The Veiled Diplomat

by Thomas K. Carpenter

  "You—"

  Ullar's voice seized up, followed by his limbs. His expression flitted from surprise to anger before ending on shock. The umber-robed maetrie pitched off the stage as stiff as a board, landing hard onto the first two rows of seats.

  Zayn leaned backwards as Prince Orráine carefully returned the blade into a hidden sheath beneath his coat.

  "Smoke-Eater poison," said Prince Orráine with an odd little smile.

  "Is he dead?"

  Prince Orráine shook his head. "While the cloud that surrounds the creature disorients prey, the poison immobilizes them so they can eat at their leisure. He's paralyzed. For a few hours."

  "Thank you," said Zayn, motioning for the others to stay kneeling so they were at the same height as the prince. "May I ask why you have come to our rescue?"

  Prince Orráine worked at words in his mouth, but nothing came out for a few moments. "I...I felt bad for the way my brother treated you, and I worry for your friend."

  "We worry for her too," said Zayn.

  The prince's eyes searched them. "Did you know?"

  Zayn quickly decided he was going to play it as truthfully as possible. If the prince was opposed to his brother, then they might have an ally.

  "We did," said Zayn. "And we are not as we seem either."

  This news seemed to surprise the prince. His forehead creased as he looked deeper into them.

  "We're not regular actors," said Zayn.

  "From the Guild of Dramatics?" asked Prince Orráine.

  Zayn shook his head. "The Subtle Arts."

  Prince Orráine's eyes widened with understanding and maybe a hint of hopefulness. "Priyanka's brood. I should have known."

  The recognition bloomed in Zayn's heart. They sorely needed a break if they were going to stop Prince Aethalstar.

  "You know her?" asked Skylar hopefully.

  "No," said Prince Orráine. "But Mother complains about her regularly, blaming her for any trouble within the court."

  His warming mood dimmed upon hearing that news. If the queen was opposed to Priyanka, then it might put a damper on the younger prince's willingness to help. A minor war within the young prince surfaced as twitches at the corners of his lips, and nervous adjustments to his stringy hair.

  "Do you have a plan?" asked Zayn, gaze resting on the fallen Ullar.

  "I...I don't." The prince shook his head. "I shouldn't have done this. My brother will kill me. He's been looking for an excuse for a long time."

  Prince Orráine backed away from them as if they'd developed a bad case of leprosy.

  "Don't go. You did the right thing," said Zayn. "If you don't have a plan, we do. We're here on Priyanka's orders. She's in the Grand Ballroom with the others in disguise. Now that you've freed us, we can turn the tide against your brother."

  Prince Orráine paused, his fingers kneading each other. It was clear he'd never gone this far in his opposition.

  "I don't know," said the prince.

  "You can do this. We can do this," said Zayn. "We'll save Petri in the process, and she'll be eternally grateful, especially when she hears about how easily you dispatched Ullar, who was quite rough with her earlier today."

  Prince Orráine glanced back at the fallen Ullar with pride. "She would like that?"

  "She would," said Zayn. "But she's in danger. And we need to help her."

  Prince Orráine nodded, his expression almost painfully enthusiastic, as if he’d rarely the opportunity to feel joy. The minor light that shone from his face told the tale of how his brother and Queen Zaire treated him. The maetrie were not known for their softness, mirroring the Eternal City in which they were raised. Zayn could imagine that it’d been difficult for Prince Orráine to survive under those circumstances. That Prince Aethalstar had wished for his younger brother’s death during his liebereisen showed the cruelty of their world. Zayn looked to his cousin, with whom he shared a brother-like bond, and felt heartbreak for Prince Orráine that he lacked the same.

  "What can I do?" asked Prince Orráine.

  Zayn heard breaths of relief from his teammates.

  "Well, first I need to know if you have any allies or anything else that can help us," said Zayn.

  "There are few guardians loyal to me, but none that would oppose Prince Aethalstar if it came down to it," said Prince Orráine.

