The Burden of Trust

by Nikki Frank

  “No,” said Iya. “Being free is better. Because you can do this without hiding and without fear or guilt.”

  “Then what are we waiting for?” Bazyli asked, nearly bouncing off the walls with excitement. “Let’s go and help you set the kobold free.”

  “To the palace,” Iya agreed.

  I tucked the stone in my pocket and wiped my palms—time to go.

  Chapter 19

  Bazyli led the way toward the palace. My palms got sweatier as we went. I’d never done an assassination like this. Never anyone this high profile, and never in a setting this busy. Worse, this job wasn’t building the adrenaline needed to keep me from getting nervous. The last fights I’d been in were a life-or-death situation; my reactions came swift and decisive then. Right now, the consequences of failing were too protracted to set my mood for the hunt.

  “I’ll watch through a crack in the rock,” Bazyli told us. “When you come back, I’ll get you out.”

  “Good.” Iya’s voice grew tight. “Before you open the rock, let me put an illusion on us so that we can go in unseen.”

  “Wow.” Bazyli whistled. “You know that kind of magic?”

  Iya grunted.

  On the way to the palace, my sense of time kept changing. For a while, days seemed to have passed. Yet when Bazyli announced we were under the outer wall, time had switched around, and I had no idea how we’d reached the palace in mere minutes. The reality probably fell somewhere in between my warped senses.

  We stopped, and I pulled magic from Katriane to arm myself. “Iya, the link is there, but pulling my power feels hard.”

  “How so?”

  “The magic came so easy before. Now it’s like trying to pull my power through something thick, like gelatin.”

  “But you can get magic?”

  “Not as fast. I hope that doesn’t hurt us.”

  Iya gave a grim nod. I started arming myself, running through my usual checklist. A vial of poison for my ponytail, a bow, a dagger for each thigh, then a short sword on my back.

  Iya armed himself similarly, though he didn’t carry a bow. “Are you ready?” he asked.

  I nodded as he put an illusion spell on us. A thin slit of light appeared as Bazyli opened a crack in the wall. We were out.

  Party lights shone off rock walls. Not gray, boring castle stone, but rock in a rainbow of subtle hues. Greens, browns, purples, grays, yellows, peaches, and creams with sparkling veins and flecks dancing across the walls. From somewhere close by came the hum of many voices, and the smell of food wafted down the hall. I knew what they dined on, and the smell sent my stomach spinning.

  By following the sound of the voices and keeping to the wall, we reached the party quickly. When we did, my mouth fell open. We were screwed.

  The main hall stretched to the size of a warehouse, the whole thing packed with mingling goblins. Tables of food stood against the walls every so often. At the far end, music played. Where in this chaos was the king? And how could we get around the room without being noticed? I ducked as a kobold carrying a tray of food nearly took off my head. Clearly, we weren’t visible, but we could still be bumped into.

  Unfortunately, I caught a glimpse of the platter on its way by, and my stomach turned. Dragging Iya along, I ducked under one of the food tables, gasping and forcing my snack back down.

  Did you see that?

  He shook his head.

  A tray of children’s fingers! What kind of sick appetizers . . . The contents of my stomach threatened to come up. I’m not sure I can do this.

  He placed a warm hand on my head. You can do this. You can’t let them have the Borderlands. That could be your citizens on a tray if you fail.

  Thanks for the pep talk, I snarked.

  Anything to help. How do you want to find the king?

  For now, let’s go table to table until we see where he’s likely to be. I need to get the layout and find a spot to shoot from. Hopefully, he’s not on the far side, or getting out is going to be impossible.

  We crept to the edge of the table. Peering out from under the tablecloth, I judged the next one to be about twenty yards away. No one stood around the next table, but a group of goblins lingered in my way.

  Ready to put your Hermes shoes to good use?

  You know, I never thought a demon would need them. But I kinda like them.

  Chat later. Ready to dash when I say go . . . Go!

