When we finally reached the archway to the Peony apartment, I was sick with the sight of guards hacked to death,
servant women struggling under soldiers, and old men kicked into bloody pulp. Even Ryko, who had to be more hardened to such things, was pale, murmuring, 'Wr cannot slop, we cannot stop.'
The Peony courtyard was empty, the quiet manicured garden an abrupt contrast to the screaming, wailing horrors we had just passed. I leaned against the stone wall of the arch, pressing my hand against my chest to steady my gasps for air and hold down the heavy sickness rising from my belly. Beside me, Ryko surveyed the way across to the apartment. He suddenly stiffened.
'No,' he breathed.
I followed his gaze. The garden was not empty There was a body slumped on the far gravel path — a body in female clothes. Lady Dela? I grabbed the stone archway, the terrible possibility buckling my legs.
Ryko ran across the garden to the dark shape, with no thought for cover. By the time I reached him, he was on his knees, bowed over the body, his back heaving. I dropped to my knees, half afraid to look at her dead face. It was plump, oval, young…not Lady Dela. Ryko smiled at me, panting in hollow gasps of relief. I couldn't help smiling back; may our callous joy be forgiven.
Ryko gently passed his hand over the maid's face, closing her glassy eyes. We both looked up at the silent apartment. The night lamps had been lit, but there was no movement. No sense of life. Was Lady Dela in there?
'I must check it,' Ryko said roughly. He scanned the garden then pointed to the grove of ornamental trees near the pond. 'You take cover in there. And wait for my signal.'
I touched his arm. 'No, I'll go too,' I said.
'Don't be foolish. You cannot be risked.'
'But what if she's….'
He looked at me sideways. 'You think me too soft to do my duty?'
'I didn't mean that.'
He sighed. 'No, I know what you meant. It was a kind thought but you must stay behind.'
I did not like it, but I obeyed. The screen panel doors of the formal reception room had been left wide open. Even from my position behind the trees, it was obvious that Sethon's men had ransacked the place. The low table was upended and Master Quidan's beautiful scroll of the dragon had been torn from its alcove. I watched as Ryko edged his way into the room. He paused for a moment, studying the mess, then disappeared from view. I wrung the edge of the Story Robe into a tight twist, trying to curb the impulse to run in after him. Finally, he reappeared in the doorway and beckoned.
'She's not here,' he said as I joined him inside the ruined reception room. 'The place is empty Either she has been taken by Sethon, or she's hiding somewhere, waiting for us.'
His face showed the same tense mix of relief and anxiety that was surging through me.
'I don't know Lady Dela as well as you, Ryko,' I said. 'But it seems to me that if she was able, she would leave us some kind of message.'
Affection briefly softened his face. 'And even if she was in danger, she would enjoy making it as subtle as possible.'
I picked up the torn Quidan masterpiece and laid it carefully on the bureau. 'Let us hope it has survived all this damage.'
'If I were her, I would place it somewhere you would return to,' Ryko said, pacing across the room. 'Maybe near something that is dear to you.'
'There are only two things in this place that are dear to me,' I said. 'My ancestors' death plaques. They're in my bedchamber.'
I led Ryko through the apartment, noting that none of the flickering wall lamps had been smashed. Whoever had gone through the place had wanted enough light to do a thorough job.
Every room we passed had been ransacked: presses hanging open, linen strewn on the floor, broken cups and bowls, baskets
upended, bedrolls opened and lying askew, There were also two more bodies, but Ryko stopped me from going to them, murmuring that he had already checked, My bedchamber was more of the same devastation, The hed was stripped, the opulent linen ripped and strewn about. The bureau doors were smashed or torn from their hinges, precious porcelain lying in pieces on the floor. Barely glancing at the ruins, I crossed straight to the altar. It was the only thing untouched — even rampaging soldiers would not risk angering the spirits.
Lady Dela had gambled on that fear and won: a copy of her translation of Lady jila's Summer Poems was next to the offering bowls, undamaged. The scroll was tied with a ribbon strung with a large black pearl — the pearl that usually hung from Lady Dela's throat.
