‘You can?’ CJ asked.

  It wasn’t talking, but it wasn’t like the usual bond. When they were connected by the true bond, they had an intuitive sense of what the other was feeling, it was an idea of intent. He knew when someone wanted to move, he knew when someone was afraid, and it was a sensation shared across everyone. It was like being part of a tiny hive mind.

  Hive minds were always shown in media as just one mind spread across many bodies. But the idea of many minds immediately coming to a consensus on the best action would also count.

  This wasn’t that, this was somehow slower. Her thoughts were reaching him, but he had to focus on her, and only then was the channel really ‘there’. He could feel her situation, but while he was connected like this he was getting every detail of what was happening to her.

  She was fighting. Even as she tried to communicate with him, Alyss was pushing a guard back with repeated swings of her sword. Welma and Land were with her. There were two pairs of guards there, and even through the bond, CJ could see that the enemies were bonded pairs. He could see, it wasn’t just an awareness, he was looking through her eyes and feeling her pain.

  ‘Yes! How are you doing this?’ Alyss asked. She was also talking out loud, her mind unsure which way she should be communicating with him.

  ‘I’m trying something new.’ CJ said.

  ‘You’re not close?’ She asked.

  ‘No, we are still downstairs, we got Brook, and we fought someone from the Ashen Cult.’

  ‘Downstairs? How are you doing this? What do you-‘ She was panicking, but together with Welma they managed to hurt one of the prison guards enough that he backed off. Alyss was being pushed back toward the main exit, the way to the stage. CJ could hear an explosion through the doorway at Alyss’s back.

  ‘I’ll explain later, I-‘ then he felt a different detail, and it explained part of Alyss’s confusion. Alyss wasn’t just fighting, she was wearing a bond ring. To survive their fight, she was linked to Welma and Land.

  How was that possible? As far as CJ understood, he stayed linked to the people in his bonds. When he dropped the true bond, the powerful soulflame filled connection that empowered them until they ran out of juice, they were still passive connected. He thought the only way they would be able to join another bond would be if he dropped his. They did so once when Alyss went on a job without the other three.

  But CJ could still feel her while they were in the basement, despite her using a bond ring to enhance her power and her chances.

  Possibilities ran through CJ’s head. But more importantly, it seemed like they had an opportunity.

  ‘Listen to me Alyss,’ CJ thought to her. ‘The Ashen Cult is going to try to execute everyone that knows they’re here. The guards are going to kill any prisoners they can.’

  Alyss was shocked, and while Welma and Land guarded the path from deeper in the prison, Alyss turned and looked outside.

  The explosion outside took a chunk out of the stage. The crowd was dispersing in a panic, people fleeing every which way. In the center of them was Benton and Fuller, Benton drawing symbols with his fingers while Fuller gripped his shoulder tightly.

  Many of the guards were jumping from the stage, spreading out to surround the two scholars. While others were collecting the prisoners on stage, pinning them down, confirming their orders.

  ‘We have to save them, we have to shut the guards down.’ CJ said, ‘I have to get Mae out, then I’ll join you.’

  Alyss said what was lingering in his mind. ‘To stop the guards, we’ll have to take this whole city, CJ.’

  He opened his eyes. Alyss was still there, but he brought himself back to his own body. Brook was in a standoff with a loose group of three guards. A fourth one was bleeding on the floor.

  Larl was starring at him, feeling something like awe.

  ‘We have to do what we can.’ CJ sent to Alyss.

  He gripped his sword and charged forward to help Brook.

  Larl knew what to do next. He was lifting up Mae. She was ‘suspended’ for now, her body not getting any worse but not getting any better. They needed to get out of the prison, and that meant going back the way they came.

  As CJ and Brook drove back the guards, Brook with pure desperate skill and CJ with the advantage of his bond, they pushed and pushed until the guards fled back up the halls. Two had fallen, so the last two guards didn’t try their luck.

  She took one look at him, her eyes flickering up and down his face.

  “Where are we going?” Brook asked as they ran up the winding hallway, not too far behind the retreating prison guards. Her voice was haggard, and she was still terribly pale. He was surprised she was still standing.

  “I’m getting you to the mines, there is another exit. Hopefully that path is still clear,” CJ said as they ran.

  He focused on Alyss as he ran. They were out on the stage. Prison guards were scattered around her. She took Welma and Land, and they barreled into the group of guards before they could do too much damage. Still, several prisoners laid on the stage, bleeding out or worse.

