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Chapter Text

She could not have stopped the fall of Urithiru, even if she had stood and fought. That was how Jasnah Kholin tried to justify her failure. If she’d summoned blade and plate, she surely would have been overwhelmed, overpowered, then executed.

Everything had happened so suddenly, which was typically an excuse used by lesser commanders. Unfortunately, there was no other way Jasnah could understand her loss. She’d been in the tower’s gem archive with her scholars when the young Windrunner who’d been accompanying her fell to the floor. 

Her non-Radiant guards, dressed in their cobalt uniforms, had hurried towards her, two of them barring the outer doors as word of the attack came through. Scattered reports reached her by spanreed. Stoneshaping Fused were in the floors, the walls, somehow having entered through the base of the tower. One of them was doing something to the fabrial structure of the tower.

Jasnah had organized and sent commands to her forces. What she got back were panicked missives about Windrunners plummeting from the sky, Edgedancers collapsing on top of their patients, Radiants throughout the tower fainting out of nowhere. All of the Radiants in Urithiru were out of commission.

All of them but her.

She’d fought back the urge to accompany her guards as they ran to defend the lower floors. She was frustrated at her own lack of experience on the battlefield, but knew that she could cause more harm than good if she waded into the fight wielding a Shardblade in close quarters. The only way for her to fight safely would've been if she were alone. She’d sat and waited anxiously for more news, listening to the chaos of the tower around her.

She’d watched, paralyzed, as the lights shuddered and the walls seemed to heave. There was shouting outside, rhythmic voices speaking in a language she didn’t understand. She had moved to summon Ivory, but her logical side had protested.

When the doors burst down, she had already prepared a plan. The Fused who entered hovered partially above the ground, like a Windrunner. She wore long, trailing robes. Her name had been Lady Leshwi, though she had not spoken directly to Jasnah. The enemy knew that Jasnah was a leader, but fortunately did not know for certain that she was a Radiant.

Jasnah had not been able to keep her abilities a secret from her fellow rulers and Knights, but it remained true that a large proportion of the population of Urithiru was unaware of her exact abilities. Though she had held the wall at Thaylen Field, the other orders had shone brighter in the stories that were told later: the Truthwatcher who had been flattened over and over by a Thunderclast until he made it fall, the Lightweaver who had summoned an army out of nothing, the Bondsmith who had faced down a god and, in the months that followed, his own shame. Her own efforts had been important, but less flashy than those of her relatives.

Jasnah was not jealous of the lack of attention. She preferred it, because it kept her enemies guessing about her abilities. Though she had wanted to go to the front lines and fight like an Alethi highprince, she was suddenly glad that her mother had requested she step in as the temporary leader of Urithiru instead. Day-to-day administration was just as important of a skill as battlefield prowess, and one that Jasnah needed to hone.

The tower’s residents did not need a Fourth Ideal Radiant armed with blade and plate. They would instead need an Alethi queen, raised since birth to negotiate with other rulers. They would need her political acumen to help intercede with these Fused.

That was why Jasnah had bent the knee to Lady Leshwi. It had not been a surrender, it had been a tactical retreat. That was what Jasnah told herself. At least the Fused did not know she was a Radiant. She was not sure what they would do with the other Radiants of Urithiru, but she suspected it would be nothing good. 

Jasnah was the only Knight of the Fourth Ideal on all of Roshar, the only Elsecaller, the only Radiant awake in Urithiru. The rest of her family was flung across the world, each preoccupied with their own missions. She was utterly alone and solely responsible for a tower filled with her subjects.

If she hadn’t been used to this type of loneliness, it would have crushed her. But if there was one thing she knew how to do, it was act alone.

Now she sat in a locked room with two Regal guards directly outside, watching her. There were more scattered throughout the halls outside her makeshift prison. Urithiru felt oddly still, as if it had once been peacefully asleep but was now lying frozen, trying not to move a muscle. 