I snatched up the parchment and slid the ribbon off the end.
'I am not fast with my letters,' Ryko said, looking over my shoulder. 'What does it say?'
'One of the poems has been marked with a crescent moon. The title is "A Lady Sits in the Shadows of Her Room and Sighs with Love".'
'She's in the harem. In her house,' Ryko said. He scooped up the ribbon and pearl from my hand and carefully folded them into the pouch at his waist.
'How did you get that from the title?'
'She told me that Lady Jila wrote that poem for her.' He cleared his throat. About her.'
I nodded. 'So we go to the harem.'
Ryko's laugh was hollow. 'You say that as though it is a trip to the market. The harem has the best fortifications in the palace. And it holds a most precious jewel that Sethon will be keen to get his hands on.'
For a moment I did not understand. 'You mean the second Prince.'
'Sethon is a traditionalist,' Ryko said drily. 'He will not want either Prince alive. But there is a chance that our men got the little Prince and the women out of the palace. Lady Dela could be with them.'
I studied his grim face. '%u don't think they got out, do you?'
Ryko looked around the silent room. 'There are no soldiers left here on watch. All the palace occupants have been rounded up into the larger courtyards. I think all available manpower is being directed elsewhere. It's my guess that Sethon is attempting to breach the harem.'
I looked around the wrecked chamber, suddenly overwhelmed by the odds against us. 'Then how are we going to get into it?' My voice sounded very small.
'With the goodwill of the gods,' Ryko said. And a lot of luck.'
I had as much faith in the gods and good fortune as the next person, but we needed more than that. We needed an army Since that was not available, we at least needed more weapons. And I needed the rage and whispering voice of an ancient Dragoneye. I turned to the rack against the wall, readying myself for the spike of fury that always came with touching the swords.
This time I would not ignore their advice.
The brackets were empty
'They're gone.' Stupidly, I waved my hand through the space, as if it would make them suddenly appear again. 'Someone's taken my swords.' I searched around the rack then lifted the mounds of linen on the floor. They were definitely gone.
Ryko grunted. 'It's not surprising. They would be worth a lot to a soldier. We'll find you a sword on the way'
'But you don't understand. They…' How could I explain that the swords told me how to fight?
That without their rage and knowledge, I was only a cripple who knew a few ceremonial forms.
'Come on, we have one more chance,' he said, starting for the door.
I forced myself to step away from the rack — there was nothing I could do about their loss.'
You've got a plan?'
'I've always got a plan,' he laid.
'Wait.'
Although I had lost the brilliant fury of the Dragoneye swords, I could at least have the consolation of my ancestors' death plaques. I snatched up the thin wooden tablets and forced them in between the tight folds of my breast-band. Perhaps these women, these unknown forebears, would protect me. And if that failed, then perhaps whoever found my body would bury me under the emblems of my ancestors.
CHAPTER 22
I wrinkled my nose against the smell of decaying plants and peered into the small tunnel.
'Is this it?' I whispered. 'Is this the C
oncubines' Gate?'
I remembered the Prince — the Pearl Emperor — whispering to me about it, his bawdy grin turning to embarrassment. Had his guards got him away in time? Was he safe? I touched the plaques at my breast; let him be safe, I prayed. As if in answer, the pearls around my arm lifted and settled.
Ryko crouched in front of the grate and cleared more of the vegetation away.
'It's a hidden emergency bolt hole. What did you expect?'
'It looks like a drain.'
'Exactly'
I laid down the heavy sword that Ryko had taken from a dead soldier two courtyards back, and helped him pull away the tightly wound vines. He had also taken the dead man's leather armour. An old ruse, but a good one,' he'd said as he tightened the fastenings around his waist and pressed the tough leather helmet on his head. A good ruse for him — too bad there was no armour small enough to make me a convincing soldier.
'None of these vines are broken. No one's been through this exit,' I whispered. Were the ladies all still in the harem?