  Them joining the fight meant the guards that were trying to chase down Benton now had to split their attention. The fight was chaos.

  With Alyss outside, CJ had some semblance of a map of the outside area. But he was maintaining their higher bond, so it wasn’t fully featured. Still, he knew the area from plenty of prep, if they could hold the stage it would give them the best chance.

  CJ was going to confuse the guards inside, and the exit was a narrow double gate, easy to hold, and a possible point to retreat to.

  ‘Hold the stage, or the main entrance?’ Alyss asked.

  “What?” Welma shouted, responding to Alyss vocalizing her thoughts.

  ‘Get Benton to the stage for now, get control of it. Get the prisoners on your side if you can, see if you can find Brook’s partner.’

  With her mentally accepting the orders, he went back to his own situation.

  They could hear guards fighting up ahead, which confused CJ. He looked to Brook, but she seemed focused on staying on her feet. But they didn’t have to wonder much longer. As they rounded another corner, they saw the backs of 6 guards. In front of them were a group of prisoners with stolen guard weapons, mining equipment, and bare hands.

  In the center of them was Ophy and Moll. The two Hillpeople weren’t supposed to be in the prison. They were the backup in case either group needed support. Without any additional information, they must have charged inside when everything started to fall apart.

  “Hit their flank,” CJ said to Brook as he pushed his burning muscles and charged at the prison guards. The men noticed them at the last second, a few turned back but it was too late. Pinched between two groups, they barely got to use their spears and clubs before they were dog-piled and pinned to the ground.

  “Ophy!” CJ shouted over the chaos of the prisoners. She pushed her way to CJ.

  “You found the target then?” Ophy said as she looked over to Brook, looked at CJ’s forehead. Then her eyes widened as she saw Larl’s cargo, Mae drooping in his hands. “What happened down there?”

  “Cultists,” CJ said, putting as much venom in his voice as he could. “We are freeing all of these prisoners!” CJ shouted as loud as he could.

  The prisoners raised their weapons and cheered.

  “Head to the top!” CJ said, pointing up the hall, “Anyone that is ready to fight, join me up there!”

  They cheered again, and several immediately ran off. Others waited for his move, less sure.

  “Anyone who can’t fight, or won’t fight, Ophy here will take you to safety.” CJ nodded to her, and Larl came over and handed Mae over.

  CJ had the unasked question, how long would Mae be safe without them. Now that Larl used the Wards ability, she would be safe for hours as long as someone took care of her.

  “See if you can get her to the House of Mercy,” CJ said, “Get people out through the exit. Can you do that?”

  Ophy held Mae in her hands, looked at the fading woman, and then nodded. “Yeah, but you owe me for a missed fight!”

  Moll took their axe and raised it. “Everyone trying to leave, follow me!”

  CJ looked to Brook. “You go with them, you’ve done way too much fighting for your state.”

  Brook stared into his eyes. She was going to fight him on this, despite looking like she just clawed her way out of an oven with how much ash and blood was on her.

  “Tell me one thing, why did you come get me? Who is paying you?” Brook asked.

  He stood taller. “Well the job was to come kill you, I guess someone was mad you failed your job. But I saw what you can do, and I thought you might like a new job instead.”

  Brook narrowed her glare. “If you aren’t lying, I might not have much of a choice there. We can talk if you don’t die.” They nodded at each other, and she followed Ophy’s group.

  Which just left him, Larl, and some stragglers ready to head to the fight.

  “Okay,” CJ said as he started to jog, “time to find see if I can really perform a miracle.”

  Larl followed behind him. “I can tell what you’re doing. I can’t feel all the details, but I know you managed to connect to her. That’s already a miracle, CJ.”

  “You only know the half of it,” CJ muttered.

  Larl playfully hit him in the arm. “I mean it. Even if we fail here, be proud of what you’ve done. They’ll write about this, you’re making history.”

  CJ wanted to reply, but he was tired, embarrassed, and maybe a little proud.

  ‘We have a problem here,’ Alyss said to him.

  Even as they ran, CJ focused toward Alyss to see what she was seeing. Their fight out on the stage was still a struggle. Her sword was locked with a guard, as Land attacked the man from the side. When that enemy fell away, CJ could see what the problem was.

  There was a small army of guards outside.

  “Back up!” Alyss shouted in her raspy voice.

  Benton was on stage now, and he helped Fuller move away from the edge of the stage.