The occupiers seemed worried about her getting into contact with others in the tower, but they had treated her well otherwise. Her cell was not bare; she was essentially in a fully furnished bedroom that she could not leave. She had a comfortable bed, plenty of reading materials, and a wardrobe of simple havahs.

This was not the psychiatric incarceration of her youth. She had to remind herself of that, so as not to succumb to the panic that threatened to rise within her. She was not truly caged. She would never allow that to happen again. This was all simply a temporary, strategic arrangement. The Fused were doing with her what any competent conquering force was supposed to do with former rulers: keeping her alive, comfortable, and under close watch.

Jasnah sat in her room for quite a while, waiting in anticipation. She ran through potential avenues of questioning in her head and sorted through what information she needed to keep quiet, what things she could potentially lie about. She was almost certain that the leaders of this occupation would come and speak with her as soon as they had complete control over Urithiru.

Her hunch proved correct when the door swung open to a retinue of Singers. Jasnah counted a couple of strange Fused whose feet seemed to sink into stone floor of the tower; they probably had access to the Surge of Cohesion, though she’d never seen a human Stoneward move through a surface like these Fused did. Behind them was a tall Fused wearing ornate robes whom Jasnah quickly identified as the leader of the group. 

The intimidating retinue was finished off by a Regal the likes of whom Jasnah had never seen. She, for Jasnah was fairly certain the figure was a woman, had striking patterns, red against white. She was tall, most certainly taller than Jasnah. Her orange hair was done up elaborately with glowing rubies infused with Voidlight throughout, in a style that Jasnah almost admired for its complexity. 

The Fused spoke in a language that Jasnah could not understand. She realized suddenly that it could have been the Dawnchant, the language of the ancient Parshendi. She was facing a being that had been on Roshar for centuries and centuries, since before modern Alethkar had even been conceived of. 

The Regal began to translate the Fused’s words, her face an impassive mask. “I am the Lady of Pains, Raboniel, the new ruler of this tower. You will have noticed that your Radiants have fallen into an unshakeable slumber. Other than them, and those who fought my forces, your people are unharmed. They will remain so as long as you do not resist our rule.”

The Regal spoke perfect court Alethi, her words accentuated by the sharp rhythmic undertones that Jasnah had begun to associate with the enemy’s language. 

“You have my word that I will not resist,” Jasnah said. “I want the best for the people in this tower.”

Interestingly, the Regal did not translate Jasnah’s words to Raboniel. Why, then, was she using the Regal to speak with Jasnah rather than speaking to her directly? Perhaps it was a display of her power, a way to situate Jasnah as far below her.

Lady Raboniel said something else in the Dawnchant, and the Regal hesitated briefly before turning to address Jasnah. “You should know that if we do find you acting against our interests, we will not hesitate to slaughter every Radiant we have in our custody. That includes harboring or hiding any Radiants of your own,” she said.

“I understand,” Jasnah said. 

Why did they fear Radiants so much? She supposed that if there were other awakened Radiants, they would pose quite the threat to the Fused, but Jasnah was the only one, as far as she knew. Even if she had wanted to hide sleeping Radiants from the Fused, they wouldn’t be of much use as scattered individuals.

“I have other questions for you about the fabrials of this tower,” Raboniel said through her Regal translator. “Who built the flying platform that you Alethi have been using?”

“It was my mother’s project. I am not well-learned in the art of fabrial mechanics,” Jasnah said.

If this Fused was interested in Navani’s work, it was probably for the best that Jasnah had been left in charge. After all, she could not give up secrets that she didn’t comprehend. Though some of her mother’s assistants were still in Urithiru, most of them had accompanied her to aid in the defense of the Azish Empire. Their technological advances would remain safe from the Fused. 

Raboniel stepped forward suddenly, as if trying to scare her. Jasnah held her ground, refusing to flinch. The Fused glared at her, red eyes glowing. “There are rumors about you, Jasnah Kholin,” she said, speaking for herself this time.

“Some reports say you are Radiant,” the Fused said. “Others simply say you are ruthlessly intelligent. Either way, I will keep my eyes on you. Do not think you can scheme your way out of this.”