  I pushed with my toes. Darting out from under the table, I twisted around a goblin leaving the group and slipped under the next table. Iya made it right behind me, panting.

  A little more notice would be great.

  Sorry, it’s your job to keep up.

  Iya grumbled something, but I ignored him, searching for the king. No sign of him from here. The next table stood closer than the last but had a crowd around it. I hated to think what snacks they were all so excited about. Trying to ignore my stomach, I gave Iya’s sleeve a little tug. This time we followed the wall. There wasn’t a spot to get under the table. Going around would mean being out in the mass of moving bodies. Of course, if someone got bumped, it would be easy to pass off, but I still didn’t want to risk any questions.

  Finally, a plump female goblin left her spot at the table. My stomach rolled. We’d reached the drinks table, and they had a fountain of what appeared to be blood.

  I twisted myself around the remaining goblin legs and under the table. A squeal from another woman and the subsequent telling-off of her neighbor told me Iya hadn’t been as flexible. He gave me a sheepish grin.

  I’ve got a broader and longer body. It doesn’t fold into itty bitty spaces.

  I peeked out between the legs of the goblins and got my first glimpse of royal guards. My heart sank. They were on the opposite side of the room from where we’d come in and another three tables from where we hid. Not to mention on a raised dais.

  The tables sat too low to get a clear shot. I scanned the room. The only thing raised beside the dais was a horrible statue of King Valkyv: a figure nearly as sick as the food. The stone monstrosity depicted him riding a female centaur, using her hair for reins.

  Iya, I need to get up onto the hideous statue to shoot.

  Let’s make it happen.

  Okay, one more table and then through the party-goers to the statue. I’ll get up and take the shot. You make sure I’m not interrupted. Then we’ll need a full-on miracle to get out.

  I’ll see if I can remember a spell for a miracle. You just make the shot.

  Several minutes passed before an opening appeared. I slipped through and under the next table. Something on top of the new table squirmed around. Whatever they were serving still lived.

  Iya grabbed the back of my head and pulled me to him, giving me a deep kiss. I love you. You can do this.

  I caressed his cheek. I care for you, too. And I couldn’t do this without you.

  We left the table and began a tip-toeing dance through the crowd toward the statue. Dodging and spinning, we managed to avoid being touched. Luckily, a purple velvet rope kept people away from the statue. I hopped over, glad to be out of the crowd for a change.

  Iya stepped over and joined me. He offered me a hand up, but I grinned and used the Hermes shoes to leap lightly onto the back of the centaur. My vantage point would suffice. I pulled the vial of poison out of my ponytail, carefully dipped an arrow, and resealed the vial. Settling against the back of the stone king to steady my shot, patience took over.

  The real king looked like a pebble and a raisin had mated and produced him as offspring. Shrunken and tiny, tufts of wiry white hair sprouted from random places on his body. I wrinkled my nose. He might have lived to his thousandth birthday, but he looked every day of it.

  My arrow sat ready. He’d had his time. He wasn’t taki
ng the same privilege from everyone else. The string begged for me to let go, but I held and double-checked my shot. I would only get one try.

  The bow-string sang as the arrow flew. Thankfully, the noise of the crowd covered the twang. The crowd must have also masked the sound of it hitting the king. A few moments passed before anyone saw him slump.

  I slid down. Get us out of here!

  Iya grabbed my hand, pulled power, and shot fireworks up to the ceiling. The “oohs” and “aahs” helped cover the first screams from the dais.

  Keeping my hand and setting off new bursts in the opposite direction, Iya wove us through the crowd toward the exit.

  “The King has been hit.”

  The announcement thundered through the ballroom, and the noise turned to a hum that sounded like a swarm of angry bees.

  Livy! Iya’s voice held fear. I can’t draw your power!

  I searched myself, and fear grew in my stomach, too. Something was interfering with getting power from Katriane. The goblins must have set up wards as a reaction to the king.

