Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

She could not have stopped the fall of Urithiru, even if she had stood and fought. That was how Jasnah Kholin tried to justify her failure. If she’d summoned blade and plate, she surely would have been overwhelmed, overpowered, then executed.

Everything had happened so suddenly, which was typically an excuse used by lesser commanders. Unfortunately, there was no other way Jasnah could understand her loss. She’d been in the tower’s gem archive with her scholars when the young Windrunner who’d been accompanying her fell to the floor. 

Her non-Radiant guards, dressed in their cobalt uniforms, had hurried towards her, two of them barring the outer doors as word of the attack came through. Scattered reports reached her by spanreed. Stoneshaping Fused were in the floors, the walls, somehow having entered through the base of the tower. One of them was doing something to the fabrial structure of the tower.

Jasnah had organized and sent commands to her forces. What she got back were panicked missives about Windrunners plummeting from the sky, Edgedancers collapsing on top of their patients, Radiants throughout the tower fainting out of nowhere. All of the Radiants in Urithiru were out of commission.

All of them but her.

She’d fought back the urge to accompany her guards as they ran to defend the lower floors. She was frustrated at her own lack of experience on the battlefield, but knew that she could cause more harm than good if she waded into the fight wielding a Shardblade in close quarters. The only way for her to fight safely would've been if she were alone. She’d sat and waited anxiously for more news, listening to the chaos of the tower around her.

She’d watched, paralyzed, as the lights shuddered and the walls seemed to heave. There was shouting outside, rhythmic voices speaking in a language she didn’t understand. She had moved to summon Ivory, but her logical side had protested.

When the doors burst down, she had already prepared a plan. The Fused who entered hovered partially above the ground, like a Windrunner. She wore long, trailing robes. Her name had been Lady Leshwi, though she had not spoken directly to Jasnah. The enemy knew that Jasnah was a leader, but fortunately did not know for certain that she was a Radiant.

Jasnah had not been able to keep her abilities a secret from her fellow rulers and Knights, but it remained true that a large proportion of the population of Urithiru was unaware of her exact abilities. Though she had held the wall at Thaylen Field, the other orders had shone brighter in the stories that were told later: the Truthwatcher who had been flattened over and over by a Thunderclast until he made it fall, the Lightweaver who had summoned an army out of nothing, the Bondsmith who had faced down a god and, in the months that followed, his own shame. Her own efforts had been important, but less flashy than those of her relatives.

Jasnah was not jealous of the lack of attention. She preferred it, because it kept her enemies guessing about her abilities. Though she had wanted to go to the front lines and fight like an Alethi highprince, she was suddenly glad that her mother had requested she step in as the temporary leader of Urithiru instead. Day-to-day administration was just as important of a skill as battlefield prowess, and one that Jasnah needed to hone.

The tower’s residents did not need a Fourth Ideal Radiant armed with blade and plate. They would instead need an Alethi queen, raised since birth to negotiate with other rulers. They would need her political acumen to help intercede with these Fused.

That was why Jasnah had bent the knee to Lady Leshwi. It had not been a surrender, it had been a tactical retreat. That was what Jasnah told herself. At least the Fused did not know she was a Radiant. She was not sure what they would do with the other Radiants of Urithiru, but she suspected it would be nothing good. 

Jasnah was the only Knight of the Fourth Ideal on all of Roshar, the only Elsecaller, the only Radiant awake in Urithiru. The rest of her family was flung across the world, each preoccupied with their own missions. She was utterly alone and solely responsible for a tower filled with her subjects.

If she hadn’t been used to this type of loneliness, it would have crushed her. But if there was one thing she knew how to do, it was act alone.

Now she sat in a locked room with two Regal guards directly outside, watching her. There were more scattered throughout the halls outside her makeshift prison. Urithiru felt oddly still, as if it had once been peacefully asleep but was now lying frozen, trying not to move a muscle. 

The occupiers seemed worried about her getting into contact with others in the tower, but they had treated her well otherwise. Her cell was not bare; she was essentially in a fully furnished bedroom that she could not leave. She had a comfortable bed, plenty of reading materials, and a wardrobe of simple havahs.

This was not the psychiatric incarceration of her youth. She had to remind herself of that, so as not to succumb to the panic that threatened to rise within her. She was not truly caged. She would never allow that to happen again. This was all simply a temporary, strategic arrangement. The Fused were doing with her what any competent conquering force was supposed to do with former rulers: keeping her alive, comfortable, and under close watch.

Jasnah sat in her room for quite a while, waiting in anticipation. She ran through potential avenues of questioning in her head and sorted through what information she needed to keep quiet, what things she could potentially lie about. She was almost certain that the leaders of this occupation would come and speak with her as soon as they had complete control over Urithiru.

Her hunch proved correct when the door swung open to a retinue of Singers. Jasnah counted a couple of strange Fused whose feet seemed to sink into stone floor of the tower; they probably had access to the Surge of Cohesion, though she’d never seen a human Stoneward move through a surface like these Fused did. Behind them was a tall Fused wearing ornate robes whom Jasnah quickly identified as the leader of the group. 

The intimidating retinue was finished off by a Regal the likes of whom Jasnah had never seen. She, for Jasnah was fairly certain the figure was a woman, had striking patterns, red against white. She was tall, most certainly taller than Jasnah. Her orange hair was done up elaborately with glowing rubies infused with Voidlight throughout, in a style that Jasnah almost admired for its complexity. 

The Fused spoke in a language that Jasnah could not understand. She realized suddenly that it could have been the Dawnchant, the language of the ancient Parshendi. She was facing a being that had been on Roshar for centuries and centuries, since before modern Alethkar had even been conceived of. 

The Regal began to translate the Fused’s words, her face an impassive mask. “I am the Lady of Pains, Raboniel, the new ruler of this tower. You will have noticed that your Radiants have fallen into an unshakeable slumber. Other than them, and those who fought my forces, your people are unharmed. They will remain so as long as you do not resist our rule.”

The Regal spoke perfect court Alethi, her words accentuated by the sharp rhythmic undertones that Jasnah had begun to associate with the enemy’s language. 

“You have my word that I will not resist,” Jasnah said. “I want the best for the people in this tower.”