Jasnah lifted her chin to meet the Fused’s eyes. She would play her part, but that did not mean she would act a coward. “I am no Radiant, Lady Raboniel. Would I not be suffering the same fate as the others, if I was?”

Raboniel’s eyes narrowed, but she said nothing. So long as Jasnah kept from drawing in Stormlight, she was safe. She would not let the Fused provoke her into revealing herself through fear or intimidation. She had spent many years hiding her abilities from everyone around her, and it was not hard for her to slip back into that mindset.

She sat in silence with Raboniel for one heartbeat, then two. Slowly, the Fused backed away. “Your needs will be taken care of. You are a political prisoner of value,” Raboniel said. “Do not do anything to make me doubt my good will towards you.”

The Regal who had initially spoken for Raboniel waited until her mistress had left the room before turning to follow her. 

Impulsively, Jasnah called out after her. “Why did you speak for Lady Raboniel, if she knows Alethi?”

The Regal stopped and turned to face Jasnah. Her red eyes narrowed. “My role is to be the Voice of Lady Raboniel, to speak her mind for her. You should feel honored that she deigned to speak with one as low as you,” she said.

Jasnah had cultivated the skills of reading emotion in speech for years. She found that there was something off about the Regal’s words. Her haughtiness was a mask for something else, though Jasnah could not yet fathom what she hid. 

This is a weak link, Jasnah thought. This is someone with something to lose. I just need to figure out what.

Chapter Text

Lady Raboniel did not trust the prisoner. She had armed guards watching her at all times, and she did not allow her to leave her chambers.

Venli privately thought her precautions were overzealous. How much could one woman do? But the rumors of Jasnah Kholin’s Radiance frightened Raboniel. Either Jasnah was no Radiant, as she claimed, or she was of a high enough Ideal that Raboniel could not contain her. 

“You will go back and question that woman,” Raboniel ordered her. 

Venli was unsure why she was being put in charge of Jasnah's interrogation, but she remembered Lady Leshwi’s warnings about Raboniel. She should not question such a powerful Fused. It would lead to consequences worse than death.

“Yes, my lady,” Venli said, humming to Subservience. 

Within her gemheart, Timbre pulsed urgently. She didn’t like that Venli was responsible for the imprisonment of another, even if she was a human ruler. 

I will seek freedom for those in bondage. Venli knew her next Oath. She simply had not lived up to it yet. 

Timbre pulsed to Confidence, but Venli was unsure. Humans had been captors of her people for years, especially human rulers. Why should she free their queen? 

Early the next day, Venli traced the path back to Jasnah Kholin’s cell, hoping to catch her off guard. Despite the hour, though, Jasnah was awake and dressed in a simple Alethi havah, sitting at her side table, writing in a small notebook.

“Welcome, Voice,” Jasnah said, not looking up as Venli entered the room. 

Without Rhythms, Venli could not precisely tell if she was being condescending, but she suspected that the words were not sincere. She narrowed her eyes at Jasnah.

Though she was imprisoned, she was in comfortable chambers, with a variety of books and clothing available to her. Raboniel insisted that political prisoners be treated with respect, even if she kept Urithiru's unconscious Radiants sequestered away from most of their supporters. They would grow weak if simply left to sleep forever. Venli suspected that was what Raboniel wanted.

“I am here to ask you questions on behalf of my mistress,” Venli said, the Alethi rolling smoothly off her tongue.

Envoyform was built so that she could speak and understand other languages. It still felt odd to her that she so easily understood every bit of Alethi speech. A skill that had taken her people valuable time and practice to master could be achieved by this form within moments. 

“Ask your questions, then,” Jasnah said.

Her face betrayed nothing that Venli could recognize, though her interactions with humans had been limited. When their mouths curled up, it was a sign of mirth. When their eyes widened, it was out of fear. So far, she had not seen either expression on Jasnah’s face.

“What do you know of the fabrials in this tower?” Venli asked, setting to work gathering the information Raboniel wanted.

