Chương 48: Memories (House of)

Lennick's comments give me room for experimentation. I need to understand how the Geistersinne concoction works in order to find a solution against it. I spend the next couple of days absolutely obsessed with it. Trial and error. I wonder if I can test it on anyone. Prisoners, maybe? Although, that does seem rather barbaric. I don't take to willingly torturing people without good reason or compensation. Memories, it appears, are rather easy to manipulate.

My own, for example, were almost gone if not for Minx and her vessel triggering one of them that I'd all but forgotten. Since then, there were other things that happened during my childhood that have pushed themselves back up to the surface. Hide-and-seek with one of my best friends where the branches of the trees seemed to bend inward toward me, hiding me most effectively. If I hid in a tree, I never failed to win the game. When I went hunting with my father, I never failed to be silent.

He always commented on my ability to be completely undetectable. Mother was always impressed that I found the ripest berries, the fullest flowers. Everything natural I touched always worked in my favor. All these little things show me just how much magic has always been a part of my life. It's just that I didn't notice. Or connect the dots. Once I refocus on a memory, I remember it with crystal clarity. Just like the fighting of the constructs those months ago. At first it was hazy, and now it's sharp.

Including those smoke bombs that dissipate the golems' construction. Blood thinners. The perfect weapon against Blood Sect constructs. Now everyone from this Enclave has one of them in their necessity pack. Just in case. I jiggle the tiny vial of Geistersinne milk extract in front of me. How can something this tiny do so much damage?

"Why on earth are you so focused on that stuff?" Lennick is yawning as he enters the lab.

"It's so early in the morning not even the sun is up, Taria. You're not going to solve this problem by sheer force of will."

"I can try, can't I?"

"Heh. If you want to expend that much energy. Be my guest."

"Thanks." I'm focused on this vial and on the tests I'm performing on it. Datura doesn't work, chamomile doesn't work, neither does lavender or a slew of other herbs I've tried to pit against it. Nothing dilutes the effects. I'm almost ready to give up. Except that's not something I do.

"What is it?" Lennick asks as he readies the ingredients he needs for the day. I notice he's pulling out some of the kits, which means the trainees have exams coming up. Speaking of which…I realize I haven't given a class since we got back from Sorrishen.

"When am I teaching again?" He glances at me.

"Aarron suggested it might be a better use of your time to hone your unique magical skills."

"Aarron told you to teach them yourself or find someone else?" I rephrase it for both our sakes. The Prefect doesn't really make "suggestions." Lennick shrugs.

"Pretty much. I don't mind, either. You're busy enough."

"But I…" I pause for a moment; not entirely sure I want to admit this out loud. Oh well.

"I did find myself mostly enjoying the classes." I say the last quietly, but I know my mentor hears me.

"Very well. I'll see if we can't spare one or two of them still for you." It sounds like Lennick prefers this outcome. For a while, it's silent in the lab, which is fantastic for my concentration, yet irritating for my mood. Especially since I can't seem to find the solution I want. I know it's in this solution somewhere. It has to be. Frustration welling inside, I delve down through the stone, out to the earth around us, begging for some sort of assistance.

It's a reach, and I know it; it's not like the elements can actually talk. But I should have known better, because, as always, they surprise me. Images of a plant flood through my mind. At first, it's vague and could be anything, but slowly it becomes sharper, clearer, and I realize what it is. It's difficult to contain my excitement. Doubly so because it's such a common plant, I can't believe I didn't think to test it before this. Jumping up, I rush out into the herb garden.

Hell, I don't even need to go into the atrium for this. The one I'm seeking just grows everywhere. It's like a weed in its avarice to occupy every single known surface. And just as I expected, it's there. I pluck the sage, careful to bring the roots with it, and bring it inside. Lennick is engrossed in his own work, and Mavix has led in the most recent batch of scryers. It's louder inside than it was when I left, but I don't care.

I spread the sage out on the stone table, stretching it so I can get a good look at the health, at its state. It seems to be in excellent condition. One thing I got from the elements' message was that it must be in a completely fresh state when it's picked. Such a common herb and yet… It's almost like the milk of the Geistersinne actively tries to get away from it. The liquid bends and scatters. Surely it can't be that simple. Sage, in minuscule amounts, wouldn't even be detectable in water.

Plus, it's a fantastic herb to burn for purification rites. It's used Arralesh over in some of the more dedicated areas. That's something we need to bring back. Sage burning. Let it catch on—let them realize on their own the infractions that have been committed.

"You look happy with yourself," Lennick comments.

