Serpent's Blood (Snakesblood Saga Book 6)

by Beth Alvarez

  Instead he arrived to find an empty throne and servants still cleaning broken glass from the floor.

  “There’s nothing you can do.” Ennil’s tone grew dangerously sharp.

  Vahn almost wished the man would snap at him and give him a reason to break. Then he saw Lulu at the window, her dark curls bobbing as she bounced on her toes. He willed himself to stay calm, breathed deep and exhaled slowly as he tried to focus and think.

  Kidnapped.

  The answer had been impossible to deny after he’d seen the wreckage in the throne room.

  It should have been easy to solve. He’d called for the mages, thinking to open a Gate directly to Firal. But the court mages were missing—including Temar—and those who could be found were dead.

  Vahn shuddered at the thought of the white robes full of ash. He didn’t know much about magic, not being Gifted himself, but he knew it took a great deal of power to do something like that. And it required the will to break the temple oath against taking another mage’s life, besides.

  He didn’t want to think Ran capable of such atrocities, but he couldn’t deny it had happened. Either he was wrong in his steadfast belief in his friend and the Ran he knew no longer existed, or someone else was responsible. Vahn only knew of one other mage with that much power.

  She was supposed to be on his side.

  Vahn made himself stop behind Lulu. He smoothed her wild curls and gazed out the window. “I know,” he replied at last. Ennil had been waiting for him in the capital, but Envesi had gone before he returned.

  He’d thought to seek help from the Grand College’s mages, but the permanent Gate between the palace and the college had already been closed when he arrived. And the mages in Alwhen had only opened a Gate to send him home with his daughter; they hadn’t come through. That meant there was no one to take him anywhere until mages from the temple could answer his call.

  Strangely enough, the Ilmenhith chapter house had been empty, as well.

  “A message can only travel so fast.” Ennil shifted in his chair, watching.

  In truth, Vahn was as weary as his father looked, but he couldn’t make himself comfortable. Ennil always had a sense of control about him, as though he was always prepared and never surprised. Perhaps it came from so many years as Captain of the Guard and a member of Ilmenhith’s council. Or maybe those ties to the council meant he never was surprised. He’d been useful as a part of Firal’s cabinet because he had connections everywhere, which provided a constant trickle of information. It was possible Ennil knew things before they happened. In the case of Firal’s apparent kidnapping, he’d had time to come to terms with what happened before Vahn ever left the palace in Alwhen. It lent him an air of confidence, while Vahn still felt like tearing out his hair.

  “I know,” Vahn said again. He rubbed his face with both hands, then raked his fingers through his hair. He didn’t know what else to say. He’d sent messages to the temple and Alwhen both, informing the mages of the queen’s disappearance. Mages would come from the temple within hours to answer his need, but he still had to decide what to do.

  A month before, he would have said life was perfect. Now it seemed he was trying to build castles with dry sand, struggling to hold Elenhiise together while the grains slipped through his fingers and escaped.

  Save Shymin, the Masters that headed the temple were missing, and she seemed to be elsewhere. Firal was missing. The court mages were missing. And if Vahn left to find them, Ilmenhith would be without a leader.

  Vahn was not fond of his title. He’d never wanted to be king, but a promise had put him there and he took his responsibilities seriously.

  Besides, leaving Ilmenhith meant leaving Lulu. If he had his way, she’d never leave his sight again.

  As if hearing his thoughts, the girl spun to face him. She clung to his legs, wailed in fright and hid her face in his trousers.

  “What is it?” He petted her curls and crouched beside her. The girl flung her arms around his neck, hugged him tight and trembled in distress.

  “Seems the Archmage has returned.” Ennil paced across the office to join them by the window. “The girl fears her.”

  “I can’t say I blame her,” Vahn muttered. He kissed Lulu’s temple and sighed. He carried her to the chair behind Firal’s desk, sat down and rocked the girl in his arms.

  “She’ll want to speak to you.” Ennil frowned over his shoulder before his gaze swept back to the moonlit gardens beyond the windowpanes. “Shall I join you?”

