WIP Wednesday - PK 34 and a Prequel!

It's Wednesday again, and both Char and I have some awesome excerpts to show you!

First off, Char's writing something that'll interest those of you who've been wondering what this Chethar place is that 'Sy and Luciprochoros keep talking about, and who this guy Emperor Theos is, and why 'Sy especially is so awkward about what happened in his past. Also, there's a lot of odd names that get used for certain individuals in certain very official circumstances - you get to learn the origin of those. Char's giving you answers about all of that, because Char's awesome like that. The whole story will go up after the finale of PK Book 3, but until then we'll feed you some excerpts on Wednesdays. Awesome? Awesome.

(Seriously, I squee about this story every time she writes more of it.)

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Arik
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Jerithea is waiting for me in the hall. She latches onto my arm as I try to brush past her, then squeaks when I pull her off my feet. I refuse to slow down under the weight of this new anchor. "Arik--"

"Ariktheoni," I snap. I can feel her pout, and I grind my teeth together. She is my partner, and I must accept her.

But I don't want to.

The thought stops me cold. She stumbles a half-pace past me, then turns around, concern all but written on her face. For a wonder, she's actually silent. The way she's looking at me makes me uneasy, though. It's like she's reading me, and I don't want her to. I don't want anyone to.

"Anyone?" she whispers, and I shiver, closing my eyes. Her hand brushes my cheek, cool and soft and unwanted, but I make no move to stop her. "Ariktheoni..." Her voice trails off in a sigh. She frowns, her look a poor imitation of Rhia's silent interrogations.

I remain silent. She sighs again, a more impatient gust than the last.

"Well, if you can't talk to me... just follow." She pulls on my arm, and somehow I can't find it in myself to resist. Must everyone's will direct the course of my actions? ... When did I find it in me to even notice?

Rhia. I began to notice when the Emperor annulled Rhia. She was there, and then she simply wasn't. Instead, there was this bubbly, noisy girl nipping about my heels, tripping over herself and everything around her, yammering about this and that and crying over the lost and hurt souls around her.

It wasn't the caring that grated against me so. Rhia cared; she was just quieter and most certainly more intelligent about it. Rhia worked with me, instead of running off to wherever her whim carried her, dancing amongst the people like life was one long celebration, questioning each and every soul brought before us as the hand of the Law. She interfered where Rhia... well, Rhia interfered as well, but she did it correctly. She knew when to intervene. She didn't try to save everyone. Jerithea even admitted that she wanted to save the ones who didn't deserve it. Bunnies and murderers were equal in her eyes, and as far as I could discern, it was her mission to hug them all.

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Next up, PK 34! Where marvelous plans begin to unfold, or possibly just crumple.

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Lyric
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I am trying to help. I say that to myself yet another time, then take a deep breath and repeat:

"I tried to gain Thelea's trust from the beginning to protect both my sister and myself from harm." My eyes flick up to Gerude's. "It worked, didn't it?" Unvoiced is the additional question: 'So, what's the problem?'

I don't think I'll get a nice answer for that one if I pose it.

Gerude glares at me for just a moment before burying his face into his palm and ruffling his curly bangs away from his eyes. He really needs a trim, and maybe a cream for his face - the freckles are cute, but they clash so much with the clothing he tends towards. Really, Erynn knows about this fashion stuff - why doesn't he get Gerude onto a better track? And yes, this is off the subject, but it's nice to distract myself from the matter at hand: my Father is having Gerude interrogate me while Erynn records it all, and Erynn's recording in itself is prying at me, making me want to give up secrets that I swear I hadn't been keeping.

I don't understand. I'm not a criminal. Not anymore - I was pardoned at the Trial, and now I'm a free man. Now I'm doing what's best for Radia and for my family, most especially. I've done what I can to protect my sister and anyone else that was within my power to protect, and I put myself in a lot of danger to do so. Why doesn't anyone trust me?

"And the way you did that was...?" Erynn prompts me. He looks back down at his transcription, mouthing words as he scans over them with the feather-end of his quill. He curses when he smears a word, mops up a blot of ink with his sleeve, and then grins sheepishly at my brother. My brother's glare has a particular pout when it's focused on Erynn - as if he's so tired of doing it that he wonders if he should give it up from now on.

I fold my hands in my lap and keep my posture proper. It calms me. I do wish we had some tea here; it'd be a balm for my nerves. "I convinced her and Edward that I was a traitor to Radia from the get-go, and I was only waiting for a chance to give my family the slip and go to Lyiannethe proper to work for the Audivan side. Really, it's quite silly, but she was so distracted by Edward's jealousy that it worked." I tuck a stray strand of hair behind my ear. "I also have quite a bit of charm when facing the high-bred, and I knew most of the proper mannerisms from my job working for Jhe o'Audiva Rocale. It's really quite lucky--"

"Right. You saved the day with your courtly appearance and passed Stevane on to the Kommissar, where you knew she'd be quite safe." Gerude's tone is its own death sentence.

I frown. "He took Stevane from the start. Well, not from the start per se - Stevane ignited the carriage on the way to Lyiannethe, and when we took to the horses, the Kommissar grabbed Stevane and Miss Thelea took me on her steed. I don't really know what happened between the Kommissar and my sister, but I'm actually quite glad she ended up where she did - I think if she were put with the Poets, things might have turned out badly between her and Miss Thelea, who seemed to have a grudge against her." I shrug. "But who's to say? In any case, I'm sure Father's getting the full story on that now."

"And the full story on how you two ended up in a carriage bolting towards Lyiannethe in the first place." Gerude's so angry. I can tell because he sounds as calm as Father can be. I almost get the same cold stony feeling in my gut from when Father takes that tone.

"Look, it's strange to me too. Jhe h'Logos sent us out to see to Katherine, and then she wasn't there and they were, and well..." I shrug. "I got hit on the head then, and after that I remember waking up in the carriage with an aching head, and then, well..." I sigh. "Foosh. You know Stevane's handywork. She's efficient."

"Indeed I do." Gerude's jaw is set firm. I swear he's trying not to laugh, though. "You blacked out? So you can't explain why you two ended up in the carriage?"

Erynn tsks. "Shame." He notes a few things down that I'm sure are marks against me. But I can't help it. How'd I get in this situation?

"Convenient that 'Miss Thelea' and Edward escaped, too," says Gerude. He's focusing that glare on me. "Did we interrupt any plans of yours, I wonder?"

I frown. "Gerude, I'm not a traitor."

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You'll get to read the rest of that on Friday! See you then!