'No, they wouldn't have come out here,' Ryko said. 'The tunnel has another exit futher along, beyond the palace walls near the river. The ladies would be escorted straight through to the royal barges.'
He carefully rolled the grate aside. The metal ground across the stone. We both tensed at the sound, listening for signs of curiosity from the small troop of soldiers stationed near the Gate of Officials. Ryko had been right — Sethon was throwing most of his manpower at the harem.
It had taken us over a half bell to carefully circumvent the build-up of soldiers around the women's sanctuary and then another half bell to get to the far west wall. The strain was beginning to tell on my body, and my nerves felt so thinly stretched that madness seemed only another hacked body or shrieking maid away.
'The escort guards should have already lit the lamps along the passage, but just in case…' He drew out two candles from his waist pouch, passing them to me. Then he unbundled a clay dish from a wrap of leather and picked out a striker. His sap powder trick.
'There are five steps down into the tunnel,' he said. 'Keep close to me.'
I picked up my borrowed sword and, bending double, followed him into the stinking hole.
Five slimy steps. And damp, cold air. Ryko tugged at my sleeve, leading me further into the darkness. We turned corners, at least it seemed we did — I had lost all sense of direction. The rough stone floor suddenly softened under my feet.
'Here,' he breathed.
I sensed him squatting down to the floor and heard the scrape of the striker. Light flared. My eyes scrunched shut against the sudden brightness. Ryko tapped my arm.
'Candles. Quick.'
I held them out, blinking at the tiny flame in the dish. Ryko quickly lit the wicks then the sap powder flittered into tiny wisps of smoke. As he passed me one of the candles, its light shimmered across gold and turquoise. My breath caught. The tunnel was no longer a slimy drain. Intricate tilework covered the walls and curved across the ceiling in patterns of gold-edged flowers and fruit. Rich blue carpets were laid end on end along the narrow corridor. It was still cold and damp, but a heavy perfume scented the air.
'It's beautiful,' I whispered. I looked down at the thick floor coverings. 'How is it the carpets do not rot?'
Ryko gave an amused snort. 'I believe they are replaced every month.' He studied the rugs.
'No one has been through here,' he said slowly 'No marks on the carpet. No lamps lit.' He collected the clay dish and bundled it into his pouch. 'Something has gone wrong with the evacuation.'
'Couldn't they have got out another way?'
He chewed on his lower lip. 'The Scholars' Gate, maybe.' He stood up. 'If we are separated, get back to this tunnel and follow it straight through to the river. There is a man waiting with a boat. He will take you to safety' He saw my reluctance. 'Do you understand? You must not be taken.' J
I nodded, and kept my face under better control.
We walked in silence, our footsteps lost in the thick pile of the carpets and our candlelight catching the inlaid gold and blue gloss of the tiles like sunlight across water. Every so often, Ryko paused and held his small flame against an oil lamp set into the wall, creating pockets of light behind us.
'For our return journey' he said.
How did he keep such courage and spirit? I raised my eyes to the vivid ceiling. Above us was an army, headed by a ruthless general intent on claiming the throne and supported by a madman with the power of an Ascendant dragon. What could wc do against them? Images of Lord Tyron's body and I lollin's slack face made my throat burn with a sudden rise of bile. Were all the Dragoneyes and their apprentices now dead? There was perhaps one who had survived: Dillon. And, ol course, me.
Poor Dillon. Could his survival wreck Ido's plans for the String of Pearls? Did not all those connected to a dragon have to die before it could be created? I sighed. My problem was, as it had always been, lack of knowledge. I just did not know enough about the power of the Dragoneyes. I patted the red folio, reassuring myself that it was still held tight against my arm. Hopefully, Lady Dela would soon find the most important piece of knowledge in it. If we found Lady Dela.
Suddenly the earth shivered under my feet. A rumbling boom resonated through the tunnel as though the earth itself was moaning in pain. I ducked as dust spun into the air, catching in my throat.
