Chapter Thirteen

“What is he doing here?”

Ellora tightened her grip around the spoon in her hand as she gestured toward Malcolm with it. Some of the bright red sauce that she was stirring splattered across the floor and the image made her shudder, but she didn’t relent. Athan stepped forward, subtly putting himself between Ellora and Malcolm.

“Ellora,” he said, holding out his hand as if trying to calm her and bring down the frantic energy that seemed to spark within her with the smallest catalyst since their time in the tunnels. “It’s alright.”

“What do you mean ‘it’s alright’?” she asked angrily. “What is that man doing in my kitchen?”

“He’s here with us,” Athan said, gesturing toward Rain and two of the humans from the settlement who had come along with them. “He’s asked to join us.”

Ellora blinked, feeling as though the words hadn’t really made it all the way into her mind.

“Excuse me?” she asked.

She looked from Athan to Rain and then back to Athan.

“He’s asked to join us,” Athan said.

“He is a member of the Order,” Ellora said, jabbing her spoon in Malcolm’s direction. “He is working for them.”

“He was,” Athan relented. “He was sent to find Rain, me, and the rest of the humans that have agreed to come with us to Penthos. He was supposed to capture us and bring us back to stand before the Panel.”

“And you trusted him?” Ellora asked in exasperation. “He was sent to ensure that you were killed and you brought him into my home? Into the headquarters of the war being fought partially against those he serves?”

“I want to defect,” Malcolm said.

The younger man speaking for himself was a surprise and it struck Ellora silent. She looked at her brother, lowering the spoon only slightly as she waited for him to continue. When he remained silent, she gestured for him to keep going.

“Go on,” she said.

Malcolm took a cautious step out from behind Athan and faced Ellora as if she were the only one who he cared about speaking to.

“I know that I have done things that were wrong and that I have been aligned with an organization that cannot be trusted, but assure you that I do not stand for what they do. I do not want to be a part of anything that they are doing. I’m sorry for all of the pain that I have caused or that I have contributed to, and I want to make amends. If you will permit me, I want to fight alongside you and do anything that I can to make things right.”

Ellora looked back at Athan and shook her head.

“I can’t make this decision,” she said. “This isn’t my choice to make. This situation is about all of us and we need to make decisions like this together. We need to get as many of the group together as possible and talk to them about this. I will go along with whatever decision that they make.”

Athan nodded.

“I think that’s reasonable. We’ll gather in the meeting hall.”

Ellora watched as the small group left her kitchen, Malcolm’s eyes lingering on her as they walked away. There was a distant, painful look in them that made a hint of guilt flicker through her. She didn’t intent to hurt or offend her brother, but she also couldn’t let herself simply trust someone when they had already stood against her. There was too much at stake now, too much danger that they could be facing. When they had all left the house, Ellora turned back to the stove and finished the sauce. She touched the spoon to her tongue to sample it, enjoying the bright, sweet taste of the berries that seemed to burst on her tongue as she swallowed.

Pushing the pot to the back of the stove so that it could start to cool, she went to her bedroom to change clothes before leaving to head for the meeting hall. She didn’t know how many of the group that Athan would be able to gather and she didn’t want to miss any of the discussion. She had been completely honest when she said that she would go along with whatever decision the rest of the group made. Though she carried reservations and nervousness within herself, she knew that it wasn’t just her thoughts and beliefs that mattered. Everyone who had agreed to be a part of this battle were willing to lay down their safety, their comfort, and even their lives to stand up for what they believed, and they deserved the respect of having their voices heard in as much of how it unfolded as possible.

The hall was already starting to fill up by the time that Ellora stepped in. Some were sitting close to the elevated platform on the far end while others milled around in small groups, their hushed voices occasionally rising high enough for her to hear that they were questioning why they were being called to the hall. Some worried that something had happened while others were concerned that the situation had reached a new peak and they were going to leave for Penthos without their training. Still others rejected both ideas, expressing excitement at the thought of starting their training and the skills that they would learn. The different conversations seemed to epitomize the emotions that Ellora was feeling.

Several minutes passed while she sat staring at the empty platform and then Athan, Malcolm, Rain, Rey, and Creia walked out onto it and faced the crowd. Athan lifted his hands up, gesturing for the group to sit. When the crowd had quieted, Athan briefly explained the situation. Ellora noticed that he didn’t mention the Order or what that might mean. Instead, he said only that Malcolm had not been involved in the group thus far but had intelligence of some of their enemies. He told them that Malcolm had come to them against the wishes of those enemies to ask for their mercy and to offer his help. When he finished, Athan looked out over the group, taking the time to account for every person who was looking up at him. He stared into Ellora’s eyes for a longer moment than the rest and she felt as though he were making a particular appeal to her. Though she had emphasized that they were a group and that they should do all things for the benefit and with the approval of the group, she knew that that was not the way that Athan saw it. She was Aegeus’s wife and Maxim and Kyven’s mother, which meant that she had precedence and importance over those who didn’t have such strong affiliations. Her opinion was more valuable than the rest and it was her approval that he was seeking.