  Vahn gritted his teeth. What difference would it make? He didn’t know how much he could get the Archmage to agree to. She wanted him in the palace, she’d made that much clear. And though they’d established a tenuous alliance, he knew he still walked a fine line. If he cooperated, Ilmenhith would still be theirs to rule. Life on Elenhiise could go on as it always had. But if rescuing Firal meant leaving Ilmenhith in hopes of finding her, what would happen to that agreement?

  “I need to speak to Mother.” Vahn pressed another kiss to Lulu’s brow.

  Ennil hesitated. “Vivenne? What—”

  “Bring her.” Vahn left no room for negotiation.

  His father regarded him silently for a long time, then dipped in a respectful bow and crossed to the door.

  Vahn allowed himself to exhale after the door was closed. Lulu wriggled against him and he hugged his daughter close.

  He had to steel himself. He had no doubt Ennil was right, and that Envesi would be joining him any moment. That gave him precious little time to brace for what he’d have to do. It pained him. That pain grew worse with how Lulu held to him in desperate fear. The last thing he wanted to do was work with someone who frightened his child. He simply no longer saw other choices.

  Too soon, Ennil returned with Vivenne at his heels.

  “I will speak to her alone,” Vahn said, willing his face to stay smooth and emotionless when his father’s so clearly showed displeasure. But Ennil wouldn’t defy him now, not after seeing the mood he was in.

  The door closed again, this time leaving him alone with his mother.

  She studied him the way a bird might watch a cat from the shelter of a tree, unable to decide if he was dangerous or not.

  “Come,” he called softly, nodding toward the chairs on the other side of the desk. “Sit.”

  Though she wrung her hands, she did as she was told.

  Vahn pitied her, but he didn’t have time to lend comfort. Lulu remained still against his shoulder, sniffling now and then, and gave no indication she sensed any mages nearby. He suspected that would be his only clue to Envesi’s whereabouts.

  “I will be brief,” Vahn said, keeping his voice low. No mages meant no one to spy on them, but he had no doubt Ennil would be waiting with his ear pressed to the door in hopes they’d speak up.

  Vivenne bowed her head and twiddled her fingers in her lap. “Why me?”

  “You’re the only one I can trust now.” It hurt to admit, but until he found Firal and had the whole picture once and for all, how could he put faith in anyone? The only constant left was his mother, whose gentle goodness was as unyielding as stone.

  Sobered, she met his gaze. Vahn had always been her child first and foremost. Now it was as if she saw him for his position for the first time. A king—her king—seeking audience for a grave matter in which she alone was worthy.

  “I am no one,” Vivenne said, a quaver in her voice. “I have no authority or power here, save what I gain through Ennil. How can I meet any of your needs?”

  “This isn’t a matter of politics. It’s a matter of family and heart. For that, I can think of no one better.” He smiled at her and his eyes slanted to the little girl nestled in the crook of his neck.

  Vivenne’s lips parted. Sympathy and understanding played across her face at the same time.

  “I must take the matter of Firal’s disappearance to Vicamros II of the Triad,” Vahn said. “She is his ally. He will need to know. The Triad casts a wide net of influence. I
f she is seen somewhere, eventually, Vicamros will know.”

  He stood slowly, so the movement wouldn’t frighten the girl. “If I am to meet him, it means leaving Elenhiise. With fortune, my absence will be brief. But taking Lumia with me might make Envesi think I’m trying to run.”

  His mother rose to intercept him and take Lulu from his arms. The girl settled into her familiar embrace, as accepting of Vivenne as her grandmother as she was accepting of him as father. She knew no better, but that the girl’s love was genuine had always been a small comfort.

  “Don’t make Father’s mistake and assume I’m working with her willingly. After all she’s done to Firal, never mind what she’s done to Elenhiise, I could never give the woman blind trust.” Vahn stroked Lulu’s back as he let go. “I’m not foolish. I am cooperating with Envesi because it’s safer for our people. Safer for Lumia. Envesi’s power can benefit us, but it means treading dangerous ground. I don’t dare tread it with Lulu alongside me.”