  Many prisoners were out where the crowd used to be, and were now being corralled back toward the stage by the guards arriving from the city alleyways across The Brothers. Some of the prisoners ran back to the stage, climbing up or rushing up the stairs. They looked to the fighters that freed them with desperation, but Alyss ignored them.

  ‘Who is that?’ Alyss asked.

  He knew who she meant. The arriving guard lines were different. The prison guards were one force, but it seemed that a better trained fighting force was arriving. Most of their force was made up of short-bowmen, walking behind a line of lightly armored footmen. Thankfully, they weren’t bonded, just a wide formation.

  But at the center of the group was a man in full metal armor. It wasn’t video game full platemail, his leggings were still a mix of leather and other materials with metal caps for his knees. But his mail was indeed plate, and had a symbol emblazoned on it of a bear with some kind of tornado emerging from its back. It had to be an important insignia.

  ‘He is definitely in charge’, CJ said back to Alyss. The man had 3 bonded to him, An archer, a man with an axe, and a lightly armored guard.

  ‘I can tell that much,’ Alyss thought. ‘What do we do?’

  ‘Wait for me,’ CJ said, ‘Don’t make a move.’

  He could tell that frustrated her, but it was the only move he could justify. He didn’t know what this man was capable of. With the true bond still pulsing through his soulstone, he couldn’t read the man’s sheet. But he could tell that he was stronger, probably at least Tier 2, but what if he was even stronger?

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  “We gotta hurry,” CJ said to Larl.

  Larl nodded, and they pushed even harder. His muscles could ignore the pain while they were in this state, but everything else was on the point of breaking. He trained and trained to make sure he didn’t ‘crack’ his soulstone when using their bond’s full strength. Now he was doing this. He felt like any other day he would have already surpassed his limit. But he could think about passing out later.

  His limbs still felt cold, he couldn’t feel his feet as they ran up the stairs. He was going to keep pushing until it was safe to collapse. One more fight, one more win. But once he got outside, he absolutely couldn’t collapse. If he knew anything about these types of systems, his people would not take it well if their supposed leader fell apart in the middle of the battle. He couldn’t let it happen.

  “There it is!” Larl shouted, though their sensations were shared between each other. The exit area first had a wide room, desks and tables were shattered and shoved aside by previous fighting. The lighting was orbs along the walls. The doorway leading outside was jammed with prisoners that were observing what was happening outside, but unsure if they should head in or out.

  He could see his new type of bond line heading toward Alyss. It was thicker, but not consistent. It was like a pulse, a wave of energy heading to Alyss every second or more. That represented what he was experiencing pretty well.

  “Anyone who has no intention of fighting,” CJ shouted as he came up behind them, “please move out of the way, let us through!”

  The people parted enough, and people gasped as he moved past. He could hear whispers and nonsense shouts, but he had to focus on what was ahead. When enough people moved aside he could see the stage itself.

  Alyss, Welma, Land, Benton, and Fuller were at the center of it, looking out at the formation of city garrison. Scattered to either side of them were released prisoners and citizens who picked a side in the split moment of chaos. They were composed of men and women, different builds and ages. Most were younger, and their general appearance was that of laboring class people.

  Something was strange about Alyss. Around her head was a halo of energy. It looked like a tiara of flame, floating just away from her head. The fire was an orangish yellow, and flickered as if constantly excited. It was pointed in his direction.

  Alyss turned to look at him, and her eyes went wide. It didn’t take much for him to see what she saw. He also had one. His was more elaborate, going around his whole head, rising higher in the front, almost looking like a crown.

  They stared at each other for a moment, and then CJ came up beside Alyss.

  “You couldn’t figure out how to do this earlier?” Alyss said as she turned to look at the approaching contingent of guards.

  “He didn’t believe he could until the last moment,” Larl said as he stood on CJ’s other side.

  CJ shook his head, “You’re the only one convinced I can do anything. They haven’t done anything yet right?”

  He knew the answer was no, but the question was worth asking. Someone was approaching from behind the soldiers, a messenger.

  They were waiting for the order to strike. So he got here just in time, the real fight was about to begin.

  He scanned their surroundings, hoping for something that might give them an advantage. For now they had the high ground, but they were outnumbered, and out-gunned.

  “You know,” CJ said, “I’ve been here a couple months now, and this is the first time someone has aimed bow and arrows at me.”

  Larl seemed to think about it, but Alyss shook her head. “Congratulations.”