  "I see," said Zayn, wishing they had more to work with than a diminutive prince with a penchant for poison.

  "Is there a problem?" asked the prince.

  "No. It only makes it more challenging," said Zayn. "It's going to be hard to fight through all his guards, not counting what any other allies can bring."

  "Only the prince needs to be stopped. If he’s dead then the rest will listen to me," said Prince Orráine.

  "Kill the prince? He made us look like marionettes for real," said Skylar.

  Zayn glanced at his arm where Abzu, the Hidden Blade, rested in wait. He hated to think about using it for anything but the Lady of Varna, but if he didn’t survive to that time, what was the point?

  "You don't have to kill him," said Prince Orráine. "I doubt you could anyway. And it would be unwise. My mother would stop at nothing to get her revenge. You would only trade one problem for another."

  "Great," said Vin. "So we lose even if we win."

  "Not if I am the one wielding the dagger," said Prince Orráine. "Court intrigue is an acceptable reason for a sibling death, assuming that a non-royal does not strike the final blow."

  "You would kill your brother?" asked Keelan, suddenly quiet.

  "If it was required," said Prince Orráine.

  Zayn caught a glance from his cousin. Due to his cousin joining the Watchers, and his desire kill the Lady, their paths might eventually lead to a similar situation, but Zayn knew there was no way he would strike a blow against Keelan.

  "Will that trick of yours with a poisoned dagger be enough?" asked Zayn.

  "No," said Prince Orráine. "First, the scepter must be taken from him. He's transferred some of his power to it, so taking it will serve two purposes. The first is to weaken him, and second it will keep him from using his gemstone golem army."

  "You know about that?" asked Zayn.

  "He bragged about it this morning, not specifically, but enough for me to go looking. I found an open door with the panel bashed in," said Prince Orráine. "I know he means to bring war to the city of Invictus."

  "So if we take the scepter from him, you'll kill him and we win?" asked Zayn.

  "I think so," said Prince Orráine, who didn't look as confident as Zayn would have liked.

  A heavy feeling settled into him. It seemed too easy to work, but sometimes the best plans weren't complicated.

  Prince Orráine continued, "There will be an announcement in an hour. That's the moment you should strike and take the scepter from him. It'll be when he's most distracted. I assume after that's over, he'll use that moment to announce his plans and attack."

  "Will the queen...your mother, be there?" asked Zayn.

  "No," said Prince Orráine. "She detests leaving the Eternal City. It’s possible...likely, that she doesn’t know about his plans.""

  "What about Ullar?" asked Portia.

  "We can drag him in the back and hide him beneath the equipment," said Zayn.

  Prince Orráine nodded. "He won't wake up until after the fight."

  "Great," said Zayn, nodding. "I think this might work."

  Though his face was pinched with pain, Prince Orráine gave a firm nod. "I think it will." He paused. "And Petri will be okay?"

  Zayn had almost forgotten about her.

  "Yeah, she will," he said, though he worried that she could be an unseen complication. Even from a distance, Zayn felt fear radiating from another part of the embassy.

  After Prince Orráine left, Zayn turned to the team. "Everyone needs to switch into their party clothes. Did you find anything on those brooches, Vin?"

  Vin's eyes widened. "I almost forgot." He ran backstage,
appearing moments later with a handful of the artful brooches and five vials of a glistening orangish liquid. He handed the ambrosia to everyone.

  "This should help us against the maetrie," said Vin. "When the fight comes, drink this."

  Then he picked up a brooch, holding it up between forefinger and thumb. "There's an enchantment hidden on them that makes the wearer more susceptible to charms. I removed it on these, so they're safe to wear."

  Vin threw one to each of them.

  "That still doesn’t explain how he’s going to pacify a room full of Hall mages," said Keelan, shaking his head. "Everyone worth their salt should be protected against enemy spells. Even the little helper in the trinket isn’t going to bridge that gap. It doesn’t make any sense to even give them out. They’ll never work."

  "There’s got to be a reason," said Zayn, "just like I know there’s a reason they grew this place using their bone magic, rather than building it with human construction."

