Master Eklor rose, his face somber, his hands clasped piously in front of him, cradling the talisman. “I assure you all that I come in peace with only a hope of achieving, if not forgiveness, then at least some measure of atonement before I breathe my last breath. My methods hurt no one, either living or dead.” Turning to the Five, he said, “Master Kreya, Master Jentt, Master Stran, Master Zera, and Master Marso, Heroes of Vos . . . I deeply regret the pain I have caused each of you, and I know that your forgiveness is impossible. But I hope that you, in your zeal, will not be the cause of needless suffering. You have heard of my miracleswith resurrection. But here is what you do not know, the reason the council has voted to support me.”
Yes, she wanted to hear this. What reason could possibly be sufficient for them to turn their back on the past, on the future, and on the innocent?
“I have in my power the ability to extend the life of every bone worker in this guild, as well as the lives of their loved ones. This is what I have come to offer every bone worker. A chance for they and their loved ones to defeat deathbeforeit comes for them!”
A hush fell over the hall.
Kreya felt as if all the oxygen had been sucked from the room. She stared at Eklor.Thiswas how he had won them all over. At least she understood. He wasn’t offering a nebulous promise of future resurrection. He was offering them and their families longevity. He was offering themlifenow.
Still... Still, didn’tanyof them have reservations? A suspicion that it was too good to be true? Concern about the consequences?
“The cost—” Kreya began.
“The cost is mine to bear,” Eklor said.
“If you were truly paying it, you’d be dead by now,” Kreya shot back. She wished immediately she could recall the words. She did not want the council asking how she knew the details of the spell so well. It was important to tread carefully. But to her surprise, no one on the council questioned her.
Eklor shook his head sadly. “You speak out of a lack of knowledge. I have refined the resurrection spell well beyond my clumsy attempts years ago. I am able to perform it without draining the life of myself or anyone else.”
“Tell them how you know,” Zera whispered.
But Kreya shook her head. With the council set against them, she was not about to reveal that she had violated the law. Far too risky. “Prove it,” she said to Eklor. “Show me the spell.”
“You will understand if I don’t trust you,” Eklor said.
“Then show another master. Teach it to Grand Master Lorn. Show Master Subene. Or Master Rabkin. Demonstrate the spell to the entirety of the Bone Workers Guild. If it’s as innocent a spell as you claim, then share it. Let all bone workers grant extra life to the people of Vos.”
He smiled, and she knew she’d made a mistake, though she didn’t know what the mistake was. “I have already shared the spell with Grand Master Lorn. He has approved its use and already shared his conclusion with the council. Would you contradict the verdict of the grand master?”
“I have indeed reviewed and approved the spell to my and the council’s satisfaction,” Grand Master Lorn pronounced.
Kreya gaped at him.
“If you want proof of my goodwill,” Eklor said, seeming to enjoy Kreya’s disbelief, “come in two days’ time. On that day, I will be giving the miracle of extended life to all bone workers and their families. Grand Master Lorn has summoned bone workers from across Vos. They are traveling here as we speak.”
Prickles ran up and down Kreya’s neck. There were hundreds of bone workers of varying skill levels across the vast mountains of Vos. The number of deaths it would take to extend all those lives... Kreya gawked at Eklor, then at all of them. “So you’re just going tobelievehim? Believe the man who waged war against all of us? The man who caused the deaths of your brothers, sisters, parents, children? You’re going to accept that this miracle of a second life comes with zero cost, with no review or oversight?”
“No,” Grand Master Lorn boomed, “what we will not do is let old hatreds destroy this golden opportunity! Without proof, actual solid proof, of ill intent, we would be fools to refuse such a rare and precious gift.”
Beatifically, Eklor spread his arms wide. “This is my act of redemption. Allow me to take this risk, give this gift, and bless the bone workers whom I have caused such pain.”
Kreya could only gawk at him.
“It’s a trap,” Zera said to the council. “Obviously. I bet he has no intention of working this miracle spell. He just wants to gather all his enemies in one hall and unleash his army.”
“Clever plan,” Jentt agreed. “Appealing bait.”
“He’ll kill you all,” Stran said. “Succeeding where he failed before. Please, masters, listen to Kreya, listen to Zera, listen to us! You’re in danger!”
“We have listened to you,” Grand Master Lorn said. “This ‘army’ doesn’t exist. We have listened to you out of gratitude for your past deeds and sympathy for what you have suffered, but you have presented us only conjecture and fear. Produce evidence of this ‘army,’ show us proof of Eklor’s misdeeds beyond mere coincidence, and we will act. But unless you have concrete facts to back up your wild claims, I suggest you remove yourself from this hall and cease spreading baseless fear.”
Kreya opened her mouth to yell louder that they were being idiots...
And heard Zera suck in a gasp. She whispered to Jentt, and Jentt laid a hand on Kreya’s shoulder, silencing her. Kreya shot a look over at Zera. What was it? What did she know? Or guess?
In a voice wavering with age, Master Epsana, the woman who had been asleep earlier, said, “We are not fools, MasterKreya. We will not walk into darkness with our eyes closed. If Master Eklor brings evil, we will not accept it. But if he brings hope and life . . . then do not deny us the right to choose it.”
Master Subene chimed in. “Find proof and return.”