  CJ spotted someone on the rooftop of a nearby building. It looked like a woman from a distance. Her eyes were glowing, making it easier to pick her out among the crowd. While he hoped for an ally, she made no move to do anything. Then he saw a glimmer of soulflame rise out of her and sail into the air, arcing South, away from them. He had no clue what that was about.

  “Hear this criminals, prisoners, and conspirators!” Shouted the man in charge. He was reading from a scroll that was handed to him just moments prior.

  “I have received word from the mayor! Earl Shellert declares this prison riot the work of dangerous revolutionaries. Any who do not set their weapons down now and surrender should consider their lives forfeit! You have until we reach you to comply!”

  CJ could feel the change up on the stage. The prisoners and ‘rioters’ looked among themselves. Everyone was unsure what came next, and suddenly didn’t know if they could trust these random people who broke into a prison. Which was a fair assessment of the situation, just not one he could allow to get away from him.

  He walked forward and raised his sword. He tried to talk, his voice came out as a small rasp, and then he cleared his throat. Even if he blew out his voice, he was going to have to make himself heard at least up on the stage.

  “We freed the people in this prison from the Ashen Cult!” CJ shouted over everything. “Your fellow citizens were captured by Ash users, they were tortured, many were killed or hurt! The enemy is not here on this stage, they have fled into the city! They whisper into your mayor’s ear!”

  An arrow landed near CJ’s feet.

  “Silence your lies!” the enemy leader shouted over the growing commotion. “Surrender now or meet your end!”

  ‘Sounds like we don’t have much of a choice,’ Alyss thought to him.

  They were going to have to fight. CJ was at the center of a swirling world of emotions. Not only was he feeling the emotions of his bond, but the people standing on stage with him had their real fears and feelings about everything happening.

  He didn’t think they could take a bond of four, not in their state. He felt strong, but he didn’t know how this new type of bond distributed power. He didn’t know if they could survive. But he knew that they had to try. If he fled now, it all fell apart. They could survive, but anyone else who lived would remember this moment.

  The only choice was to go forward.

  CJ lifted his sword again as he spoke. “Fine then, we’ll fine to be free from an Earl who freely listens to evil. Anyone else who wants to join us, charge with me!”

  He let out one last yell. Alyss’s bond joined him, weapons up and yelling. Larl let out a shout that was unique to Cianna’s mercenaries, and Benton echoed it. Many people there cried out too, a yell that drowned anything else. Then CJ charged forward.

  This was suicide. He didn’t know how long until the bows fired, but he didn’t have a solution for them. They had to leap off the stage and cross the gap, they had to reach this guy, and they had to focus him down and beat him. If they could take him down, then maybe the enemy broke and they could win the day.

  Until their captain broke, there was no way those soldiers admitted fault in the Earldom. So CJ leaped from the stage, ignoring how little he felt the impact in his legs when he hit the ground. He kept shouting as they charged across the field, screaming until his voice was hoarse. He gripped his sword so tight that he wasn’t sure he was holding it at all.

  The enemy leader didn’t even move out of the way. He watched as CJ charged. Then when CJ was in range, the man lifted a hand. The archers all raised their bows, and the one in the enemy captain’s bond aimed right at CJ. A bolt was fired, and Larl’s shield manifested in time to block the arrow.

  It struck hard enough that it was half stuck through the shield. The enemy leader backed up and let his two other fighters take CJ’s charge. They crashed against each other, and then a press of bodies smashed around CJ.

  He couldn’t hear them before, couldn’t see them out of sight. But so many of the people on stage were right behind him. They charged the line with him, many of them without real weapons, others with stolen weapons or tools. Then the chaos unleashed, and the melee began.

  No amount of training could prepare CJ for the crush of full melee. The sound was deafening, with the growls and battle cries of men and women all around him. Weapons clashed against armor and bodies to each side of him.

  He tried to get his own attacks in, smacking with the butt of his sword, pushing back on the axe wielding guard right in front of him, trying to get enough room in to swing his sword.

  He didn’t have much time left. Keep pushing, he had to keep pushing. The man with the axe pushed him back, and then a sword swing came down his direction. He couldn’t use Larl’s shield, it was too soon. His sword came up, the weight of the attack rippled through his body, and threatened to push him to one knee.

