Chapter 9:

Interlude I

A Whisper in Scarlet


“Do you want to know why I am displeased, Harkam?” Sevastian asked conversationally as he wiped blood from his gloves on a white handkerchief. He walked to the window of Harkam’s small hideaway, and dropped the bloody rag onto the table as he looked out into the moonlit forest an arm’s length outside.

Harkam tried to speak through a mouthful of broken teeth, but all that came out what a collection of chokes and more blood that at least had the good taste not to land on Sevastian’s shoes. Sevastian looked down at him and smiled brightly.

“That’s right! You brought me three completely normal and absolutely not Unawakened children! Well done, Harkam!” He said, before kicking the man in the ribs.

Havard groaned and gurgled something else. Sevastian’s smile dropped, and he knelt down beside him, pulling the man up by the front of his shirt.

“I can’t use normal children, Harkam!” He said, his temper flaring. “Normal children can’t be Awakened. Awakened children can see Names. Normal children cannot. Now, are you following what I am saying, or should I speak even slower?”

Harkam gurgled noncommittally. Disgusted, Sevastian dropped him back to the floor, where the man’s head made a thunk on the wood floor. Harkam let out another low moan and rolled on his side towards the bed at the end of the room. Sevastian walked back to the window, his arms crossed behind his back. Closed his eyes, taking several long breaths before he spoke again.

“It seems that they knew what we were looking for, and lured us to the town using that to create false information as bait.” He said, turning back to Harkam. “There were no traveling Unawoken Sa’Cari at the festival. And there is no chance that Vast being there was a coincidence, either. He knew we were coming.”

Sevastian looked down at Harkam, before throwing the bloody handkerchief to the man.

“Oh for Bel’s sake, Harkam, I only beat you halfway to death. Use the other half and get back on your feet.”

Harkam reached up with a shaking hand, picking up the handkerchief and setting about dabbing at the blood on his face. Sevastian pursed his lips.

“Your sources were incorrect. And because of your stupidity, I let the only actual Unawakend in that village go. An entire town was just torched for nothing.”

He cleared his throat, swiping a lock of dark hair from his face.

“No matter. No use crying over spilled blood.” He said. “As there is no longer any reason for me to remain, I am returning to Ravenscroft. Call on me, once you’ve sorted yourself.”

Sevastian opened the door to the room to find a wide-eyed and very teary young woman standing a few paces away, her look filled with fear. He stepped to the side, giving her a gentle bow and motioning her in. The woman, seeing the broken mess of Harkam on the floor, ran wailing into the room and started fussing over him.

Sevastian took a step out into the hallway, before pausing and returning.

“Oh, and Harkam? Be sure the corpses are dealt with before you leave.”