  "Maybe it’s to hide the army?" asked Portia.

  "Maybe," said Zayn, feeling like he was missing something.

  "What about Petri?" asked Skylar, expression etched with worry. No one knew Petri better than Skylar.

  "There's nothing we can do until we free her," said Zayn.

  "But what if this experience changes her?" asked Skylar.

  "One problem at a time," said Zayn. "But I believe she'll pull through. The good times she had with us will tide her over until she's free."

  Skylar nodded, but didn't look convinced.

  "Let's focus on taking the scepter from Prince Aethalstar." Then when he saw their shoulders clench and jaws tighten, he added, "Look, I know this seems difficult, but this is what you’ve been training for. Think about how far we’ve come this year. We got into the embassy when no one else could. We smuggled in magical trinkets and disguises. We even found an ally in the royal family. And when we let Priyanka know what the plan is, we’re really going to kick some ass. We can do this. I know we can."

  Zayn looked to each of them until they gave him a nod back. When he resumed speaking, their heads were held higher and they each had a sparkle of determination in their eyes.

  "What we're going to do is this: before the big announcement, I'm going to contact Priyanka, who’s disguised as Lady Sebella. Then at the appointed moment, Keelan and Vin start a distraction. I don't care what you do, start a fight, anything, but get Captia and Precept to move away from the prince. Then Skylar, I need you to use your shadow cloak on him, just enough to blind him. Then I, Portia, Priyanka, and any of the other instructors we’re able to contact are going to hit him at full faez speed. Portia, go for the knees, Priyanka can go for the head, and I'll go for the scepter. If we do it fast enough, he'll never know what hit him and the scepter will be ours."

  "Sounds like it'll work. But what if Prince Orráine doesn't kill his brother?" asked Keelan.

  Zayn put his arm on his cousin's shoulders. "Then we'd better think of a new plan, and fast."

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Diamond Court Embassy, May 2016

  The unlikeliest of places

  The five of them filtered into the Grand Ballroom one by one, using the Veil to enter without being noticed. Zayn wore a dark suit with a dark tie, the only splash of color being a purple carnation. He left his face mostly intact, using only minor enchantments to modify his cheekbones and lips, giving himself a trendier look.

  His backstory was that he was a member of the tenth ward council. He figured his time spent at the bodega gave him enough knowledge to improvise past any complications, not that he thought it would come up.

  With a glass of champagne in his hand, Zayn moved through the Grand Ballroom looking for Lady Sebella, taking note of the number and spread of maetrie. When the time came, they might have to evade them, and he wanted to know how many to expect.

  The massive room held hundreds of men, women, maetrie, and a smattering of other beings. On the north side of the room was a dais tall enough to be seen in the back. Zayn counted himself lucky he saw no runes or other magical devices that suggested Prince Aethalstar would be protected during the ceremony. He probably thought himself invincible in his own embassy.

  The only structures that broke up the sightlines were the huge pillars that Zayn had first seen when they broke into the embassy at the beginning of the year. Completed, they didn’t look as much like they’d been grown as when he first saw them, but he still didn’t know what they were made of. Bone, maybe.

  Around the outside of the room were the gaudy displays of Diamond Court wealth beneath the glass cases of gold-vented dark witchwood. When Zayn walked past one, he felt a waver of familiarity, like some magic was affecting him. Beneath the glass was an angular crown encrusted in gems. Zayn covertly checked it for magic, finding it as plain as the glass that contained it.

  Frowning, Zayn reflexively touched his runed brass bracelet. Whatever magic had tried to affect him must have come from somewhere else, and he hoped that the trinkets they'd smuggled in would be enough protection.

  He found Lady Sebella talking to an older woman in a sparkling gold dress. The older woman was carrying on about how excited she was to meet a royal maetrie, oblivious to the look she was receiving from Lady Sebella. The smoky-skinned maetrie looked like she was contemplating murder and barely disguising it.

