Being this high up ought to have felt exciting. Emma had never imagined buildings could reach for the sky without crumbling underneath their weight. As she looked out of the window, an ocean of roofs spread out, the Silver Moon dawning, she saw only a graveyard to be. The graves were dug, and in four days it wouldn't be just hers that would be filled.
"Emma," Adenius said, shifting his voice to sound more concerned, "you barely touched your food. What's on your mind, child? You need to eat."
Since their first meeting, Adenius had invited her to eat breakfast and supper with him. He wouldn't take no for an answer. His office was at the head of the bureau, the highest floor of the monolith. For such a powerful position, he had refused to showcase his wealth, the room lacking in pomp and decoration. His admiration for Harras was on open display, as was his love for his companion.
The mountain lion slept behind Adenius' chair. A furious beast despite its size. It barely measured up to the Inquisitors' shoulder, but it brimmed with vigor. Its short, brown fur was well groomed. Emma had never seen a beast like this, struggling to understand the silver veil attached to its forelegs. It was closely kept to its arms, but it was also connected to the lion's hind legs. Like a skin growth, too large for its frame.
Adenius kept his uniform and mask on even when eating. He shoved his mask upwards to eat, hiding his face from Emma. He had been the perfect gentleman to her. Not once did he attack or threaten her. He had asked about her well-being and whether she had needed something. He had talked to her for hours. From lighthearted to serious conversation, he wanted to have them all. He had seemed genuinely interested in what she had to say, always asking for her perspective on things.
Not once had he put down his mask. Not once had he said a word without altering his voice. Without seeing his face, Emma had never gotten a read on Adenius. The black eyes of his mask hid all. The truth, if there was any, was kept from her. She was to feel insecure despite his demeanor. Adenius held her fate in his hands, and she had no idea who or what he was.
"I'm not hungry," Emma said. At first, she hadn't answered, but her silence was a reply in itself. And Adenius never failed to extract all he needed from it.
"But why?" Adenius asked, sounding worried. "Child, if it's because of the execution, I've told you already. It is nothing but a lure for your brother. I promised your parents to protect you."
Emma's throat tightened. Her parents stood behind her, guarding her with their lives. She had cried the first night, begging for them to say something. She had hammered her hands against her cell, hoping to find a sliver of them still inside these husks. But they were gone, replaced by the Empire's puppets. They now served as her guards, never leaving her alone. Should she try to flee, they would capture her. At least Adenius had the decency to make them wear masks. Their lifeless faces, a mimicry of what they used to be, eyes cold and empty, haunted her dreams. She didn't want to see them in her waking hours, too. Furthermore, she wouldn't cry in front of Adenius again.
"Why should I trust you?" she asked. "You're Inquisition."
Adenius shoved a spoonful of scrambled eggs in his mouth, readjusting his mask. "How is your cell, Emma? I hope it is to your liking. Do you need anything else?"
He had asked her every morning and evening when they dragged her into his office. She was kept in a room a few floors down below. A finer room she had never had. A bed like a cloud. A lute for her to play. Books she had no use for. In her dreams, her alternative self had started to learn how to read, but it would take months before she was any good at it. If she needed anything, two knocks at her door, and her wish would be fulfilled.
"No, it's fine," she said.
Adenius nodded, scraping his eggs around with his spoon, playing with his food. "Your brother has arrived in Kupferrang. In all likelihood, at least."
Emma coughed, spitting out the water she was drinking. "Wh… what? How… how do you know?"
"There was a battle between several Wizards in the outer rims of the city. How many? We can't tell. But what we know for certain is that a Farn assassin was involved. They work for the House of Urach. Their Lordschaft must have sent them after your brother. So, it is likely that the assassin fought against your brother or someone who knows something about him.
"Of course, we can't say for sure. While we could identify the assassin, the remaining Wizards are a mystery to us. We have no records on spells as the plebeians have described. But, I think it's reasonable to reason that they belong to the Resistance and that your brother has made some deal with them to rescue you."
Emma looked down at her plate, chewing on her breakfast, struggling against her emerging smile. Adenius would notice, so there was little point in hiding it. She rubbed her teary eyes.
Adenius watched her, the black eyes of his mask focused on her. "They are not the only guests we have. Last night, after the battle took place, a pack of wolves attacked the walls. They didn't intend to break through. They tested them. Us. Trying to find weaknesses they can exploit. One of them, their leader, was missing two eyes. Based on the reports, your brother wounded a wolf during a hunt, taking its eye. Considering their wrathful nature, I think they are here for your brother.
"Lastly, Kasper Lockram should be in Kupferrang as well. The House of Lockram has announced that he will bring your brother to justice. Knowing he will be here, he has no other option than to come. Under a false name, of course. He doesn't want me to know. Or so I guess."
Adenius threw a piece of meat to his mountain lion, who licked it off the ground, stretching itself before closing its eyes again. "Another guess of mine. Your brother and the Resistance will reach out to you. How, I can't say. We have no idea what kind of resources they have or the abilities of their allies. But they will find a way to talk to you.
"They need you to know their plan. For example, when will they rescue you? I think they will try on the day of your execution. Best chance. They can't attack the bureau and hope to win. I don't think they have the methods to do so. The one thing I have no clue about is how they will try to flee. They have to get out of Kupferrang fast. Anginseran, the Alchemist that fled with your brother, is known to fancy Machinas. Perhaps he has developed one that allows all of you to escape. Or perhaps they have some other method. It needs to coincide with when they will try to get you out. Ah, again, too many unknowns. Too many angles they could choose."
Adenius laughed to himself. "The only thing I know for certain. Kupferrang will be a bloodbath."
"Why are you tellin' me all of this?" Emma asked. "Shouldn't you keep all this from me?"
