Angel of Storms (Millennium's Rule, #2)(132)

At the end was the entrance to a mine. Here the tubes that formed the crater wall were large enough for people to walk down. Anyone could pay a small fee and scavenge for the leftovers of no longer profitable enterprises.

Somewhere within, Baluka would be watching for him. Tyen paid the fee, shouldered his pack and began the long trek into the depths.





CHAPTER 17





“Inekera’s world lies at the outer edge of the allies’ worlds,” Tyen said.

“Inekera.” Baluka frowned. “Where have I heard that name before?”

Tyen thought back. “A pair of women who joined us during Yira’s time told of how she set up a school for young women to learn sorcery, from which the students tend to disappear.”

“Hmm, we should look into it. That’s not where I’ve heard her name before, though.” The young man stared into the distance, his eyes moving as if tracking an object. Then he blinked. “Ah! Of course!”

“Yes?” Tyen said, when Baluka didn’t elaborate, though he could see the connection in the young man’s thoughts. Ignoring Baluka’s order that Tyen wasn’t to read his mind was the most deliberate action against the rebels Tyen had done since he’d started spying on them. It didn’t feel like he was doing anything terribly disobedient, since he’d been reading everyone’s minds since joining the rebels, but now he had to take extra care not to reveal that he was.

Baluka looked up. “It’s not relevant to what we are doing.” He shrugged. “She tried to kill my fiancée. That’s how I met her. Rielle, that is, not Inekera. The ally had left her to die in a desert world but… How strong is Inekera?”

“Very,” Tyen replied. “She is one of the more powerful allies. Some say she is more than an ally, too. They say she was a trusted friend until recently, when she fell out of favour with the Raen.”

“Interesting. Have you discovered why?”

“I’ve overheard plenty of gossip, most of it dismissed by the people who actually know her. None of it verifiable.”

“How recently did this split happen?”

“Half to three-quarters of a cycle ago. Some say she was the first friend he visited when he returned.”

Baluka nodded. “The timing would be right.”

Yes, very much so, Tyen thought as he picked up another snippet of information about the Traveller’s fiancée. It was in Rielle’s world that the Raen had been trapped for twenty cycles. She had thought of him as a deity–and perhaps still did.

“Learn anything else about her?” Baluka asked.

“Just a long list of her favourite foods, her dislike of pets and babies, and that she had an enormous collection of military armour and regalia from many worlds.”

“Any connection to other allies?”

“Not many. She had one…” Tyen paused. A high-pitched sound was coming from further down the tunnel. Recognising Beetle’s alarm, he sought out other minds close by and found one of a miner not far away, but getting closer. “Someone is coming.”

“Close enough to hear?”

“Not yet. Actually… he heard the alarm and is worried it’s a warning of a collapse. He’s going back.”

As Beetle flew into the room Baluka started, then relaxed as he recognised the insectoid. “I see now why you keep the toy.”

“It’s not a toy,” Tyen said as Beetle landed on his shoulder. “Beetle–go in the bag,” he ordered. The insectoid glided down to the open pack. “Inekera socialises with another ally, Mykre, who lives in a world close by. He isn’t as powerful, but he has worked for the Raen longer. I think he may have mentored her. Mykre and the Raen do not get along, according to rumours. Something about Mykre breaking one of the Raen’s laws.”

“Has he joined the allies hunting for us?”

“I don’t know.”

“Do you think he’ll fight for us?”

“I can’t say for sure. Do you want me to look into it?”

“Hmm.” Baluka scratched his chin. “No. Keep seeking information about the stronger sor—” His eyes flicked to somewhere behind Tyen and widened. “Tyen!”

Soot radiated out from him. Sensing the air still around them both, Tyen spun around. A man now familiar to him, from the minds he had read while gathering information, stood a few paces away, blasting at them with magic.

“Javox!” he said, naming the ally in case Baluka did not know.

“Get closer,” Baluka said between gritted teeth. He was running out of magic fast. Two shadows were resolving into human forms behind the ally. Tyen reached for magic. They were surrounded by a void now, all the magic taken by Baluka or the ally–or both. He stretched further and drew in enough beyond the void to get them out of this world and to the next three or four.

“Fight or run?” Baluka muttered to himself.

“Run,” Tyen recommended.

Baluka cursed, grasped Tyen’s shoulder and gulped in air. The mine brightened to white. Three shadows followed. Tyen reached up and grabbed Baluka’s wrist, then turned to face him.

Let me, he said.

Baluka dragged his eyes from their pursuers to meet Tyen’s gaze. His face was rigid. A fleeting look of doubt and reluctance came and went–an echo of his old distrust of Tyen–then he nodded.