“I’m Janel Theranon. This is my dearest friend Qown, formerly—” She turned to Qown. “Is it formerly?”
The man grimaced. “My status is uncertain.” To Kihrin, he said, “I’m Brother Qown, a votary of the Vishai Mysteries. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“Likewise,” Kihrin said, but his stare remained locked on Janel.
Janel. He felt like an idiot. She had a name. Of course she did. In all the years since Xaltorath had forced her image into his mind, he’d never wondered what her name might be. Janel could even be a common name. Maybe Janels in Jorat were like Tishars in the Capital. Something meaning pretty or blessed or—in this dominion—something to do with horses.
“Janel,” he said. “Why wouldn’t I remember you if we’ve met?”
She lowered her voice. “Because you were dead.”
He glanced around. People had stopped paying any attention after Janel had vouched for him. “I’d appreciate a little more detail.”
Kihrin’s friend Teraeth had a free visitor’s pass to and from the Afterlife, thanks to his mother, who just happened to be Thaena, Goddess of Death.4 And Thaena often brought others back to life—himself, for example, just two days before. The idea he’d been dead when they met was possible.
Unnerving, but possible.
“Very well,” Janel said. “I have the ability to travel between the Living World and the Afterlife. I was in the latter when you were sacrificed to Xaltorath, two days ago. I helped you fight your way past the demons hunting you, so you could Return to the Living World.”
His mouth dried. “And how did you know I’d be … here?”
The priest, Qown, turned to her. “Janel, I don’t think—”
“Shh,” Janel said before returning to Kihrin. “When we met in the Afterlife, you told me your story. You’d died trying to stop Gadrith D’Lorus, whom you suspected of plotting to kill the emperor. On waking, I discovered the emperor was dead. Gadrith was dead. And someone had broken the Stone of Shackles, which freed all gaeshed slaves—but likewise freed all gaeshed demons. And I know destroying a Cornerstone like the Stone of Shackles requires the sword Urthaenriel, also known as Godslayer.”
Kihrin managed not to swallow. She’d hit the major points. “All very interesting, but I’m not hearing an explanation.”
She lifted her chin. “I was looking for you, but I couldn’t find you.” Janel lowered her voice again. “Magic couldn’t find you. And since I’d used a Cornerstone to search, the easiest explanation for why it failed was that you must be holding Godslayer.5 It’s somewhere on you, right now. Since we had no way to track you, we took a chance that sooner or later you’d try to use the gate system.”
“And…?” Kihrin motioned for her to continue.
“And we bribed the Gatekeepers Guild to watch for you.”
“That way they would link you here to this Gatestone rather than your original destination,” Qown added.
“Jorat.”
Janel tilted her head. “Excuse me?”
“I was already coming here. To Jorat. Because I need to—” Kihrin stopped himself.
Because I need to find the Black Knight, Kihrin thought. Because a single person isn’t going to fulfill the prophecies as the Hellwarrior. We suspect they refer to a quartet, with only three accounted for so far: Therin’s son, Doc’s son, and Sandus’s son.
Which means there’s one more son to go.6
Kihrin realized she still waited on him to finish explaining why he was there. Instead, he smiled and asked, “Where are we in Jorat, anyway?”
“Avranila,” Janel said. “A town in the northeast.” She sighed. “I’d hoped you might make it here sooner. What delayed you?”
“I needed a bath,” Kihrin said.
She didn’t seem to find that funny.
Kihrin sighed. “There was a Hellmarch going on in the Capital. Refugees swamped any Gatestone within ten miles of the Capital, and we had to walk because Scandal wasn’t about to let anyone ride her. We ended up traveling another thirty miles to reach the next available gate. And I wondered at how easy it was to bribe that Gatekeeper; he must have been taking extra metal to follow your orders.”
Janel cleared her throat. “Just as well. We worried some enterprising Gatekeeper would try to play it both ways.”
Brother Qown added, “There is a reward offered by House D’Mon for your ‘safe return.’”
“I’m not surprised. I’d been missing for a few years. No one’s had a chance to take down the ‘lost pet’ notices.” Kihrin raised a hand to catch the bartender’s attention. “Hey, can I get a cider over here? And whatever your special is.”
Janel touched her fingers on his wrist. “We don’t have time for food. That’s what I’m trying to explain. Your help is needed elsewhere right away. That’s why we brought you here.”
A large banging echoed down the corridor. The crowd froze, and several townsfolk stood to get a better view of the new arrivals.
But there were no new arrivals. Instead, Star and the old groom who had been helping with the horses walked into the main tavern.
The woman wiped her hands on her apron. “I hope no one had any important plans. We’ve had to lock up the storm door.”
Groans filled the room.
Janel stood again. “We’ll leave as soon as one more person arrives.”
The groom shook her head. “No, you won’t. Nobody’s coming or going. Tempest outside’s gone into murder mode. You won’t survive five minutes if you go out there right now. So sit down and enjoy the company until the worst blows over.” The old woman gave Janel a sharp look. “That last person you’re waiting on? Sorry, but he’s missing the party.”
“He’s late,” Janel conceded. “He was supposed to be here by now.”
“Yeah? Well, I was supposed to be the Markreev of Alvaros, so we don’t always get what we want. Anyhow, what with demons starting Hellmarches from one side of Quur to the other, your friend showing up at all, storm or no storm, was always a bit on the iffy side.” The old woman turned and headed to the bar, seating herself on a chair and shouting for a bottle. To Kihrin’s surprise, Star followed her, bypassing Kihrin’s table.
Kihrin startled. “Wait, did she say Hellmarches? Plural?”
Janel and Qown both stared at him.
“Uh, that’s not a trick question.”
Janel smoothed her trousers, which she wore tucked into hard riding boots. “Yes, Hellmarches. Xaltorath has roamed free since before you broke the Stone of Shackles. She’s been busy inviting her friends to the party ever since.”
Despite having ordered food, he felt sick to his stomach. “I … I didn’t realize.”
“Not all is lost,” Janel said. “The Eight Immortals fight to keep the demons too occupied to overrun the Living World. They’ve pushed them back before. I’ve every faith they’ll do so again.”
And Kihrin had every faith in her naïveté.7 “Fine. You’ve gone through a lot of effort to find me.” He looked Janel in the eyes. “Why?”