"You are my guest. Of course, I will be honest with you. As long as you are underneath my roof, I will ensure you perfectly understand what is happening."
Adenius took a sip of water, turning away from Emma to do so. "You see, Emma, I am concerned for you and your health. Being in a situation like this… it must burden your mind greatly. I cannot imagine your pain. And I enjoy talking to you. You are a sharp girl. I think you have a shining future ahead of you. Perhaps even in the Inquisition. Under my tutorship, I would turn you into our greatest asset."
Emma scratched her knife over the plate, carving a deep slash into the porcelain. Her mother would have killed her for destroying such a beauty. But she couldn't now.
Adenius' mask insides shifted, distorting his voice. It gained a deeper tone, filled with authority. But not the one of a cruel leader abusing his power. It resembled a grandfather explaining to his grandchild a crucial truth they had yet to understand.
"Emma, the reason I tell you is that I want you to know. As I have said before, I can't possibly predict your brother's behavior. Too many unknowns and angles he could choose. I don't know whether he has gained any abilities we are not aware of. Reasonable to assume, as he travels with Anginseran. He could be an Alchemist in training. Or perhaps he has become a Wizard. Furthermore, I know nothing about his allies, their abilities, and what resources they have at their disposal.
"I could continue my operation without understanding their plan, but I would like control. Over them. And that I can achieve that through what they know. They will contact you and provide you with an outline or idea of their plan. They are afflicted with the same lack of knowledge as me. But they will want to know whether you have any intel on me."
Adenius leaned forward, pulling out his notebook. He opened a premarked page and read it to Emma. "Currently, I have roughly 1,800 people. Around 1,400 function as guards, securing the walls but also keeping control over Kupferrang. I will position most near the execution for obvious reasons. They are no official Inquisition troops, as they belong to the city and no one else.
"From the Inquisition side, I have been granted 200 trained personnel. They specialize in all different kinds of things. Bureaucrats to coordinate my entire network, priests controlling the population, trained torturers, and elite guards for the bureau itself. The rest is a mixture of Sinners I and my Warpriest apprentice have collected, spies and informants in the population, and simple laborers. My personal forces consisted of the already mentioned Sinners, a few Wrathlings, my mount Sintara, and, of course, my assistants."
Adenius closed his book, looking at Emma. "Did you get all of that?"
Emma stared at him. Adenius didn't respond at first, taking his time, letting Emma drown in her thoughts.
"Information, knowledge, and certainty of any kind are a disease to the mind, Emma. Once they have taken root, you can never get rid of them. They will influence your behavior whether you want it or not. Either you act based on them, or you try to ignore them. But then, they will steer all you do without your notice. It is so easy to plant them in your prey's mind. If they can hear my words, read what I have written, and see my deeds with their own eyes, I have them in the palm of my hand.
"Now, Emma, what will you do? Will you give away what I told you once your brother contacts you, or will you not? And, the more important question, is this what did I intend? Do I want them to know, limiting their options by giving them a path too tempting not to take, allowing me to prepare for what is to come? Or do I want to ensure they know as little as possible? Did I tell you all of this as a bluff, betting that you wouldn't tell them a single thing after knowing that it might serve me? Have I said a single truth, or did I lie the entire time?"
Adenius stood up, walking towards her. He took his walking stick, stomping on the ground to wake up Sintara. They walked around the table, each taking a side, closing on Emma. The beast to her right and the Inquisitor to her left. The lion, her entire body a weapon, should have frightened her the most. Seeing her stroll towards her, each fiber of her filled with a hidden tension, ready to leap at Emma.
But hearing the clicking of the Inquisitor's walking stick rattled every bone in her body. His black eyes dug into her, the insides of the mask shifting, the Machine raging with hundreds of little motions and clacks. If Drom had a Scion, it had to be Adenius. A man, having nothing to him but his words and mask, would lead her nightmares for years to come. All she hated about the Empire was given flesh in him. Faced with such a devil, she was stripped of all her bravado and believed strength. No matter what she said or did, Adenius saw through it, yielding them against her. Even her silence would strengthen him, another weapon to use against her brother. Each breath she took, she played into the hands of his monster.
"The old Emma is dead," Adenius said, his voice gaining a sublime edge. No arrogance to it. Like a priest showing Harras' light to the masses. "I've killed her. The new Emma, born through my words, who has taken the old one's place, is my dear ally and friend. Everything you will do from this point on forward will be in my image. You will know me better than my own mother. No man of mine, no matter how loyal, would aid me and serve as much as you will. Only like a true friend could.
"Once your brother has contacted you, they will become my friends, too. You could say nothing, share everything with them that I've told you, or scream for them to run. It is all as I have designed it. My success and my future are thanks to you. I will purge all heresy from the Empire, and I couldn't have done so without you. And each wicked soul that I free from their sin, I will tell them the same. 'Thanks to Emma. As Harras had intended.'"
Adenius put a hand on Emma's shoulders. She wanted to jump off the chair and crawl away, but the firm hand of the Inquisitor never let her go. Sinatra sat next to her, a silent growl distorting her features. She wanted to scream, wrestle Adenius to the ground, and bash in his face until nothing was left. But what he had said shackled her. No delusion could protect her from the truth. The Inquisitor had her where he wanted, steering her like he did her parents. He had never needed to turn her into a Sinner. He had broken her with gentle words.
The beak of Adenius' mask was close enough to touch her. One swift motion of her hand and a knife might find its way into his throat. But she didn't. Emma didn't dare to look up, scared to see her reflection in his eyes. Knowing that he would know all she had thought, reading her like a book.
"So, Emma, I have another question. Will you tell Liron about your parents?"