The Emerald Storm (The Riyria Revelations #4)

Modina pulled away moving to the window.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you myself. I’m sorry there was no guard at the door. I’m sorry you had to hear such a thing from the brandy soaked breath of—”

“It’s not your fault, Amilia. It’s important to me that you know that. You’re all that matters to me. It’s amazing how worthless a life feels without someone to care for. My father understood that. At the time, I didn’t, but now I do.”

“Understand what?” Amilia asked, shaking.

“That living has no value—it is what you do with life that gives it worth.”

“And what are you planning to do with your life Modina?”

Modina tried to force a smile. She took Amilia’s head in her hands and kissed her gently. “It’s late. Goodbye, Amilia.”

Amilia’s eyes went wide with fear and she began shaking her head faster and faster. “No, no, no! I’ll stay here. I don’t want you left alone tonight.”

“As you wish.”

Amilia looked pleased for a moment then fear crept back in. “Tomorrow I’ll assign a guard to watch you.”

“Of course you will,” Modina replied.





***




True to her word, Amilia remained in Modina’s chamber all night, but slipped out before dawn while the empress still slept. She went to the office of the master-at-arms and burst in on the soldier on duty, unannounced.

“Why wasn’t there a guard outside the empress’s door last night? Where was Gerald?”

“We couldn’t spare him, milady. The imperial guard is stretched thin. We are searching for the witch, the Princess of Melengar. Regent Saldur has commanded me to use every man I have to find her.”

“I don’t care. I want Gerald back watching her door. Do you understand?”

“But milady—”

“Last night the Earl of Chadwick forced his way into the empress’s room. In her room! And has it occurred to you—to anyone—that the witch might be coming to kill the empress?”

A long pause.

“I didn’t think so. Now, get Gerald back on his post at once.”

Leaving the master-at-arms, Amilia roused Modina’s chambermaid from her bunk in the dormitory. After the girl had dressed, she hurried her along to Modina’s room.

“Anne, I want you to stay with the empress and watch her.”

“Watch her, what for? I mean, what should I be watching for, milady?”

“Just make certain the empress doesn’t hurt herself.”

“How do you mean?”

“Just keep an eye on her. If she does anything odd or unusual, send for me at once.”





***




Modina heard Anne enter the room quietly as footsteps, probably Amilia’s, walked away. She continued pretending to sleep. Near dawn, she stretched, yawned, and walked over to the washbasin to splash water on her face. Anne was quick to hand her a towel, and grinned broadly to have been of assistance to her.

“Anne, is it?” Modina asked.

The girl’s face flushed, and her eyes lit up with joy. She nodded repeatedly.

“Anne, I am starved, would you please run to the kitchen and see if they can prepare me an early breakfast? Be a dear and bring it up when it is ready.”

“I—I—”

Modina put on a pout, and turned her eyes downward. “I am sorry. I apologize for asking so much of you.”

“Oh, no, Your Gloriousness! I will get it at once.”

“Thank you, my dear.”

“You are most welcome, Your Worship.”

Modina wondered if she kept her longer how many elaborate forms of addressight come up with. As soon as Anne left the room, Modina walked to the door, closed it and slid the deadbolt. She walked toward the tall mirror that hung on the wall, picking up the pitcher from the water basin as she passed. Without hesitation, she struck the mirror, shattering both. She picked up a long shard of glass and went to her window.

“Your Eminence?” Gerald called from the other side of the door. “Are you all right?”

Outside the sun was just coming up. The autumn morning light angled in sharp, slanted shafts across the courtyard below. She loved the sun and thought its light and warmth would be the only thing, besides Amilia, that she would miss.

She wrapped her gown around the end of the long jagged piece of glass. It felt cold. Everything felt cold to her. She looked down at the courtyard and breathed in a long breath of air scented with the dying autumn leaves.

The guard continued to bang on the door. “Your Eminence? He repeated. “Are you all right?”

“Yes, Gerald,” she said, “I am fine.”





***




Arista entered the palace courtyard, walking past the gate guards, hoping they could not hear the pounding of her heart.

This must be how Royce and Hadrian feel all the time. I’m surprised they don’t drink more.

While easy for Royce, for her it was literally death defying. She shook from both fear and the early morning chill. Esrahaddon’s robe was lost the night of Hilfred’s rescue, leaving her with only Lynette’s kirtle.

Hilfred. He’ll be furious if he reads the note.

It hurt her heart just to think of him. He had stood in her shadow for years, serving her whims, taking her abuse, trapped in a prison of feelings he could never reveal. Twice he nearly died for her. He was a good man—a great man. She wanted to make him happy. He deserved to be happy. She wanted to give him what he never thought possible, to fix what she had broken.

For three nights they hid together, and every day Hilfred tried to convince her to return to Melengar. At last she agreed, telling him they would leave tomorrow. Arista slipped out when Hilfred left to get supplies. If all went well, she would be back before he was, and they could leave as planned. If not—if something happened—at least the note would explain.

It had occurred to her, only the night before, that she never cast the location spell in the courtyard. From there, the smoke would certainly locate the wing and if lucky enough, she might even pinpoint Gaunt’s exact window. The information would be invaluable to Royce and Hadrian, and could make the difference between a rescue and a suicide mission. And as much as she did not want to admit it, she owed Esrahaddon as well. If doing this small thing could save Degan Gaunt, a good man wrongly imprisoned, ease the wizard’s passing, and vanquish her guilt, it was worth the risk.

The gate guards had failed to arrest her. She took this as a good sign that no one had connected Ella the scrub girl to the Witch of Melengar. All she needed to do now was cast the spell and walk out again.