“I see,” Sienna said. “Details?”
“We were out on patrol,” Emily said. She had no wish to recite the entire story, but…Sienna had a right to know. Besides, she’d probably get the rest of the tale from her husband. “We didn’t know Gaius was a traitor. He sent Casper away, then attacked me. I beat him, only to discover we were cut off from the city. Armies were already on the march. There was no way we could get back before it was too late.”
Sienna nodded, inviting Emily to continue.
“We decided we could strike directly at the necromancer himself,” Emily said. “He was at Heart’s Eye, so we went there. We battered our way into the school and challenged the necromancer. And then we fought.”
She sucked in her breath. There was so much she wanted to forget. Dua Kepala’s incredible success – and the secret of his sanity. The moment when she’d watched in horror, helpless, as Casper died. And the sheer power of the revitalized nexus point, reaching out through her to tear the necromancer apart. She didn’t dare tell Sienna everything.
“We had a plan,” Emily said. “Casper died making it work.”
It wasn’t the complete truth, she knew. But it was true enough. Casper had died a hero, and that was all that mattered.
Sienna studied her for a long, cold moment. Emily looked back at her, hoping – praying – that Sienna didn’t ask too many questions. There were secrets that couldn’t be shared. And yet, didn’t Sienna have a right to know? Her son had died in the war.
“You could have saved him,” Marian said. “Couldn’t you?”
“No,” Emily said. She’d been drained after the first battle. Even if she’d known what was about to happen, she doubted she could have done anything about it. “He was dead before I could do anything.”
“Emily would have saved him if she could,” Frieda said, sharply. She shot Marian a challenging look. “She’s good at saving people.”
“So I have heard.” Sienna’s eyes had never left Emily’s face. “And he was a dueling champion, was he not?”
“He took the title from me,” Emily confirmed. It wasn’t entirely true, but Casper had been impressive. She’d given him a tiny window of opportunity and he’d used it perfectly, winning the duel in a single moment. “He was the champion when he died.”
“It wouldn’t have brought him happiness.” Sienna sounded tired, tired and sad. “It would only have gotten him killed.”
Emily bit down, hard, on the comment that came to mind. Casper had worked hard to live up to his famous parents, the great military commander and the powerful sorceress. And he’d never felt as though he had managed to move out of their shadow. He’d been on the verge of trying to commit drunken suicide when she’d accepted his challenge. She knew he’d been a prideful ass – he’d been one of the luckiest people in the world – but she also understood precisely how he felt. He’d still been an apprentice when his friends were completing their own masteries.
“He died a champion,” Caleb said. “It was what he wanted.”
“He was young,” Sienna snapped. For a moment, her mask slipped. Emily saw grief and sorrow before it became hidden again beneath her expressionless face. “He didn’t know what he wanted.”
“He died a hero,” General Pollack said. “And I will always be proud of him.”
There was a long silence. Emily felt awkward, as if she were intruding on a family’s private grief. They’d invited her to stay with them, to attend the funeral, but…part of her was tempted to leave. She could take Frieda and find lodgings somewhere nearby, easily enough. It wasn’t as though she was short of money. Coming to think of it, she could ask Markus if they could stay with him.
“There was another sighting of Justice,” Marian said. Emily could have hugged the younger girl for trying to change the subject. “Four workers claimed they saw him standing near the docks, watching the boats.”
General Pollack made a rude noise. “And how much had they had to drink at the time?”
“Antony, Son of Emil, was replaced by a stone statue,” Sienna said. “And while Alba was in shock, I don’t think she was lying.”
“Antony was turned to stone,” Karan said.
Emily blinked. “Antony and Alba?”
“Alba is a friend of mine,” Karan said. “Antony was her very brave boyfriend who was turned to stone.”
“That’s what it says in the books,” Marian said. “Those who transgress against the god will be turned to stone!”
“Magic can turn someone into stone,” Sienna said, curtly. “You know how to stop someone in their tracks, if necessary. There’s no reason to believe the rumors. It would hardly be the first time someone claimed to have seen a god.”
Emily leaned forward, interested. “What do the stories say?”
“That Justice will return to pass Judgement on us all,” Marian said. “And those who defy his law will be turned to stone.”
“Except there’s still no reason to believe the stories,” Sienna said. “The victims – all of them – might easily have been targeted by their enemies. All someone would need to commit the murders would be a warped petrifaction spell.”
She shrugged. “And Speaker Janus, no doubt, has taken advantage of the rumors,” she added. “Attendance at his services is up.”
Emily glanced at Caleb. “Janus?”
“The High Priest of Justice,” Marian said, before Caleb could answer. “He’s a very powerful man.”
“And this is not a suitable conversation for the dinner table,” Sienna said. She gave her daughter a sharp look. “We’ll discuss other matters later.”
“Yes, Mother,” Marian said in a sweet voice. “And what should we talk about?”
“Your schooling, perhaps,” Sienna said. “You’ll be off to school in a year.” She looked at Emily. “You can give her some advice, perhaps,” she added. “You’ve seen two of the magic schools.”
Emily nodded, shortly.
“Later, perhaps,” Caleb said. “We have much to do tomorrow.”
“Indeed you do,” Sienna said. “And we shall discuss it tonight.”
Chapter Four