  “And I am to protect her?” Vivenne choked. “I have no Gift, I cannot fight.”

  “Not protect her,” Vahn said. “Love her. Until I return. Don’t let her out of your sight. Don’t deny the mages if they insist on poking and prodding, but stay present and aware. I don’t want her to be alone or afraid ever again.”

  His mother drew a shuddering breath and kissed the child’s silky black curls before she spoke again. “A trip to speak with Vicamros should not take long.”

  “Unless he already knows where Firal is.” He lowered his voice until it was just above a whisper. “If it were just Firal, I might have believed them. If it were just Firal with Captain Straes having gone after her, I might have still believed. But Firal, the captain, all the court mages, Kytenia, and all the heads of affinities, save Shymin?”

  Shadows of sorrow darkened Vivenne’s eyes. She put a hand on the back of Lumia’s head and rocked the girl. “Your father’s always thought himself clever in the games he plays,” she murmured. “He thinks I don’t notice. I suspect he thinks me a fool. But he knows, Vahnil. I’m sure of it.”

  Vahn hesitated. “He knows what?”

  She shrugged. “Everything. He makes it his business to know. If it happens on the island, he has ears to listen. If something’s happened to Firal and the mages, he knows. Just like he knew...” she trailed off and her eyes flickered to Lumia.

  “That she’s Ran’s,” Vahn finished.

  “Yes.” Vivenne deflated. She moistened her lips with her tongue and turned away. “But I think I knew first, you know.”

  His heart sank. He’d fought so long to keep it secret. Was he really so transparent? “How?”

  “Because you loved Kytenia so.” Tears glittered on her eyelashes, but she smiled and dashed them away. “But you loved Ran more.”

  “He was a brother to me,” Vahn agreed. “I would have died for him. And he for me. Which is why I don’t believe for a moment that he’s responsible for this.”

  “Just be careful, Vahn. I promise I’ll do what I can, but it won’t mean anything if you don’t come back.” Vivenne started to sit down, but Lulu cried out and buried her face in her neck.

  Vahn frowned. “That’s our sign. Take her to your room, Mother. She’ll be more comfortable if she can sleep in bed beside you.”

  Vivenne turned after him as he started for the door. “Why, aren’t you going to sleep?”

  “If Envesi is here, it means I don’t have to wait for mages from the temple to answer my call. The sooner I can act on this, the better.” He was almost to the door when Ennil knocked and let himself in before Vahn had a chance to reply.

  “The Archmage is here,” Ennil said. His attention drifted to his wife and his eyes narrowed. “What have the two of you been on about?”

  Vivenne huffed and hugged her grandchild close. “He was asking advice on rearing a child. Something you’d certainly know nothing about. I swear, Vahnil, when you were an infant, I did all the raising by myself. We couldn’t afford a nursemaid then, and by the time he was promoted to Captain of the Guard, you were already three pents old. Three!”

  Ennil rolled his eyes, his interest in their conversation dissipating. “Envesi wishes to speak to you, Vahn.”

  “Good.” Vahn kissed the top of Lumia’s head as his mother passed. He breathed deep to ease the aching pull of his heartstrings as she carried his daughter down the hall. “I wish to speak to her, as well.”

  He pushed past his father to cut toward the main corridor. Envesi wouldn’t likely be familiar with the back ways. His best chance of intercepting her was to head for the throne room.

  “She will likely be tired,” Ennil warned. “Her temper may be short.”

  “And mine is already gone. I am not the one who has to mind my manners. Archmage or not, right now, I’m the only thing standing between her and open rebellion in Ilmenhith.” Vahn held his head high. He’d never be comfortable as a leader, but he readily embraced his role as a protector. With Lulu secure and comforted in his mother’s arms, Firal’s safety was the only thing left on his mind.

  Even without a Gift, he felt Envesi’s presence before he saw her. It was like a pressure in the air, or the shadow of a cloud passing before the sun. Heavy, oppressive, like the still before a thunderstorm.

  Vahn suppressed a shudder and reminded himself that he was king. No matter how powerful she was, if she wanted Elenhiise to go along with her plans in peace, she needed him.