Interestingly, the Regal did not translate Jasnah’s words to Raboniel. Why, then, was she using the Regal to speak with Jasnah rather than speaking to her directly? Perhaps it was a display of her power, a way to situate Jasnah as far below her.

Lady Raboniel said something else in the Dawnchant, and the Regal hesitated briefly before turning to address Jasnah. “You should know that if we do find you acting against our interests, we will not hesitate to slaughter every Radiant we have in our custody. That includes harboring or hiding any Radiants of your own,” she said.

“I understand,” Jasnah said. 

Why did they fear Radiants so much? She supposed that if there were other awakened Radiants, they would pose quite the threat to the Fused, but Jasnah was the only one, as far as she knew. Even if she had wanted to hide sleeping Radiants from the Fused, they wouldn’t be of much use as scattered individuals.

“I have other questions for you about the fabrials of this tower,” Raboniel said through her Regal translator. “Who built the flying platform that you Alethi have been using?”

“It was my mother’s project. I am not well-learned in the art of fabrial mechanics,” Jasnah said.

If this Fused was interested in Navani’s work, it was probably for the best that Jasnah had been left in charge. After all, she could not give up secrets that she didn’t comprehend. Though some of her mother’s assistants were still in Urithiru, most of them had accompanied her to aid in the defense of the Azish Empire. Their technological advances would remain safe from the Fused. 

Raboniel stepped forward suddenly, as if trying to scare her. Jasnah held her ground, refusing to flinch. The Fused glared at her, red eyes glowing. “There are rumors about you, Jasnah Kholin,” she said, speaking for herself this time.

“Some reports say you are Radiant,” the Fused said. “Others simply say you are ruthlessly intelligent. Either way, I will keep my eyes on you. Do not think you can scheme your way out of this.”

Jasnah lifted her chin to meet the Fused’s eyes. She would play her part, but that did not mean she would act a coward. “I am no Radiant, Lady Raboniel. Would I not be suffering the same fate as the others, if I was?”

Raboniel’s eyes narrowed, but she said nothing. So long as Jasnah kept from drawing in Stormlight, she was safe. She would not let the Fused provoke her into revealing herself through fear or intimidation. She had spent many years hiding her abilities from everyone around her, and it was not hard for her to slip back into that mindset.

She sat in silence with Raboniel for one heartbeat, then two. Slowly, the Fused backed away. “Your needs will be taken care of. You are a political prisoner of value,” Raboniel said. “Do not do anything to make me doubt my good will towards you.”

The Regal who had initially spoken for Raboniel waited until her mistress had left the room before turning to follow her. 

Impulsively, Jasnah called out after her. “Why did you speak for Lady Raboniel, if she knows Alethi?”

The Regal stopped and turned to face Jasnah. Her red eyes narrowed. “My role is to be the Voice of Lady Raboniel, to speak her mind for her. You should feel honored that she deigned to speak with one as low as you,” she said.

Jasnah had cultivated the skills of reading emotion in speech for years. She found that there was something off about the Regal’s words. Her haughtiness was a mask for something else, though Jasnah could not yet fathom what she hid. 

This is a weak link, Jasnah thought. This is someone with something to lose. I just need to figure out what.

Chapter Text

Lady Raboniel did not trust the prisoner. She had armed guards watching her at all times, and she did not allow her to leave her chambers.

Venli privately thought her precautions were overzealous. How much could one woman do? But the rumors of Jasnah Kholin’s Radiance frightened Raboniel. Either Jasnah was no Radiant, as she claimed, or she was of a high enough Ideal that Raboniel could not contain her. 

“You will go back and question that woman,” Raboniel ordered her. 

Venli was unsure why she was being put in charge of Jasnah's interrogation, but she remembered Lady Leshwi’s warnings about Raboniel. She should not question such a powerful Fused. It would lead to consequences worse than death.

“Yes, my lady,” Venli said, humming to Subservience. 

Within her gemheart, Timbre pulsed urgently. She didn’t like that Venli was responsible for the imprisonment of another, even if she was a human ruler. 

I will seek freedom for those in bondage. Venli knew her next Oath. She simply had not lived up to it yet. 

Timbre pulsed to Confidence, but Venli was unsure. Humans had been captors of her people for years, especially human rulers. Why should she free their queen? 

Early the next day, Venli traced the path back to Jasnah Kholin’s cell, hoping to catch her off guard. Despite the hour, though, Jasnah was awake and dressed in a simple Alethi havah, sitting at her side table, writing in a small notebook.

“Welcome, Voice,” Jasnah said, not looking up as Venli entered the room. 

Without Rhythms, Venli could not precisely tell if she was being condescending, but she suspected that the words were not sincere. She narrowed her eyes at Jasnah.

Though she was imprisoned, she was in comfortable chambers, with a variety of books and clothing available to her. Raboniel insisted that political prisoners be treated with respect, even if she kept Urithiru's unconscious Radiants sequestered away from most of their supporters. They would grow weak if simply left to sleep forever. Venli suspected that was what Raboniel wanted.

“I am here to ask you questions on behalf of my mistress,” Venli said, the Alethi rolling smoothly off her tongue.

Envoyform was built so that she could speak and understand other languages. It still felt odd to her that she so easily understood every bit of Alethi speech. A skill that had taken her people valuable time and practice to master could be achieved by this form within moments. 

“Ask your questions, then,” Jasnah said.

Her face betrayed nothing that Venli could recognize, though her interactions with humans had been limited. When their mouths curled up, it was a sign of mirth. When their eyes widened, it was out of fear. So far, she had not seen either expression on Jasnah’s face.

“What do you know of the fabrials in this tower?” Venli asked, setting to work gathering the information Raboniel wanted.

“Not much, I’m afraid. My area of interest is history, not engineering.”

“You do not know how the floating platform was achieved?”

“It is beyond my understanding, Voice.”

Jasnah’s face remained impassive throughout the rest of the questions that Venli went through. She betrayed nothing, gave up no information, claiming ignorance on most fronts. She did not know of her uncle’s battle tactics, nor her mother’s schematics. She had never heard of an inverse Light, though it was a fascinating concept. It was such a shame that her academic focuses were unrelated to the topic.

She had unfortunately only been Queen of Alethkar for a short time and had the education of the typical Alethi woman, so she knew little about the state of its armies. She had also only been interim ruler of Urithiru for a short time, and could not confidently attest to the tower's strange properties.

