He decided he would tell her about how he had tracked Odili to the meeting with the Xiddeen. He would tell her about the surrender. She should know. He wanted her to know. “No more secrets,” he said.
She looked nervous. She took his hands in hers, and she told him. “Days ago, before the melee, the Gifted Citadel learned that the queen intends to meet with the Gifted leadership and Guardian Council. She will do it the day after tomorrow, after she has declared the melee’s winner.”
“So soon?” Tau said, surprising her.
“You heard it too?” she asked. “The queen will call her war leaders to the Guardian Keep.” She gripped Tau’s hands. “I think they’re planning a massive attack. I think they’re going to graduate the Ihashe, Indlovu, and Gifted initiates early. I think they’re going to join us with rest of the military, to take the war to the hedeni.”
“You… you what? No.”
“The signs are there. Tau, they’ve called me to active duty. I’ll be an Enrager. I’ll be an Enrager for Kellan Okar.”
There it was. “Enrage? Kellan Okar?” His voice rose with every word, he pulled his fingers free of hers, and balled his hands into fists.
“I couldn’t do it. I wouldn’t. Not after what you told me. I confronted him, Tau. I ordered him to me and I confronted him. I accused him of Aren’s murder. I told him it was you in the circle in Citadel City.”
“You did what!”
“It wasn’t Kellan’s fault—”
“You did what!”
“It was Odili. He wanted Kellan to kill you, and when your father stepped in, he wanted Aren to die. Kellan thought the only way he could spare Aren’s life was by taking his hand. He used the maiming as an excuse. He used it to claim that he had taken everything that made Aren a man. Tau, he was ordered by a guardian councillor to kill you and your father. He tried to save you both.”
Tau’s hands were shaking and he could see demons in the tent with them. There were two behind Zuri and he could hear the slavering of another behind him. He slammed his eyes shut, tried to calm down, but the demons were there when he opened them.
“Get out,” he said, his voice trembling with strain.
“Kellan’s father was killed for treason cycles ago. His family disgraced. Odili became his patron when he saw how well Kellan was doing at the citadel. Kellan knows Odili’s reputation, but his patronage keeps Kellan’s mother and sisters from poverty.” Zuri was trying to read his face to see if she was getting through. “He had a hard time telling me that, Tau. I don’t think he’s the man you believe him to be.”
“You betrayed me,” Tau said. “You betrayed me and gave that cur the weapons he needed to defeat me and my brothers.”
“I didn’t. That was not my—”
“Get out!”
“No, I won’t!” Zuri shouted back. “You’re not listening. You’re twisting this.”
“Twisting it? You come to me, tell me you’re consorting with—”
“Consorting?”
“You spin tales of military attacks, hiding behind lies to mask the fact that you’ll be tied to the man who helped murder my father.”
“He was trying to save you! Both of you!”
The two demons were standing right behind her. Leering from over her shoulders. One of them showing teeth as long as Tau’s hands. “Get out!”
“No!”
Tau stood and retrieved his swords. “I can’t stomach it, the filth and lies spewing from your mouth.” He stalked to the tent’s entrance, avoiding the demons, and paused there. “No more secrets?” he said. “I know why the queen is calling the military leadership together. It’s not to wage war. She’s calling them to arrange our surrender.”
“What? No… No, that’s not right…”
If Zuri said anything more, Tau didn’t hear. He left her and her lies in that demon-filled tent. He left to find Jayyed. No more secrets.
HORNS
Jayyed was in the scale’s tent. He was sitting on the dirt floor with Anan. They had their heads together, talking. Tau moved through the room, ignoring the stares from his sword brothers. He went straight for Jayyed.
“Umqondisi, I need to speak with you.”
“Tau? You should be resting and, more than that, you should not be here. Armed and full-blooded Indlovu have been wandering through the Lesser half of the Crags all evening. I have little doubt they’d love to run across you.”
“It’s important.”
“Let it keep till morning. Let everyone’s blood cool.”
“Umqondisi,” Tau insisted.
Jayyed sighed. “Join us.”
“All respect, it’s a private matter.”
Anan’s brow creased at that, but he acquiesced. “Have your talk.”
“Umqondisi, here would not be a good place.”
“Mmm…,” said Jayyed. “The tent we gave you, then?”
“Somewhere else.”
“It’s been a strange day. This isn’t helping. Follow me.”
They left the scale’s tent and climbed farther up the Crags. Neither man said a word until they left the fires and noise of the melee encampment behind.
“What is this?” Jayyed asked.
“I followed you and Odili to the Crags.”
Jayyed brought a hand to his face, tugging the left side of his mouth like it itched. “You left the isikolo to follow me and a guardian councillor into the Crags? How many times would you like them to hang you, Tau? ”
Tau said nothing.
“And today you abandoned your brothers so you could kill the nephew of the queen’s champion.”
“You know why.”
“Have you learned nothing other than how to swing a sword?”
“When I first came to you, I came because it was my path to justice.”
“You didn’t hear me after Citadel City? Okar is a Greater Noble, and you know I have little love for them, but he’s not an evil man.”
“You’re the second person to tell me that today, which I find strange, since I am neither looking nor asking for opinions on the matter.”
“Do you trust the other person? The one who vouched for Okar?” Jayyed asked.
“I thought so.”
“Until they told you what you didn’t want to hear.”
“I know who he is.”
“No, you don’t,” said Jayyed. “You do know who I am. You do, I think, know who the other person is, the one vouching for Okar. Trust the people you know. Trust those who care for your well-being.”
Tau shook his head. “This is not why I asked you here.”
“I don’t imagine it is.”
“We can’t surrender. We’re Chosen,” Tau said.
“If we lose the war, there won’t be any Chosen.”
Tau gestured with his hands. “What do you think happens if we surrender? How much do we give up?” He pointed to Jayyed. “Already, your daughter has been bargained away. I saw that. I saw Odili’s face. I know he was part of that trade. He wanted you to suffer.”