“Not much, I’m afraid. My area of interest is history, not engineering.”

“You do not know how the floating platform was achieved?”

“It is beyond my understanding, Voice.”

Jasnah’s face remained impassive throughout the rest of the questions that Venli went through. She betrayed nothing, gave up no information, claiming ignorance on most fronts. She did not know of her uncle’s battle tactics, nor her mother’s schematics. She had never heard of an inverse Light, though it was a fascinating concept. It was such a shame that her academic focuses were unrelated to the topic.

She had unfortunately only been Queen of Alethkar for a short time and had the education of the typical Alethi woman, so she knew little about the state of its armies. She had also only been interim ruler of Urithiru for a short time, and could not confidently attest to the tower's strange properties.

Every question had its carefully planned answer. Venli almost felt that Jasnah was reading her mind, but perhaps she was just being predictable. Clearly, this Alethi queen was well-schooled in the art of politicking, but if Venli took a different approach…

Timbre sensed her intention and pulsed to Admonishment. 

What can I do? Venli thought bitterly. My Lady wants answers, and thus far, I have been unable to procure any.

There was another way, and she and Timbre both knew it. Venli could look into the Cognitive Realm to see if Jasnah had a spren, which would at least answer the question of Radiance. But if she chose to report to Raboniel, she would wonder how Venli had discovered such information. And if she did not, she would be giving into the more treacherous side of her. The side that Timbre loved to encourage.

This woman is barely a prisoner, Venli argued silently with her spren as she considered her next move. She has all the amenities any person could hope for. Why should I feel pity for her?

It wasn’t the circumstances of imprisonment that made it so deplorable to her spren, though. It was the principle of the thing. That, she had begun to understand, was why Timbre had sought out a Listener to bond. Freedom was integral to their people’s mythology and way of life. Freedom from the bondage of their gods and the bondage of humans alike.

Even if Jasnah had all that she needed to live, she was not free. 

Venli pushed her thoughts to the back of her mind and leaned in closer to Jasnah, trying to use her superior height to intimidate. She attuned Derision, letting the passionate Rhythm wash over her. Although humans could not understand the Rhythms, they were often made uncomfortable by Odium’s tones.

Jasnah did not visibly react to the Rhythm. In that, she was even more inscrutable than the average human. Her face did not seem to betray her as much as most humans’ expressions.

“You claim to have no information about anything my mistress wants to know. That is convenient,” Venli began, keeping her voice low and threatening. 

“That is no fault of mine,” Jasnah said. 

To her credit, Jasnah did not flinch or lean away. She met Venli’s gaze, her light violet eyes hardened like gemstones.

“Are you a Radiant?”

“No.”

“If you lie to me, there will be consequences.”

“I’m awake, aren’t I? Is there really a way a Radiant could avoid whatever the Fused have done to this tower?”

She was trying to get information, in an obtuse way. Or perhaps she underestimating Venli’s ability to detect her subterfuge. Either way, Venli would not fall for such a simple trick.

“If a Radiant did manage to bypass our precautions, they would need to be dealt with,” Venli said to the Rhythm of Executions.

Timbre did not approve of the violent rhythm, but Venli couldn’t help herself. Jasnah’s easy, relaxed aura made her skin crawl.

She should fear me, Venli thought. I have her under my complete control. 

Timbre’s response was, of course, to pulse to Reprimand. Venli was not supposed to revel in the feeling of having someone captive. It went against their Ideals.

But Jasnah was not just any captive. She was the Queen of Alethkar, the nation that had ravaged Venli’s people for years. She represented the cruelty of the war-driven country that had always refused to let Listener troops retreat. She was the daughter of the man who had wanted to return their gods and who had driven them into war. 

Timbre continued to pulse to Reprimand, not letting Venli relax. Jasnah was watching her as she stood in silent internal turmoil. Venli hoped that she appeared in control rather than on the verge of losing it.

“Is your mind… elsewhere?” Jasnah said.