Every question had its carefully planned answer. Venli almost felt that Jasnah was reading her mind, but perhaps she was just being predictable. Clearly, this Alethi queen was well-schooled in the art of politicking, but if Venli took a different approach…

Timbre sensed her intention and pulsed to Admonishment. 

What can I do? Venli thought bitterly. My Lady wants answers, and thus far, I have been unable to procure any.

There was another way, and she and Timbre both knew it. Venli could look into the Cognitive Realm to see if Jasnah had a spren, which would at least answer the question of Radiance. But if she chose to report to Raboniel, she would wonder how Venli had discovered such information. And if she did not, she would be giving into the more treacherous side of her. The side that Timbre loved to encourage.

This woman is barely a prisoner, Venli argued silently with her spren as she considered her next move. She has all the amenities any person could hope for. Why should I feel pity for her?

It wasn’t the circumstances of imprisonment that made it so deplorable to her spren, though. It was the principle of the thing. That, she had begun to understand, was why Timbre had sought out a Listener to bond. Freedom was integral to their people’s mythology and way of life. Freedom from the bondage of their gods and the bondage of humans alike.

Even if Jasnah had all that she needed to live, she was not free. 

Venli pushed her thoughts to the back of her mind and leaned in closer to Jasnah, trying to use her superior height to intimidate. She attuned Derision, letting the passionate Rhythm wash over her. Although humans could not understand the Rhythms, they were often made uncomfortable by Odium’s tones.

Jasnah did not visibly react to the Rhythm. In that, she was even more inscrutable than the average human. Her face did not seem to betray her as much as most humans’ expressions.

“You claim to have no information about anything my mistress wants to know. That is convenient,” Venli began, keeping her voice low and threatening. 

“That is no fault of mine,” Jasnah said. 

To her credit, Jasnah did not flinch or lean away. She met Venli’s gaze, her light violet eyes hardened like gemstones.

“Are you a Radiant?”

“No.”

“If you lie to me, there will be consequences.”

“I’m awake, aren’t I? Is there really a way a Radiant could avoid whatever the Fused have done to this tower?”

She was trying to get information, in an obtuse way. Or perhaps she underestimating Venli’s ability to detect her subterfuge. Either way, Venli would not fall for such a simple trick.

“If a Radiant did manage to bypass our precautions, they would need to be dealt with,” Venli said to the Rhythm of Executions.

Timbre did not approve of the violent rhythm, but Venli couldn’t help herself. Jasnah’s easy, relaxed aura made her skin crawl.

She should fear me, Venli thought. I have her under my complete control. 

Timbre’s response was, of course, to pulse to Reprimand. Venli was not supposed to revel in the feeling of having someone captive. It went against their Ideals.

But Jasnah was not just any captive. She was the Queen of Alethkar, the nation that had ravaged Venli’s people for years. She represented the cruelty of the war-driven country that had always refused to let Listener troops retreat. She was the daughter of the man who had wanted to return their gods and who had driven them into war. 

Timbre continued to pulse to Reprimand, not letting Venli relax. Jasnah was watching her as she stood in silent internal turmoil. Venli hoped that she appeared in control rather than on the verge of losing it.

“Is your mind… elsewhere?” Jasnah said.

“Simply imagining the best way to force you to recant your lies,” Venli snapped.

“Surely you wouldn’t use brute force against a member of the royal family.”

Jasnah’s words almost sounded like a challenge. But even if Venli hadn’t been under strict orders not to hurt her, she still would not have resorted to torture. Even in her darkest moments, she had never wanted to intentionally inflict pain on another. 

“You think little of me if you think I would do such a thing,” Venli said. “I still have my own morals, even if they are foreign to you.”

“What will you do, then, if you think I am not telling the truth?” Jasnah asked. “Torture would be an excellent way to discover any hidden Radiance in me, after all. It’s what I would do.”

Those last words were laced with something menacing, even if Venli was unfamiliar with speaking to humans like Jasnah. Humans who weren’t scared of her. This woman was a captive, yet threatened her captor with sharp words. Venli could respect that, though she did not fear Jasnah in the slightest. What could one woman do, even if she was one of the Knights Radiant? How powerful could she possibly be?

Timbre pulsed at that thought, her rhythm growing louder in Venli’s gemheart, as if to remind her of the abilities that came with being Radiant. Venli assumed she could counter whatever powers Jasnah had with sheer numbers, but that would not save her as an individual. She would have to rely on her own prowess to protect her own life.

As her mind turned to her powers, she felt the stone at her feet begin to liquefy, powers feeding on the Voidlight that was always inside of her. She scrambled to cut off the flow of light, not wanting to reveal anything. She’d been playing with controlling her Stoneshaping for a while, but it still sometimes rose in her unbidden. It was hard to learn to control the surges without any guidance.

Jasnah inhaled sharply, the first emotive reaction she’d given thus far. She was staring at Venli, eyes wide and bright, as if they were faintly glowing with light. 

Venli attuned Surprise as the light quickly faded from Jasnah's eyes. She really was a Radiant. Venli was supposed to call for backup immediately at such a revelation, but she hesitated, Timbre singing loudly to Peace.

Within that moment of hesitation, Jasnah leaned in close, mouth nearly brushing against Venli’s ear. “You have a Radiant spren. If you say a word, I will tell them all what you are hiding, and they will kill you, just as surely as they’d kill me,” she whispered.

Jasnah settled back into her chair, her face completely neutral. Her eyes were intensely focused on Venli’s own. She knew of Venli’s deepest betrayal of the Fused, but she clearly felt no solidarity over their shared Radiance. 

Venli scrambled away from Jasnah, keeping her eyes locked on Jasnah as she fumbled for the door handle and stumbled outside, slamming the door shut after her. The Regal guards standing just outside attuned Destruction as they took in her flustered demeanor. 

“That woman,” Venli said, heart pounding, “Is dangerous. No one should speak to her without me around.”

The guards attuned Subservience and bowed in acknowledgement of her orders. Venli rushed away, down the hallway, putting as much space between herself and Jasnah Kholin as she could manage.

Chapter Text

“That Regal is a Radiant. How can that be?” Jasnah said softly.

