From Darkness Won - Jill Williamson [60]
“Yes, sir.”
Achan might have glared at Sir Caleb at the mention of the boy bathing and dressing him, but the idea of leaving Carmine banished the thought from his mind.
“Until then, Your Highness, put on a shirt and get back in bed. The duchess wants to share her strategies for storming in the meeting and would like to give you a lesson before then so that you have at least experienced it.”
But the duchess didn’t visit Achan’s chambers this time. He was sitting in bed eating breakfast when her knock came.
Duchess Amal.
Even her voice tangled his nerves. Yes, my lady?
Good day, Your Highness. Since you will be leaving, I think it wise to begin our instructions in this method, as that is how we shall work together in the future.
Whatever you think best, my lady.
I understand you once stormed someone.
Achan hadn’t thought her statement was a question, but when she didn’t speak, he fumbled for an answer. Yes, I stormed Sparrow. Uh, Vrell Sparrow, my lady. We were learning to shield our minds. Sparrow knocked without giving her name. Since I didn’t know who she was, I tried to… He searched for words to describe what he had done. Push her away.
That is the basics of storming. You combine your push with the element of surprise. I gather Miss Sparrow was surprised when this happened?
She fainted. Bloodvoicing sometimes makes Sparrow weak. Sir Gavin said that’s what saved her from the Veil that day.
How fortunate for her.
A silence stretched on. Achan shifted in his bed, wondering where Duchess Amal had gone. Matthias shuffled around the end of Achan’s room, stacking mounds of folded clothing into the clothes press Sir Caleb had brought up.
Her voice came again, suddenly, as if she had never left. The trick to storming is to utilize the moment of surprise. First you must enter the Veil and approach the person you want to storm. Is someone there with you?
Matthias is here. And Shung is on guard outside.
Call another guard so Sir Shung may sit with you.
Achan reached for Shung’s mind. I need you in here. Find someone else to guard the door and come in.
Shung grunted, and the connection vanished. Shung was the only person Achan had met who grunted with his bloodvoice. The idea made him smile.
His Shield entered the chamber and closed the door.
“Pull up a chair, Shung. You’re to guard my body so no one kills me while I learn to storm.” Shung is here, my lady.
Good. Your Highness, your responsibility whenever entering the Veil is to be wise. Overconfidence has killed more men than I dare recount. Do not ignore your man. He is there for your safety. Unless it is imperative, do not shut him out. If he is going to help you, he must hear you. Now, I am in my study. Do you remember where that is?
I do, my lady.
Come to me through the Veil. It may take you a while as this is your first attempt alone.
What is the trick to moving faster?
Concentration, mostly. And practice. I am going to sever my contact with you. When you find me, try and storm me.
Isn’t that dangerous, my lady?
I am prepared and fully trained.
Achan’s nerves knotted in his chest. Very well.
The duchess’s presence vanished from Achan’s mind. He glanced at Shung, who raised a bushy eyebrow.
“Off I go, then.”
Achan closed his eyes and pictured Duchess Amal’s study. He instantly saw the room from the door to the secret chambers. Straight ahead, Duchess Amal sat at her desk, writing on a scroll weighted with an iron figure of a puppy. Anillo stood at the wall behind her. Before Achan finished his thought of getting closer, he was looking over her shoulder.
Lord Levy,
Best wishes on your reassignment. I pray you will be a more hospitable neighbor than Lord Nathak, though I daresay if you are in league with this New Council I doubt your integrity grows stronger.
Your offer to make Sitna the ruling city of Carm is ridiculous. Carmine has ruled Carm since its inception.