Visor knelt to study the spot.
Oliver said, “We haven’t had a chance to get that all cleaned up yet. That’s where we found Jalen, the deputy on duty that night. Though to say ‘found’ …” Oliver exhaled emphatically. “There wasn’t much left of him. Just a skeleton with some burned meat. Whoever did this somehow kept the fire contained. Nothing else is burned. We think he might have been burned somewhere else and dumped here.”
Sorana signed only Visor could see. Digestive acid.
“There doesn’t seem to be any smoke stain, or embers.” Visor followed Oliver down the hall. “What happened to the prisoners?”
Oliver opened the gate and allowed the Blade to pass. “Well, the vampire is gone, of course. Then there’s old Harrison—says he didn’t see anything. Slept through the whole thing.” Oliver gestured toward an occupied cell.
A man sat inside. His arms were crossed, a clear declaration that he had nothing to say.
Oliver moved on to another cell. “Then there was another one here. I forgot what his registered name was, and what he was in for. Anyway, same thing as with Jalen.”
Visor inspected the cell. Oliver was correct. The remains were similar to Jalen’s. The cell’s lock was partially dissolved and broken.
Oliver rounded a bend and stopped at another cell. “And here’s the vampire’s.”
“Armaan.”
“Your mom?”
“Armaan—his name. What happened to the lock? It looks like it has the same damage at the lock.”
“Yeah, but on this one, the whole door is bent.”
“Maybe someone used a tool for leverage.”
“But if you look at it from this angle, you can tell it’s all bent the same way. That’s just a big creature.”
Visor looked at the bars from a different angle. They were bent in the same direction. “Yeah, all of the pressure came from the same direction.” There didn’t seem to be the impact damage you’d expect from a hammer. “Are thinking an ogre?”
“Nah, probably the dragon?”
“The dragon?”
“Yeah, it’s a sort of monster, kind of like a winged horse with big teeth.”
“Yes, I’ve heard of dragons. I just wasn’t aware they were commonplace in Raykez.”
“Oh, no one told you about the witness?”
“No, we skipped that part.”
“Yeah, a prisoner was still here the morning after the break. Rumor is that he saw a dragon, or the duelicorn.”
“Okay, now ‘duelicorn’ I don’t know.”
“A unicorn with two horns.”
“I might have guessed that much.”
“And wings. The Pale Siren’s mount. You don’t know the Pale Siren?”
“Not personally.”
“Eh?”
“No, I haven’t heard about the Pale Siren.”
“Well, you will.”
“Could you give me the highlights, so that next time I know?”
“Sure.” Oliver took a seat on the jail cell bed. “It’s a local folk tale about a white siren—an unknown strain. She rides a duelicorn. Anyway, according to the tale, the Pale Siren rides in the clouds around Esselin, protecting those faithful to the White Heart. On the night of the Silent Hands burning, the Pale Siren was in Raykez. She’d shepherded a few faithful to safety. She did not protect the whole Farmstead because some had sinned. When the flames were seen in the night, the faithful cried. They convinced her to return to the Silent Hands to save their friends and family. There was something about telepathy there, but I forget how it goes.”
“She drew their sorrows unto her?”
“Yeah, that’s it. How’d you know?”
“Just a lucky guess. What happened after that?”
“She flew to the Silent Hands, and there she found, well, you know.” Oliver looked uncomfortably to Sorana.
“You can say ‘Banshee’ in present company.”
“Yeah, well, she found it watching the fire. When she saw what it had done, the Pale Siren was overcome with such rage that she attacked the Banshee. Different versions of the story give different accounts of exactly how it went down, but she forced the Banshee into the fire. That destroyed it. The Pale Siren blessed the bodies and went back to the clouds where she awaits the day she will be needed again by the faithful.”
“Why would the Pale Siren want to free a vampire?”
Oliver said, “Don’t know. That’s part of why we think it’s the dragon. You’re an investigator?”
