XXVI

  Old Habits

  Now that everyone was gone, I no longer needed to pretend. So, I grabbed some leftover pieces of steak as I settled in to listen.

  “Everwinter is a haven of inheritances,” Decim began. He, too, leaned back in his chair and relaxed. “Do you know why that is?”

  I chewed on both the steak and my thoughts. “Because of a pact with the Riftwardens? It’s to keep the Clans from openly warring over resources.”

  “Partially correct. It’s true that Everwinter is a battleground of sorts, yet it doesn’t explain why the realm is filled with inheritances.”

  …the easy answer was that the clans wanted their disciples to have an actual chance at growing stronger. But that answer seemed too on the nose.

  “Please enlighten me, Elder.”

  “It’s because the clans are trying rediscover old bloodlines.”

  My head tilted.

  “Bloodlines,” Decim continued. “Legacies. They’re a cultivator’s greatest weakness and strength. How many talented individuals fail to reach the top because their legacy is insufficient? How many of the slop reach arm’s length from the heavens because of their ancestors?”

  “Plenty,” I said.

  Even though I didn’t know where I came from, my heritage had left me enough to work with.

  But I frowned. “I thought the inheritances were only from the Clans.”

  Why would they need to rediscover their own bloodlines?

  “Most of them,” he said. “But part of our contract with the Riftwardens is that they insert their own share of inheritances into the realm. And while ours are largely known, the Wardens have colonies all over the universe. Burial grounds, abandoned temples, former battlesites—their reach extends far. Do you understand what I’m getting at?”

  I mulled over his words. If what he was saying was true, then my heritage could be from anywhere. But then, what, the Wardens found the inheritance of my clan, put it in the realm on a whim, and I found it by coincidence? What were the odds of that?

  “You’re saying I may have uncovered a bloodline?” I said. “If so, I’m sorry to disappoint.”

  Decim shook his head. “There are no bloodlines to be found inside the first trial. But that doesn’t mean inheritances found there are useless.”

  I listened.

  “Inhertances,” he said, “can be part of a chain. While we don’t know the exact nature of what you found, we believe your inheritance to be linked to another hidden within the second test.”

  I gobbled up the last of my meal, then studied the butler. “How do you know this?”

  Had they been watching me from the start? Either way, it was troubling that they knew more about my heritage than me.

  “Divination is but one of the few key aspects of every big clan.” He must’ve seen the frowning maze on my forehead, for he continued. “Rest assured, we’re not out to undermine you. Quite the contrary. My master is willing to trade in favours and uncover the location of said link. This is not to be taken lightly. None of the other pillars would extend such an offer.”

  “Is my inheritance that rare?”

  “Yes. The Wardens are also not ones to share freely as doing so goes against their impartial status.”

  At my side, Saber reached up and snuggled the back of my hand. This favour of theirs would also let me keep my own, so the effect was twofold.

  But that made me nervous. “Why offer to do so much for me?”

  There were no free meals. Not in the world of cultivation.

  The butler stroked his moustache. “There’s a particular inheritance in the Maze we want. We ask that you join the task force sent to retrieve it. Moreover, should you find anything related to us, we request you hold off on claiming it for as far as possible and allow us to bargain for it.”

  ‘I see.’ That settled my suspicions somewhat. It also meant anything I found would be mine by default. Again, these were good terms.

  “I have until this evening to decide?”

  “Until midnight, to be exact.”

  I nodded. “I’ll think on your words, Elder.”

  With nothing left to say on the topic, Decim motioned to the chests in front of me. “May I advise opening the scarlet chest right away?”

  The latches were easily unclasped. Inside was a ring and a vial containing a golden fluid.

  [RIng of Subterfuge.]

  [Diluted Everroot Extract | F | Rare]

  It was the extract which poured through the vial and chest alike.

  “The aroma is difficult to contain,” Decim commented.

  “Why is it swirling?” It did so as if someone was stirring it.

