Читать книгу Rise to the Rahz - Erik van Mechelen - Страница 8

Bel sprung from her stone stool to hug Kaydin as he entered Haven. Kaydin drew her close, breathing in her familiar floral scent. She brushed the dark hair from his eyes, traced his scar with a gentle fingertip. “I’m glad you're home."

“Me too," he said, taking in her delicately curved eyes, her heart-shaped face. He put a hand on her stomach and she smiled, then, with a brush of her hand on his foream she let him be.

“That makes three of us,” said a weary old man at the obsidian table. Ry, Haven's leader. Kaydin brought his satchel of earthlights for his inspection. The ceiling's green earthlight shard shone upon Ry's head of grey-flecked brown hair, worn down on the edges. He had no doubt been pulling at them as he tried to decipher the movements of the sentinels he so religiously tracked.

Ry sat up straighter on his stool, pretending not to inspect the take as he addressed Kaydin. "What took you so long?”

“Getting more of these.”

“You have the best technique. Tell me what happened.”

Kaydin hesitated, knowing Ry would chew him out for letting a sentinel see him.

“I don’t want to lose you,” said Ry.

Kaydin knew how important he was to their resistance. With the turma, others also gained the effects of enhanced senses, but he could do more. He could use Heighten, sharpening his senses further. He could look back with Retain and Recall…and perhaps more critically, he could look forward with Predict. “Look, there’s more you need to know about tonight,” said Kaydin.

“Go on.”

“The new director had his first meeting with the Rahz. I couldn’t hear much, but when I saw his smile I knew he was trying to get away with something.”

Kaydin reached into the satchel and pulled out the sixth turma bulb he had cut from the plant. “It all made sense not long after, when I found this.”

“You took one!”

Kaydin sighed. “You sound like the worker who suggested it was against the rules.”

“A worker saw you?” said Ry. "A worker talked to you?"

Kaydin enjoyed this. Having power over Ry. Too often it was the other way around. Holding up the turma bulb, Kaydin explained that this bulb was the sixth on the turma plant, something neither of them had seen before. The worker he had encountered had discovered it and stayed late to investigate.

Ry adjusted the amulet on his cloak and sat up a bit straighter. “Let’s have Mav examine the bulb tomorrow.”

“But what does it mean?” said Kaydin.

“You already figured the first implication,” said Ry. “That the new director wants to gain favor with the Rahz through a larger-yield harvest.”

“Yes, and?”

“The Rahz don’t yet know he’s doing it.”

"Strange behavior from a director, don't you think?"

"He's acting out. Maybe he wants to become a Rahz himself. With enough favor..."

Ry liked to discuss the Rahz's hierarchal methods as much as Kaydin liked using his abilities. But Kaydin didn't have the wits to do so now. Kaydin diverted his attention to his hands, where he found himself fingering his stump of a left pinky. Then he felt his entire body losing the ability to hold himself up. “I’ve got to rest before my head hits this stone,” he said, knocking on the table.

“That’s fine,” said Ry, “then I won’t ask you to Inspire me with the memory of what happened—you did Retain it, right?”

“Yes, but Inspiring you now would be too expensive anyway.” His turma allocation was running out.

“True enough,” said Ry, “but if this worker has curiosity like Gara, Mav, or Bel, then…”

Kaydin nodded, understanding the implication, while also noting how Ry left out Maryn, as he always did when discussing curiosity. Kaydin’s head started to droop from fatigue. “You’re right.”

“Get your rest; you’ll need it. Tomorrow night, you will watch that worker.”