“Simply imagining the best way to force you to recant your lies,” Venli snapped.

“Surely you wouldn’t use brute force against a member of the royal family.”

Jasnah’s words almost sounded like a challenge. But even if Venli hadn’t been under strict orders not to hurt her, she still would not have resorted to torture. Even in her darkest moments, she had never wanted to intentionally inflict pain on another. 

“You think little of me if you think I would do such a thing,” Venli said. “I still have my own morals, even if they are foreign to you.”

“What will you do, then, if you think I am not telling the truth?” Jasnah asked. “Torture would be an excellent way to discover any hidden Radiance in me, after all. It’s what I would do.”

Those last words were laced with something menacing, even if Venli was unfamiliar with speaking to humans like Jasnah. Humans who weren’t scared of her. This woman was a captive, yet threatened her captor with sharp words. Venli could respect that, though she did not fear Jasnah in the slightest. What could one woman do, even if she was one of the Knights Radiant? How powerful could she possibly be?

Timbre pulsed at that thought, her rhythm growing louder in Venli’s gemheart, as if to remind her of the abilities that came with being Radiant. Venli assumed she could counter whatever powers Jasnah had with sheer numbers, but that would not save her as an individual. She would have to rely on her own prowess to protect her own life.

As her mind turned to her powers, she felt the stone at her feet begin to liquefy, powers feeding on the Voidlight that was always inside of her. She scrambled to cut off the flow of light, not wanting to reveal anything. She’d been playing with controlling her Stoneshaping for a while, but it still sometimes rose in her unbidden. It was hard to learn to control the surges without any guidance.

Jasnah inhaled sharply, the first emotive reaction she’d given thus far. She was staring at Venli, eyes wide and bright, as if they were faintly glowing with light. 

Venli attuned Surprise as the light quickly faded from Jasnah's eyes. She really was a Radiant. Venli was supposed to call for backup immediately at such a revelation, but she hesitated, Timbre singing loudly to Peace.

Within that moment of hesitation, Jasnah leaned in close, mouth nearly brushing against Venli’s ear. “You have a Radiant spren. If you say a word, I will tell them all what you are hiding, and they will kill you, just as surely as they’d kill me,” she whispered.

Jasnah settled back into her chair, her face completely neutral. Her eyes were intensely focused on Venli’s own. She knew of Venli’s deepest betrayal of the Fused, but she clearly felt no solidarity over their shared Radiance. 

Venli scrambled away from Jasnah, keeping her eyes locked on Jasnah as she fumbled for the door handle and stumbled outside, slamming the door shut after her. The Regal guards standing just outside attuned Destruction as they took in her flustered demeanor. 

“That woman,” Venli said, heart pounding, “Is dangerous. No one should speak to her without me around.”

The guards attuned Subservience and bowed in acknowledgement of her orders. Venli rushed away, down the hallway, putting as much space between herself and Jasnah Kholin as she could manage.

Chapter Text

“That Regal is a Radiant. How can that be?” Jasnah said softly.

A lightspren is her companion. We have never seen one, Ivory whispered. He had shrunk down to a size nearly invisible to the human eye, and was perched in his customary hiding spot within Jasnah’s earring. 

“All of my research suggests that Radiants have always been human. They were our advantage against a physically stronger enemy. The societies of spren might have disagreed with each other, but they never chose to bond with the enemy.”

Change is. Nothing works as it once did. But Jasnah, if the Lightspren have sided with the enemy, that one will report you regardless of your threats. 

“She was clearly terrified and unable to control her abilities. I don’t think Raboniel knows about her Radiance, which is perfect for us.”

How do you know that she will return?

“She has to. She is afraid now, but she did not strike me as the type to stay afraid.”

Venli showed no fear towards most of Jasnah's threats, was quick to anger, and did not have control of her surgebinding. She was not going to let Jasnah dangle this threat over her for long.

But each of Venli’s flaws were an opportunity, a way for Jasnah to push back against the occupying force. Venli was probably high up in the command structure, since she had been assigned to interrogate Jasnah. With her under Jasnah's proverbial shardknife, even for a minimal time, she could find a way out of imprisonment. 

