Malek Atan's Journal
Excerpts from Malek Atan's private journal:
There are days I regret ever getting involved in any of this. All I wanted was money and a way to keep myself safe. To keep Talia safe. But they don’t lie when they say that power corrupts.
Maker help us all.
’Do not speak of us.’ ‘Do not write of us.’ And yet… ’Wear our mark always.’
It is paranoia versus pride. Or is it just pure hypocrisy? The essence of L’ombra
I am forever cursed by magic. Before the rise, it was a chain around my neck, dragging me down. Yet now, I am forced to wield it and stand firm as a pillar of reason. If they would only give me full control of the Teeth, I would make them find order. No more of these useless rituals. No more senseless slaughter to appease gods who do not listen.
They are like children, Tessa the worst of them.
They have taken my plan for retrieving the Mother and complicated it tenfold. What a single Crow or simple cutpurse could achieve, they require a full retinue. And still Viago allows it.
I would trade Urso for his job any day of the week.
The Eye is careful. The Teeth are always hungry.
Nine keys. What is so important that it requires nine keys?
Maybe some day they will tell me.
We lost our translator. She slipped away in the night and melted back into the city. We could raze the Alienage and still come up empty. She was abysmal at her job, but she was all we had.
It’s far too hard to find an elf that can read their own blasted language.
The pages I have are still hold secrets. I know it. The rest will be coming to me soon. I must have another elf ready before then. I can’t have them taking this task away from me. If I crack this code, perhaps then they’ll listen to me.
Talia can never know.
I think she loves Jacob.
I told him I would kill him if he broke her heart, and that I would kill him slowly if he ever told her.
Fools.
I dreamt of the door last night.
