“His Majesty, Raymond the Second, King of Demora.”
Everyone came to attention as Alex’s uncle Raymond strode in, Colonel Traysden, Ambassador Gramwell, and Ash Carter trailing in his wake. At forty-four, the king had hair that was thin on top and somewhere between gray and white, but his step was light and his mind sharp. The ambassador behind him was older, with thick hair much redder than his son’s and shot with white streaks. When they came to the table, Alex and the others turned to face the king and bowed as the chamber doors were shut. Raymond pulled his own chair out and sat, then waited for everyone else to be seated. Traysden and Ash were on His Majesty’s right and left, and at Ash’s gesture, Alex took the place next to him.
The ambassador sat on the opposite end, barely sharing a glance with his son, while the minister of intelligence watched Alex with keen gray eyes set in a weathered face. What little hair he had left was cut so close to his head it was nearly shaved. Raymond looked to each face with bright hazel eyes, settling on Alex last.
“Welcome,” the king said. “Time is short so I will get right to business. Most of you have been in Tasmet these past months dealing with the aftermath of the D’Amiran rebellion and their alliance with Kimisara. I’m sorry to say how much the treachery of our own nobility took us by surprise.”
Alex’s father, General Quinn, had suspected the D’Amirans of some sort of collusion last year, but winter weather had prevented him from informing the king—which was why the Concordium mission in the spring had included discreet reconnaissance. Had it not been for Sage and her insight on the power the duke had planned to draw to himself through the marriages of his allies, Alex would never have figured out what was going on. While the uprising had been stopped, the region was still a mess of D’Amiran loyalists and Kimisar raiders. Whenever the army engaged the enemy, they succeeded, but they were having trouble finding them.
The king cleared his throat. “Many years ago, I disbanded the Norsari as a gesture of peace, believing their existence provoked hostility. Now I know their absence is an invitation. War is once again on our doorstep, and we are less prepared than ever to deal with it.” The king nodded to his right. “To that end, I’ve been consulting with Colonel Traysden on what I’m sure you all suspect.” He paused; one could have heard a feather drop. “I am reinstating the Norsari Battalion. Under the recommendations of your superiors, you six are the most qualified men to accomplish this.”
A smile Alex couldn’t prevent spread across his cheeks until he realized Uncle Raymond had numbered them at six. Other than Traysden, Alex was the most senior officer present. The smile froze and then dropped off his face.
No, it was impossible.
“We’re starting with only a company,” the king continued. “Once your unit is functional and training protocols have been established and you’re experienced enough to lead new recruits more effectively, we will expand to a full battalion.”
Alex’s mouth was completely dry as his uncle focused on him again, but it was Colonel Traysden who spoke.
“Captain Alexander Quinn, you are hereby offered command of Norsari Battalion One, effective immediately.”
*
Alex slumped against the wall outside the council chamber after Nadira, Tanner, and Hatfield had disappeared around the corner. “Did that just happen?” he said.
Casseck rolled his eyes. “No one else was surprised.”
“I can’t even tell Sage.” Alex ran a hand over his face. The Norsari were to be a secret until they were ready. “How am I supposed to keep this from her?”
“Say you have command of a special assignment,” Gramwell suggested.
Command. She’d be so proud. Alex pushed off the wall. “I’ll see you two back at the barracks. We’ve got to get to work.”
“Not yet,” came a voice. Ash Carter stood in the doorway to the room where Colonel Traysden, Ambassador Gramwell, and the king had remained. The sergeant beckoned with a finger. “It’s not over for you, Captain.”
10
INSIDE THE COUNCIL chamber, Colonel Traysden unrolled a map and set books on the corners to hold it open before standing straight. “What we are about to tell you, Captain, must not leave this room. Not even your officers may know.”
That was disconcerting. Alex didn’t know Nadira, Tanner, or Hatfield yet, but if they’d been chosen for this mission, they were already considered loyal and dependable. As for Cass and Gram, Alex trusted them with his life. With Sage’s life. He glanced at his uncle, the king, who stood gazing out the window with his hands clasped behind him. “Why not?” Alex couldn’t help asking.
“For the same reason we kept a lid on our extra purpose during the Concordium escort,” said Ash. “A man looking for ghosts will see them everywhere.”
Like all reconnaissance missions, last year’s spying on the duke was approached with neutrality; otherwise everything would’ve looked like treason. Impartiality was difficult, however. Even now, Alex felt his cheeks grow warm at the thought of how he’d first suspected Sage of being a spy. The evidence was fairly damning at the time, enough that it led him to break into her room and go through her private things. He also was honest enough to admit his personal motivations for uncovering her true identity had been as strong as the tactical reasons.
“What kind of ghosts am I looking for?”
Colonel Traysden gestured to the map detailing the southern boundary with the desert nation of Casmun. “Late last September, a Ranger detachment came across a place where at least fifty men had camped on the north side of the Kaz River.” He moved his fingers over several charcoal lines. “Trails of them trickled out from this point and faded, but one—the largest—went as far as the Jovan Road. Then they turned back south, crossed the river, and went into Casmun.”
The minister of intelligence paused and looked at Alex. “What would you conclude, Captain?”
Casmun hadn’t talked to Demora in generations, but it seemed obvious. “Our border is being tested,” said Alex.
All heads nodded, and Traysden continued. “Unfortunately, little information could be gathered. The camp was almost two weeks old when it was found, meaning it had appeared as soon as the Rangers had passed—which also meant they knew the Demoran routine.”
Rangers were squads of about ten soldiers who regularly patrolled Demora’s boundaries, which had been considered among the easiest and safest assignments. “Sir, are you saying they watched us for months, and we never noticed?”
“We did notice,” answered Traysden. “Rangers have been interacting with Casmuni for the last couple years, but it always appeared innocent, even friendly.” He nodded to the king. “His Majesty and I had hoped it meant they wanted to talk.”
Uncle Raymond came closer. “Then last year the D’Amirans rebelled and the Kimisar joined them,” he said. “Our encounters with the Casmuni didn’t seem important until word of this reached us here in November. Both passes were frozen for the winter by then. That’s a bad time to realize just how few soldiers are east of the Catrix.”
Alex’s own orders to report to Tennegol had been written in December, but they’d taken almost two months to reach him, then he’d needed another month to gather the men he wanted. So much time had been lost.
The king sat in his chair and folded his hands in his lap. “The question is, does this have anything to do with what’s going on in Tasmet? Are the Casmuni working with the Kimisar to create more chaos, or have they just been waiting for us to be distracted? Either way, a group that large sneaking that deep into our territory isn’t something we can ignore.”