  “One of the Everroot’s special properties. Absorbing it into your core will see it cycle by itself. It’ll push your core to an increase of 120 percent over the next two days. Be sure to consume the rewards in the crimson chest first.”

  That chest contained two pills.

  [Left Pill of Cleansing | F | Uncommon]

  [Right Pill of Cleansing | F | Uncommon]

  These I knew of. They were to be taken in a row and would cleanse, respectively, the left and right-side meridians of your body, increasing your cycling speed. An invaluable gift for beginning cultivators.

  The rouge chest contained a jade slip, one carrying words of the Dawnflame matriarch, who thanked the disciples for their effort. Besides that, it contained a single essence pill.

  That left the vermilion chest. I glanced at Decim, who motioned for me to continue.

  There was only a single reward inside. And though that initially dampened my expectations, they were quickly kicked under the arse after I identified the item.

  [Bracelet of Holding | F | Unique]

  A silver armband with a purple gem. The stone pulsed as I hovered my hand overhead.

  ‘My first unique item…’

  And here I was already getting excited about the rare extract.

  “You’ll need to bind it with a drop of blood,” Decim said.

  “How spacious is it?”

  “About the size of a closet. You’ll find it sufficient until you reach into the E-grade.”

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  I nicked one of my digits and bound the item. It shrunk to fit around my wrist like it was a custom order from an artisan. To my surprise, there were already items within the pocket dimension. Clothes, white with flame marks around the hems and sun motifs—the style of the Dawnflame clan.

  It spoke volumes that the style was that of the Dawnflames and not that of the general Vermilion Pavilion.

  ‘They really want me.’

  Flattering. But also concerning. If they were this desperate to have me, their clan must be in trouble somehow. Yet that may be just what I need as it would make me the sole recipient of their favours.

  Storing items was as simple as hovering them over the gem and thinking of the closet. Retrieving them worked in the same manner.

  “There’s an invisibility command,” Decim said.

  The bracelet turned transparent and vanished from sight after a flex of the mind.

  Neat.

  Next, I donned the yellow crystal that was the ring, which would hide my status from anyone below E-grade.

  I bowed. “The Dawnflames have done me well.”

  Decim stood and returned the gesture. “It’s our hope our cordial relations will set forth.” Then I was led out of the room.

  My sight was immediately drawn to a broad figure in the distance heading back upstairs.

  “May fortune favour you,” Decim said and waved me off.

  “You as well,” then I quickened my step.

  “She’s not letting anyone in, Lady Sunstrider,” Garen said.

  “Your warning has been heard.”

  The boy didn’t say anything else and continued to lead me up the stairs.

  The third floor was below mine. And while it was less populated than the lower floors, there were still some disciples walking around, all wearing the colours of the main branches of the pillars.

  ‘So the third floor and up is the nobility.’

  We headed for a tall door with a sword insignia on the front. A red-haired boy meditated outside.

  Duke glanced up. “She’s not letting anyone in.”

  Garen shrugged, his gesture saying: ‘I told her so.’

  But I wasn’t so sure. There were many times I’d grown upset with Mother. Once, I grew so angry I refused to speak to her for three days. And though Mother tried, my head didn’t cool until Uncle sat me down for a conversation.

  Sometimes, it was easier to speak to someone that wasn’t in the picture.

  I rasped my knuckles on the entrance. Before the second knock had even sounded, a shrill voice from inside yelled: “Go away! I don’t want to see your damned face.”

  Duke huffed and joined Garen in the ‘told you so’ club.

  “Judith,” I said, “It’s me. How are you holding up in there? Did you have anything to eat?”

  The entrance opposite Judith’s room opened as a worried Jake poked his head through the door.

  My ears twitched. A soft murmur snuck through the wall, which I thought could’ve been a no.

  “Would you like me to grab you anything?” I asked and turned to Duke. “Is there a cafeteria? I didn’t check yet.”

