The Living Tower

Chapter Three: Light's Shadow

When Salestia returned to the front desk and informed Aza that there was a guest in the northeast tower who was not to be disturbed, she was immediately bombarded with questions.

"A guest? But who was in the tower? Did they break in? What reason would we have to let anyone in there?"

Fair enough. But Salestia didn't have many answers for Aza. Not good ones, anyway. She didn't want to lie to Aza, but laying her theories out in the open was dangerous. And she had to consider that Aza had her sister's power as governor at her disposal. Aza may not have been particularly invested in her job, but if she reported any major issues—like a potential thief being given free rein in a tower with banned texts—Salestia could be replaced in an instant.

After making a show of looking around to ensure there were no guests nearby, Salestia leaned over the desk toward Aza and spoke in a low voice. "You know as well as anyone that there are a lot of rumors around the fae caverns. Around what might be down there."

Brow furrowed, a frown on her lips, Aza replied, "Are you talking about Dawnbringer?"

Salestia nodded. Dawnbringer. The Halliark family sword. The Halliarks, of course, being the former Aelrish royal family. They'd ruled Aelren for centuries before King Roven's abrupt takeover seventeen years earlier.

"Unrest is growing on Earth," Salestia said to Aza. "In the right hands, Dawnbringer could restore peace."

Aza didn't look so certain. "Dawnbringeris a lightspeaker artifact, and a lightspeaker country is the source of thegrowing unrest. Who would wield such a weapon against their own king?"

Salestia shrugged. "There are rebel groups. Not every Aelrish lightspeaker stands with Roven."

"I suppose." Aza's gaze became distant. "I know any soulspeaking ability could be used for good or evil. But I often hear lightspeakers talk as if their abilities can only bring light and warmth to the world. We have a concept in moonspeaker mythology of the blinding light. Too much burns. Or kills." Her warm brown eyes met Salestia's again. "Darkness is the natural state of things. The sun gives us gifts, but there is safety in the night. Protection in the shadows."

Aza's immediate family didn't have any speaking abilities, as far as Salestia knew, but they did hail from a moonspeaker country. The moonspeaker order was only made up of shadowspeakers—speakers who could manipulate shadows to hide themselves, and even travel through them—and darkspeakers, who crafted solid objects from darkness, much in the way some lightspeakers could with the sun.

"I'm sorry, I think we've fallen off topic," Aza said. "This...guest, he's looking for Dawnbringer? To fight King Roven?"

"It's just a guess, on my part," Salestia admitted.

"You let him in the northeast tower without knowing what he's looking for?" Aza squinted at Salestia. "Do you know anything about him at all?"

"He's a witch from Earth." At the skepticism in Aza's expression, Salestia quickly added, "Relax. I don't trust him." Not yet. "I've ensured he won't be able to take anything."

"You think you're stronger than a witch?"

"It's not always about strength." Salestia grinned. "I may not be a powerful lightspeaker, but I know a few tricks."

"Hmm." A slight smirk found its way onto Aza's lips. One of her eyebrows lifted. "This stranger isn't handsome, is he?"

Salestia couldn't help but laugh, though some heat did creep onto her face. "You think me that easily manipulated?"

"I'm just curious."

"Seriously, Aza. I know what I'm doing. And if this turns into a disaster, I'm sure your sister would love to appoint you as my replacement."