A lightspren is her companion. We have never seen one, Ivory whispered. He had shrunk down to a size nearly invisible to the human eye, and was perched in his customary hiding spot within Jasnah’s earring. 

“All of my research suggests that Radiants have always been human. They were our advantage against a physically stronger enemy. The societies of spren might have disagreed with each other, but they never chose to bond with the enemy.”

Change is. Nothing works as it once did. But Jasnah, if the Lightspren have sided with the enemy, that one will report you regardless of your threats. 

“She was clearly terrified and unable to control her abilities. I don’t think Raboniel knows about her Radiance, which is perfect for us.”

How do you know that she will return?

“She has to. She is afraid now, but she did not strike me as the type to stay afraid.”

Venli showed no fear towards most of Jasnah's threats, was quick to anger, and did not have control of her surgebinding. She was not going to let Jasnah dangle this threat over her for long.

But each of Venli’s flaws were an opportunity, a way for Jasnah to push back against the occupying force. Venli was probably high up in the command structure, since she had been assigned to interrogate Jasnah. With her under Jasnah's proverbial shardknife, even for a minimal time, she could find a way out of imprisonment. 

“Have you been able to see more of Urithiru? How are the Fused treating our people?” Jasnah asked, turning to other business.

Tension is. The Regals patrol the halls, and fear is. But for humans who do not resist, peace is possible. 

“I can bide my time, then. Wait to act until the right chance. I wouldn’t want to upset the balance for an unsuccessful rebellion.”

The tower is. But it will not be forever. 

“What do you mean? Are the Fused planning to destroy Urithiru?”

I do not know. But something is wrong, and it is to get worse.

So much of having a Radiant bond was responding to cryptic warnings. Jasnah would just have to figure things out when she got to them. 

The fact remained that she had leverage now. Somehow, she would be able to use this to her advantage. She just had to figure out her best move. If she could get access to Stormlight, she might be able to Elsecall, but that was a last resort.

“Ivory. If Venli is bonded to a Lightspren, that means she has access to Transportation. She should have been able to see you in Shadesmar.”

That is correct. She could see me, if she tried. 

But Venli hadn’t looked into Shadesmar to check if Jasnah was Radiant. She’d seemed genuinely surprised to see Jasnah take in Stormlight. Did she not know how to use that power? Or was she afraid? 

Either way, it was more evidence that Venli’s Radiance was a secret she was keeping from her higher-ups. She was inexperienced, scared, and hiding. She would be easily bent to Jasnah’s needs.

It was not many years ago when you were in the same position as her, Ivory said.

Jasnah hesitated at that. She still remembered the paranoia and fear that had haunted her when she’d first begun to bond Ivory. Fear that had been justified, because they’d had her locked up again when she’d accidentally slipped too many times. 

If Raboniel would kill Jasnah for having Radiant powers, what would she do to Venli? Somehow Jasnah doubted that Venli’s status was high enough to save her from the Fused’s desire to control all of the Radiants.

She didn’t have time for sympathy, though. If she had to sacrifice one Radiant to save the rest, she would. It didn’t matter that she was deeply curious about Venli. It didn’t matter that she wanted to question her about Elsecalling, the Lightspren, and her oaths. It didn’t matter that she was still shocked at the revelation of a Regal and a Radiant spren being bonded. She had to be a queen, not a scholar.

“Jasnah knows,” Venli whispered furiously. “She’s a Radiant, and she knows that I’m one too. What do we do? Why would you reveal me?”

Timbre responded through the Rhythms, as she always did. She pulsed to Reassurance, trying to tell Venli that everything would be okay.

“I cannot see how this will possibly work in our favor. If we report her, we risk ourselves. If we don’t report her, we go against Raboniel’s direct orders.”

Timbre was in favor of going against Raboniel. She might be their superior, but she did not control them. They were free to do as they wanted.

“What if I don’t want to let the queen live? What if I want to report her?”

Timbre attuned Reprimand. The message was clear: reporting Jasnah’s powers were as good as getting her tortured and killed. Allowing a captive to be treated in such a manner would be taking a step backwards in her oaths, regardless of the other potential consequences.

“Fine. I won’t tell Raboniel. But what can I do? Jasnah will use this to blackmail me. Say the wrong thing, and it’ll be me dying at the hands of the Lady of Pains. I don’t want to make her an enemy. I need to last long enough to get out of here.”

Timbre began to pulse to the Rhythm of Reconciliation. 

“No Absolutely not. I will not work with her. She’s a human, one of their rulers. Setting her free would instantly turn Raboniel against us.”

But Jasnah was a Radiant. She’d seen Timbre, so she had the ability to look into Shadesmar, just as Venli could. She was also somehow awake, immune to whatever Raboniel was doing to Urithiru’s Radiants. She would have valuable information about Urithiru, even if she hadn't yet revealed it.

“Fine! I will go back and speak with her. Briefly. And only to get information.”

Timbre pulsed to Satisfaction, as if telling Venli, See? I’m always right.

Venli sighed and went back the way she’d come towards Jasnah’s holding cell.

“This does not mean I am going to set her free. She’s a liability, and queen of a human nation built by enslaved Singers. I cannot trust her.”

“You’re back. Gotten over your fear of being revealed already?” Jasnah said, one of her eyebrows raised. 

“Quiet. I am not afraid of you. We each know the same dangerous thing about the other,” Venli said. “I have questions.”

“I’m afraid I cannot give out information to the enemy, Radiant or not.”

“I do not have to be your enemy,” Venli said, even if internally she agreed with Jasnah’s line of thinking. This was Timbre’s plan. If it didn’t work out, Venli would be happy to continue to treat Jasnah as her opposition.

“You report directly to Raboniel, who is occupying this tower. I have no way to guarantee that you will keep anything I say private.”

“You know that I am a Radiant,” Venli said. “You have that over me. Surely that is enough.”

Jasnah crossed her arms, somehow giving the impression that she was the one in charge. “It’s not enough. I could get you thrown out of here, but only once. I need this to be a mutually beneficial exchange.”

Venli attuned Annoyance. “Are you trying to blackmail me?”

“I think we’re blackmailing each other, Willshaper.”

Venli desperately hoped that none of the guards outside were listening closely to their conversation. “Be quiet,” she hissed. “If anyone hears us, we are both dead.”

“Answer my questions, then, Radiant.”

