The Shadowsteel Forge (The Dark Ability Book 5) Read Free Page A

Venass, or why. Rsiran still wasn’t sure that he knew why or what it meant, but he would have to find out, especially now that he had made himself a target by destroying most of the Forgotten, most importantly Evaelyn and her inner circle.
    “Most,” he said. The smiths had returned to Elaeavn, but were under close watch by the Alchemist Guild; the alchemists didn’t want to risk the blood of the smiths leaving Elaeavn again. He could imagine how the Smith Guild took that news.
    “But not Father?”
    “He was not with the others.”
    Alyse bit her lip as Brusus brought out two mugs of warm ale and a glass of blood red wine. He dropped onto one of the stools and glanced from Rsiran to Jessa, and then finally to Alyse.
    “Seems like I came in the middle of something.”
    “Not now, Brusus,” Rsiran said.
    Brusus frowned and pulled the dice toward him and flicked them across the table with a casual toss. They skittered to a stop with a pair of threes. Beggars. Not an unlucky hand, but not one that would win. His eyes narrowed slightly, and he grabbed the dice again.
    “Seems to me if she has questions, you should answer them, Rsiran.”
    Rsiran stared at Brusus, incredulous. “You’re the one to talk. Think of how little you’ve shared with us.”
    Brusus put on a hurt face. “Ah, Rsiran. That’s just not nice. I didn’t want to get you in any deeper than you needed to be. Besides, think of all I’ve shared with you over the last few months.”
    Rsiran shook his head. “Fine. If Alyse wants to know everything, then I’ll tell her everything.” He turned to his sister. “Some of it you might not want to know.”
    “What can you know that I wouldn’t want to know?”
    Jessa coughed and covered her mouth when Rsiran shot her a look.
    Everything that he could tell her he’d learned gradually, over months, allowing him to slowly become accustomed to it all. And now he would dump it on Alyse all at once. Knowing would not make her any happier, but that wasn’t his choice to make. How frustrated had he been when he discovered that Brusus had been keeping the secret of what he’d been working on from them? And then with Della, hiding what she knew of the crystals, and then what she knew of his birth?
    “Father is held in Thyr,” Rsiran started.
    “Thyr? How is it that Father is in Thyr?”
    “Because he went with me… Or more specifically, I took him there. I found him in Asador, abducted by the Forgotten. When Brusus was poisoned, I needed an antidote and was told to go to a place called the Tower of Scholars in Thyr. I learned that Father had been to Thyr, and I forced him to guide me there.” He watched Alyse and when she said nothing, he continued. “When we got there,”—Rsiran nodded inclusively toward Jessa—”they somehow captured us. They later released Jess and me, but they kept Father.”
    “I don’t understand. The Forgotten took Father? Why was he in Asador? How did you know? I thought you hated him? Why would you have helped him, and why would he have helped you?”
    Rsiran knew that it was a lot to take in. In hindsight, everything that had happened seemed impossible. When he’d found his father in Asador, he hadn’t been searching for him. He’d gone looking for Jessa, afraid of what Josun might do to her. Bringing his father back to the city with him had only been an act of necessity, not of kindness to their father.
    “It’s complicated,” was all Rsiran could say.
    “If you know where he is, why haven’t you saved him?” Alyse had an edge to her voice, as if she was on the verge of scolding him.
    “Because the scholars want me.”
    “Why would they want you?”
    “That’s also complicated.” And he wasn’t even sure he understood it himself. He had known that his abilities were unique, but now he understood why . He had the blood of the smiths as well as the blood of the Watcher. With that had come a combination of gifts that had been Seen, but had never manifested