voice rises as I near the bottom of the inscription. "Zamin Hamnu, eyno ana, nese meuhar yoter."
As my fingers trace the last word, the cabinet door cracks open. The staff rests inside, lodged into a hole in the bottom and braced by two brackets higher up. Its purple crystals glow softly.
"That's it?" D'or asks. "It's kinda underwhelming. I expected something scarier."
I give him a flash of the eyes in the mist I saw last time. He sends back mental shudders. "Okay, that's scary."
"Do I just… pick it up?" I dart a glance at Geb. "I can take it with my sleeve or something."
"You came because of what it can do. You might as well touch it and see if it can free your power," he replies.
Kaii braces himself to lunge for the staff in case I get stuck again. I wrap my hand around the smooth bone, letting my fingers drift over the carvings on the staff. Now I recognize them as Craven.
"Mate' Haensof," I whisper the Craven words, pulling it towards me. At first, there's nothing. I feel silly, as if I've been dreading a visit for days, only to discover there's nobody home. Kaii leads the way back through the symbols. I try to follow him, but my feet are riveted to the ground.
"Kaii," I cry, as a black whirlwind envelopes my mind. My hand traces another inscription, my voice calling out words in Craven. "Boaa, hazan leivaled hgia. Kansu lolam Shelau. Hega Hzman."
Kaii lunges at me, pulling at my sleeves, trying to dislodge my hands from the staff, but as soon as he touches me, eyes open in my mind—eyes that belong to something terrible. The creatures in the mist laugh, drawing closer. A chill runs down my spine. My feet are frozen, as if I'm standing in turgid swamp water. Kaii's hands slide down my arm, as if he no longer has control of his limbs, until they touch the staff, curling around it like claws.
"Thank you," a strange voice speaks in my mind. It stings, like running my hand down a prickly flower stem. It isn't one of my friends, though I sense them watching in horror. "I've been trapped in here too long. Thank you for calling my children forth to be born."
Inky black swirls wisp around the staff, trapping my hands and Kaii's on the hilt. The black mist solidifies, taking form, rising to the ceiling of the room. There are eyes in the mist, dark pits that devour the surrounding light. The mist thickens; the creatures taking form look less like mist and more like tar. As the gathering darkness gains weight and consistency, the creatures ooze from the ceiling to the floor in thick, congealed puddles, surging towards us. I shudder, envisioning the creatures from the void enveloping us in black, drowning us in their bottomless eyes.
"What's happening?" My mind struggles to comprehend the horror before me.
"They're crossing over, being born into this world. Don't let them touch you!" Geb shouts.
"I have no intention of letting them touch me," I cry, "but I'm stuck to the staff. I can't move. Neither can Kaii."
"If they are corporeal, can we kill them?" Sozi shouts. Confusion and doubt swirl in my mind; none of us know for sure. "Geb, you have to do it."
"Get the bone weapons," Kamal shouts, "on the wall."
Geb rushes over to the racks of Svaalti bone weapons. There are many variations, all smooth and curved, decorated in runes of power. The handles are carved with delicate patterns.
"Beautiful," Kamal breathes. "Such craftsmanship".
"Stop admiring them and pick one," Geb shouts as the wraiths circle closer, howling like death.
"Take the short sword, second from the top,” Kamal shouts as D'or yells, "Take the dagger, third row!"
"Which one?" Geb halts, undecided.
"Both!" D'or and Kamal shout in tandem.
Geb grabs both weapons and pivots to face the wraiths. They ooze towards him like mobile pools of darkness.
“Oh, gast," he says.
"Don't think about it, don't question, just do what I think." Kamal orders.
Kamal visualizes a defensive position with the short sword, and Geb moves to stand accordingly. Their thoughts align, and they mesh into one unit, Kamal guiding the jabs and lunges in his mind and Geb executing them with his body. The first wraith charges and Geb runs it through. The creature shrieks when the sword touches it. Its form dissipates as the bone blade slices the creature in half, leaving a bubbling puddle on the floor like a miniature tar pit. D'or steps in to guide Geb's hand, pivoting and slashing with the dagger. Black spurts from the newborn monstrosities surrounding Geb. Razor-sharp teeth gnash and clash helplessly.