“Only if you answer mine in turn.”

“Tell me, what is the status of the rest of Urithiru’s Radiants?”

Venli briefly attuned Surprise. She’d expected Jasnah to begin by questioning her about the Fused’s defenses or weaknesses. 

“The Radiants are all asleep. Lady Raboniel has collected all that she can find into one chamber. I am unsure what she will do with them, but they are alive.”

Jasnah nodded, as if this information was what she’d been expecting. “Very well. Ask me one of your questions.”

“What type of Radiant are you? Why have you not fallen asleep like the others?”

“That is two questions, but I will allow it. I am of the order of Elsecallers. I believe that I have not fallen asleep because I have progressed quite far in my Radiant Oaths.”

“What Oath have you attained?” Venli asked, suddenly curious.

“Another question. You haven’t answered one of mine yet. That’s not exactly fair, is it?”

Timbre attuned Amusement, and Venli suppressed her annoyance. The spren had an odd sense of humor sometimes; she could not get angry at her for that.

“How did the Fused get through the Tower’s defenses?” Jasnah asked.

“The makay-im entered through the stones of the lower entrance. Lady Raboniel made her way to the heart of the Sibling and corrupted them, which turned their defenses against your Radiants. I do not know exactly how she accomplished this.”

“The Sibling still lives? And what does makay-im mean?”

“Now it is you who asks questions out of turn,” Venli said to Satisfaction.

Jasnah exhaled forcefully. “I suppose this arrangement of one question at a time is not very productive to follow-ups.”

“That is the purpose, no? To keep either of us from revealing too much?”

Jasnah nodded sharply, her violet eyes boring into Venli. Storms, that woman had an intense gaze, for a human. Venli felt as if she was under the scrutiny of one of the more sane Fused.

“You are correct, of course. We wouldn’t want this exchange of information to be unfair, as if one of us were the other’s captor.”

“We are both each other’s captor, neshua kadal.”

“What does that mean?”

“That’s your third extra question. Will you answer three of mine in exchange?”

“I’m of the Fourth Oath. I have both blade and plate, of which I am fairly certain you have neither, so be careful.”

So, they would continue at this game. Venli stepped back, giving Jasnah room to breathe. Jasnah’s face shifted with a flutter of relief, or maybe satisfaction. Human emotions were ambiguous that way. 

“The Sibling has been deep in a slumber, and my mistress is Unmaking them into something of Odium.”

“The Tower spren… it’s been here all along,” Jasnah whispered to herself. Or maybe to her spren. Venli did not know if humans could house spren inside themselves as she housed Timbre without gemhearts.

Regardless, Jasnah seemed fascinated. “Why didn’t the Sibling reveal themself to us earlier? Why wouldn’t they wake upon being attacked?” she muttered, continuing to speak to herself.

Venli was about to speak up and get Jasnah’s attention when she felt a strange vibration in the stones beneath her feet. It felt like the Rhythm of Confusion, but without the exact tones of sound. Instead, the rhythm vibrated through the room as pulses, like the ground beneath her was shaking.

"Radiants. Radiants!"

Venli whipped around, looking at the door, but it remained shut. Jasnah stared at her. “Did you hear that?” she asked. Venli almost thought she detected a tremor in Jasnah’s voice, but she dismissed it.

“Yes,” Venli said. “I… I think that was the Sibling. The room feels like it is attuning the Rhythm of Confusion.”

Venli scanned the room and spotted a red vein of garnet on the wall beside Jasnah's bed that was glowing faintly. She knelt on the bed and cautiously reached out a hand to touch it. Instantly, a voice began to speak in her mind.

An enslaver queen and a traitor Listener. The Radiants of this day have fallen far. Regardless, Raboniel weakens me. Soon enough, she will have me Unmade. I need your help.

Venli couldn’t help the Sibling. She needed to remain unseen, unknown, quiet enough that she could slip away into the Shattered Plains. She felt her hands trembling. 

But the Sibling was so afraid. She could feel a disjointed Rhythm of Fear through the connection. They did not want to be corrupted by Odium. Didn’t she know what that felt like? Didn’t she understand that desire to escape?

Beside from her, Jasnah’s face was still unreadable. She probably thinks I will turn against her for this. And who could blame her? The Sibling is right. I have always been a traitor. 

Within her, Timbre attuned Confidence. Her spren believed in her. She had made mistakes, but she did not need to be defined by them. Maybe this was not atonement for what she had done to the Listeners, but it could be a new chance to do something good, to help someone escape Odium’s influence. 

Timbre pulsed to Joy. That brought Venli a small measure of comfort. At least in this she might have found a way to keep to her oaths. She still felt herself unworthy of being called Radiant, but she was on the path to earning that title. The first oath she’d sworn, of journey before destination, echoed in her ears. She could make Timbre proud. She had brought back the Fused, but she might remedy it in this way. 

Venli was not ready to side with the humans, but she could help the Sibling, an ancient spren older than her people and their conflicts. Even if that meant working alongside Jasnah. “Sibling,” she said softly. “I will do what I can to help you. What is it you need?”

Timbre sung loudly to Praise, the sound of her Rhythm echoing in Venli's ears. Jasnah glanced at her, and for a moment, Venli thought she might be able to hear the Rhythm that rumbled through Venli's body. But Jasnah quickly turned away, attention on the Sibling, and Venli decided she must have imagined the surprise on her face.

Raboniel is corrupting me from my heart. The central pillar. I… my mind is foggy… There should be a shield… the hidden gems! Sapphires! Light. I need Light.

I should be protected. I should be safe. They promised that I would be safe, the Sibling whimpered, their voice desperate and disjointed. I… I cannot see… I cannot! Without my Radiant, I am… I…

The Sibling's voice vanished from Venli's ears, and the garnet vein lost its glow. But as the desperate words faded, another, fainter voice seemed to whisper. Hope is not lost, daughter of Songs, daughter of Stones. Remember.

"Remember what?" Venli asked. But the second voice was gone as soon as it had arrived.

"Remember?" Jasnah asked, brow furrowed.

Venli's mind whirled. Had Jasnah not heard that second voice? "Daughter of Songs" sounded an awful lot like the title Keeper of Songs that Venli had shed in favor of power. Jasnah didn't need to know about that yet. Preferably, she would never know about that, and if she hadn't heard the second message, Venli was fine with keeping it from her.

