But he couldn’t focus enough to understand the minister’s words. All he could think about was the memory of the feeling, the devastating loss of it. He ground his face against the stone floor, weeping.
It seemed that hours passed before he could form a thought, maybe days. For the first time in his life he honestly wished he could die. The world was a horrible, ugly place, and he wanted no part of it.
“Attrebus,” Sul said. “Attrebus, listen to me.”
He forced his eyes open but couldn’t find the energy to sit up.
“What?” he muttered.
“You’ll get over it. It doesn’t feel like it, but you will.”
“No. He’ll come back. He’ll get me to tell him the rest, and then he’ll kill me.”
“He won’t,” Sul said. “He won’t come back because I told him.”
“Ah, damn you!” Attrebus howled, climbing to his feet, yanking at the bars. “I’ll kill you! That was the only thing, the only way he might-” He broke off in a paroxysm of fury, slamming arms and elbows against the walls, punching them until his knuckles were bloody.
“That was the only thing I had to look forward to!” he finally got out.
“I know,” Sul nodded.
“Why did you tell him?”
“Because he would have kept asking you, and it would have destroyed you. As it is, you’re still able to get angry. That’s a good sign.”
“But now Hierem-You told him about the sword? What it will do?”
“Yes.”
Attrebus sank, trembling, back to the floor. “Then why are we still alive?”
“In case, I think,” Sul replied.
“What do you mean?”
“If things don’t go Hierem’s way, he said he would give us the sword and send us up to Umbriel.”
Attrebus wiped his tears with the bloody back of his hand. “We might still have a chance?”
“We might. He just teleported somewhere, and he didn’t take the sword with him. But you have to pull it together, do you hear? In case.”
“I don’t think I can,” Attrebus said.
“I know you can,” Sul replied. “I’m telling you that you can. So do it.”
Colin returned, as he did each evening, to the room beneath the city. Letine had been gone for five days, and he was starting to believe she wasn’t coming back, so when he saw someone waiting there, his hand went to his knife.
“It’s me,” she said.
He didn’t know what to do. Should he rush over, hold her, kiss her?
“Are you okay?” he asked instead.
“I’m fine. It just took longer than I thought. The countryside was crawling with those things.”
“Did you find anything out?”
“Nice to see you, too,” she said.
“I-I was worried about you,” he said. “I starting thinking-”
“It’s okay,” she said. “Come here.”
“I didn’t find out anything about the diagram,” she told him later. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s probably nothing,” he said. “Just a stupid distraction.”
“What now?”
“I’m going back,” he said. “Back to Hierem’s quarters.”
“Why?”
“I think he may have Attrebus captive,” he said. “It’s a long shot, but if he does-”
“That would certainly be enough for the Emperor to act on.”
“I think I’m past needing to convince the Emperor of anything anymore,” he said. “Umbriel’s nearly here. I’ve got to do something.”
“That’s good,” she said. “That’s great.”
“Okay,” he said. “I’ve got a few things to get together. If I don’t come back-”
“Then I’ll know why. This time, I’m going with you.”
“Letine-”
“If you’re going to do more than sneak around, you’ll need me, I promise you. No arguments.”
He saw her resolve, and knew in that instant he wouldn’t have it any other way.
“Okay,” he said. “Are you ready?”
“I think I’ll get dressed first,” she demurred.
Attrebus never heard a sound, but suddenly they were there, gazing down at him, a man and a woman in dark clothing. The woman was a pretty blonde, the man rather nondescript, with brown hair and green eyes.
“Prince Attrebus?” the man whispered.
Attrebus just stared at him, wondering what Hierem was up to now. Had the minister changed his mind?
“Are you here to kill me?” he asked.
“No,” the man answered. “Is Hierem here?”
“He’s not,” Sul answered. “But he could return at any moment.”
“Right,” the man said. “Listen-we work for the Emperor. We’ve come to get you out.”
“There are more than locks here,” Sul informed them.
“I can see that,” the man replied. “Just give me a few moments of quiet.”
The man studied Attrebus’s cell. He closed his eyes, concentrating on something. Attrebus felt the hairs stand up on his neck. After a few moments the man seemed satisfied and touched the lock. It clicked, and the door swung open.
“Who are you?” Attrebus asked.
“I’m Colin Vineben,” the man replied. “If you’ll just come with me, highness-”
“Sul. Get Sul out.”
Colin studied Sul’s cell. “That will be harder,” he said. “That will require time.”
“Take it, then,” Attrebus said.
“If Hierem returns-” the woman began.
“We think he’s on Umbriel,” Attrebus interrupted. “He steps on the sigil in the next room and vanishes. He returns in the same spot. If you wait in there you might be able to surprise him.”
“That’s a good idea,” Colin said. “Letine?”
“I’ve got it,” she replied, padding into the next room.
“Hierem must have really been worried about you,” Colin remarked almost half an hour later, as the last of the wards finally succumbed.
“Not worried enough, apparently,” Sul said. “How did you know we were here?”
“I’ve been watching Hierem for a while,” Colin said. “There was rumor that the prince had been seen abducted, and I thought it was worth looking here.”
“Now what?” Letine asked.
“Now you get the prince back to his father,” Colin said. “I’ll stay here and deal with Hierem.”
“He’ll kill you, Colin,” Letine asserted.
“I’ll get him as soon as he appears.”
“No,” Attrebus croaked. He’d been sitting despondently outside of his cell, but now he stood up.
“Your highness-”
But Attrebus was talking to the Dunmer. “We can get up there, Sul,” he said. “Up to Umbriel, just as Hierem did.”
“He’s got some sort of object with him,” Sul replied. “I think it activates the portal. We’ll have to get it from him.”
“No, we won’t,” Attrebus said. “I think if we stand in the middle of the sign, we’ll go up when he comes back. I saw a rat vanish once, when he appeared.”
“Wait,” Colin said. “Listen to me. If we return you to your father, he can send a hundred men through the portal-soldiers, battlemages-there’s no point in you going, Prince.”
“What if the portal only works for Hierem? What if he’s the only one who knows the magic word, or whatever? We can’t take that risk. Sul, we have to find the sword before Hierem returns.”
“What sword? What’s this about?” Colin demanded, but Sul was already out the door. Attrebus started after him.
“I’ll explain if we have time,” the prince said.
“What if he doesn’t return?” Colin pressed, walking with him. “What if he just stays on Umbriel until this city falls?”
“I don’t know,” Attrebus said. “But I think he’ll be back. You stay here in case it’s sooner rather than later.”
“I think he’s right,” Letine said after they were gone. “I think Hierem will be here when Umbriel reaches the city.”
“Why?”
“Just a feeling in my gut,” she replied. “The prince is determined-let him do whatever it is he wants to do-we’ll wait here for Hierem.”
“The prince is delusional,” Colin whispered.
“You can’t make him go.”
“Sure I can. His father will thank me.”
He heard them returning. Sul was carrying something wrapped up in cloth. It was the size and shape of a sword.