  He squeezed my hand. With only my magic, I can’t get us out and keep up the illusion. We’re going out fast and dangerous. Do you trust me?

  I nodded. Are we going to get the prince?

  Iya pulled us to a stop. We’ll see. I’d rather not die before we can negotiate, even if we don’t have the prince.

  He wrapped his arms around my chest. Order in the room had disintegrated quickly. Iya switched the focus of his magic and dropped the illusion. Screams surrounded us as we appeared out of thin air. At the same time, Iya let his massive, bat-like wings out, the edge of which ran with the same flame-hair as on his head.

  And I thought dragons flew fast.

  He shot up and out of the room in a blur, hugging me to his chest. The wind forced the air from my lungs. He flew right past the spot where Bazyli waited to help us escape and out into the gardens.

  I heard someone talking about the prince going out here to get away. We’ll see . . . Iya rolled as an arrow shot past us. Maybe not. He pulled around and tried to go back in, but guards with lances bristling blocked the door. Shit, there are archers in the trees beyond the garden. If we leave that way, we’ll get shot at and followed. He flew up and through a window. “Can you draw power yet?”

  I shook my head. The wards were still up.

  He frowned and pulled me down a staircase, using power to knock a group of soldiers back down the stairs. Blinding them with demon fire, we hurried past.

  “You didn’t kill them?”

  Iya snorted. “How well will diplomacy work if I start murdering his subjects? Tezky will only be angrier, and bargaining is going to be hard enough.”

  We rounded a corner, and he flattened another group of soldiers.

  I tugged his arm and pointed down a hall. “This one.”

  “Are you sure?”

  An arrow barely missed my head. “Yes.”

  Iya yelped. I started to turn, but he growled at me. A hole in the floor opened, and gray hands pulled us both in, snapping the solid rock behind us. Bazyli tugged at me.

  “We need to go. They can get another kobold to follow me. We need a good half-mile to lose anyone.”

  I fell in behind him, and Iya stumbled behind me. Turning, I screamed. An arrow stuck out of his back.

  “It didn’t hit anything which will kill me,” Iya gasped. “Go.”

  “I saw you guys fly past with everyone chasing and yelling about the king being shot,” Bazyli’s voice dropped to a whisper. “What did you do?”

  I pushed him to go faster. “I assassinated the king.”

  “But . . . they didn’t say he was dead.”

  “I used naga venom. He will be.”

  Bazyli let out a whimper and came to a complete stop. “What have I done? Who are you people? They’re going to torture me for decades.”

  I pushed on him again. “We’re hunted people at the moment. So, get a move on if you don’t want to be tortured. We said we’d protect you.”

  “You said you’d free me. The Prince will have the throne. He’s not letting us go.”

  “A slight hiccup,” Iya winced as he tripped on a rock. “He’ll listen when Livy and I come clean, or his own demise will be worse. We worked for a single death to try to keep peace with Tezky.”

  “Why would he listen?” Bazyli still whimpered as he pushed through the rock.

  “He’ll listen because I’m an akuma. Demon Lord Iya, pleased to meet you.”

  “You’re a demon,” Bazyli shrieked and stopped again.

  I shoved him forward. “Goblins hunting us, remember?”

  Bazyli nodded and started moving again.

  “Sorry, we didn’t want you to have too much information in case you were found and tortured. No offense.”

  “But how is an imp mated to an akuma lord?”

  “Because I’m a demon lord, too. Lord Olivia.”

  Bazyli faltered slightly. I caught him and pushed him onwards, explaining the king’s plan to wipe us all out. “We had to. But since we’re demon lords, when we negotiate peace, we’ll include the freedom of the kobold.”

  He made another noise, somewhere between a gulp and a whimper.

  “We need to get to the old library on the Hakushi side of the border. Do you know where it is?”

  Bazyli nodded and turned slightly to the left.

  “How long until we get there?” Iya asked him.