"I think I may have a solution far simpler than I'd imagined." And I do feel rather chuffed. This is a good morning's work. As long as I can figure out distribution.

"Sage repels the liquid, and thus, I have to believe it would have the same effect when it comes to the vapor. If nothing else, it should help protect people." And that's just it. That's what sage does. It clarifies and clears the air. I grew up with my mom smoke cleansing everything. But I can't remember the last time I did it myself. Just when did it fall out of use? That the Blood Sect has been this prevalent for so long as to interfere in the way the people of Arralesh perform cleansing rites?

I shudder to think just how deep their roots go. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. It's time we pluck them out of their comfort zone. Lennick sighs and I look over at him. It's a theatrical sound, unlike a genuine one. Which means he's fishing for something.

"Out with it. What do you want?"

"Can't pull one over you." He glances back at the scrying room.

"So. Are you ever going to show me this additional element?" I blink at him; I forgot I've not shown him anything. After the whole Lareny debacle and making it back, I've just been so busy. Air is the easiest thing to work with in order to practice. After all, it's everywhere around us, inside us. And I can make it do anything. If I want to, I can fabricate a poisonous cloud and float it over to someone, but that requires use of both air and water. Those two don't always cooperate well together.

"Sorry." I smile and push the vials and trays I've been using to the side, making sure the Geistersinne milk isn't likely to spill or anything. Wouldn't want to make everyone here forget stuff without targeting the subject matter first. What can I show him? Then it strikes me. I pluck just one sage leaf off the plant and float it over to him. It travels through the air light as a feather, wobbling a little as if on a breeze. Which, technically, it's traveling on.

Except I'm actually subtly modifying the air currents. I make it land directly in his open palm, allowing it to tickle the skin just briefly before coming to rest. Lennick is smiling when I focus on his face. It's a wondrous expression, a light one I've not seen before. Maybe the magic brings out the kids in all of us. I know it would for me, if I felt my childhood hadn't been stolen.

"That's pretty special." He seems so grateful to have seen it that I feel bad not being more excited by what I showed him.

"It's nothing. The bare minimum I can do actually." He shakes his head.

"That's not it. Just seeing that and the easy control you exert over it gave me a sense of peace. You've never been a loose cannon, nor have you been what I would call an irresponsible or reckless. So the fact that you can do this isn't a bad thing. But that you chose to show me something so harmless and gentle? I'm not afraid you're going to blow up the Enclave or bury us in our sleep or anything. Understand?"

"Great," I mutter.

"I really wasn't scared of those things before you mentioned them either." Lennick laughs at my comment, but I'm not kidding. I never thought of that. What if I have a bad dream and suck the entire mountain under in my panic? I can feel the laughter of the elements run through me. Smart asses. Still. Having this life, these voices constantly around me, I feel safe, even if Lennick's comment scared me a little.

"You know it's a good thing you have these powers, right?" I look at Lennick who's walked over to my side of the lab desk.

"Yeah. Maybe. Even if sometimes I'd prefer to smite a person."

"You won't. Unless you're getting paid, right?" He grins at me.

"And thanks again for saving Lareny. She's back at full health, thanks only to you." To me and my ability to heal. It still feels like an odd oxymoron. An assassin who heals. An assassin who saves people. Where did I trip up? I dive back down into the herbs, manipulating the sage and refining the method I'll need to distribute the memory reinforcing antidote. It's not like the mist poisons people; it just makes them forget whatever subject or incident is carried with the miasma.

If they've witnessed something they shouldn't have, it can make them forget the event entirely. If I prepare the sage in the way directed, I should be able to circumvent and negate the effects of the vapor.

When I look up again, it's dark. Lennick is gone, and the only people around from what I can sense are those people in the scrying room. Instead of peaceful like it usually feels in here, there's a level of tension underlying the Enclave right now, and I'm trying to pinpoint it. There are screeches echoing around the stone as it eagerly tries to inform me of the current state of affairs. I'm uncertain how to interpret it. But I do know something bad has happened.

Aarron's door isn't closed or sealed, and he's angry. I can tell from the small vibrations he's giving off that reach me through the rock. He never gives anything away, so this has to be huge. Slowly, I push myself up and peek into the scrying chamber. I know a few of the faces but no names, and I nod at the supervisor before exiting the lab. It's not far to the Prefect's office, but the closer I get, the more anger seeps through the earth to me.

So much that it's difficult to tell whether it's the elements, myself, or Aarron. His presence in the office is so large that it's hard to get a reading on who else is in there. Deshan, Sevrin, Lareny, Lennick… but even more? Wow, they must be squished. There are two bodies I don't know enough about to identify as well as two I think I know. If I'm right, Dougrant and Larshell are in there too. I haven't seen Larshell for a couple of years.