  He nodded, his face showing he was amazed I’d even gotten this far. “They have her favourite, skewered and grilled chicken.”

  I offered it to her and thought I heard a ‘yes’.

  The three boys vanished downstairs. While they did, I did my best to butter Judith up, which was mostly me speaking to air in between one-word responses. Duke was the first to return with a plate full of skewered meat, lemon on the side and mashed potatoes.

  “We’ve got you something, Judith,” I said. “Can you open the door?”

  Shuffling. Then the door opened a crack. Red-veined eyes scanned past me and quickly settled on Duke.

  “Can I come in?” I said. “It’ll be just me.”

  She stared me down…but stood aside. “Just you.”

  The door slammed shut behind me the moment I waltzed in.

  Judith sagged onto bed. Her window blinds were closed, so the dark hid her face.

  “Can I turn a light on?” I said.

  “Do what you want.”

  A fluorescent globe on the wall made both of us shield our eyes and revealed the state of her room.

  ‘This is quite horrible.’

  Her bed sheets were scattered. There were gashes in the floor which leaked essence. Opposite her bed, the hilt of three light daggers still jutted out from the wall.

  ‘That’s marble.’

  I made room on her desk and the accompanying chair, whose backrest was missing its upper half. An awkward silence took hold after I set down.

  ‘I didn’t actually think this far ahead.’

  Judith was clutching her knees in a fetal position. Her cheeks were red and black, the black coming from smears running down her eyes.

  I picked up one of the skewers and offered it to her. She looked up. Her mouth opened wide, then pulled one of the pieces of meat from the spit.

  A moment.

  That…was not quite how I’d meant for that to go but whatever.

  The silence drove on, broken only by her chewing and the clinking of the plate in my lap. She ate all ten of the skewers Duke handed me.

  ‘Reminder to self: Never eat when you’re depressed.’

  It was between bites of mashed potatoes that Judith sniffed and spoke up. “I hate them.”

  I took a second to think of who. “Garen and Aurille?”

  She shot from her bed. “They dragged me away! Can you believe it?!”

  A non-committal hum from me. Times like these, it was important to just listen.

  “We’ve known each other since we were children…and they just…left him…” her voice broke.

  I put the plate away and faced her. “The Fallen Immortals were strong. They planned for our confrontation. Erri and the herald arriving only made things worse.”

  “That doesn’t mean anything. Not before Aurille.”

  Which wasn’t fair to the Lady of Everfrost at all. She was just one person. But again, it wasn’t about convincing Judith. Nothing would.

  “Even Caelia…” Judith sobbed, sagged back onto bed, and clutched her knees again. “Ray was right. She didn’t even come look for us. If it was her, she could’ve wiped the entire army in one stroke…”

  Her glare bore into the hole-torn wall opposite her and essence stirred underneath her skin.

  I slowly reached for the blinds. The lanterns in the sky softened the lines on Judith’s face.

  “What do you think Ray would’ve wanted?” I asked.

  She shrunk back but didn’t respond.

  “I didn’t know any of you for long,” I continued. “However, Ray was always concerned about your safety.”

  My statement hung in the air. Her mind did the rest.

  “You’re right,” she sobbed. “Ray was always willing to lay down his life for us.”

  I nodded. “So—”

  “That’s why we need to avenge him.”

  I blinked.

  Judith lunged from the bed, clasped my hands, and stared deep into my eyes. “Please. Help me hunt Vyke down. Him and that Dragonflight bitch!”

  And the fires inside those orbs was one I recognised. Erri had given me that same look.

  Revenge, it seemed, was never far off for a cultivator.

  The Dragonflight was gathered in the backyard of the chateau. A marble walkway through crops of greenery led towards a fountain. It was on this pathway that the scales on Erri’s knees scraped.

  Drakes were not easily controlled, for many were young and rambunctious. None had uttered a sound in the last ten minutes.

