Scorio flushed. Helminth was studying him with unabashed interest and hunger. “I don’t think my technique is relevant to the problem at hand.”
“It’s not, but you can’t blame me for asking.” Helminth laughed in amazement and then waved her hand. “Proceed.”
Scorio did so. His conversation with Moira immediately drew everyone’s attention.
“She’s at odds with Praximar? Or at least claims to be so?”
“Her aid allowed me to kill Davelos.”
“You killed Davelos.”
Scorio’s voice grew soft and lethal. “Oh yes.”
“By the ten hells and the skies above.” Helminth turned to her companions as if to share her amazement. “Will wonders never cease? But Moira. Now that is a key element. Did she touch you?”
“No.”
“Good. Do you know whom she’s touched in Bastion?”
“Yes, a former classmate of mine. Ravenna, with House Kraken. I know she’s also connected to Dameon.”
“And Praximar. Interesting. Very interesting. Ravenna, I remember her well. She was in a friendly rivalry with Jova Spike, was she not? Long-range attack, denoting a reserved personality, cerebral, pensive. Very intense, I recall, but she broke after her defeat to Jova. Signed up promptly with House Kraken. Interesting indeed. Repeat again Moira’s stated objectives?”
Scorio did so, then at Helminth’s prompting continued to his journey to the Chasm, his killing of Evelyn—
“A second Dread Blaze? Scorio, this simply isn’t done.” Helminth looked inordinately pleased. “Dameon must be having kittens.”
“Wait till you hear how Scorio shattered the castle on Azurith with his rod,” muttered Naomi.
Helminth sat forward again. “What?”
“Dameon was too well guarded in his castle.” Scorio fought to not sound defensive. “So I thought it best to drop the castle on his head. A pity Jova was there to hold back the blocks.”
The silence in the cavern ached.
“He attacked Manticore’s home island?” asked the large, soft looking man, tone dreamy with awe and disbelief. He tugged at his bulbous, mis-aligned nose and raised his brows at Helminth.
“Dameon got away, though. One of his Great Souls, a young woman called Sindra, teleported them both here to Bastion. We flew away on The Sloop and came directly here. The rest you know. We flew right into the ruins and from there I set about learning what I could.”
“Very well. Now let me think.” Helminth rose and began to pace. “What are your goals, Scorio?”
“Simple. Kill Dameon and Praximar.”
“Simple,” laughed Helminth. “Quite. Very well.” She continued her pacing, brow furrowed. “No element of surprise, and given your killing of Davelos, Evelyn, and attacking Azurith it will be hard to make them underestimate you. Moira would not reveal her true allegiance to you without greater knowledge of the situation, information only she is privy to. That means there’s something opportune about this time, a reason she would be willing to confide in you. The heart oaths preclude… but then again, loop holes can always…” Helminth paused and stared fixedly at nothing.
“I love it when she does this,” said a black-eyed young woman as she idly curled a strand of ink-black hair around her pale finger.
Helminth nodded decisively. “We’ll need to confirm this with Moira by means of Ravenna, but I suspect she’s counting on Druanna to aid us.”
“Druanna?” Scorio stared at Helminth. “She’s alive?”
“She was executed shortly after her assault on The Coffer, supposedly,” said Helminth. “But I always thought that suspect. She was helpless while under Simeon’s possession, and easily controlled.”
“Easily? She could summon an invincible—”
“But only while she could see. She can only activate her power when she can see where her eidolon was meant to appear. Keep her blindfolded and she’s helpless.”
“Oh,” breathed Naomi. “So you think Praximar…?”
“It’s too risky for Moira to throw in with Scorio. A Flame Vault against a Pyre Lord, his House, and all of Manticore? No. She must have intelligence we aren’t privy to, but when all is said and done we can only defeat our foes by killing them. With ambushes and assassinations out, that means acquiring a force that can go toe to toe with them, and that means Druanna.”
Excitement quickened in Scorio. “How certain are you of this?”
“It’s a solid assumption, but still only that. It’s entirely possible she has other elements in play we know nothing about. Hence our need to talk to her. It’ll have to be Ravenna, as unfortunately all the other agents whom she’s touched that I know of are members of House Hydra. We’d have to capture one and force them to act as an intermediary, but that would be tricky, as they’d realize we’d have to kill them thereafter unless they turned traitor, too.”
Helminth tapped her lips and resumed pacing. “Obvious allies: House Kraken, but their leadership has been crippled by heart oaths. Ravenna would thus serve more than one function, which Moira must have counted on. It helps that you have that emotional entanglement with her—”
“No emotional entanglement.”
“As that will assist in determining how sincere Ravenna is. Now, Dameon’s Dread Blaze power is something to keep in mind as well; it allows him to visualize the multiple paths to accomplishing his goals, and determine the danger and chances of success of each. His goal must be to kill you; his ego demands nothing less. Waiting for you to strike would grate on his patience. He’ll want to act. Which means anticipating your moves, which would involve… not searching the ruins, but laying a trap. House Kraken?”
Scorio hesitated for a second, trying to determine whether she was asking him a question.
“House Kraken,” Helminth confirmed. “The rest of Manticore will be flooding the city soon, say half its original number, forty of fifty Great Souls. The remnants of the army he hoped to lead to the Silver Unfathom.” Helminth grimaced. “I’m not familiar with all of their abilities, but most will be Tomb Sparks and Flame Vaults, limiting their powers to offensive capabilities, controlling others, obfuscating themselves, and either manipulating their environment or their very form. Not particularly useful for locating us. He’ll keep them close as personal guards. Simeon and Ydrielle are absent, leaving Crush, but her powers won’t help in this particular situation, so….”
There was a moment of silence.
“You lost me,” said Scorio at last.
Helminth blinked and smiled. “We need to arrange a meeting with Ravenna. Everything will depend on what we learn from Moira, and if we can trust Ravenna to alert us to Dameon’s trap or if she tries to spring it on us. Maron?”
The doughy man with the ruined features tugged his hood down low. “I’ll find her.”
“Good.” Helminth sat again, placed her hands on her knees, and beamed at Scorio. “That’s settled. Tea?"
Chapter 61
It took Maron a full day to get in touch with Ravenna. His power disguised him as whatever kind of person his target expected to see in any given location. In Ward 4 he might appear as a hard-bitten yet cowed worker; around the Academy, he might stand tall and move with the briskness of a courier delivering important messages; and around House Kraken, he took on the ever-changing appearance of a House servant, his features changing from moment to moment in each passerby’s mind.
While they waited, Helminth gathered everyone round. “Odds are this will be a trap. I doubt Ravenna would betray Moira and thus you, Scorio, but Hydra will dangle some manner of reward or reprieve before the rest of House Kraken to compel them to watch her in hopes of catching you.”
Scorio nodded slowly. “It’s possible, sure.”
“More than possible—likely.” Helminth spoke with complete assurance. “Octavia desires her independence more than anything, and Praximar and Dameon would love to have you snatched up without having to lift a finger. Chimera is too removed to assist you, and they can’t lean on Basilisk.” Helminth smiled. “So they’ll put their trap in place and hope you walk into it. They’ll not know of your connection to Ravenna, but Octavia will recall and order her watched. Maron’s talents should allow him to speak to her safely enough, but when she moves to meet with us, they’ll follow.”