“Hired to be. I kind of do a lot of things.” Visor stroked the bars. “So you don’t think a horn was used on the bars?”
“Don’t think so. Who hired you?”
“A private interest. I’m not allowed to give too many details. I’ve taken up enough of your time. Can we talk to the witness?”
“He’s still at the hospital as far as I know, under guard. He was pretty messed up from what I hear.”
Chapter 39
Finnur
Finnur straightened a stack of notes. “You do have two potentially traumatic events between the imprisonment and excommunication that could stimulate a jealous reaction with transference to Mercy, but it seems you have adjusted well to both of these events. I do not see any significant psychological trauma. There is no reason to think the jealousy is psycho-somatic.”
Rapture asked, “What’s that?”
“It means a condition is generated by your own mind rather than external stimulus. You first experienced the sensation when you saw Sorana for the first time?”
“Yes, the first time. I just wanted her gone, for a minute, until I got used to her.”
“That you accept Sorana despite her involvement and social shortcomings suggests jealousy as we normally mean it is not what you are experiencing. Another possibility is that your body has become confused. You were in binding with Lord Mourning when he died, correct?”
“No, I was sent to WaterCrescent for Lord Mourning, but Don got me first.”
“I see. Still, Lord Mourning is a full sibling of Visor. Their body chemistry might be close enough to confuse your body. It could be that your body is attempting to adapt chemistry it developed for Mourning to match Visor, and is unable to resolve the difference. That could explain the duration of your binding with Visor, which is, what … two standard deviations outside the average?”
Finnur’s scribe said, “Maybe closer to three.”
“Are you saying Don and I aren’t bound? Or bound forever?”
“Please understand that everything I state now is mostly speculation. We don’t even have a full understanding of what binding is. We know there is more of a physical dependency than there is between humans during the initial romantic period. I am, at this point, just trying to gather information.”
Sister Mary said, “Doctor Finnur is retained to help us as individual patients. The purpose of this consult is to provide you with information. How you use the information is up to you.”
The scribe said, “It may seem like we are performing research, but this is only so we can give you the tools to make an informed decision.”
Finnur leaned back. “I have probably overstepped at this point.”
Rapture said, “Well, I don’t mind, even if it’s guessing.”
Sister Mary said, “I think we understand that you’re not suggesting any particular course at this point. However, we would like your best guess.”
“As you wish, Engels.” Finnur stroked his chin. “There is another case that might be applicable here. She was not a patient of mine. I read a case study about a siren, Patient 21. She—”
The scribe asked, “21-M?”
“Yes, that sounds right. Patient 21-M was faced with a moral dilemma—the proverbial ‘lesser of two evils’. In this case, 21-M complained of several maladies that persisted until the dilemma was resolved. Some of the maladies were similar to those that a
siren experiences with jealousy—loss of control, displaced aggression, even feelings of inadequacy. Your symptoms are more pronounced, which would suggest a situation or person you find particularly reprehensible.”
Finnur appeared to be waiting for a response.
Rapture said, “I’m sorry. I don’t understand.”
“Not at all, Engel Rapture—entirely my fault. Does Mercy strike you as insincere, particularly selfish or—”
Rapture guffawed. “Gah, she’s a total liar!”
“And why do you say that?”
“Because, well … I don’t know. Maybe it’s just something I want to see in her. She spent time with Don while I was with the vardal, in the AciesMagus.”
Finnur shook his head. “Perhaps, but the balance of evidence I have suggests your mind and body are healthy and functioning properly. It is possible that you are picking up on obscure cues that you are not consciously aware of. For example, Sorana could have made a simple movement that suggests she is afraid of Mercy. You might be more likely to pick up on an unexpected scent.”
“Like the jasmine. You know, I don’t think it was Sorana at all. He had jasmine on him from that witch when he came to rescue me. And Don says her story doesn’t seem right somehow. It has gaps. And she is always talking on and on about random stuff for no reason. And she is always trying to make me look stupid, like … you know …”
Finnur said, “Condescending?”
