“You’re getting blind in your old age, Tansoong,” Baoyi accused.
“Oh, I know my vision isn’t what it used to be,” the old man drawled, enjoying his time in the spotlight. “You spirited them out of the palace as quickly as you received them, but I had my spy steal one of your ‘jades’ to confirm my suspicions. After that, I had my men deliver it, along with an anonymous letter, to your old friend, Narel, at the shack he frequents in the city. He and I had never seen eye to eye, but I knew he wouldn’t let your friendship get in the way if you were up to something suspicious.”
The realization that Tansoong was telling the truth and Baoyi was our enemy all along triggered something in my brain. I remembered Baoyi’s quarters, the jade stones Khalad had arranged on the mantelpiece. The Heartforger had piled three of them on top of the other, a careful display of balance. I had seen that somewhere else in the palace…
Baoyi shifted uneasily. “That means nothing.”
“No, but it explains many other things.” Zoya spoke up again. “The men in your army who sought to attack you, Your Majesty, were influenced by these same seeking stones.”
“Then there is all the more reason to suspect you and your group, not me,” Baoyi protested. “I have no skills for magic, and of all of us here, you would be the most likely—”
“You talked about conducting a search for the princess’s heartsglass yesterday. How do you know what heartsglass looks like?”
“I have read texts of them, that they are red in color and shine like rubies. It is common enough knowledge.”
“What isn’t common knowledge was that this particular sleeping sickness turns their hearts gray. None of us told you about this particular detail, yet you told me you had ordered your soldiers to bring back any gray jewels they might find. How do you explain that?”
Sweat beaded on Baoyi’s forehead. “Narel told me.”
“The Heartforger explicitly stated in his letter that he told you nothing to spare you from worry. Once I realized that, I focused my attentions on you. The jade you like to display on your mantelpiece are very similar in shape and size to seeking stones. How easy would it be to smuggle them under the guise of unpolished gems? The forger also mentioned a recent visit, yet you denied he ever came. Either he was talking to an impersonator—highly doubtful, since it would be too risky to have two of you in the palace at once—or you lied because you didn’t want to be the last man to see him.” Zoya was in fighting form, her eyes glittering.
“A coincidence!”
“You talked about Shaoyun, Baoyi. A scarlet peacock, in your own words. The lovely Lady Likh mentioned finding a corpse in the city—a corpse with bits of red cloth still clinging to its body. Red is an unusual color for a typical Daanorian, who prefer their grays and browns. Shadi and I took the initiative to bring back his remains. I spent quite a long time piecing together the bits of cloth he wore, which contained a crest. We compared it with his family’s herald. Shall we have the Dark asha raise him to confirm to see what stories he could tell?”
“You—you—” Baoyi took a step toward her, his face livid.
“Now, Likh!” Zoya commanded.
Instantly, I felt the wards around us disappear, as Likh forced the spell to dissipate. Baoyi’s clerk dropped to his knees, a pained howl dribbling from his mouth as a sudden rush of magic filled me, too fast and too soon that I swore that my whole body was thrumming from the power alone, a desperate need to compel everyone I saw nearly overwhelming.
But my training returned, my mind clinging to my meditation runes almost on instinct, to focus on the matter at hand, at my role in this drama playing out. Already I was completing the spell before I’d realized what I was doing, and the Piercing rune spiraled into the air toward the strongest source of magic in the room—not Baoyi but his clerk. The spell bound him like rope. I squeezed, and a ripple went through the man, like he was merely a reflection in the water.
I felt a force attempt to clamp down on my mind, trying to prevent me from going further. But I was ready. The protection stone felt hot around my neck, and the azi rose up and roared at him, barreling into his mind with all its might.
With a frantic yell, Baoyi’s assistant dropped his guard, and I surged forward. The illusion around him shattered, and the remnants of his disguise peeled away. I found myself looking at a shriveled old man, far older than even Tansoong, bald but with a full beard.
“Usij!” Emperor Shifang roared.
The man ignored him and turned to me, a slow smile spreading across his wrinkled face. “I am impressed, bone witch. I have heard of your exploits, including Aenah’s capture. Neither she nor I had ever been able to tame the azi completely. Your willpower is formidable.”
“You dare bring this foul magician into the palace, Baoyi?” the emperor thundered.
“I am no longer Baoyi of Daanoris, fool. Just as you have forsaken your kingdom for magical creatures and Kion strumpets, so have I forsaken mine to serve the Great Prince as his favored disciple.”
“How could you?” Khalad raged. “You were my master’s friend!”
Baoyi was unmoved. “Neither you nor your master know how the world truly works. Daanoris has stepped out of its self-imposed exile only to discover that we lag behind other kingdoms. Only through magic and these monsters at our bidding can we finally stand as gods before all. I bear my own silver heartsglass, Your Majesty. Master Usij found me, drew it for me, showed me the way. I could have risen to such heights had it not been for your foolish ban on runes.”
“You killed Shaoyun,” Zoya said grimly.
“As you said, your friends have already met him.” The Faceless’s smile turned my stomach. “And after all the effort we took to implicate him.”
“You filthy, loathsome man.”
“Now, now, this is not the time to trade compliments. I have conceded this battle. Let me go.”
“Preposterous!” Emperor Shifang all but screamed at him. “The hangman’s noose shall be your fate! Why should I release you?”
Still inside the traitor’s head, I sensed the sudden shift, familiar and strange, creep into his mind. I had a vision of scales and yellow eyes.
A wild cry rose up from outside the city, the scream penetrating and loud.
“My savul is at the city gates,” Druj said, “and the city shall run red with blood before the day is out.”
Then he struck. I was waiting for it; the azi took most of the blow, its shield strong enough to deflect what could have easily incapacitated me, and I could still feel my ears ring from the force. I staggered backward. Usij whirled to attack again—not at me but at the emperor.
Shifang froze, eyes strangely blank. He snatched a sword from one of his guards and turned to Inessa.
But Fox was ready. The emperor’s blade passed through my brother’s shoulder, and a deft twist of Fox’s wrist disarmed the Daanorian. Another hard blow knocked him out.
There was the sound of shattering glass.
Kalen, Zoya, and several of the soldiers rushed forward. A small net strung across the city below had taken the brunt of both Usij’s and Baoyi’s fall, and I saw several passersby—no, Usij’s followers!—helping them to their feet.
“Barricade the city gates!” Tansoong roared. “Don’t let them get away!”
“We have more to worry about now,” Fox said grimly, ripping the sword free from his body. Through the broken glass, I saw the savul heading toward Santiang, and its shrieks rattled the panes.
“Stop that!” Inessa said irritably as more soldiers drew their swords on Fox. “You’ve seen him stabbed. It’s not going to work. Lower your weapons or I will stab you all with mine.” She further demonstrated by fishing out a small knife she had hidden within the folds of her dress, pointing it at the nearest guard and then repeating the words in Daanorian.