Vir opened his mouth to reply, but Disanna continued before he could.
“It is not our way to judge our demons’ pasts, Vir. We have all lived hard lives. Take solace in knowing you have done demonkind a favor in ridding the world of Harak. Mina was hardly any better.”
“It is our way, however, to defend our own,” Reth said.
“Your own…” Vir replied, understanding his meaning.
“We will fight these hunters, Vir. We will do what it takes to protect you, especially now that we know what you are. What you represent. No cost is too great,” Reth said. “Although, we must ask that you join us in return. Permanently.”
“That’s…” Vir had always been planning on staying. He was about to agree, but the words caught in his mouth. His mind lingered on Reth’s words.
No cost is too great.
“Lives will be lost, won’t they?” Vir asked.
“Most certainly,” Disanna said. “Our Ghael spies have confirmed Talent wielders among them. Strong ones. Ignoring them, there is the demon, whose prana is stronger than any being we’ve ever laid eyes on. We suspect that demon’s Balar Rank may even exceed 700.”
Vir paled. Wouldn’t that put the demon higher than the strongest Talent wielder in the Known World? Hiranya had such a hidden weapon?
When Riyan had ordered Vir to assassinate Mina, he’d feared this exact situation. He feared that nowhere in the Known World would be safe, despite Riyan’s assurances.
And now Riyan was gone—likely dead—and the Order was promising to protect him. At any cost.
Can I accept that?
How many demons would have to sacrifice themselves for his botched assassination? How many souls would Vir have to save to balance that scale?
Vir shook his head. It was impossible to weigh lives so mathematically. Rather, he refused to. People were precious. The Pagan Order would protect him, yes. But what right did he have to put the Order’s warriors in that position?
“Can I have some time to think about this?”
“Of course, but you should know that your pursuers are currently at Avi. Our operatives are doing what they can to delay their efforts, but we fear they will learn of your location soon. The earlier you decide, the better we can prepare.”
“I understand,” Vir replied. “I’ll have my answer by this evening.”
In the course of just a few words, the future that Vir had thought etched in stone was now once again nebulous and fraught with peril.
“One last thing,” Vir said. “May I show Maiya the Undercity? She’s known I was a demon, or Ashborn, ever since I was little. She defended me when others sought to do me harm. I swear on my life that she can be trusted.”
The Tribunal glanced at each other, exchanging unsaid comments, before replying.
“This is highly unusual. Can you swear to us that she will not leak this information back to Kin’jal?”
“I swear it on my father’s name,” Vir said immediately.
“Still, she must take an oath of secrecy. If she does prove an enemy of our people, there will be no escape for her. We have operatives in all countries. Even in the courts of Kin’jal. Furthermore, you are not to breathe a word of the Prana Siphon. Know that we extend this privilege as a special favor to you.”
Vir nodded. “I understand. You have my gratitude.”
The implications were dire, but he wasn’t worried. Maiya would never betray him.
It wasn’t her he was worried about. It was what Vir’s pursuers would do once they arrived at Balindam. Time was running out, and he had a decision to make. One that would alter his fate forever.
Vir walked out of the audience chamber to find Maiya leaning against a stone wall with her arms crossed, and Neel sitting on his haunches, looking up at her.
“You look like you’ve just seen a ghost,” she said.
“I may very well have,” Vir replied tiredly, kneeling to pet Neel.
“Thought they’d summoned you for accolades. What happened?”
“Well, they did. But there was more. Walk with me?” Vir said, beckoning Maiya to follow.
“Sure.”
“It’s Princess Mina,” Vir said in a low voice as they walked the castle’s narrow halls. “She’s sending a hunting party after me. A Mejai of Realms with a retinue of mejai. And a powerful demon. Really powerful. Like Balar 700, if they’re to be believed.”
“That’s not possible, Vir. How can Hiranya have anyone that powerful? The world would’ve known! Kin’jal would’ve known! Unless… I wonder if the Altani’s helping them keep this hidden.”
“I don’t know, Maiya. I really don’t know. But they sound like a real force to be reckoned with. Depending on their size and strength, I could be up against a combined Balar Rank of anywhere from 1500 to 5000.”
“Less, here in the Voidlands,” Maiya said. “Maybe you ought to just wait for them to come here? Those mejai will be powerless. Trust me, it feels horrible to be here. I feel naked.”
Vir shook his head. “They have Talent wielders too, apparently. And that demon alone is enough to end me. I struggled against the Brood Matron, and that was with a full party to back me up. That monster was ‘only’ Balar 200 or so. I can’t fight them, Maiya.”
“But the Order would defend you, right?”
“They would. If I agree to stay here, which I’d planned to, anyway. That’s exactly the problem,” Vir said, guiding Maiya through the castle’s halls. “Many would die.”
“Come with me to Kin’jal. We can hide you there.”
“I don’t think you can, Maiya. They followed me all the way to Avi, which means they’re tracking me somehow. They’re good. Very good.”
“Still, they won’t dare follow you there.”
“I’m not so sure about that. They pursued me to Rani, and I doubt they’ll have any qualms about coming here. If I were trying to assassinate someone, I wouldn’t wear anything incriminating. I doubt anyone would know Hiranya sent them. If you didn’t know about that Balar 700 demon, I doubt anyone else does, either.”
Maiya nodded slowly. “True. Which means they could strike anywhere. They’re a disposable, autonomous force, as crazy as that sounds.”
“Right.”
“That’s good, then!” Maiya said with delight.
“Sorry? How is that good?”
“Because Kin’jal can just crush them to dust.”
Yep. Those military nuts have definitely been rubbing off on her. Not that it’s a bad thing, Vir thought with a smile. He liked this new, tougher Maiya.
“Maybe,” he said. “Or maybe they just slit my throat in my sleep. I’m so sick of running, Maiya. Of being a fugitive. When I fled from Hiranya, I’d look behind my back whenever I went outside, wondering if that was the day assassins finally came for me. Whenever I ate outside, I’d worry my meals were poisoned. I… can’t live like that. Not anymore.”
“Hey,” she said, squeezing his hand. “We’ll get through this together. I promise.”
Vir nodded, entering the elevator shaft. He gestured to the operators, who began priming the lift’s mechanism to lower them.
“Where are we going?” Maiya asked as they stepped onto the lift. Neel planted his butt down and looked around with enthusiasm, tail wagging.
“You’ll see,” Vir said with a sly smile. “But first, I need you to swear to secrecy with these demons here as your witness. What you see cannot be revealed to anyone. Not to Kin’jal, not anyone. Let alone Princess Ira. Is that understood?”
Noticing the shift in his tone, Maiya stiffened and nodded. “I’d never betray you. You know that. Kin’jal pays me well, but I’m certainly not divulging all my secrets to them. I swear on the names of my mother and father that I won’t share what I see today to anyone.”