“But you winning was better than anything I could have said, better than anything they would have believed. I laughed because there was nothing else I could say that was better than what you had just proven.”
I listened to Kalen in stunned silence, thrilled by his words and the rasp of his voice. The voice in my head that had started as a dull murmur since leaving Odalia was shouting now, that damn little upstart no longer refusing to be ignored. You like him, it taunted, you’re in love with him, have been since Strypnyk. It’s why you couldn’t leave him behind, you fool. My own thoughts rose louder, terrified and elated but still partly, desperately in denial, going Oh no, oh no, oh no.
“Tea! Kalen!” Likh yelled from inside the small hut. “You’ve got to see this!”
“Let’s go,” Kalen said quietly, and I shoved all those confused jumbled thoughts out of my head, falling back on the meditation techniques I was taught to try to tame the raging of my heartsglass. Later. The mantra throbbed in my head. Later. Deal with it later.
The room was similar to the one in Kion, with the same disorganized mess of bottles, papers, and potions. It had the same shelves, the same kind of stones piled over each other as paperweights. Khalad was already crouched along one wall, fishing out several sheaves of letters and notes from a small brick-shaped hole while Kalen glared at a nearby cabinet.
“I found it!” Khalad said triumphantly, waving the papers in the air. “He wrote me a note!”
“How did you know it was there?” Likh asked.
“I know all of the Heartforger’s hiding places.”
“What does it say?”
“I haven’t opened it yet—there’s a lot of his more recent work here, including how to completely rewire heartsglass to actually improve people’s personalities—”
“Khalad!” Kalen barked. “What does the letter say?”
The forger hurriedly unfolded the paper. “‘To my foolish apprentice: If you are reading this, then you have disobeyed my orders to remain in Kion and attend to business there. You are a complete and utter disgrace to our profession, and sometimes, I wish I’d never taken you on as my apprentice.’”
Likh blinked. “That’s rather harsh.”
“Don’t worry about it. That’s just the way he talks when he’s irritated.” Khalad paused. “At least, I hope he doesn’t mean it. He’s always had a poor way with words—”
“Khalad!” Kalen roared.
“‘—but I suppose that’s beside the point now,’” he continued reading. “‘We have far greater problems on our hands, my boy. I have had my suspicions for close to a year now, and it irks me to know how often I am right, though I would wish otherwise. As you know, I have been investigating the sleeping sicknesses, convinced that this was no natural disorder. Princess Yansheo’s case was particularly curious, as the sickness requires the presence of a heartsglass when she should have had none. I had also received an unsigned message from Daanoris, warning me of magic being carried out in the palace, so I endeavored to see for myself. It was also a chance to investigate reports of the Duke of Holsrath having visited Daanoris.’”
“So he suspected it too,” Likh murmured.
“‘It was astonishing to discover that Holsrath had been at the Daanorian ball in the princess’s honor on the very same night I visited him in his cell, for he had been sickly as of late. Either the duke has a doppelg?nger or he possesses skills not even I am aware of, which is highly unlikely given my abilities.’
“Modest too,” Kalen murmured.
“‘The danger is closer than I could have ever imagined. Usij has infiltrated Daanoris, Khalad. The iron fortress in Haitsa was a bluff, a means to convince the emperor that his enemy remains isolated in the mountains. The Faceless has entered Emperor Shifang’s palace just as Aenah has infiltrated the Odalian court.’
“‘My antidote replicates the urvan of the sleeping nobles—to restore their missing “souls,” so to speak. With his father’s permission, I tested it on Baron Cyran, with promising results. The young man is awake and without any ill effects, and the whole of Istera still has no inkling of their kinsman’s recovery, as King Rendorvik and Councilor Ludvig have been sworn to secrecy. Despite all my efforts, however, I believe the Faceless has learned of my cure.’
“‘There are agents after me, and I believe they are under the command of a man named Tansoong. I cannot remain here for much longer. I hope to return to the Daanorian palace and perform the same cure on Princess Yansheo. If you find this—or worse, if you find this letter after receiving word of my death in Daanoris—you must look for my friend, a man who has the least reason to cause Princess Yansheo harm. Find Baoyi. Tell him old Narel sends his regards and show him this letter. I have told him nothing about the princess’s sleeping sickness or of its magical symptoms to spare him from further worry, but he and I have known each other for a long time, and he will give you sanctuary.’”
“She says you are a bard,” Princess Inessa said softly.
“I wish to one day tell the world her story, Your Highness.” We stood by the entrance of the palace. The bone witch had not accompanied her brother nor the princess, much to the latter’s disappointment. Lord Fox said nothing, remaining solemn and quiet. Lord Kalen was already arranging horses for them.
“I would very much like to hear her story. I know so little of her—much less than I thought I did. She saved my life many times. I would do everything in my power to save hers if I could.” She looked up at the daeva standing before her; they gazed curiously back but made no approach. “But she is right. Her people will kill her, even without a trial. The Tea I knew would never have thought to invade a kingdom with the very daeva she had sworn to put down.” It sounded like a question.
“I am their chronicler, not their confidante.”
“She plays a lone hand. She no longer trusts us. I don’t even know if she trusts Fox anymore.” She looked back at the palace. “But Fox trusts her now. I know, even without his saying so. Kalen is with her, and so is Khalad. If there is a voice of reason among us, it is Khalad, despite all he’s been through himself. He has every reason to hate Tea, but he does not. I can always trust Khalad.” Her voice broke, and her tears fell. “I have to. Otherwise, nothing makes sense anymore. It was good to see him. It was good to see Kalen.”
“Let’s go, Inessa,” Lord Fox said, already astride his horse.
The princess turned. “We gave in so easily. We could still convince her to come back with us.”
“When she reestablished our bond, I knew we could not convince her. There are blighted folk in Daanoris, Inessa. We must return to see if any are hiding among our own army before it’s too late.” Ignoring her gasp, he looked at me. “I don’t know what Tea plans. There is still much she refuses to share. I do not know if we can withdraw our forces or convince the empress, but I will not lose my sister again, no matter what she says.” For an instant, the grim lines around his mouth faded, and Lord Fox’s eyes lightened to a gray mist instead of starless midnight.
He nodded at the Deathseeker. “It’s good to see you again, Kalen. Protect her for me.”
“I always have.”
“Write her a good story, Bard. They say the best tales spare no mercy and spare no lies.” He paused. “But spare her anyway,” he added quietly and nudged his horse onto the road that would lead them out of Santiang.
A kind man, I thought as I watched the two ride away. Too kind. But of all I have seen of war, kindness makes the best of commanders and the finest of soldiers.
? ? ?
The bone witch knelt at the center of the throne room, studying her hands as we entered. Gently, the Deathseeker took her wrists, turning them over so he could see the damage her nails had wrought.
“Did I kill her?” The Dark asha asked him, despair in her voice. “Fox said I did, and he would never lie. Her blood on my hands, and my brother as a witness. What if I took in too much darkrot and killed her in my rage? How could I do that? What if I am as guilty as they say?”