“Have you been able to see more of Urithiru? How are the Fused treating our people?” Jasnah asked, turning to other business.

Tension is. The Regals patrol the halls, and fear is. But for humans who do not resist, peace is possible. 

“I can bide my time, then. Wait to act until the right chance. I wouldn’t want to upset the balance for an unsuccessful rebellion.”

The tower is. But it will not be forever. 

“What do you mean? Are the Fused planning to destroy Urithiru?”

I do not know. But something is wrong, and it is to get worse.

So much of having a Radiant bond was responding to cryptic warnings. Jasnah would just have to figure things out when she got to them. 

The fact remained that she had leverage now. Somehow, she would be able to use this to her advantage. She just had to figure out her best move. If she could get access to Stormlight, she might be able to Elsecall, but that was a last resort.

“Ivory. If Venli is bonded to a Lightspren, that means she has access to Transportation. She should have been able to see you in Shadesmar.”

That is correct. She could see me, if she tried. 

But Venli hadn’t looked into Shadesmar to check if Jasnah was Radiant. She’d seemed genuinely surprised to see Jasnah take in Stormlight. Did she not know how to use that power? Or was she afraid? 

Either way, it was more evidence that Venli’s Radiance was a secret she was keeping from her higher-ups. She was inexperienced, scared, and hiding. She would be easily bent to Jasnah’s needs.

It was not many years ago when you were in the same position as her, Ivory said.

Jasnah hesitated at that. She still remembered the paranoia and fear that had haunted her when she’d first begun to bond Ivory. Fear that had been justified, because they’d had her locked up again when she’d accidentally slipped too many times. 

If Raboniel would kill Jasnah for having Radiant powers, what would she do to Venli? Somehow Jasnah doubted that Venli’s status was high enough to save her from the Fused’s desire to control all of the Radiants.

She didn’t have time for sympathy, though. If she had to sacrifice one Radiant to save the rest, she would. It didn’t matter that she was deeply curious about Venli. It didn’t matter that she wanted to question her about Elsecalling, the Lightspren, and her oaths. It didn’t matter that she was still shocked at the revelation of a Regal and a Radiant spren being bonded. She had to be a queen, not a scholar.

“Jasnah knows,” Venli whispered furiously. “She’s a Radiant, and she knows that I’m one too. What do we do? Why would you reveal me?”

Timbre responded through the Rhythms, as she always did. She pulsed to Reassurance, trying to tell Venli that everything would be okay.

“I cannot see how this will possibly work in our favor. If we report her, we risk ourselves. If we don’t report her, we go against Raboniel’s direct orders.”

Timbre was in favor of going against Raboniel. She might be their superior, but she did not control them. They were free to do as they wanted.

“What if I don’t want to let the queen live? What if I want to report her?”

Timbre attuned Reprimand. The message was clear: reporting Jasnah’s powers were as good as getting her tortured and killed. Allowing a captive to be treated in such a manner would be taking a step backwards in her oaths, regardless of the other potential consequences.

“Fine. I won’t tell Raboniel. But what can I do? Jasnah will use this to blackmail me. Say the wrong thing, and it’ll be me dying at the hands of the Lady of Pains. I don’t want to make her an enemy. I need to last long enough to get out of here.”

Timbre began to pulse to the Rhythm of Reconciliation. 

“No Absolutely not. I will not work with her. She’s a human, one of their rulers. Setting her free would instantly turn Raboniel against us.”

But Jasnah was a Radiant. She’d seen Timbre, so she had the ability to look into Shadesmar, just as Venli could. She was also somehow awake, immune to whatever Raboniel was doing to Urithiru’s Radiants. She would have valuable information about Urithiru, even if she hadn't yet revealed it.

“Fine! I will go back and speak with her. Briefly. And only to get information.”

Timbre pulsed to Satisfaction, as if telling Venli, See? I’m always right.