Geb moves as though he's been fighting with a sword and dagger all his life. I know he abhors violence, but the way his muscles flex and weave is mesmerizing, shredding the wraiths and leaving only onyx puddles behind. His movements are fluid and seamless, executing a graceful dance of death and destruction.
Geb drives forward, cutting a path through the wraiths to reach us, swerving and slicing at the monsters surrounding us till we stand shoulder to shoulder.
The creature in my mind howls. “No! Stop hurting my children!”
"To be fair, your children started it," Kaii quips.
The creature roars, surges. Suddenly, I'm no longer holding the staff. Kaii has both hands on it alone.
"Kaii!" I scream.
Somehow the creature retorts from inside Kaii's mind, its thoughts broadcasting through our link.
"He loves to taunt, this one. As meddlesome as his father. Could be a powerful Bone Master. Lucky for us, he has no access… A viper with no teeth. Reduced to stabbing with irksome pointed words. "
"Who are you?" Kaii asks, talking to the being inside his mind.
"Have you never heard of the great wizard C'naga?" It sounds almost offended. Kamal and D'or both broadcast fear at the name, but Kaii scoffs.
"My nursemaid used to tell me bedtime stories about C'naga… then I turned five and outgrew them."
"Why is he taunting the scary wizard?" Kamal think-whispers. D’or shudders.
"I don't think he can help it," Valla whispers back.
C'naga howls with rage. "I will be free of this prison. This vessel will suffice, unless…" Kaii raises the staff above his head, pointing the staff at me. "You have great power. You can free me. Give me form."
"Don't even think about it—" Kaii says in his own voice; then it cuts off like a snapped twig.
"You care about this boy," C'naga hisses, "and he cares for you. Will you not save him?"
"I won't free you," I say, advancing, my hand reaching for the staff. All I need is to recreate the moment of perfect clarity I'd felt when I first touched it. I desperately need to unlock all my power.
"Save me, Mila," Kaii gasps, approaching me but holding the staff high where I can't reach it. My breath catches as he strides towards me, his gray eyes pinning me in place as he closes the distance. "I know I've never been the one you chose, but choose me now." His arm circles my waist, drawing me flush against his chest. His lips hover just above mine, his spicy scent tantalizing. "Don't you want this as much as I do?"
Before I can react, he crashes his lips to mine. Geb growls behind me. Kaii's mouth teases mine, his lips searching for an opening. I try to use his distraction to grab the staff, but he's holding it away from me, behind his back.
"No. Kaii. No," I pant, pushing him away, my lips still tingling from the kiss.
"I'm supposed to be your future," Kaii thunders, his pupils blown so wide the black almost eclipses the gray. "Me, not him!"
"Kaii, stop it." I beg. "This isn't you. You don't even know what that sentence means. I like you. You're my friend, my good friend.” Kaii raises the staff in one hand and points his other hand at Geb.
"That's where you're wrong, Mila. Time to find out who you really end up with."
A blast of energy shoots from Kaii's outstretched palm, snaking through the air towards my boyfriend. The crackle and heat singe my skin as I step between them, intercepting the blast of bone magic aimed at Geb. The energy cascades off of my skin, repelled by my amulet tattoo.
"Enough!" Geb shouts from behind me. He circles around me, striding towards Kaii and lifting the Svaalti bone sword over his head. His jaw clenches. "You could have hurt Mila." His golden eyes blaze with a fury I've never seen in them before. "You asked me what I'd do to protect her. This is my answer."
Geb brings the massive bone sword crashing down.
Kaii moves to intercept it, his fingers flexing. He can't control Geb with bone magic, but he can control the sword. It slips from Geb's grasp, turning midair. With a second swipe, Kaii flicks his fingers, his face contorted and alien. I can barely recognize my friend in his hardened features. The sword hurtles forward, piercing Geb's abdomen just above the waist. Geb falters, his mouth opening and closing as he gasps in pain. His forward momentum towards Kaii halts, his legs buckle and he falls to his knees, crumpling like a puppet with cut strings. Blood pours onto the floor.
My heart stops at the sight of the blade jutting from his back.