A few of the group stood and announced that they were loyal to the group and that whatever the leaders considered to be best for all of them they would willingly follow. They walked out of the hall to continue the preparations that they were making. Of the group that was left, one of the human men stood.

“I was there when Malcolm stopped us on our way back from the settlement,” he said. “I watched his interaction with Rain, Athan, and Ellora. Though I couldn’t hear what he said, I saw his face and the way that he acted. I believe that he is sincere in his desire to separate himself from his previous affiliations and assist us. I think that we should welcome him.”

There were a few exclamations of agreement through the group and then a human woman stood up.

“I was there, too, and I know how terrified we were when we saw him. How are we to know that he is being honest? How do we know that what he’s saying isn’t just so that we’ll trust him and he’ll be able to learn our secrets? Wouldn’t bringing him into our group and allowing him to be a part of our training be the most dangerous thing that we could do? We are facing enough of a risk. I don’t think that we should make decisions that put us at even greater risk.”

A few mutters through the group told Ellora that there were some who agreed with the woman’s sentiments. The thought made her realize that when she sat quietly with the honest emotions that were within her she was being pulled toward trusting her brother, accepting him into their fold, and allowing him to prove himself. She kept quiet, wanting the give the group the freedom that she had promised. Felix, a Mikana man just a few months older than Maxim, stood.

“I wasn’t there. I don’t know what happened when Malcolm stopped you on the way here. I don’t think that matters. What matters is what I’m seeing and hearing right now. This man is standing in front of us asking for our help. He has obviously gone through things that none of us know about, but it has been enough to convince him that he no longer wants to be a part of them. Malcolm knows the truth. He knows that our rebellion is what is right. I think that we should extend our trust to him.”

“You’re only saying that because he is one of your kind,” another man from the settlement said.

The statement sent a scatter of gasps and bursts of anger throughout the rest of those in the meeting hall. Ellora jumped to her feet, no longer able to withhold her emotions.

“Don’t start with that,” Ellora said. “There is not a single one of us who is better than any other because of our species. Isn’t that why we’re here? Is there one of us who hasn’t been threatened or looked down on purely because of who or what we are? Ryan has been breaking all of our kinds down bit by bit and creating hybrid creatures out of them to use as weapons. He doesn’t see individuals when he looks at any of us. It doesn’t matter whether we are Denynso, Mikana, human, Irisa, Eteri, or anything else. We are united in this and if there is any one of you who doesn’t feel that way, then you need to leave and you need to leave now, but make no mistake. If you choose to leave, you will be counted among our enemies. We can trust someone who comes to us for help knowing what we stand for. We cannot trust someone who knows what we stand for and plan to do and then chooses to leave our ranks.”

She looked to Athan and he gave a single nod, the shadow of a smile coming to his lips.

“I am asking all of you to look within yourself and remember what it is that is compelling you to fight. What drives you to stand up against our common enemy? All of you are making a decision that puts your life at risk and you are making it with a clear and determined heart. Now know that Malcolm is doing the same thing. Even more. I know that it is difficult to think of bringing someone who was once sworn against our cause into our fold and trusting him as you would trust any other, but I can tell you that what he says is true. Just the fact that he says that he wishes to leave his previous ranks and join ours is enough for me to know that he is fully committed. That statement alone would warrant a reaction that would be swift and severe. He wouldn’t say it if it wasn’t exactly what he meant and if he wasn’t willing to fight for it.”

Rey stepped forward and looked out over the room.

“I know that this situation is more than any of us ever expected to encounter. Even I don’t know everything that is happening. But what I do know tells me that we need every person that we can get who is willing to stand beside us. Malcolm has come to us offering himself to our service. What we are fighting for is more than any single one of us, and far more impactful than our kinds, our homes, or our planet. There is not one among us who has not been misled at some time in our lives or who has not made a decision that we wish that we hadn’t made. Malcolm is asking for redemption. I believe that I can speak both for myself and for Creia when I say that we will happily give it to him.”

“So will I,” Athan said.

“And me,” Ellora said.

Gradually everyone in the room stood, offering their approval. Ellora felt her chest swell with emotion as she watched Malcolm fall to his knees again, his head hanging as if overwhelmed. Athan walked up to him and reached down to help him to his feet again, turning him so that the young man looked him directly in the face.

“You have been given asylum. You are now a part of us.” He stepped back and reached behind his shoulder to wrap his hand around the handle of the sword strapped to his back. He withdrew it and laid it across his palms, holding it out to Malcolm. “Thank you for your sacrifice and for your devotion.”

Malcolm reached out and took the sword into his hands.

“Thank you,” he said. “I will serve you with all that I am.”

“I know that you will.”

Athan pulled Malcolm in for an embrace and Ellora could see the emotion on his face that told her he was happy and relieved that they had chosen to take Malcolm’s offer and save him from the horror of the corrupt Order.