Venli sighed and went back the way she’d come towards Jasnah’s holding cell.

“This does not mean I am going to set her free. She’s a liability, and queen of a human nation built by enslaved Singers. I cannot trust her.”

“You’re back. Gotten over your fear of being revealed already?” Jasnah said, one of her eyebrows raised. 

“Quiet. I am not afraid of you. We each know the same dangerous thing about the other,” Venli said. “I have questions.”

“I’m afraid I cannot give out information to the enemy, Radiant or not.”

“I do not have to be your enemy,” Venli said, even if internally she agreed with Jasnah’s line of thinking. This was Timbre’s plan. If it didn’t work out, Venli would be happy to continue to treat Jasnah as her opposition.

“You report directly to Raboniel, who is occupying this tower. I have no way to guarantee that you will keep anything I say private.”

“You know that I am a Radiant,” Venli said. “You have that over me. Surely that is enough.”

Jasnah crossed her arms, somehow giving the impression that she was the one in charge. “It’s not enough. I could get you thrown out of here, but only once. I need this to be a mutually beneficial exchange.”

Venli attuned Annoyance. “Are you trying to blackmail me?”

“I think we’re blackmailing each other, Willshaper.”

Venli desperately hoped that none of the guards outside were listening closely to their conversation. “Be quiet,” she hissed. “If anyone hears us, we are both dead.”

“Answer my questions, then, Radiant.”

“Only if you answer mine in turn.”

“Tell me, what is the status of the rest of Urithiru’s Radiants?”

Venli briefly attuned Surprise. She’d expected Jasnah to begin by questioning her about the Fused’s defenses or weaknesses. 

“The Radiants are all asleep. Lady Raboniel has collected all that she can find into one chamber. I am unsure what she will do with them, but they are alive.”

Jasnah nodded, as if this information was what she’d been expecting. “Very well. Ask me one of your questions.”

“What type of Radiant are you? Why have you not fallen asleep like the others?”

“That is two questions, but I will allow it. I am of the order of Elsecallers. I believe that I have not fallen asleep because I have progressed quite far in my Radiant Oaths.”

“What Oath have you attained?” Venli asked, suddenly curious.

“Another question. You haven’t answered one of mine yet. That’s not exactly fair, is it?”

Timbre attuned Amusement, and Venli suppressed her annoyance. The spren had an odd sense of humor sometimes; she could not get angry at her for that.

“How did the Fused get through the Tower’s defenses?” Jasnah asked.

“The makay-im entered through the stones of the lower entrance. Lady Raboniel made her way to the heart of the Sibling and corrupted them, which turned their defenses against your Radiants. I do not know exactly how she accomplished this.”

“The Sibling still lives? And what does makay-im mean?”

“Now it is you who asks questions out of turn,” Venli said to Satisfaction.

Jasnah exhaled forcefully. “I suppose this arrangement of one question at a time is not very productive to follow-ups.”

“That is the purpose, no? To keep either of us from revealing too much?”

Jasnah nodded sharply, her violet eyes boring into Venli. Storms, that woman had an intense gaze, for a human. Venli felt as if she was under the scrutiny of one of the more sane Fused.

“You are correct, of course. We wouldn’t want this exchange of information to be unfair, as if one of us were the other’s captor.”

“We are both each other’s captor, neshua kadal.”

“What does that mean?”

“That’s your third extra question. Will you answer three of mine in exchange?”

“I’m of the Fourth Oath. I have both blade and plate, of which I am fairly certain you have neither, so be careful.”

So, they would continue at this game. Venli stepped back, giving Jasnah room to breathe. Jasnah’s face shifted with a flutter of relief, or maybe satisfaction. Human emotions were ambiguous that way. 

“The Sibling has been deep in a slumber, and my mistress is Unmaking them into something of Odium.”

“The Tower spren… it’s been here all along,” Jasnah whispered to herself. Or maybe to her spren. Venli did not know if humans could house spren inside themselves as she housed Timbre without gemhearts.