“There—now you're free to explore other options." Kaii's voice is cold and detached, his smile twisted and lacking its usual mischief.
“No!" I scream out loud, raising both my hands.
My power thunders forth, filling me like a cup held under a waterfall. I've never felt so strong. The power sizzles along my skin, lighting the surrounding air. With one hand, I lift Kaii and pin him to the wall. His mouth opens in a cackle, seemingly unperturbed by being pinned down. His gray eyes are tinted crimson. It’s as if I’m staring into the eyes of a stranger; he looks like his father, cold and heartless.
I turn away from him and fall to my knees beside Geb. He coughs and a spray of blood spatters my shirt.
"No. No!" I run my hands over the bone sword. I need to heal him, but I can't do it without removing the sword impaling him.
"Can I remove it?" I ask Geb.
Blood flecks his lips. "It will make the bleeding worse if you do."
"Forget about him," Kaii cackles, his voice oddly accented and broken. "Let him die."
"That isn't Kaii," Geb thinks. Even his mental voice is weaker.
"Don't bother with that now," I implore.
He lifts a bloody hand to caress my cheek. "I love you and I always will. I'm so glad we finally got to be together."
"Stop it, you're not going to die. I won't allow it. Now stop distracting me."
Geb chuckles, coughing up another spray of blood. "That's my fierce girl," he thinks. At least he's stopped trying to talk out loud.
"How do I do this? What's the best way to remove the sword?" I touch the serrated edge. Geb hisses in pain. "Won't it slice him up more as I extract it?"
Valla and Sozi are shouting suggestions into my mind. My thoughts are scattered, whirling with anguish. I can't focus.
I need to think.
"QUIET," I say. All sound ceases. The world blanks out. "STOP."
Geb freezes, his breath no longer sawing in and out in painful shudders. Kaii remains motionless, and even his thoughts pause.
Better.
I don't want to pull the sword out; I just want it gone. It's bone. If I can command bone the way Opu Haku does, can I make it disappear? I wonder if I can disperse it into shards, crumble it to dust? As soon as I remove the sword, the parts of Geb being held together by the sword will bleed more. I have to fix him the instant the sword is free.
I focus on the elements comprising the bone sword, imagine them breaking down, smaller and smaller, into the tiniest particles. I brace myself, place my hands on the sword, and say, "DUST." The sword disappears beneath my hands, a fine powder falling all around us. I place my hands on Geb's bloody abdomen, blinking away the tears obstructing my vision.
"HEAL," I say, pouring every ounce of power I possess into the spell.
Under my hands, Geb's skin glows brighter, the flesh knitting back together. I shove his blood-soaked clothes aside so I can touch his clammy skin, pouring all my power, all my love into healing him, praying my love is enough to stitch him back together and keep him safe, keep him whole forever.
Gerwyn was right: emotion rules my power, and that emotion is love. It's always been love. My love for my brother, my love for Geb. Even my love for Kaii; a different kind of love, but love nonetheless. I need to harness it, take control of it, not only in times of great pain and fear, but always. Only if I embrace my heart will I be able to use my power. I've been letting my fear of losing the ones I loved rule me. Fear constrained me, determining when I could use my power, but now I finally understand. I have to push aside my fear, find the love at the base of all things.
I run my hands over Geb's skin, still slick with blood. I can no longer feel a wound. His skin feels whole again. I exhale and say, "START."
Geb breathes under my hands, his chest rising and falling, his smooth abdomen unbroken. His skin glows softly in time with his heartbeat. He pushes himself up on one elbow and raises a hand to my cheek. I can see myself through his eyes. My tears have left runny streaks through the tar sauce. I'm frightening.
"You are beautiful," he says, drawing my face down. His lips taste of blood and tar sauce. "And powerful and fearsome. And mine."
I rest my forehead on his for a moment, breathing him in. We both chuckle at the sticky sensation when our foreheads part.
"Can you get up?" I ask, rising and offering him a hand.
"Yes," Geb pushes to his feet to stand by my side, gripping the bloody bone dagger that fell from his hand when he collapsed. He points it at Kaii, still anchored against the wall. "That isn't Kaii," he says. "The body, yes, but not the mind."