She's almost as tall as I am, so around five foot seven, I think, lithe and always wears a scowl. Her dark hair is no-nonsense braided, and she always wears her jacket hood up, and a half face mask slotted in front of her mouth. Frankly, I thought she was dead. Tension leaks out into the hall, and I stand there, in the doorway, waiting, trying to figure out just why everyone seems so on edge.

"…any idea?" Aarron's voice is calmer than I expected considering the rage emanating from him.

"No clue." Dougrant is sweating. I can't tell whether he's nervous or whether he ran here. Likely the latter. I've never seen anyone, not even Aarron actually rattle the man. Larshell wears a mask, as usual, but her bright blue eyes scour the room like she's made out of steel wool. Her heartbeat is steady, her breathing even. In fact, no one in here is nervous, no one is worried for themselves. Just a general feeling of trepidation. Curioser and curioser.

Mithris jogs upon my right-hand side, sliding past with practiced ease, his footsteps silent and his breathing steady. He's late, but then, from the smell of him, he's been in the dungeons. With their distinctive scent, it's never difficult to tell someone's been there now that I know how to differentiate it.

"You're trying to tell me—someone got past all our defenses to take out one of our own?" Aarron reminds me of a pot that's simmering. It hasn't quite reached the boiling point where it's about to make the lid jingle against the pot edge, but it's getting there if we don't let some of the steam out. Deshan crosses his arms.

"Reports tell us no one saw anything. Whoever did it got in and out without any of us being alerted." That sounds ominous. I swear Aarron is about to pop.

"In and out. Are you trying to tell me someone bypassed all our security?"

"Either that"—Mithris shrugs, giving off that insufferable know-it-all air that he has—"or we have a spy in our midst." Aarron's reaction to that comment both meets my expectations and totally blows them out of the water.

"A spy. Here. In this Enclave?" He takes a step from around his desk and stalks toward his third in command. In his defense, Mithris doesn't move. He doesn't even flinch. Their gazes meet and there are no sparks or challenges, just this steady stream of daring between them. It's fascinating to watch since neither of them give any ground. Again, it makes me wonder just what it is between them. It almost feels like a rivalry, but Aarron is decades older than Mithris.

This air about them, as if they're on opposite sides somehow. Finally, the Prefect stops in front of Mithris, hands on his hips.

"You're trying to tell me that someone made it past all the failsafes I've put in place?" Mithris grins.

"Not impossible, Aarron, and you know it." Something passes between them so fast, I wonder if I truly see it. Aarron almost takes a step back. What the hell does Mithris have on the Prefect? Now Lennick speaks up.

"She's not out of the woods yet, but it's still possible that she makes a complete recovery. Especially once I get some help with her treatment." Not one person in the room appears to be shocked by that, nor do they seem discouraged or upset. So whoever it is that's been attacked, the people directly in this room don't seem concerned with her waking up or not. Interesting.

"Taria, just come in. It's unseemly to stand just beyond the door when we all know you're there anyway." Aarron clucks his tongue in annoyance after commanding me into the room. He doesn't even ask why I'm there. He's probably already guessed how I figured the meeting out. The air whispers in my ears, while the water hums through my veins and the earth through the soles of my feet. If I was anyone else, I'd probably think I was hearing voices, having problems, and needed help.

"There was an overwhelming sense of urgency" is all I say as I complete sidling into the overfilled room. Aarron really should consider using one of the larger offices as a conference room. Lennick directs a tight smile in my direction.

"I'll be needing your help tonight, Taria. I have a patient whose healing needs more potent concoctions." I nod. He knows I'll always come to his aid. Dougrant raises an eyebrow at me. I'm not sure why he seems to dislike me. Perhaps it has to do with the chimera incident, even though I think the dislike stemmed from before, too.

"She'll be fine, I'm sure of it."

"And how are you sure of that, Dougrant?" Lareny asked. There, just beneath her tone is the same irritation I remember hearing while we were Novices. There's something between Lareny and Dougrant that makes her dislike him. Always has been.

"Minx is hardier than you think…" But the rest trails off and I don't hear anything else. All I can focus on is that Minx is the one who was attacked, and now it's all I can see. Minx was attacked within our walls within days of us coming back with a member of the Blood Sect. Attacked within days of helping me decipher information about Aarron and the Blood Sect. About everyone around me. And attacked after revealing that everything that's happened has been part of a bigger, machinated destiny. Shit. Damn it.

I've got to make sure Minx makes it.