  “Why, King Vahnil.” Envesi feigned surprise as she rounded the corner and found herself in his path. She swept her white skirts wide and curtsied, though only as deep as courtesy required. “I expected you would be in bed at this hour.”

  “Which is why you sent my father to fetch me?” His tone was as dry as his throat.

  “It was why I sent a messenger to your father,” she said. “I expected him to send a response if you were unavailable. I apologize if you were wakened on my behalf.”

  He waved a hand. “It doesn’t matter. I would have spoken with you regardless. I sent a request for mages to Kirban by messenger pigeon, but I don’t have time to wait for their response. I must speak to King Vicamros about my wife’s disappearance.”

  Envesi smiled, though a tiny twitch at the corner of her eye betrayed her. “But it’s the middle of the night. Surely you’d rather rest and meet your ally in daylight hours, when you’re both awake and clear-headed.”

  “I would prefer not to leave Ilmenhith without its leader for more time than necessary. I will be needed here in the morning and I intend to be present to speak with my council.” Vahn’s fingers twitched with the urge to coil themselves around the hilt of his sword. This woman always woke his fighting instincts. He restrained himself.

  Her cheerful expression cooled. “I’m afraid I cannot help you reach Vicamros directly. I’ve never been to the Royal City. The closest I can hope to take you is the Grand College in Lore.”

  No closer than the palace’s permanent Gate would have taken him, had it not been closed because of this woman. Vahn could have cursed. “I suppose that will have to do. I’m sure the college mages will be able to help me reach the Royal City once I am there.”

  She regarded him for a moment too long, her face too still. There was something wrong in the Grand College, he was sure of it. Would accepting her offer of transport send him straight into a trap?

  “Of course,” Envesi said, her cool smile restored. “Shymin is there now, discussing things with the college council on the temple’s behalf. Perhaps you can express your concern to her and she can assist you.”

  “I shall.” He glanced over his shoulder, half expecting to see his father behind him. The hall was empty. “Will you open the Gate now?”

  “Certainly. The Gating parlor is this way, is it not?” She inclined her head toward the parlor used by Firal’s mages and led the way.

  Vahn bit back an oath. She didn’t need a doorway to anchor a Gate like other mages, but he didn’t know why she might stall.

&
nbsp; She moved with a fluid grace, her white skirts rippling behind her like water. “I trust Shymin will be able to assist you in returning to the island, as well. Until the permanent Gates to the mainland are restored, I believe that’s the only option.”

  So she wanted information. Permanent Gates required Gate-stones on at least one side to hold them open. The stones had to be anchored in the archway that contained the portal. The stones they’d used had belonged to the temple, but they had been removed when the Gates were closed, and Vahn did not know where they might be. They were powerful artifacts, useful to any other mage, but why did Envesi want them? She had grown stronger than any stone.

  “I’m afraid I’ll have to leave those Gates to you and the court mages. I know nothing about their working, but I’m sure someone as powerful as you wouldn’t need the stones to reopen the Gates.” He put effort into the praise, wanting her to believe it. It was easier to learn things from people if they believed you liked and respected them.

  Envesi sighed and flicked one clawed hand. “It simply can’t be done without a Gate-stone. I can open Gates on my own, certainly, but I cannot hold them open forever. They do require concentration, even when you are powerful. I suppose a man without a Gift wouldn’t know such things, though.” She sounded almost pitying, rather than condescending.

  “I appreciate your efforts to enlighten me. But why not simply make your own stones, if they’re needed?” He followed her into the Gating parlor.

  She chuckled and smoothed her skirts. “I appreciate your confidence in my abilities, boy, but no living mage can do that. Are you prepared?”

  Choosing to ignore what she’d called him, Vahn nodded.

  Hissing power filled the air, crackling and snapping as white light flooded the empty archway in the middle of the room. The image rippled like the surface of a pond after skipping rocks, then stabilized to reveal an image of the Grand College’s auditorium.

  “Merely ask for Shymin once you’re through,” Envesi said.