****

The meeting hall was silent and empty, but Malcolm was still standing in the center of the platform, the sword that Athan had presented him rolling across his palm. He stared down at it with a greater sense of peace and confidence in him than he had had in as long as he could remember. Though the idea of turning his back on the Order and defecting to Athan’s rebellion was terrifying, Malcolm also felt as though he had been freed, like a toxic breath within him had finally been released from his lungs, unclouding his mind, and putting him in control of himself again.

Athan had been resistant to allow him the time to himself that he requested, but he reassured him. It would take some time for the Order to truly know that he was now out of their reach and would not be bringing them Athan or any of the rest of the group. He had tonight. He would need the protection and perseverance of the rest for as long as they were on Uoria after, but he had tonight.

Malcolm was beginning to step down from the platform when he heard the door to the meeting hall open. His muscles tensed and his heart immediately started pounding, the beat erratic and strong in his temples. He adjusted his grip on the handle of the sword, priming himself to defend himself if attacked. It was possible that news of his abandonment of the Order and his vows of loyalty to them had spread to the Panel faster than he had thought that it would and they were now after him. If they knew that he was alone, they wouldn’t hesitate to eliminate him.

The figure coming into the meeting hall stepped closer and he saw that it didn’t seem to be large enough to be one of the men of the Order. Instead, it was small and moved fluidly, almost gliding across the floor as it came toward him. When it stepped into the light he saw that it was a delicate, beautiful woman. She gazed up at him with eyes a pale crystal blue that reminded him of the sky in the first moments after the pink of a sunrise faded away. Her thick hair was blond so pale it was nearly white and was tied behind her head in a series of braids. She glanced briefly over her shoulder and he saw that the braids met in the back to create a complex cage over the rest of her mane where it lay down to her waist. When she turned back to him her full lips held the faintest brush of a smile.

“Are you alright?” she asked.

It was almost as though Malcolm could feel her voice wash over him as she spoke. It was sweet and light, settling on his skin like a gentle mist of rain. He looked at his hands and realized that he was still holding the sword poised. He lowered it and drew it back so that it was slightly behind him.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I didn’t know who you were.”

“It’s alright,” she said, stepping up onto the platform with him. “I know who you are. Athan and Ellora asked that I host you in my home until you leave Uoria.”

“They did?” Malcolm asked.

She nodded.

“They say that you no longer have somewhere safe to live.”

Malcolm had the sudden, startling realization that they were right. He lived in a home with three other men, two of whom were also in the Order. He couldn’t return there, leaving him with nowhere to live during the time that they spent on Uoria before leaving for Penthos.

“I don’t want to impose on you,” Malcolm said, not knowing any other option, but also not wanting to feel as though he were causing this beautiful woman any difficulty.

“You won’t be imposing,” she said. “I wouldn’t have accepted if I didn’t want you there. You are incredibly brave, Malcolm. I know the danger that you are facing with the decision that you have made, and I am honored to give you any help that I can.”

“Thank you. What is your name?”

“Icelyn,” she said, offering her hand in the traditional Mikana greeting.

“Malcolm,” he said, his skin tingling as his hand touched hers.

Icelyn smiled wider, the expression getting into her eyes and causing them to sparkle.

“I know,” she said.

She turned, giving Malcolm a glance over her shoulder before stepping down off of the platform and starting toward the door to the meeting hall. He winced, embarrassed by introducing himself to her only moments after she said his name, but followed her eagerly. There was a flicker of nervousness in his belly when they reached the door as he worried that the Order would be waiting for them, but when they stepped outside he found the courtyard empty. They walked along in silence for a few moments before Icelyn turned to him again.

“I hope that you won’t be disappointed by my house,” she said. “It’s not much, but I’m comfortable there.”

“I’m sure that it will be everything that I could need,” he said.

Her lovely eyes slid to him, but she didn’t say anything more. They continued on toward one of the clusters of homes and Malcolm looked around the village with greater appreciation. It felt like for so long he had been seeing his surroundings only through the prism of the Order, unable to take in the details that were always there and yet seemed to have only just appeared again.

They arrived at a small home and Icelyn opened the door. She stepped inside and pressed her hand to the wall to trigger the glowing lights embedded near the top of the walls.

“Come in,” she said.

Malcolm stepped into the house and looked around the modest but inviting room. It was very much like the house that he had been living in, but smaller, designed for one person or a couple rather than several single men as his house was. The furniture was sparse but looked comfortable and the delicate decorative touches added just the hint of feminine detail, softening the impact of the entire space. The room where they were standing served as the living area on one half and the kitchen on the other, and he could see a short hallway leading further into the home where he assumed there would be a bedroom and bathroom. He had no belongings with him and didn’t want to make any presumptions about the space, so he remained still.

“I really appreciate you doing this,” he said as Icelyn walked into the kitchen and took a canister of coffee from a shelf.

She started the machine on the counter and picked up two mugs, placing them within the machine to fill before handing one to him.

“Welcome home.”