Sanctuary by Rowena Cory Daniells Read Free Book Online Page A

Imoshen said. ‘Now rise and prepare for empowerment.’
    When he came to his feet, his expression was sober, if slightly worried.
    ‘Dragazim, formerly Choice-son Vittoryxe,’ Imoshen said. ‘The T’Enatuath’s gift empowerer will reach into your mind to identify your nascent gift and quicken it. Do you agree to this?’ As if he had a choice; she bristled on his behalf.
    The boy nodded.
    ‘Then thank her for this honour.’
    He gave the formal obeisance and said the ritual words. Even though he clasped his hands, left over right, Imoshen could see his fingers trembling.
    ‘Concentrate on me, Dragazim,’ she urged, as Egrayne stepped around behind him, placing her fingers on his temples.
    A shiver ran through his skinny fame.
    ‘I have been doing this for thirty years, child,’ Egrayne said. She was more than a head taller than him, and she was not as big as the biggest of the T’En men. Dragazim had a lot of growing to do before he entered the brotherhood. ‘This will only hurt if you resist.’
    He nodded once.
    ‘Drop your defences.’
    Imoshen felt the rise in Egrayne’s gift as the empowerer plunged into his mind.
    Empowerment always seemed wrong to Imoshen. Her gift had simply arisen, and she had honed it through play and experimentation. In spring next year, it would be thirteen years since she had stumbled into the sisterhood’s palace and claimed sanctuary. During that time, she had trained under Gift-tutor Vittoryxe, and she believed the rigid exercises designed to develop the gifts in their prescribed paths actually limited them. Like a limb left unused, other embryonic gifts withered.
    If she had her way, Imoshen would put aside this ritual, along with so many other things. If Egrayne only knew her real agenda, she would be horrified.
    But Imoshen hid her true feelings as the tension built. It lifted with the suddenness of a silent thunderclap and Dragazim almost fell forward. At the last moment, he steadied himself and blinked sleepily.
    ‘Well done, lad.’ Egrayne placed a hand on his shoulder. ‘You are a gift-warrior.’
    He grinned with delight and met Iraayel’s eyes. All the boys looked up to Imoshen’s choice-son. He’d led them the night King Charald attacked the city. Under his leadership, they’d held the grand stair, which saved the T’En nursery. Yet no brotherhood would take him, the blind fools.
    Egrayne gestured to her devotee. ‘Write it in the lineage book, Roskara.’
    Imoshen beckoned Kiane. ‘Time to make him your choice-son, Kia.’
    Dragazim went around behind Kiane, knelt on the floor then crawled between her legs, to symbolise birth.
    Kiane reached down and helped him rise, turning him around to face her. ‘Welcome, Dragazim Choice-son Kiane.’ The hand-of-force touched his forehead with the little sixth finger of her left hand, letting her gift brush his senses. ‘I swear to protect your life with my own. I swear to rear you to revere the heritage of the T’Enatuath and protect our Malaunje.’
    With the ceremony over, everyone else filed out, but Imoshen caught Iraayel’s arm at the door. His father, Irian, had been the brotherhood’s hand-of-force, and Iraayel owed his martial prowess and gift to him. But he reminded her of Ardeyne, the brotherhood’s clever voice-of-reason. Ever since Iraayel had been empowered, she’d been testing him with glimpses of other gifts so that he wouldn’t be limited. Now she’d seen the way Dragazim looked to Iraayel. He was a natural leader. ‘You are a gift-warrior, but you are so much more. Don’t think a hand-of-force is all you could ever be. Keep up the exercises I taught you.’
    He laughed and kissed her forehead. ‘My subversive mother!’
    He left and Imoshen turned to see Saffazi watching her. Egrayne’s choice-daughter had been close to Iraayel, leading him into trouble since he was a child. And this last year their relationship had deepened. They’d faced death together when the city was attacked.