  Alyss was fighting to his right. Her group was just to his side, they were fighting through loose soldiers and trying to get to archers. As CJ tracked them for a moment, he saw Welma get shot in the shoulder with an arrow. She let out a cry of pain, but kept fighting. Another enemy soldier down, some of the archers had to retreat back to keep the distance.

  An explosion went off to his left. It was behind the enemy lines, debris was flung out and there were chaos among their ranks. CJ could only tell because of his map, but Benton was still nearby. He wasn’t sure how often the man could fling out explosions before he was exhausted for the Beat, but it came in handy. He was just happy to have the man on his side.

  ‘Push in, break their line,’ CJ sent to Alyss.

  He blocked another blow, went on the offensive. He could barely see the enemy leader through the mess. The armored man seemed content to stand back and let his bond do the fighting for him.

  Outside of their bond, the enemy forces weren’t holding up well. CJ could feel their momentum. The rest of the enemy forces were being shaken by the chaos. Maybe they were used to strict lines, or maybe they rarely got to actually fight at all. But now they were facing a bunch of people from their own city, all fighting in an unorganized frenzy.

  On top of that, Alyss’s bond was worth nearly 10 fighters by themselves. Every few seconds they cut into more and more men, driving back the loose mass of men.

  Since their enemies weren’t in a bond, it seemed that Alyss suffered less from ‘engaging’ with them. Less drain on her, and they were able to drive them back without tapping the little bit of energy they had left.

  The two fighters in front of CJ parted, and their leader presented himself. His sword was over his shoulder already.

  “That’s enough!” The man yelled as he pulled his sword back for a thrust and approached CJ. “We can end this!”

  CJ saw the sparkle of soulflame moving through his body, moving from his core up to is arm. Whatever this facet was, he hadn’t seen it yet. While he didn’t know the exact details, he instinctively read it, and at least knew enough to say it wouldn’t be smart to get hit.

  The man’s sword thrust forward, the attack was swift but not more impressive than what he saw Alyss accomplish during their sparring. It was what happened after that surprised CJ. It was as if two other arms appeared, one above and one below his actual arm. They were also thrusting with also real swords.

  Larl’s shield manifested and absorbed the original strike and one more, then shattered as the third strike hit it. Then his arm continued driving forward, the third arm pushing toward CJ’s neck.

  He dodged to the side, just barely escaping a brush with death. While he let out a sigh of relief, he was kicked backward by the axe wielding guard. CJ focused on the group as a whole in time to notice the archer trained on him. But just before the shot was released, another archer bumped them and the shot went wide and into the ground.

  CJ needed support, he needed Alyss’s group to join him. But they were making so much progress. Even as he was getting shot at, several soldiers in the fight to his right broke and fled into a nearby alleyway. But if they didn’t pressure the leader now, he might not live to see the end of this fight.

  ‘Understood,’ Alyss thought.

  CJ’s eyes went wide. It seemed he was thinking about the option a little too hard.

  A flow of soulflame went from Alyss through to Welma and Land. They activated Hold Fast, becoming more durable for the rest of this fight. The odd of another one happening was low. Then they charged through loose soldiers and smashed into the side of the enemy captain’s group.

  The swordsman and captain were distracted by Alyss and Land. Welma came to CJ’s side and they stood up to the axe wielding fighter. They charged in, Welma pushing back at the man to keep his guard up while CJ looked for an opening.

  Push, swing, push, swing, they alternated trying to harass the guy while the archer behind tried to find an opening to fire on them. They knew not to give the archer a chance without CJ needing to say a word.

  Then the axe user lost his balance, nearly tripping backwards. CJ rammed him with his shoulder. As he crashed to the cobble road, Welma brought her sword up high as CJ gave him a kick for good measure. Her sword plunged down, and Welma let out a scream of satisfaction as her weapon pierced him.

  CJ couldn’t help but yell, the rage and satisfaction contagious.

  Alyss and Land were trying to fight their two on two battle, but it wasn’t going nearly as well. It was mostly a standstill, but while Alyss and Land looked tired with sweat on their brow and hunched posture. The enemy captain was still steady and ready. It was time to gang up on him.

  CJ pointed toward the captain, and Welma’s eyes followed his gesture. For a moment, she took her eyes off the archer and that was enough. An arrow from nowhere struck her in the chest, sending her stuttering backwards until she fell off her feet.

  “No!” CJ yelled. He looked back at her, and watched as she gripped the extruding arrow like a weird surprise growth. “No!”

