She crossed her arms and gave him a hard stare. ‘You’ll be lucky if he welcomes you back at all,’ she said. ‘You hurt him, Cole. He loves you like a son. He only did what he thinks is best for you.’
Cole’s grin faded. He stared down at the ground. ‘I know. I’ve been meaning to apologize. Maybe… maybe I was wrong.’
Sasha’s mouth almost dropped open. She had known Cole since they were both children. She could count the number of times he had uttered those words on one hand and still have fingers to spare.
‘Maybe you have learned something after all,’ she said.
Cole nodded. ‘I’ve been through a lot,’ he replied. ‘But I’ve come through it all a better man…’ His voice trailed off and he frowned as Isaac suddenly ambled back into camp.
The manservant had been investigating the ruins a half-mile to the east, making sketches and writing notes. Sasha had gone with him, and had spent a few minutes staring at the ancient relics before heading back to the others. It wasn’t that the remnants of the Fade civilization were boring — on the contrary, what remained of the twisting, alien architecture was wondrous to behold — but there had been an oppressive feel about the place. It seemed to prod and pull at the darkness inside her so that she couldn’t bear to remain there for long.
‘Many of the structures still stand,’ said Isaac happily. ‘It puts modern engineering to shame. The Fade were so advanced they made even Shadowport’s best craftsmen and architects look like children playing with model bricks.’
Brianna glanced across from where she was conversing with the captain of The Caress. ‘You possess an unusually keen interest in ancient history,’ she remarked. ‘It is my understanding the Fade departed this land at the dawn of the Golden Age.’
Isaac nodded. ‘Two thousand years, give or take, and yet their influence is still felt. That tells us much, doesn’t it?’
Sasha knew little about the Fade other than what was common knowledge. They were said to dwell thousands of miles to the west, across the Endless Ocean. Even before the Godswar the voyage had been a monumental undertaking. When the Lord of the Deep perished and the Azure Sea became the Broken Sea, the task grew harder still. Ships from each of the Trine city-states had attempted to cross the Endless Ocean to the Fadelands in decades gone by, and most had never returned. Those that did had admitted defeat — for even if a ship successfully navigated the vast expanse of water, some strange magic made it impossible to dock.
‘The legends state that the Fade are immortal,’ Brianna said. ‘They do not age and die as we do. I suppose they are like Magelords in that regard.’
Isaac shook his head. ‘Even Magelords were born human. The Fade are different. What use would they have for the gods, or gold, or man’s obsession with, er, procreation? Time means nothing to them. No wonder they departed across the sea when humanity rose to power.’
‘Departed, or fled?’ asked Brianna, an eyebrow raised.
Isaac smiled his bland smile. But there was something else there, Sasha thought, something she had never seen before. It seemed almost… mocking. ‘The Fade would not flee from humans. No more than we would flee a rat infestation. We are shackled by the constraints of our own mortality. Take those constraints away and what might a person become? Anything and everything, given enough time. Can you imagine a race of such beings?’
‘Magic is a potent thing,’ Brianna replied. ‘Even the Fade must respect its power.’
Isaac went quiet for a time. When he spoke again that odd edge in his voice was gone. ‘I guess that’s true. Still, there isn’t much magic around any more — and legends say the Fade possess formidable powers of their own.’
There was movement over where the two Highlanders, Three-Finger and the Shamaathan sat. As far as Sasha could tell the four men had been trying to out-grimace one another. She expected Jerek was winning, but this new dark-skinned southern challenger would give him a run for his money.
‘I reckon it’s time for a song,’ said Brodar Kayne. ‘It’s been a long while since I heard something to stir my old bones.’
‘I can’t promise to do that,’ Isaac replied. ‘But I would be honoured to play. Where’s my lute?’
Cole seemed to shuffle a few steps to the side. He had a guilty look on his face. Sasha felt a sneaking suspicion take hold. ‘Cole, you brought the lute over from the boat. Where did you put it?’
‘Over there,’ Cole replied, pointing at the bundle of clothes, food and other items they had taken with them to shore.
Isaac walked across to the pile of provisions. ‘It was a struggle to think of a fitting name,’ he said. ‘In the end, I decided upon “An Ode to the Survivors”.’
‘The survivors?’ said Brodar Kayne, one eyebrow raised.
Isaac bent down to retrieve his lute. ‘Well, it seems to me that every one of you has suffered much to be here. I mean, you’ve all faced terrible things and lived to tell the tale. It’s quite inspiring really- What’s this?’ The manservant’s eyes widened in horror. ‘My lute… Two of the strings are broken! And it’s full of water!’
Cole cleared his throat. ‘It fell into the channel while I was unloading it from the boat.’ Everyone turned to stare at him. He seemed to wilt beneath their scrutiny. ‘What? It was an accident.’
Brodar Kayne shook his head slowly. Jerek turned away and spat. Brianna gave him a disapproving frown. The dark-skinned southerner raised his eyes towards the sky. Isaac stared at his ruined instrument. A ripple of anger threatened to shatter the permanent mask of insipidness that was his face.
‘You did it on purpose!’ Sasha accused Cole. ‘I can’t believe you. Just when I thought you might be starting to change.’
‘But it was an accident! I promise you, it slipped out of my grasp-’
‘Ah, stow it, kid.’ It was Three-Finger. ‘Accident or not, you’re a fuck-up. That’s the truth of the matter. We all had a good laugh at you playing the hero aboard the Redemption, did you know that?’ He leaned forwards and his scabrous face twisted into a sneer. ‘Why don’t you tell the girl there how you really feel about her? You’ve got more chance of getting your dick wet with the White Lady. I reckon the girl’s legs are closed up tight. Just like her pretty little ass.’
Brianna’s expression became ugly and Brodar Kayne’s eyes narrowed on the convict. Sasha felt her heart begin to hammer. Three-Finger looked at Jerek, obviously expecting some support from the brooding Highlander. The Wolf’s face was impassive.
Cole stepped towards Three-Finger. There was hurt in his eyes, but his face was beginning to redden with anger. ‘I won’t let you speak about Sash like that.’
‘Or what?’ the convict scoffed. ‘Come on, kid. We all know you’re delusional. I’d stick you like a pig. With or without your little dagger.’
‘Enough.’ It was Brianna. She faced Three-Finger imperiously. Despite her plain appearance, there was a tangible aura of power about the wizard that wiped the sneer from the man’s face. ‘I will tolerate no discord among us. And I will especially not brook any insult to my mistress. Do so again and you will regret it.’
Three-Finger scowled and looked down at the dirt. Cole stared at him for a moment or two. Then he turned and walked over to the edge of the water, his back to them.
Sasha watched him go. Kayne and the Shamaathan had looked as if they would rise and restrain Cole and Three-Finger if necessary. Now they were settling back down, grim expressions on their faces.
Jerek met her eyes for a second. His gaze was unreadable, but she did not doubt he had enjoyed her humiliation. She gave him an angry glare, then turned and followed after Cole.
‘I thought he was my friend.’
Sasha shook her head and bit her lower lip. The craving had returned, stronger than before, but she tried to ignore it. ‘Men like Three-Finger don’t have friends. He used you.’