"Nothing. We just need to remember everything the Sibling told us," Venli said.

Jasnah did not press the matter, which Venli took to mean she had not heard anything. Whatever the second voice was, it was Venli's secret to hold.

Chapter Text

The Sibling, sleeping spren of Urithiru, was nowhere near as helpful as historical accounts seemed to indicate. They were quickly deteriorating at the hands of Raboniel, slipping in and out of consciousness. After their vague cry for help, they gave no more useful information, leaving everything up to Venli and Jasnah.

Stranger than the Sibling was Venli herself, the Willshaper Radiant who worked under Raboniel. Jasnah found it impossible to reconcile Venli's Radiance with her loyalty to the enemy, so she kept a close ear on all of her words.

Venli snapped at Jasnah’s suggestions and questions, giving the impression that she did not particularly care for the quest they'd been given. She was erratic and unreadable. Jasnah would not have chosen to work alongside her in any other circumstance.

Regardless, the two of them were being forced by circumstance to develop a working relationship, and Jasnah would not throw that away because of simple annoyance.

Venli visited Jasnah’s holding cell every few days, sporadically, under the pretense of interrogating her or taking statements from her to deliver to others in Urithiru. During that time, they poured over historical documents that Jasnah requested, ancient sources about the Sibling and the Fused, searching for ways to counteract Raboniel’s efforts to Unmake the Sibling. 

They also studied maps of Urithiru, looking for places that could house hidden gems or mentions of shields. It was an impossible task, given the size of the place. All they knew was that they were looking for sapphires that they could infuse with Stormlight, and that this would somehow aid the Sibling.

Venli went and searched Urithiru on her own during the day, or so she claimed. While she was free to come and go, Jasnah was confined to her room, pacing back and forth, wracking her mind for strategies. She wished she could get out and do work herself. Searching through the libraries without having to go through Venli would have been much more efficient.

Jasnah hated how much she had to rely on Venli to make progress. What if Venli's help was some setup by Raboniel to get information about the Sibling’s weak points? In that light, it was wise of the Sibling to hide the actual locations from them and leave them to figure things out themselves.

Beyond her frustration with their slow progress to free the Sibling, Jasnah also missed her family, which added to her already cloudy disposition. She'd grown used to Dalinar and Renarin coming to her with questions about words they were learning to read, Shallan and Adolin's cheerful banter, and her mother's quiet assistance on scholarly matters.

Now, with all of them gone, she felt empty again. Logically, she knew they hadn't abandoned her on purpose, but it still felt that way. Especially when the only person she came into contact with was Venli.

"She is perpetually terse," Jasnah complained to Ivory. "She can somehow read, write, and speak perfect Alethi, but refuses to utilize those skills. How someone like her managed to bond a spren is beyond me. It seems as if she barely cares for this mission, even though it should be her duty."

She is not so different from you, Ivory chided. You know this is. She is scared, as you are.

But Jasnah had gotten over her fear when she'd realized there was a world to save. Venli was still acting like a coward even though she knew what was at stake. That was unforgivable.

Venli returned again the next day, when Jasnah's patience was beginning to wear thin.

"Have you found anything?" Jasnah asked as soon as Venli closed the door behind her.

"No," Venli said. "Nothing yet."

Jasnah had played nice for long enough. This was a dire situation, and if Venli could not understand that, Jasnah would forsake the Sibling's advice and work by herself.

"I find it hard to believe that you've found nothing," Jasnah said. "You've been able to comb through the Tower for days, while I am stuck here. It is deeply suspicious."

"I cannot move through Urithiru without attracting questions about my intentions," Venli snapped. "Unlike you, I am no queen. I have to serve. I have obligations."

"Why do you serve them, yet keep your spren a secret? Why do you try to exist in two worlds? Sooner or later, you will have to choose. If you do not, I will make the choice for you."

Jasnah could have sworn that Venli's constant humming took on a darker tone. "Are you so perfect that you have never made an incorrect choice?" she said quietly.

"Of course. Every person makes incorrect choices. That does not mean you should stop yourself from choosing out of fear. I need commitment from you."

"Are you asking for my fealty? My bent knee? Oaths sworn to you, the Queen of Alethkar? Because you will never get them."

In stark contrast to Venli's usual bored tone, her words practically trembled with anger. But anger, unlike boredom, was something that could be turned righteous with the proper pressures.

"How am I meant to know that you're doing what we've agreed to do when I'm trapped here and you're wandering the Tower? There are Radiants who serve Odium, after all," Jasnah said.

She saw the anger bubbling up within Venli, could see it playing out in the erratic sound of her usually steady humming. She knew that Venli had a deep, controlling rage within her. Ivory was right. She wasn't so different from Jasnah. Jasnah was just better at hiding her emotions.

"If you do not serve him, convince me," Jasnah said. "Make me believe you. Argue your case."

Venli blinked slowly, deliberately. "I do not owe you an explanation for my existence."

"I suppose I won't tell you about what I've realized about the Sibling's defenses, then. I cannot trust you until I understand you."

"You likely won't trust me even if you do understand me," Venli said. She was uncharacteristically maudlin, her face turned away from Jasnah. Even the false confidence she usually wore was gone.

"Let me be the judge of that," Jasnah said.

She knew she could not inherently trust Venli on the sole basis of her being a Radiant; the enemy had the entirety of the Skybreakers and Dustbringers, after all. They could quite possibly have the Willshapers as well. She had to learn more about Venli if they were to be allies. She had to ascertain if she could trust that she was doing as she'd been told.

"Explain to me why you would turn against the Fused by helping the Sibling. Start with that," Jasnah suggested.

"The Fused posses the bodies of living singers, taking over and destroying their minds. Whenever a human kills a Fused, the body dies, and the Fused finds a new singer to take over," Venli began. "I… I did not know this. I did not know any of what Odium's forces were capable of when I first began speaking with one of the god's servants."

From the way Venli spoke, it was as if she had been aware of Odium before the Fused had returned in full force. That went against with what Stormblessed had reported about the formerly enslaved singers he had encountered.

"My people rejected Odium's influence for a reason," Venli went on. "When I began to realize that, I began to think about working against him. But I never wanted to side with you humans and Radiants, either. Your war killed too many of my people, just as Odium did."