  “The better part of a day,” Bazyli’s voice quavered. “Is that okay?”

  “It’s fine,” Iya replied, confused. “Why wouldn’t it be okay?”

  “I don’t know,” he whimpered. “A day is a long time, and you’re a demon lord. Do you hurt people for making you wait?”

  Iya burst out laughing. “Not usually. And never when it’s out of their control. Now, if I found out the library is a short three-hour journey, but you took us the long, seven-hour scenic route, I’ll be pissed.”

  Bazyli trembled. “No. That’s the most direct route.”

  Iya clapped a hand on the other man’s shoulder. “Then you’re fine. Traveling with you is a damn sight easier than being chased around the mines or the forest by the goblins. So, you’ve already made me very happy.”

  Bazyli smiled, but I saw through Iya’s bravado. He winced as he clapped Bazyli on the shoulder.

  “How much further until we can stop safely?” I asked.

  “Another ten minutes, Mistress Olivia.” His voice went squeaky again.

  “Please let me know when we’ve reached a safe point. Iya’s wound needs healing.”

  I looked back at Iya and saw he’d carefully hidden the arrow shaft under his wing. He shot me a dirty look.

  “We need to keep moving,” said Iya. “That’s more important.”

  “No,” I snapped. “What if I still can’t draw on my power when we get out? Who’s going to protect us? Without the link, I’m only an imp. One who can hunt from the shadows and kill off a single opponent in a fight, but not take on goblin hordes.”

  Iya went a little pale but nodded.

  “Good.” I crossed my arms and tipped my nose up, turning away. “The man can see reason.”

  Bazyli tapped his lips thoughtfully. “You know . . . since you’re demon lords. There’s a set of caverns not far from here which are protected from entry with a goblin ward. They wouldn’t think to look for us there since it’s sealed. But if you could break the spell, we could heal him there in peace. Not to mention, there must be something good stashed in there if they put up wards to keep us kobold out.”

  “We’ll try,” Iya said, a hint of pain in his voice.

  Feeling completely helpless, I took his hand and squeezed. Hopefully, Iya would be able to heal himself
.

  Our path now sloped steeply downward. But Bazyli seemed certain of himself, and we followed. By the time we reached the wards, Iya no longer held my hand, but he still used me to hold himself up. He stretched out a hand and sent a pulse of demon magic at the granite wall. The ground around us rocked.

  Bazyli gave a delighted squeal. “We’re in.”

  He opened a hole, and we entered a spacious cavern. A dormant spell brought torches on the wall to life. Inside smelled of warm rock. How had the cavern been kept heated for unknown years?

  “Huh . . . I thought for sure there’d be treasure in here.” Bazyli ran his hands curiously along the walls.

  I ignored his exploring, focusing instead on Iya. “Can you heal this on your own?”

  “You need to pull the arrow out, and then yes.”

  “I can’t. I’ll hurt you. Besides, I put arrows in, not take them out.”

  “Calm down,” Iya gritted between his teeth. “You’re telling me you weren’t prepared to do this for your partner when you were working as an assassin? You’ve got the training, and your imp magic will suffice.”

  “Okay.” I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. “The tip is in really deep. It went in hard and tore things up on the way. How do you want me to handle it?”

  “Use your magic to lubricate the full length of the shaft and slide it out slowly.”

  “Do you two want to be alone while she does that?” Bazyli cackled. “You sound so dirty!”

  Iya shot him a scathing look, and the young man squeaked and dropped to his knees.

  “I’m sorry, Lord Iya. I won’t be improper again.”

  I snorted. The ridiculousness got to me.

  Iya glared at me, too. “I’m glad you can both laugh at my pain.”

  “Brace yourself,” I warned him. I put a hand on the arrow shaft and did what he’d said, coating the length with magic. Iya made a few noises as I worked but somehow managed not to move. The arrow came free with a small popping noise, and Iya yelled.