Read Online The Inner Circle: The Knowing by Cael McIntosh - Free Book Online
Authors: Cael McIntosh
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couldn’t
remember.
CHAPTER Four
The Elglair Eye
‘ Where are we?’
Far-a-mael smoothed out the map’s creases over a cheap pine table.
‘There.’
He prodded the dark spot marked out as
Golmar Crossing. They’d arrived in the miniscule riverside town
just hours before sunset. The place was home to a rickety old
bridge that served as the only border crossing between Gor Narvon
and Abnatol. The town also boasted an inn, and after so much time
spent resting on the floor of a tent, Far-a-mael was looking
forward to sleeping in a proper bed. He smiled, now one country
closer to home. There was a soft knock at the door.
‘ Come in.’
‘ Far-a . . . I mean,
Gil’rei.’ Seteal lowered her head respectfully and made her way
into the room. ‘Would you like to resume my lessons?’ the young
lady asked from her place by the doorway.
‘ Certainly.’
Far-a-mael waved her inside. The silly little thing always needed
such explicit direction. She irritated him at the best of times,
but lately even more so than usual. El-i-miir, too, for that
matter. Far-a-mael rolled his neck before turning to inspect the
girl suspiciously. Seteal was hiding something. The Ways screamed
in his ears, but for some reason Far-a-mael couldn’t determine what
they were saying.
‘ Sit down.’ He
watched the girl snatch up a pillow. ‘Not on the floor!’ Far-a-mael
barked. ‘I’m tired. Just sit on the chair.’
‘ Okay.’ Seteal sat at
a small table in the corner of the room, a sullen expression
contorting her features. What was wrong with the stupid girl? She
was always so miserable, the way she trotted about with that gloomy
expression and murky, discontented aura. She should’ve appreciated
Far-a-mael’s efforts in liberating her from Elmsville, that
Maker-forsaken hole of a place.
‘ Do as you did
yesterday,’ Far-a-mael ordered, his dark mood refusing to
budge.
‘ I need your help,’
Seteal said.
‘ Haven’t you
practiced?’
‘ You only showed me
last night,’ she retorted insolently.
‘ Fine,’ Far-a-mael
waved his hand and turned to look over the river through a smudged
window. He didn’t need to meditate to become one with the Ways, as
was encouraged of most new reis. Eventually, such a tactic was
grown out of by even the dullest of students. Far-a-mael turned
back, tracing his eyes over the floor where old and faded strands
of light told stories of events that’d occurred in the past.
There’d been an argument by the door where a stain of angry red had
been left floating for none but the Elglair to see. There was a
vague purple smear by the window, the green thread knotted within
telling Far-a-mael the story of a broken heart. Anyone with white
pupils was able to see the vivid lights that snaked about the
world, but it took the knowledge of a gil to properly interpret
them.
As Far-a-mael focused on the dancing
strands of light, the room appeared to brighten, hiding none of its
secrets. There was a hidden wall cavity to Far-a-mael’s left in
which someone had once stowed a bottle of gin and then forgotten
about it. El-i-miir pursued her studies not five strides away in
the next room. There was a bird . . . the bird . . . but nothing.
Far-a-mael’s spine tingled unforgivingly. Something was wrong.
Seteal’s aura shuddered nervously and he was able to see its most
intimate details.
‘ Relax,’ he
ordered.
The young woman closed her eyes. She
was trying to focus, but murky green and purple sprays trickled
throughout her aura, disturbing her with useless concerns. There.
Far-a-mael snatched at the pale blues and yellows buried deep
within and tied them together. He pulled them to the surface where
they encapsulated Seteal, lulling her into deep, peaceful
thought.
‘ I’ve done it,’
Seteal murmured.
‘ Of course you have,’
Far-a-mael replied without bothering to mask his sarcasm. ‘You’d
better practice tonight. I’ll be expecting you to do it on your
remember.
CHAPTER Four
The Elglair Eye
‘ Where are we?’
Far-a-mael smoothed out the map’s creases over a cheap pine table.
‘There.’
He prodded the dark spot marked out as
Golmar Crossing. They’d arrived in the miniscule riverside town
just hours before sunset. The place was home to a rickety old
bridge that served as the only border crossing between Gor Narvon
and Abnatol. The town also boasted an inn, and after so much time
spent resting on the floor of a tent, Far-a-mael was looking
forward to sleeping in a proper bed. He smiled, now one country
closer to home. There was a soft knock at the door.
‘ Come in.’
‘ Far-a . . . I mean,
Gil’rei.’ Seteal lowered her head respectfully and made her way
into the room. ‘Would you like to resume my lessons?’ the young
lady asked from her place by the doorway.
‘ Certainly.’
Far-a-mael waved her inside. The silly little thing always needed
such explicit direction. She irritated him at the best of times,
but lately even more so than usual. El-i-miir, too, for that
matter. Far-a-mael rolled his neck before turning to inspect the
girl suspiciously. Seteal was hiding something. The Ways screamed
in his ears, but for some reason Far-a-mael couldn’t determine what
they were saying.
‘ Sit down.’ He
watched the girl snatch up a pillow. ‘Not on the floor!’ Far-a-mael
barked. ‘I’m tired. Just sit on the chair.’
‘ Okay.’ Seteal sat at
a small table in the corner of the room, a sullen expression
contorting her features. What was wrong with the stupid girl? She
was always so miserable, the way she trotted about with that gloomy
expression and murky, discontented aura. She should’ve appreciated
Far-a-mael’s efforts in liberating her from Elmsville, that
Maker-forsaken hole of a place.
‘ Do as you did
yesterday,’ Far-a-mael ordered, his dark mood refusing to
budge.
‘ I need your help,’
Seteal said.
‘ Haven’t you
practiced?’
‘ You only showed me
last night,’ she retorted insolently.
‘ Fine,’ Far-a-mael
waved his hand and turned to look over the river through a smudged
window. He didn’t need to meditate to become one with the Ways, as
was encouraged of most new reis. Eventually, such a tactic was
grown out of by even the dullest of students. Far-a-mael turned
back, tracing his eyes over the floor where old and faded strands
of light told stories of events that’d occurred in the past.
There’d been an argument by the door where a stain of angry red had
been left floating for none but the Elglair to see. There was a
vague purple smear by the window, the green thread knotted within
telling Far-a-mael the story of a broken heart. Anyone with white
pupils was able to see the vivid lights that snaked about the
world, but it took the knowledge of a gil to properly interpret
them.
As Far-a-mael focused on the dancing
strands of light, the room appeared to brighten, hiding none of its
secrets. There was a hidden wall cavity to Far-a-mael’s left in
which someone had once stowed a bottle of gin and then forgotten
about it. El-i-miir pursued her studies not five strides away in
the next room. There was a bird . . . the bird . . . but nothing.
Far-a-mael’s spine tingled unforgivingly. Something was wrong.
Seteal’s aura shuddered nervously and he was able to see its most
intimate details.
‘ Relax,’ he
ordered.
The young woman closed her eyes. She
was trying to focus, but murky green and purple sprays trickled
throughout her aura, disturbing her with useless concerns. There.
Far-a-mael snatched at the pale blues and yellows buried deep
within and tied them together. He pulled them to the surface where
they encapsulated Seteal, lulling her into deep, peaceful
thought.
‘ I’ve done it,’
Seteal murmured.
‘ Of course you have,’
Far-a-mael replied without bothering to mask his sarcasm. ‘You’d
better practice tonight. I’ll be expecting you to do it on your
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