Their war… Storms. Venli wasn't a former enslaved singer freed by the Everstorm, as Jasnah had first assumed.

"You're one of the Parshendi," Jasnah said in amazement.

"I am the last of them," Venli said, humming to a dark rhythm.

Jasnah knew that was not true.

"There is at least one other living Parshendi," she said.

"That's not possible. I watched the Fused take all of them. I know this, I saw it with my own eyes. I was the only one Odium spared."

Venli's voice was panicked, as if the knowledge that she was the last of her people was somehow the last thing keeping her afloat.

Jasnah shook her head. "There is someone. He is in this very tower, I believe. He calls himself Rlain."

Venli's rhythm sped up and lightened. "Rlain? He's alive? I thought… I thought you would have killed him," she said. "He never came back, and… I suppose no one ever asked if he'd left…"

"He saw what happened to the rest of the Parshendi and left them behind," Jasnah said. "I have no idea what your occupation's forces might have done with him, but he was with the Windrunner contingent, so he might be imprisoned."

"Is he a Radiant?" Venli asked.

"Not as far as I know. He was just part of their group before they became Radiants, and stuck around."

Renarin had supplied her with information about the Parshendi member of Bridge Four when she'd asked him. As far as she could tell, he was perfectly loyal to Stormblessed, and thus not a threat to her or her family. That was the full extent of what she knew about him.

"I have to find Rlain," Venli said. "I could have him placed under my command, and he would be able to go where I cannot. I have tried to look in the places you've indicated, but I have too many duties as the Voice of Lady Raboniel. Rlain could be the solution to our problem. And he would have no connection to the Fused, unlike most of those who work under me."

Jasnah had never considered the possibility of working with Rlain, because she had had no reason to believe Venli would care at all about him. But since they were both Parshendi who had rejected the Fused, this might actually work. Rlain was a bridge between their two worlds, someone whom both Venli and Jasnah at least marginally trusted.

"Will he trust you?" Jasnah asked. "If you're visibly working with the Fused?"

Venli's face was unreadable, her red eyes not meeting Jasnah's.

"He will have to," she said, after a moment. "I- We are this tower's only hope."

The same was true between the two of them. Jasnah had no choice other than Venli, which automatically set her to being suspicious.

But something about Venli's vulnerability, the revelation that she was one of the singers who had been free before Odium, made part of Jasnah want to believe that they were truly on the same side.

"This is a sensible plan," Jasnah said. "Find Rlain, see if he can help us."

Venli nodded, and turned to leave.

"Venli?" Jasnah said.

Venli hesitated in the doorway, half-way between staying and leaving.

"Thank you. For being honest with me."

"Of course," Venli said, before briskly exiting the room. Leaving Jasnah alone with her mind once more.

Chapter Text

It took a few questions for Venli to figure out where Rlain was being held, but eventually, some singers directed her to a lower floor of the tower where the few non-human prisoners were being kept.

As she made her way down the winding stairs, Venli ruminated on the revelation that Rlain was not only alive, but allied with the Windrunner humans. Could she even consider that a betrayal, given what she'd done? In some ways, he had made the better choice in abandoning their people. It had helped him survive where no one else did.

Venli had thought all of her people destroyed, consumed by the Fused. She had wept for the loss of the Listeners, for her inadequacy as their only remaining representative. Somehow, knowing that Rlain was alive made it worse. Others could have survived and escaped Odium, if only she had not been so drunk on her own power. She had forced everyone into following her, and had ordered the destruction of anyone who disobeyed.

Eventually, she reached the correct floor and spoke to the guards outside the makeshift prison. They were just normal warforms, not Regals. They made way for her, recognizing her as Raboniel's voice. She walked down the mostly empty hallway until she came to an occupied room, its open archway fixed with a new barred door.

Rlain sat on a stone bench along one side of the cell. He was in warform, wearing simple clothes that seemed slightly too small for him. They'd probably been made for a human.

Venli had never known Rlain very well, so she couldn't say definitively that he looked different. But he was there, alive, mostly unharmed. And he at least was someone who understood the context they'd both come from.

"Rlain," she said, attuning Peace.

He looked up, and his eyes widened. They were the deep, unadulterated black of a Listener who had never known the influence of Odium.

“Venli?” he said, attuning Apprehension. “Is that really you? How are you alive? How are you still yourself?”

She let his rhythm wash over her, knowing that his suspicion was probably sensible but still resenting him slightly for it.

Part of her wished this could have been a happier reunion, but she hardly knew Rlain. He was of the First Rhythm family, but he had always been a bit of a loner, and besides he’d taken on warform along with Eshonai and had never associated with her scholarly cohort. The two of them weren’t exactly friends.

Still, he was the only one left other than her. And he was an essential part of her and Jasnah's plan. She had to try.

She called for one of the guards to unlock Rlain’s cell. He hesitated for a moment, looking to the other guard questioningly.

“What is the hold up? I am the Voice of Lady Raboniel. That gives me leave to speak to this malen. He is family.”

Venli forced herself to attune Confidence, though she was very uncertain if she truly had the jurisdiction to speak alone with Rlain. She hoped the mention of the Lady of Pains would be enough to scare this singer guard. 

The malen guard shrugged, a very human gesture, and proceeded with unlocking the cell’s door. Venli stepped inside and let the door slam shut behind her. The guards stepped away to give them privacy, though they still lingered at the end of the hallway.

“Rlain," Venli said quietly. "I didn’t know you were alive. I thought I was the only one left.” 

Rlain was still attuning Apprehension. “You are working for the invaders. The Fused. But you don’t seem to have been forcibly taken over by one of them. Are you willingly a part of their regime? Even after what they did?”

Venli’s first instinct was to defend herself, to say that she hadn’t known. That wasn’t true, though. She’d willingly put her people into bondage, and now she was attempting to atone for that. She owed Rlain the truth of what she’d done. He could be an ally, but not if he found out she was lying to him.

However, there was a time and place for explanations, and this wasn’t one. She had no idea how many ears Raboniel might have on this cell.

“Yes. I am working with the Fused. This whole tower is under their control. I am… shocked to hear that you were accused of working against us.”

