James Islington - The Shadow Of What Was Lost

Then she was rushing into the room, and they were embracing.

"Asha?" Davian could barely choke out the name, overcome with a flood of emotion. He held her away from him for a moment, peering into her black-scarred face, scarcely daring to believe it. He swallowed hard as unexpected tears threatened to form in his eyes. Even as a Shadow, she was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. "How…?"

Asha grinned in delight at the look on his face. "It’s a long story, Dav."

Wirr gave a cough as he entered the room. "Good to see you too, Dav. Glad you’re not dead and everything."

Davian laughed dazedly, elatedly, grabbing Wirr and pulling him into the embrace. "Fates, Wirr, you have no idea how good it is to see you again. After Deilannis…." He shook his head, smile finally slipping a little. "Laiman said I’ve caused trouble for you. I’m sorry."

"Not your fault." Wirr stared at the floor, his brow furrowed as he said the words. "My uncle is very sick; I’m sure it would have come out eventually." He rubbed his face. "Word’s already spreading, though, and I have no idea what the consequences are going to be. I can’t stay around here for long."

"Neither can I, Dav." Asha looked torn as she said the words. "You have no idea how much I want to sit down with you, tell you everything that’s been happening… but Wirr caught me just as I was leaving. There are things I need to do before the Blind get here. Important things. I’ve only got a few minutes." She gave him a rueful smile.

"She never believed you were gone." A guilty expression spread across Wirr’s face. "I shouldn’t have, either… I never would have left you in Deilannis, but Taeris lost his connection with your Shackle, and…."

"It’s okay, Wirr," Davian reassured him. "There was nothing you could have done. Believe me." His gaze returned to Asha, head spinning. "So if you’re alive…. is everyone else…?"

Asha’s face twisted. "No," she said gently. "Just me."

Davian nodded; there was the momentary pain of having that flicker of hope crushed so quickly, but the joy of seeing Asha again was stronger by far. "It’s still a miracle," he said, unable to wipe the smile from his face.

Wirr gripped him by the shoulder, as if testing to see if he was truly there. "So what happened? Where have you been?" He hesitated. "Is Nihim with you?"

"No." It was Davian’s turn to grimace. "He died in Deilannis. As to the rest, it’s difficult to explain quickly. If you really have to go…"

Wirr nodded, looking frustrated. "I really do."

Davian sighed; he understood the need, but this reunion with his friends was going to be all too brief. "Any ideas as to what I should be doing next, then? This was as far ahead as I’d thought," he admitted. "I have control of some of my Augur powers, now. There must be some way I can help."

Wirr and Asha exchanged glances. "You can Read people?" asked Asha.

"Yes. Why?" Davian smiled slightly at the odd expression on his friends' faces. "Don’t worry. I’m not going to Read either of you."

Wirr shook his head, remaining serious. "It’s not that, Dav." He hesitated. "It’s Ilseth Tenvar."

Davian felt his expression twist in sudden anger at the name. "Where is he?"

"Locked up in Tol Athian," supplied Asha. "But he’s not talking."

"Asha and I were discussing this a few days ago," continued Wirr. "That box for Caeden, the attacks to find me… we know it’s all connected to this invasion."

"And if I Read Tenvar, there’s a chance we might find out something useful about the Blind," finished Davian, unable to keep the reluctance from his tone. He rubbed his forehead, a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. He badly wanted Ilseth to answer for what he’d done, but suddenly, the thought of facing him made Davian queasy. "Caeden didn’t get his memory back then, I take it?"

"The Council refused to help him," said Wirr. "I don’t know the details, but I think Taeris is still trying to convince them."

Davian was silent for a moment as he processed the information. "And Tenvar’s said nothing?"

"So far as we’ve been told," said Asha, a little bitterly.

Wirr grimaced, nodding. "Things have been… strained between the palace and the Tol, as you can probably imagine if you’ve heard anything about how my uncle’s been acting. The Council have all but cut off communications now; we asked to see Tenvar the other day and they refused us entry. As is their right under the Treaty, unfortunately."

Davian gave a thoughtful nod. "So you can’t get me in," he said. "If I want to see Tenvar, I’ll probably have to tell them that I’m an Augur." He rolled back his sleeve, revealing the smooth skin where his Mark had once been. "They’re going to take some convincing if I don’t."

Wirr and Asha both stared in silence for a few seconds.

"Fates," murmured Wirr. "How…." Then he shook his head, looking frustrated. "No time; you’ll just have to tell us everything when all this is over. But you’re right - you are going to have to tell them you’re an Augur. That’s one of the reasons we haven’t sent any of ours yet."

Davian gave him a puzzled look. "Our what?"

"Augurs." Asha grinned at Davian’s expression, which he felt turn from bemusement to outright disbelief as he stared at her. "A long story. Only one of them can really Read people though, and he’s too valuable at the palace at the moment. If we expose him to Athian, it would be too risky for him to come back and assume no-one from here will find out."

Davian was silent for a long few moments as he digested what Asha had said. "Tenvar managed to lie to me. He knows how to shield himself. I’m not sure there’s any use sending anyone to Read him, to be honest," he said eventually, a little dazed.

"We know, Dav. The chances of getting anything useful are slim - we just thought it might be worth trying." Asha laid a reassuring hand on his arm. "If you don’t think it is, though, I’m sure there are other ways you can help." To her side, Wirr nodded his agreement.

Davian thought for several more seconds, then shook his head. "No," he said quietly. "I’ll do it. If there’s even a slight possibility we can get answers from him, then we should try."

Wirr quickly related how to get to the Tol and then glanced at the door, clearly anxious to leave. "I hate to go so soon, Dav, but I need to get away from here before an Administrator finds me. The El-cursed Fourth Tenet is an awfully dangerous thing right now," he said, looking nervous. "I’m going to head to Fedris Idri until my father sends word that everything is under control; it’s unlikely Administration will try anything while I’m surrounded by my uncle’s soldiers. Find me there if you discover anything important." He embraced Davian. "Fates, it’s good to have you back. When this is all over, we’ll celebrate your return from the dead. Properly."

"I’d expect nothing less." Davian turned to Asha, and they both hesitated for a second. Then she wrapped him in a long, tight hug, her cheek against his.

"Be careful," she said softly. "We have some things to talk about when this is all over."

Davian gave her a gentle squeeze. "I know. You too, Asha."

Wirr was standing impatiently by the door. "You can find your own way out?"

Davian nodded. "As long as the guards at the gate won’t stop me."

"They won’t," Wirr promised. "Give me five minutes to speak to them, then head out."

With that, he left. Asha paused in the doorway, giving him one last, brilliant smile over her shoulder before she followed suit.

Davian sat, still trying to comprehend everything that had just taken place. Asha was alive. It didn’t seem possible, was too good to be true. After all he’d endured over the past few months, this was a ray of hope, of happiness, he’d not dared to think was possible.