Rapture said, “Yeah, just like that.”
Finnur rested his eyes on Burke. “Are you wearing anything from Mercy right now?”
Rapture pushed back her robe sleeves up to display the bracers. “These.”
“Those are impressive.” Finnur reached out. “May I?”
Rapture held up her wrist.
Finnur studied the bracers and made several expressions of interest. “These are exquisite.”
Rapture said, “She said the big gem was unique. It’s alive.”
Finnur said, “She just gave these to you?”
Rapture nodded.
“How did that make you feel?”
Rapture said, “Well, I guess kind of nice. But the way she did it, it was like she was still being condescending—throwing me a bone … or trying to control me. She even said I owed her. I guess that was honest, at least. I don’t know how to describe it. She also adjusted my armor—without asking.” Rapture opened her robe to show her symphonic metal armor.
Finnur glanced at the armor, but seemed more interested in the bracers. “I have an associate—a student, rather—who has some expertise in these types of things. I would like to give her a chance to look at these. Would you be able to stay a little longer? I would like to see if she is available right now.”
Sister Mary nodded.
Rapture said, “That’s fine.”
Finnur turned to his scribe. “Go find Rainaria Lewis. Speak to her directly. Make sure that she understands this concerns the subject of her master’s thesis.”
Chapter 40
Into Madness
“They were the Fallen’s brood—rider and beast—Sinne and Chaosse. Sinne was she, with fire in the eyes, and a cloak of reversed human skin. Her gaze was so piercing that it could stop a man’s heart … her presence so cold, it froze your muscles. And once you are helpless before her, she drives you to madness, and devours your mind.” The Witness coughed weakly.
Visor picked up a carafe of water. “Refill?”
The witness held out his cup with his unchained hand. “And the beast, massive and frightful was he—Rampant Chaosse in purist form. The growl shattered your courage. Ten horns, it had, each a unique weapon of death. Its body was spiked and armored, and inlaid with gems—spoils of past victims. From its maw spewed the devil’s regurgitation, a fog spray that melted metal and human flesh alike.”
Sorana signed, He’s insane.
Visor signed, No, just a jerk. He crossed his arms. “Another prisoner in the Sinne’s path was killed. Yet, you were spared.”
The witness smiled and tapped his temple with his chained hand. “By using me wits, I did. When I saw the Scarlet Witch approach—” The witness gasped and sat up coughing. “Ug—water down the wrong pipe.” He drank some water and smiled. “Okay, I’ll stop. It’s just that this is like the fifth time I’ve told this today.”
Visor said, “You’re getting good at it.”
“Thanks—just trying to keep myself and Peter over there entertained. I’m Zacharie, or just ‘Zach’.” Zach nodded in the direction of the chubby guard at the door. “I don’t know why she didn’t kill me. She read my mind to see I was telling the truth.”
“Your health seems good. And you’re in good spirits.”
“I was just being held for the night. Probably would have gotten an afternoon in the stocks—petty theft.”
Visor dug into a pouch. “When she read your mind … can you show me how that worked?” He threw two copper coins on the bed.
Zach picked up the coins and studied them. “Sure … as well as I can.” He got off the bed on Sorana’s side, and knelt awkwardly on one knee. He had to hold his chained hand across his body.
Sorana eyed him warily.
“Could we just switch here?” Zach flipped under his arm so that he faced the opposite direction.
Sorana moved around him. She recoiled and twisted her nose in disgust as he moved.
Zach looked up at Sorana. “She was about her height—pretty close, actually. She had her hand on my face.”
Visor nodded to Sorana.
She put her fingertips on Zach face, not bothering to hide her revulsion.
Zach said, “It was her other hand.”
Sorana switched hands.
“No, not like that.” Zach moved Sorana’s hand from near his nose and forehead to his cheek. “Look, maybe if you stood a little more—” He tried to nudge Sorana over, but with the awkward balance, he missed her hip and brushed a sensitive area.