'What in Shola's name was that?' Ryko said, his sword half drawn.
I coughed, trying to clear the dust. An earthshake?'
He peered back the way we had come. 'Maybe. Come on, I will feel better when we are out of the ground.'
We moved on. Finally, Ryko raised his candle and pointed upwards. A thick gold band curved across the ceiling and down each wall. It reminded me of the Imperial audience line in the ceremonial courtyard.
'This marks the harem wall,' he said. 'We are almost there.'
We passed under the gold boundary without another word. Ryko quickened his pace and I dug into deep reserves of energy to break into an awkward trot behind him. My sword seemed to weigh as much as a man. Ryko lengthened his stride and I pushed myself into a run. The muffled sound of our feet and my rasping pants were the only sound in the passage. And then Ryko stopped, making me swerve around him to slow down. The carpet had abruptly given way again to rough stone.
I bent double over the sword and sucked in deep wheezing breathis.
'Maybe it would be best for you to stay here while I find Lady Dela,' Ryko said, watching my struggle.
I shook my head. 'I will not stay' I managed between gasps.
'I could make you stay'
I straightened, my breathing easier. 'I will keep up. Have I not so far?'
'You have,' he conceded. 'But I have a feeling that something has gone very wrong up there.'
He cast a worried glance upwards. 'We'll come up in a service alley on the outer edge. Keep hidden until I make sure it is clear.'
He lit a lamp in the wall beside him then blew out his candle, tucking it back into the pouch under the armour. He took my candle and gave one quick nod.
After we had turned two sharp corners, Ryko took my hand and placed it on his shoulder, then blew out my candle too. I stumbled behind him in the near pitch black, trying to match my small uneven steps to his long strides. We made another turn and I saw dull grey light, a sliced circle high in the darkness. For a few steps, I could not work out what it was, and then the slices made sense. Bars. It was another grate. Beneath it, the planes and shadows of a steep staircase. And then the distant sounds of screams and wails penetrated the silence.
Were we too late?
Ryko lunged forwards and climbed the steps using hands and feet. He crouched at the top, peering through the grate and blocking most of the dim light in the passage. Feeling my way along the wall, I found the first step and crawled up beside him.
Beyond the bars, the alley was stacked with trader chests and hessian-covered bales that blocked the view of the square. There was
no way of knowing what lay ahead, but at least we would have some cover when we emerged. Ryko gripped two parallel bars and slowly shifted the grate out of its niche. It hit the stone
paving of the alley with a dull chink and thudded against the outside wall. We both froze, waiting loi shouts of disovery.
After a few breathless moments, Ryko eased out into the open. I handed my sword through, then followed. We were in a dead end, the Concubines' Gate set low into the stone wall of an official-looking building. As Ryko fitted the grate back into place, I crept to the edge of the nearest bale stack and watched the mouth of the alley The high-pitched screaming was much closer than I'd thought; the stone walls of the passage had muffled the terrible sound. Then something moved between the next two stacks. A man's hand, the dull brown of quilted armour and a flash of sword steel. I pulled back, flattening against the bale. Ryko grabbed my arm and swung me behind him.
He glared down at me. 'Where? How many?' he mouthed.
I pointed to the stack and held up one finger then shrugged; I had only seen one, but perhaps there were more. He pulled out a knife and jerked his head at the grate, pushing me towards it.
Then he edged into the alley.
I waited a beat before creeping back to the corner of the bale. Ryko was crouched a few lengths ahead on the near side of the second stack, his head cocked, listening. I held my breath, straining to hear too.
Something stirred. Ryko was moving before I even recognised it as steel scraping stone. He slammed his shoulder into the top bale, sending it plummeting between the stacks. It landed with a thud, mingled with a stifled yelp. The cry propelled Ryko over the remaining bales, his knife angled for a deadly down thrust. The stack rocked. Gasps of hard struggle made me step forwards. The bales shivered again and then the clanging ring of a dropped sword. Was it done? But there was still scuffling. And then a fierce, pained whisper.
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