Exile by Rowena Cory Daniells

Author:Rowena Cory Daniells
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Fantasy, Retail, E-Book
ISBN: 9781781080139
Publisher: Solaris
Published: 2012-07-30T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-Three

TOBAZIM PATROLLED THE ruined palace’s wall-walk. As the sun dipped towards the west, frustration drove his steps. It was midsummer’s eve, and over the next eight days, everyone would be celebrating, indulging in sanctioned trysting – and a fair amount of illicit trysting, from what he gathered.

But not him. The hand-of-force had done it again, sending the Malaunje warriors from the winery, along with the same dozen T’En adepts and initiates, to patrol the walls of both palaces. It was far more than they needed. Why, back when the city had first been attacked, he and Learon had...

The pain hit him, and the guilt.

He turned and gripped the stone, until he could control his gift.

Chariode’s palace came into focus. The exterior appeared fine, but inside it was ruined, like Kyredeon’s brotherhood.

The all-father had complained that he’d won Chariode’s brotherhood, but all he had to show for it was half a dozen young initiate warriors, a ruined palace, estates he would have to abandon, a missing shipping fleet, and over two dozen Malaunje non-combatants, who he had to shelter and feed, for which he blamed Tobazim.

But Tobazim didn’t care. He was glad he’d saved the women and children.

Now he understood why a high-ranking male like his old gift-tutor served out his days on a distant winery instead of taking his place in his brotherhood’s inner circle. His gift-tutor had chosen to banish himself. Sometimes exile was the best path.

The realisation surprised him.

Unfortunately for him, he no longer had the option of voluntary exile from Kyredeon’s palace. He was stuck in the city. What he needed was a shield-brother, someone at his back who he could trust with his life. Their gifts would augment each other, making them both more powerful. More power would protect them both from Kyredeon, but it would also attract his ire. It was a two-edged sword.

Taking a shield-brother was not something to be done lightly. It was for life. Sometimes when one died, the other died with him. And, as much as Tobazim needed to know there was someone he could place absolute trust in, he could not imagine binding just anyone to him. The bond of shield-brother, like the bond of devotee and T’En, was sacred and not to be entered into lightly.

All of which brought him back to this. He was alone in a brotherhood whose vindictive leaders had singled him out as a threat.

Just then Athlyn, Eryx and Haromyr joined him. Tobazim gestured to the free quarter, where they could hear singing and laughter.

‘If you associate with me, you’ll never rise in the brotherhood ranks. All you have to do is deny me and you could be taking part in the festivities.’

‘Tobazim...’ Athlyn whispered, hurt that he would even suggest it.

He could have kicked himself. If these brothers thought life impossible, they’d do something stupid and symbolic like Learon.

‘Just look at the city.’ Eryx gestured, changing the subject. ‘Have you ever seen anything more beautiful?’

Tobazim looked up. The white towers and domes climbed all the way to the sisterhoods’ palaces on the peak.

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