Smoke and Memories (The Dark Sorcerer #3) - D.K. Holmberg Page 0,47
not difficult. And I think you aren’t quite right.”
“Perhaps not. As I said, this is merely a historical text. And history is written by those who choose to write about it, typically those who win.”
“Considering the dular settled in Nelar, they would choose their history.”
“Exactly. Still . . .”
“You don’t think they were misleading.”
He shook his head. “I do not.”
“Why not?”
“Because there are too many elements here that are consistent with what I’ve uncovered elsewhere. It’s not only what I’ve found in this book or what I’ve seen in the enchantments we’ve uncovered. It’s also in . . .” He rested his hands on the book, looking up and holding her gaze for a moment. “I just remembered that perhaps I shouldn’t share all of this with somebody who was so willing to attack my shop.”
“I didn’t attack your shop. I was trying to prevent you from attacking the El’aras.”
“An interesting choice from a sorcerer.”
“Perhaps not nearly as interesting if you’d learn anything about sorcerers.”
He chuckled. “I have shared with you what I know.”
“You’ve shared with me what you want me to know, but you haven’t shared with me everything you know.” There was a possibility that he was trying to mislead her, trying to guide her into taking action, or perhaps trying to simply misinform her. Jayna had enough experience not to trust him completely, but at the same time, why would he tell her what he had thinking it would cause a reaction?
She didn’t know.
“What do you hope to get out of this?” Jayna asked.
“You claimed you were there for the Festival of the Mourn.”
“I was there. I stopped Gabranth from freeing Asymorn.”
“Why here?” Raollet said, tapping his mouth.
“I don’t know. I just know they were attempting to go through with their dark festival to free some power. Or perhaps even to free Asymorn.”
“And did they succeed?”
“I don’t think so, but it’s possible.”
Raollet tipped his head the side and stared at one of the walls. “If he is freed, I wonder how many of the others are.”
“At least one,” she admitted.
“Norej?”
Jayna shook her head. “As far as I know, the Order of Norej hadn’t succeeded in freeing him. There is another named Inoash who I know is freed.”
His eyes widened. “He should not be.”
“You know of him.”
“He revels in darkness. He enjoys chaos and violence. He is the Instigator.”
He certainly matched that description based on the battle she’d seen. He had stood off to the sideline, watching, enjoying the fighting. And he had been aware of them, despite Ceran thinking he should not be. If he were aware of her, then there was not much that would keep him from coming after them.
“What of the others?”
Jayna shook her head. “I don’t know the others.”
“Then perhaps there is time,” he said.
“How much do you know of Sarenoth?” Jayna asked.
“I’ve told you that his is a dark power. He granted a connection to his power to those earliest of the twelve, the power needed in order for them to overthrow the El’aras, along with anyone else that opposed the initial twelve.”
“It’s because of Sarenoth that the Society succeeded?”
“Succeeded? No. It’s because of him that the Society thrived.”
If that were the case, then the connection to the Society was deeper than Jayna had believed. The Celebrants of Asymorn had been sorcerers. They had been willing to serve Sarenoth. The same with the Order of Norej. They had been burrowed within the Society. Revered. And there had been sorcerers out on the battlefield as well.
How extensive was it?
The real challenge was finding sorcerers who were not involved.
Jayna turned her attention to the book when an explosion thundered from above.
She darted forward.
“They have tracked you,” Raollet said. “You should stay down here. If the same man has returned—”
“If he’s returned, I’m not going to get caught down here where I can’t use my power effectively,” Jayna said.
She reached the outer edge of the room, feeling the washing of energy swirling over her, then stepped beyond the door. As soon as she did, there came another surge of power that struck her.
It was almost as if the energy from the room filled her, rushing through her, and she raged with it, a buildup of power that had been suppressed the whole time she had been down in the room. Now that she was out, now that she could feel that power flowing through her, she wanted nothing more than to unleash it.
She hesitated.
It was more than just the energy from the room that she