Regardless, Jasnah seemed fascinated. “Why didn’t the Sibling reveal themself to us earlier? Why wouldn’t they wake upon being attacked?” she muttered, continuing to speak to herself.

Venli was about to speak up and get Jasnah’s attention when she felt a strange vibration in the stones beneath her feet. It felt like the Rhythm of Confusion, but without the exact tones of sound. Instead, the rhythm vibrated through the room as pulses, like the ground beneath her was shaking.

"Radiants. Radiants!"

Venli whipped around, looking at the door, but it remained shut. Jasnah stared at her. “Did you hear that?” she asked. Venli almost thought she detected a tremor in Jasnah’s voice, but she dismissed it.

“Yes,” Venli said. “I… I think that was the Sibling. The room feels like it is attuning the Rhythm of Confusion.”

Venli scanned the room and spotted a red vein of garnet on the wall beside Jasnah's bed that was glowing faintly. She knelt on the bed and cautiously reached out a hand to touch it. Instantly, a voice began to speak in her mind.

An enslaver queen and a traitor Listener. The Radiants of this day have fallen far. Regardless, Raboniel weakens me. Soon enough, she will have me Unmade. I need your help.

Venli couldn’t help the Sibling. She needed to remain unseen, unknown, quiet enough that she could slip away into the Shattered Plains. She felt her hands trembling. 

But the Sibling was so afraid. She could feel a disjointed Rhythm of Fear through the connection. They did not want to be corrupted by Odium. Didn’t she know what that felt like? Didn’t she understand that desire to escape?

Beside from her, Jasnah’s face was still unreadable. She probably thinks I will turn against her for this. And who could blame her? The Sibling is right. I have always been a traitor. 

Within her, Timbre attuned Confidence. Her spren believed in her. She had made mistakes, but she did not need to be defined by them. Maybe this was not atonement for what she had done to the Listeners, but it could be a new chance to do something good, to help someone escape Odium’s influence. 

Timbre pulsed to Joy. That brought Venli a small measure of comfort. At least in this she might have found a way to keep to her oaths. She still felt herself unworthy of being called Radiant, but she was on the path to earning that title. The first oath she’d sworn, of journey before destination, echoed in her ears. She could make Timbre proud. She had brought back the Fused, but she might remedy it in this way. 

Venli was not ready to side with the humans, but she could help the Sibling, an ancient spren older than her people and their conflicts. Even if that meant working alongside Jasnah. “Sibling,” she said softly. “I will do what I can to help you. What is it you need?”

Timbre sung loudly to Praise, the sound of her Rhythm echoing in Venli's ears. Jasnah glanced at her, and for a moment, Venli thought she might be able to hear the Rhythm that rumbled through Venli's body. But Jasnah quickly turned away, attention on the Sibling, and Venli decided she must have imagined the surprise on her face.

Raboniel is corrupting me from my heart. The central pillar. I… my mind is foggy… There should be a shield… the hidden gems! Sapphires! Light. I need Light.

I should be protected. I should be safe. They promised that I would be safe, the Sibling whimpered, their voice desperate and disjointed. I… I cannot see… I cannot! Without my Radiant, I am… I…

The Sibling's voice vanished from Venli's ears, and the garnet vein lost its glow. But as the desperate words faded, another, fainter voice seemed to whisper. Hope is not lost, daughter of Songs, daughter of Stones. Remember.

"Remember what?" Venli asked. But the second voice was gone as soon as it had arrived.

"Remember?" Jasnah asked, brow furrowed.

Venli's mind whirled. Had Jasnah not heard that second voice? "Daughter of Songs" sounded an awful lot like the title Keeper of Songs that Venli had shed in favor of power. Jasnah didn't need to know about that yet. Preferably, she would never know about that, and if she hadn't heard the second message, Venli was fine with keeping it from her.

"Nothing. We just need to remember everything the Sibling told us," Venli said.

Jasnah did not press the matter, which Venli took to mean she had not heard anything. Whatever the second voice was, it was Venli's secret to hold.