Sorana smacked his hand away and jumped backwards, bumping into the nightstand and a cabinet. She had a hand on her baton. Her body was tense and positioned for a quick movement.
“Sorry.” Zach spoke to Visor. “I didn’t mean anything.” He had no idea what almost happened.
Visor turned to Peter. “Would you mind? It’s important we see how this was done.” He stepped up to show his advisor ring and a silver coin.
Peter took the coin and released Zacharie. “This’d be easier if we had our own telepath. Contracting with Luvia is a waste.”
Visor asked, “She’s not responsive?”
“The sheriff’s office doesn’t pay enough to get on her schedule most of the time. The vampires just aren’t as good, either.” Peter said, “Kyle’s been looking for a new human one ever since Hannah lost her marbles. It’s been over a year, though.”
Zach rearranged himself, propping his body against the bed. “I was leaning on the wall and cell bars like this.”
Visor said, “You were paralyzed.”
Zach said, “Yeah, she put her hand through the bars.”
Sorana placed her gloved hand on Zach’s face.
Visor asked, “Left handed?”
Zach said, “Yep. She asked, ‘Do you know where the vampire is?’ I told her, ‘I think he’s down there, in the secure cell.’ She asked, ‘Why are you jailed?’ I said, ‘I was caught stealing.’ She read my mind to check that then left. When she was far enough away, I could move again.”
Visor said, “Wait—you spoke, or she read you mind?”
Zach wrinkled his face. “We did speak, but I could feel her in my head, too. It’s like she was watching my thoughts—I knew she would know if I lied.” He shifted his weight to a more comfortable position. “In fact, I could ‘see’ her questions. When she asked about the vampire, I saw his face—but it wasn’t like I’d ever seen it before. I don’t know how to explain it.”
/> “That’s okay. Is there anything you can tell us about her speech?”
“She sounded old, I think.”
“Is there anything else you can tell us?”
“Like I said, about her height … and build.” Zacharie gestured at Sorana. “It’s dark in the jail to start with and her hood hid most of her face. Same as with her. Her hair and eyes might have been brown or black. Oh, and she wore a purple shawl, and some jewelry.”
Visor said, “You’ve been helpful.” He tossed another copper coin on the bed.
Peter rechained Zach.
Sorana signed, What about the other guard?
Visor signed, Other guard?
Sorana indicated a changing table. It was covered with a cloth that reached to the floor. There was a footlocker in front of it.
Visor said, “Peter, does your partner have anything to add?”
“Hugh?” Peter looked out the door down the hallway. “My relief isn’t here yet.”
Visor nodded to Sorana.
Sorana reached under the table and dragged out a man by the scruff of his shirt.
He struggled, but didn’t break free. He was holding a dagger.
“Hey, there!” Peter drew a sword and approached cautiously. “What are you doing here? Who are you? Drop it!”
Visor gestured for Peter to hold off. Visor knelt to the man’s level. “Look at me.”
The man looked up. His eyes were bloodshot and his pupils dilated. His arm and head twitched.
Peter asked, “Nicodemous? Is that you?”
Visor asked, “Is he one of yours?”
“No, just a civilian I happen to know.”
Visor asked, “What’s the dagger for?”
Nicodemous said, “Just doing … what they told me.” He tried to break for the door.
Sorana tripped him and pulled him onto his backside. She grabbed his dagger-wielding wrist and squeezed. There was a snap and Nick cried out as he released the dagger. Sorana caught it.
Nicodemous curled into a fetal position.
Sorana studied and smelled the blade. “Poisoned—a toxin. Especially harmful to sirens, and humans.”
Visor asked, “Nic, what were you planning to do?”
Sorana grabbed Nic’s hair and pulled his head up.
Visor said, “He’s on some kind of stimulant.”
Sorana spoke in vardal. “A poppy derivative. High dosage.”
Nic whimpered and shivered.