  Erri knelt at the foot of the fountain. Standing right in front of her was their administrator, Renna Blackscale. Hidden within the flowing golden robes of the higher realm drake were features twice as human as that of Erri. Only the back of Renna’s hands still had scales, which glowed like a star. Renna held aloft the sphere projecting their master’s image onto the edge of the fountain.

  Mo Blackscale lounged and dipped the tip of his slender feet into the pool. Water clung to his skin despite his projection having barely any essence, a divine feat of control. His long hair fell down his slender back in waves. Even his gaze was soft, for it stroked Erri’s back like a feather.

  “How many died?” he intoned.

  Erri swallowed to answer but her throat seized up.

  Renna spoke up in her stead. “Milord—”

  “Silence.”

  The administrator lowered her head.

  A moment passed before Father spoke up again. “Do I not warrant enough respect for an answer?”

  A droplet popped as it crashed to the floor. “I have failed you, Father.” Erri barely kept her voice from breaking.

  “Are you obtuse?”

  Her claws dug into her thigh. “I don’t know how many.”

  Humming, smooth like a lullaby. “So you led my brood into war, escaped at the first sight of danger, yet are unaware of how many you lost?”

  Short of digging herself into the ground, Erri’s forehead couldn’t possibly lower any further. More droplets popped. “I have shamed you.”

  “You have shamed those I sent to serve you. Their loyalty made them follow you unquestioningly. Look their reward for doing so: the one command I gave, to slay a herald—any one!—collectively failed and dozens of their family dead of which one was taken.” His tone settled like a melody returning to its base. “If not for your second-in-command taking control in your absence, more would’ve been lost.”

  The quiet that followed was acute. A stray breeze threatened to disrupt it, but a flex of Renna’s will sent the winds scattering before they ever came close to reaching the backyard.

  “There was a dinner with the Custodian near the end of the test,” Father said. “It was with great pleasure that I boasted of my expectations for you to both him and the other Pillars.

  “Look at me, Erri.”

  Without her moving a muscle, her face pulled upwards.

  Father’s golden eyes cut through her core. “You have turned our entire clan into the laughing stock of the first trial.”

  Now Erri’s tears were on full display for the entire brood, which kept their noses in the dirt.

  Erri’s fangs dug into her lips. “Please allow me to regain our honour, Father. I will slay the foolish girl where she stands the moment the test starts.”

  “The girl?” His laughter was like a wave but of clouds. “You think killing that child a thousand times over will restore what you have lost us?”

  “No,” he continued when she didn’t answer. “You will enter the Black Temple and nothing more. You’ve already lost me enough face as is.”

  A sniff.

  “What about our brood?” Erri got out.

  “What about them?”

  “Who will take command?”

  Father huffed. “The one who led them to safety.” He turned to Renna. “Hand your little sister the gift I prepared for her.”

  Senna, Erri’s second-in-command, raised her head an inch from the floor, proclaimed her gratitude with a growl and accepted the sealed box. Senna hadn’t yet reached the Adept stage so lacked a human physique. The gift would change that come night.

  Father turned back on her. “I have it on good account that the Nightmare is also hunting for the inheritance. You’ll take a team of our strongest with you.”

  Renna produced more sealed cases to divide amongst their number.

  “The rest of the Tomb…” Erri trailed off.

  “Should be the last thought on your mind. However, should you emerge successful from your quest…you’ll gift whatever your sister doesn’t need to your brood. Consider that your apology.”

  “By your will, Father.”

  Instead of bitter cold, the sensation rising in Erri’s stomach was warm. She hoped the others would accept her gifts and could forgive her.

  Having said all he wanted to, Father disbanded the gathering and dispersed his projection. Renna consoled Erri afterwards but the Dragonflight princess wasn’t in the mood to be babied.

  She’d do as was her command. But also more. ‘I‘ll regain the face I lost you, Father.’

  And if that required slaughtering all of the other clans? So be it.

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