“I’ve allowed it thus far because nothing has been too flagrant a violation, and because your games amuse me.”
Northstrider could destroy this man. He could do it. He didn’t know if Kiuran would stay dead, but he was willing to put that to the test.
“I’m becoming concerned that the temptation to interfere will be too great, and that you will continue to push my instructions until I am forced to punish you. Since I would rather not be so harsh, I’ve brought you all here to discuss a mutually beneficial arrangement.”
Northstrider sensed a chance.
He had expected the Hound to impose some extra restriction, or just to toy with them for a while, and he was prepared to tolerate it.
But this could be exactly what he and Malice needed. What they had planned to instigate.
Maybe the Abidan could be useful after all.
Malice played her part perfectly, drawing herself up and turning a venomous glare on the Hound. “You forced us to obey you, and now you want to dictate our every action? Do the Abidan wish to move us like puppets?”
They couldn’t, Northstrider knew. It was one of their restrictions. They were limited in their ability to interfere somehow, though he hadn’t successfully determined their laws yet.
“It can be hard for some of us to keep our impulses in check,” Reigan Shen said, sipping his glass of wine.
On cue, Malice widened her eyes in anger. It was nice to have an ally who could play a role well.
Kiuran scoffed. “You should take your own lesson, Shen. You’re the one moving your Heralds as though the tournament is already over.”
The lion tilted his glass in acknowledgment. “Very well, then, we require an equal restriction on the four of us. By mutual agreement, we can confine ourselves and our powers to this city. Unable to act until the conclusion of the tournament, when we will free each other together.”
A smile played on the dragon’s childish face, and his eyes shone as he looked to his enemies.
They couldn’t have played into Northstrider’s hand more perfectly if they had tried.
“No,” he said, because that was what was expected of him. In a head-to-head confrontation, the dragon could defeat either of them, while the cat had a thousand weapons and could escape any trap. If it came to a fight between the four of them, Northstrider and Malice were clearly the weaker side.
So it was natural that he would resist.
Malice played along. “You want me to leave my children surrounded by enemies while I lock myself away?”
Reigan Shen turned to Seshethkunaaz. “I believe we can arrange an agreement between our Heralds, can’t we? No aggressive action until the conclusion of the tournament.”
“That sounds civilized,” the dragon agreed. “I can’t imagine the humans having any further objections.”
“Good enough,” the Abidan said impatiently. “Do it now.”
Northstrider and Malice both objected again, putting up a token resistance, but with the Abidan in support the issue was closed.
Together, they contacted their Heralds and Sages, limiting their actions until the conclusion of the tournament.
With that settled, they needed the permission of the Ninecloud Monarch to seal themselves in the city, which they received in a matter of seconds. Sha Miara was delighted by their arrangement.
As well she might be. Four of her rivals were locking themselves away from the world for another week.
Finally, the four of them bound their wills together to one purpose.
There was little they could not accomplish with such unity, and the restriction settled in an invisible column surrounding Ninecloud City. The barrier was perceptible only to the four of them and affected them only, but now it was literally impossible for them to touch anyone outside without first removing the restriction.
It was perfect. Northstrider had already done all the work he needed in the world at large, and now his plans were falling into place.
Though he was certain the other Monarchs were all thinking the same thing.
“So go get them,” Yerin demanded.
“I can’t,” Charity insisted. “Do you understand? I am not capable. If I could go snatch my family from under the noses of hostile Heralds, I would be on my way right now. A Herald may not be able to travel through space directly, but they can stop me from doing so, so if I showed my face I would be trapped.”
It was the most agitated Yerin had ever seen the Sage, but that was tough for Charity, because Yerin had plenty of her own agitation to work through.
Charity had received a message from her mother only the day before, when Northstrider’s training world had finally collapsed, but it had been sent two days prior. Malice said that Fury and the others were now pinned in Sky’s Edge by the gold dragons and all the Dreadgod cults and that she couldn’t help because she had somehow agreed to nail herself in place.
Yerin must be a long way from understanding the ways of Monarchs, because that sounded like sheer idiocy.
But the rescue Charity described didn’t sound impossible, it sounded very difficult. Which meant they were leaving Lindon, Mercy, and Eithan in a dangerous situation that could technically be solved.
“There’s two of you,” Yerin pointed out. “How many does it take?”
Charity was really wrestling to keep up that icy mask of hers. “How can I make you understand that you are not the only one with loved ones in danger?”
“Difference is, you can do something about it.”
The only reason the enemy Heralds hadn’t attacked Fury already was the threat of Penance. Meaning that if Yerin left, she’d be signing over her friends’ lives.
If she left…or if she lost.
For once, Min Shuei was the one to play peacemaker. “We all know that Malice wouldn’t have allowed this situation if Fury didn’t have a way out. She didn’t tell you to go save him, did she? No. So we have a very simple situation.”
She clapped her hands together. “Yerin, you just have to win two fights.”
That didn’t calm Yerin down. Even her Blood Shadow was boiling.
The Sage noticed. “You want to go save them? Perfect! That’s what you’re doing by fighting Yan Shoumei.”
The statement didn’t instantly solve all of Yerin’s worries, but it was true. How often in her life had she wished she could fight her way out of a situation?
Tomorrow, she could.
She dipped her head to Min Shuei, but turned to Charity. The Heart Sage was taking deep breaths, visibly trying to master herself.
She needed something to do just like Yerin did.
“Run me through a course,” Yerin demanded.
There was little chance of making any kind of breakthrough overnight, but a small chance was better than none, and it wasn’t as though either of them would be resting.
Charity silently agreed, leading the way to the training facilities inside the Akura guest tower.
The Winter Sage beamed.
Yan Shoumei noticed that they had started putting her in a sealed-off arena for every one of her fights.
She couldn’t blame them. Crusher demonstrated power beyond what any Underlord Blood Shadow should be capable of.
The arena this time was like a huge cave with thickets of blood solidified into razor-sharp blades. Sword and blood aura were thicker than air here, which meant there would be no escaping from Yerin’s Endless Sword.
Shoumei had a plan for that.
As usual, Northstrider stood in the center of the arena with an invisible wall dividing the space in half. With his shaggy hair and rugged, unshaven look, Shoumei had always thought he was the most handsome Monarch she’d had the privilege of seeing.
Not that she would ever say so out loud. He might hear it.
Powerful golden eyes fixed her. “Are you prepared?”
She nodded once, feeling Crusher’s eagerness for battle. He was ready to be unleashed.