  He turned on the archer. While he wanted to help Welma, he knew he couldn’t. He also knew that there was someone who could. He was standing back before, but now Larl was moving up to the front. That left CJ open to attack.

  Another explosion rocked the battlefield, Benton sending more people to the ground, and then shortly after many of them fled.

  Land had the enemy’s attention. He didn’t know about Welma yet. Alyss knew, she was angry. CJ felt tired, like his very being was juiced for all but the last drop. He would have to spend it here, on the win.

  The captain swatted Land across the face, the boy collapsed to the ground. Alyss stabbed the last guard, knocked him aside, and kept charging. The captain didn’t look scared, in fact he seemed ready.

  CJ went cold. They were falling into a trap. But they didn’t have a choice, they had to go forward, they had to kill him. But that was a man who was ready for the next attack.

  ‘I’m going,’ Alyss thought.

  Simple, a thought perfect for the moment. They were expected, so CJ just needed to exceed expectations. He didn’t know what he could do. He didn’t understand this new power.

  But a thought came from Larl, instinctive through the true bond. He could do anything, he should make it a miracle.

  CJ felt the last bit of power rise up within him, slip up through his body, and as he let out a guttural battle cry he felt it release from his throat. He couldn’t hear it himself, it was just a pressure that erupted over the field. He felt that last bit of soulflame leave him like a wave.

  It touched those around him, the random fighters, the escaped prisoners, but those connected to him most of all. Alyss practically glowed as her tiara of flame flared up into a blaze.

  Then she struck.

  The captain’s armor was shimmering, some kind of facet that would protect him no doubt. His arm was out as he prepared to counterattack. But Alyss’s sword was through his chest, peeking out the other side.

  CJ’s vision started to go fuzzy, and he wobbled on his feet. But he saw the bond line fizzle out between the captain and his bond. Then CJ’s did the same.

  There was a triumphant cry across the frantic battle, and then Alyss pulled her sword free to lift it and cry out.

  CJ felt people grab him, hold him up as his knees went weak. But something inside him felt like glass. His eyes closed, and everything around him became a dream again.

  The Oracle sighed. The update was interesting, but the timing couldn’t be more inconvenient.

  She knew that Greywind was hiding something from her, they were being blunt even for their hard-headed usual. So the Oracle thought to look around. Moving her scouts around wasn’t hard, and sometimes it was just a matter of activating some that otherwise weren’t in operation. It was completely unrelated news that even had to check on The Brothers.

  It was important for resources, but the Earl was unhelpful. As far as her powers were concerned, the Earldom was its own faction that she couldn’t actually work with. The people around her didn’t see the Earl that way, seeing him as stubborn but aligned with King Mandin.

  She knew it wasn’t that simple. But now, a little revolution was brewing. Fighting in the streets, a massive prison break, and the disruption of her resource production.

  But that wasn’t a surprise, she saw the risk of Shellert ‘rebelling’ months ago. This wasn’t the kind of rebellion she expected, she didn’t expect another visitor to be at the helm of it. While she wasn’t sure at first, seeing his powers in action made it all but obvious.

  His powers seemed focused in the area around him, not nearly as impressive as Greywind’s massive horde technique. If this was the extent of his ability, it was no wonder that Greywind tried to eliminate him right away. But it was still a mystery why this new ‘player’ was only revealing themselves now. Were they in hiding in Akahi this whole time? That seemed unlikely considering how Akahi behaved the last few months, and how easily it fell. There was something more at work here, and she had a nasty suspicion that it was related to her current problem at home as well.

  The door opened, and she could feel that it was Klara, her current assistant.

  “How is he?” the Oracle asked.

  The girl stood there for a moment. She had a bad habit of relying on her body language when around someone that couldn’t read it. But the girl was one of hers, she could ‘see’ her in a way even without the use of her eyes.

  Klara wanted to lie, but in a good way. She wanted to reassure her.

  “He is doing better,” Klara said, “the priests say he should make a full recovery rather quickly.”

  The Oracle nodded. “Then we don’t have long, and we have a whole lot of work to get done.”

  “Ma’am?” Klara said as she walked in and closed the door.

  The Oracle brushed off the space next to her and then gave it a pat to call Klara over. “We need to understand more about these people that tried to kill the king.”

  Klara came over and sat down.

  “By the time he is seated on the throne again, we should be ready to punish them for daring to attack him.”

  Klara nodded, and spoke with determination in her voice, “Yes ma’am.”