Rlain loudly attuned Irritation. His blatant use of the old rhythm made Venli wince. He wasn’t doing himself any favors, showing every singer within earshot that he had not embraced Odium's rhythms. 

"Of course I'm working against them. They destroyed our people."

“If I promise your freedom, will you promise to comply with the Fused here?” Venli asked. She wanted to address his points, but this was not a place to speak openly of her rebellion. She just had to convince him to come with her and talk somewhere else.

“I can't do that. They are responsible for the death of all of the Listeners. If you’re working with them, I can only assume that you have denounced who you are, and I can’t trust that.”

“Have you… have you spoken to the stones, Rlain?” she asked softly.

She had to try something to gain his trust. Maybe the mention of the Sibling would help. She needed allies, and he was another Listener, free of both gods, unattached to any particular Fused's command. Perhaps the Sibling had reached out to him as well.

Rlain's rhythm became Surprise. "The Tower spoke to you?"

"Quiet," Venli hissed. "Not here."

"Fine," Rlain said. "I suppose I will comply with the Fused, if you will explain everything to me as soon as you can."

"Of course," Venli said, attuning Gratitude.

"That includes how you survived," Rlain said. "Why you aren't one of them."

Venli had known he would want an explanation. Still, she was terrified of giving one. There was no way he would work with her if he knew.

Timbre softly attuned Reprimand. The spren was right. Venli needed to explain herself, even if it cost her the plan. Rlain deserved to know. It was the right thing to do, and it was part of what she'd vowed. Journey before destination. The end goal didn't matter if one got there through the wrong methods.

It took a bit of time for Venli to secure Rlain's release, but eventually she was able to get him placed under her command, and hers only.

Once they were safely in Venli's quarters, and she had glanced into Shadesmar to make sure no voidspren were watching, she sat down to answer all of Rlain's questions.

"I am alive because Odium chose to spare me, and me alone," she began. "He did this because I was loyal to him even before the Everstorm. I was his contact. I orchestrated the gain of forms of power for our people."

For a moment, Rlain was completely silent, even his rhythms extinguished.

"It was you?" he said slowly. "All of this was you?"

He attuned the Rhythm of the Lost, which somehow hurt more than if he'd chosen Anger or Despair.

"I am sorry," she said, but she knew that her apology was nowhere near adequate.

"Put me back in the cell," Rlain said. "I cannot be here. I cannot be near you. You are something worse than a traitor."

"I am trying to fix it," Venli said desperately. "You can help me, and help the Sibling. Please. Work with me, Rlain."

He folded his arms across his chest, in that human gesture of distrust and displeasure she'd seen Jasnah use so many times. "Why would the Sibling want your help?"

"I'm working with the human queen, Jasnah Kholin," Venli said. "The Tower wants us to find certain gems to activate a shield of some sort. But I need someone who can move around freely."

"You need a servant," Rlain said. "Evidently you are too high up in Odium's regime to do the risky work yourself, so you want me to work for you. Well, I refuse."

"What?" Venli said, her Rhythms betraying her as she slipped into Fear. "But I need your help. Every other singer in Urithiru could have a connection to Odium."

"If you are truly working against him, then you would forfeit your position as one of Odium's servants," Rlain said. "You would not make me do your dirty work for you. You would not use me like you used the rest of the Listeners. I won't repeat their mistake of trusting your plans."

Rlain was putting into words what Timbre had been warning her about this entire time. She needed to do the work herself, to truly free others from bondage with her own hands, if she wanted to progress as a Radiant. Jasnah had said something similar, and her harsh words echoed in Venli's ears: Why do you try to exist in two worlds? Sooner or later, you will have to choose.

Rlain attuned Resolve. He was serious about turning down her offer. He did not trust her in the slightest.

Part of her, the part she was still learning to control, wanted to rage at him. To demand his respect and his servitude. But she was supposed to be above keeping others subservient to her. She was supposed to seek freedom for everyone, regardless of if they aligned with her or not.

With a heavy heart, Venli said, "I won't force you to work with me, but you will maintain your freedom. It… It is the least I can do."

Rlain said nothing, just watched her. He was still skeptical, probably still reeling over her revelation that she had brought the old gods back upon the Listeners.

"You're free to leave," Venli said. "You can find your human friends if you'd like. As long as you stay out of anything explicitly seditious, you won't be jailed again."

There was a moment of silence, in which Venli could only hear their clashing rhythms. His of anger and disappointment, hers of resignation.

"I wish you could have had this clemency when you brought Stormform to our people," Rlain said. And with those words, he exited, leaving Venli to consider how she would pick up the broken pieces of her and Jasnah's plan.

It was in times like this that Venli found comfort in the stones. She retreated to the upper floors of Urithiru, places uninhabited by humans or singers, and suffused her body with Light.

Then, she sang. She let the Rhythms guide her stoneshaping. Small figures appeared in the liquid stone, representations of the ancient Listeners. Songs and stories from Venli's youth, come to life in miniature.

Sometimes it felt like the stones themselves were guiding her hand. Other times, it was the words of her songs. Either way, Venli never fully exerted her control over the shapes the stones formed.

Singing to the stones felt right, even if it didn't accomplish anything. Even if it was a waste of time. It was the only thing she had left, since Rlain had pushed aside her request for help.

"I don't know how I can face Jasnah," Venli whispered to herself, to the stone around her. "We thought this plan would work, but it didn't. How do I come back from that?"

The stones had no answer for her. Shapes around her crumbled to dust as she lost focus and contemplated what she'd have to say to Jasnah. How could she justify this failure? Would there still be a plan? Would this shatter any trust Jasnah might have in her?

Within her, Timbre pulsed softly to the Rhythm of Resolve.

The spren was right. Venli had to face this failure. Jasnah Kholin was a powerful Radiant, a good ally. Venli couldn't abandon her.

Time is not abandonment, something whispered. You sing with us, and we are no longer abandoned.

That time, Venli was sure she wasn't just hearing things. She looked around the room for a source of the voice, but could see nothing. "Who was that?" she asked, her voice echoing in the empty chamber. "Sibling?"

There was no response. Just the consistent pulsing of Timbre in her gemheart, still attuning Resolve. With a sigh, Venli picked herself up from her kneeling position among her shaped stones. She hadn't visited Jasnah in days, too afraid of what might happen. It was time for her to right that wrong.