  Zayn stood nearby and cleared his throat to get Lady Sebella’s attention, but when her dark eyes rolled over him, there wasn’t even a glimmer of recognition.

  "Excuse me," said Zayn. "I need to speak to Lady Sebella."

  The older woman held her hand to her neck. "I was talking to her first. You’ll have to find another one of them to speak to."

  The possessive language brought a wrinkle to Zayn’s lips, but he persisted despite the lack of support from Lady Sebella.

  "No, I must insist. I must speak to the lady right now," said Zayn.

  When the older woman kept talking, he resigned himself to using magic. It wasn’t the best place, but he had little time. Zayn covertly put a charm on her.

  "You really need to use the ladies' room. Like the worst you’ve ever needed it," he said, and her eyes bulged. The woman waddled away with her thighs clenched together.

  After the display, he had Lady Sebella’s attention.

  "I need to speak to you," he whispered.

  Lady Sebella’s face pinched. "Do I know you?"

  Zayn glanced around to make sure no one was standing close.

  "We don’t have time. I need to speak to you, Pri," he said.

  As soon as Lady Sebella stood taller, eyes glancing nervously towards the dais, he knew it wasn’t her. Priyanka would never allow her emotions to slip out like that. Whenever Priyanka reacted, it was for a reason.

  "You’re not her, are you?" he asked.

  She gave a tight shake of the head, her gaze lingering on the room, scanning for trouble.

  "She was supposed to come in my place, but something happened and she backed out, thus forcing me to come," said Lady Sebella with ample amounts of derision.

  While it confirmed that his patron had been working to get into the embassy, it complicated their plans with Prince Aethalstar. He expected that Priyanka could swing the tide against the royals of the Diamond Court. Without her, they were a bunch of students who hadn’t even finished their third year yet.

  "Something bad is going to happen, isn’t it?" asked Lady Sebella.

  "I’m afraid so, but nothing you have to worry about," said Zayn.

  "You don’t know Prince Aethalstar then," she said, frowning. "He was the reason I left the court. I should have never returned, but I thought it would be suspicious to decline."

  "I’m sorry. I should go," said Zayn.

  Before he could walk away, Lady Sebella grabbed his arm. The severe look she wore like war paint before had been replaced with something softer.

  "After this is over, if you survive, I would be more than happy to take you as an intern," said Lady Sebella wi
th an interested eyebrow raised.

  The smile that lurked behind her lips could have swallowed an ocean.

  "I’m flattered, but I’m very busy with school, thank you," he said, sliding away from her.

  It was one thing to have unknowingly slept with a demigod of death, but the thought of willingly going to bed with Lady Sebella gave him the shivers.

  Away from her, he scanned the room again, searching for new ideas. Without Priyanka, they were outpowered.

  Then he saw Instructor Konig standing by himself with a glass of champagne, looking out of place in his tan corduroy jacket with elbow patches. He couldn’t have been more alone on a desert island. It was almost as if he had a No-Look enchantment on, but Zayn knew that wasn’t the case since he’d spent the year in class with him.

  "Oh Merlin," he muttered. "I have to get his help."

  Upon approach, the instructor did a double take, which had anyone been paying attention to him, they would have found suspicious. Luckily for Zayn, the instructor couldn’t get noticed if he lit himself on fire.

  "Zayn?" asked Instructor Konig. "What are you doing here?"

  "I don’t have time to explain," said Zayn. "But we need your help." Instructor Konig’s forehead furrowed, so Zayn added, "Priyanka needs your help."

  This brought a bloom of excitement to the instructor’s face. He leaned in conspiratorially. "She’s here?"

  "Yes," said Zayn. "Things are bad. Prince Aethalstar is planning on attacking the city. He has a basement full of bone golems ready to unleash, and everyone here will be held hostage."

  Zayn thought he’d leave out the demigod of death that might plunge the world into a new global war. He didn’t want to overload the instructor.

  But Instructor Konig put on his game face. Zayn had never been sure if the instructor had really been logistical support for covert operations, but the way he comported himself in that moment sealed it for Zayn.