by Caitlin Seal
“Fine,” Marecen said. “But give me one good reason why we should let her stay.”
Naya forced herself to meet Marecen’s eyes. The girl’s anger pressed in on Naya through the aether. A part of Naya wanted to shout at Marecen. She’d been prepared to die to stop Valn. Wasn’t that enough? Then again, she might have felt just as angry if she were in Marecen’s position. “I know you have plenty of reasons not to trust me,” she said, trying to keep her voice even. “But I swear I’m on your side. I know how Valn’s spy network functions, and I know what he’s planning.”
“Good. See? We’re all on the same side,” Fredricel said. “Why don’t you lot stay here. I’m going to see who else made it out of that riot.”
“You shouldn’t go back out there,” Iselia said, planting her hands on her hips. “What happens if the guards catch you, or if you get stuck in a crowd and your knee goes out?” Her tone was scolding, but there was real worry in her eyes.
“The guards won’t be interested in an old man like me, and my knee will hold out just fine, young lady,” Fredricel said. He donned a floppy brimmed hat, then gave them all a reassuring smile before ducking out the door.
A moment of tense silence fell before Iselia turned to Naya. “Well, Miss Spy, I guess it’s time for you to start talking.”
Naya nodded. “Okay, but this could take a while.”
Naya tried to ignore Marecen’s continued suspicion as she told them everything she could remember about Valn’s plans. The six of them sat in a loose circle next to the couch where Lucia slept. Once Naya finished telling them what she knew, she let the others talk, hoping one of them might have a fresh idea for how to solve the problems she’d been gnawing at ever since she’d learned of Valn’s plans. Corten’s fingers found hers as the conversation wore on. The touch and the memories it kindled were a balm against her growing frustration.
“We have to fight,” Iselia said, for what Naya guessed was the dozenth time. “Anything else is just stalling.”
Corten shook his head. “If we fight now, we lose. We have to start evacuating the undead. If we flee south, maybe we can rally enough support to do something productive. There’s still a chance Banen and Silmar will side against Talmir.”
“What if they don’t?” Marecen asked. “This is our home. And we can’t very well leave everyone behind and hope the Talmirans don’t kill them.”
The conversation was interrupted by the sound of the front door opening. Six sets of eyes turned toward it. Lestare’s hand went to the kitchen knife tucked under his belt, and Iselia reached for something behind the couch.
“Just me,” Fredricel said as he shuffled into the apartment.
Iselia scowled. “Granpap, you were supposed to knock.”
Fredricel waved the comment away. “Knock. It’s my house, you know.”
Iselia crossed her arms and opened her mouth to say something else, but Corten interjected. “What did you find out?”
Fredricel eased into an old rocker by the door. “Nothing good. Captain Terremont still seems to have control of a couple of squads of the city guard, along with eight Talmiran soldiers from the embassy. They’ve got rune pistols and wraith eaters and who knows what else. Talked to a couple of lads in Vistel Square, said they saw the guards take Valn back into the palace. Guess they mean to hole up until reinforcements arrive.”
“What about the rest of the guard?” Lestare asked.
“Scattered. Some are still patrolling the streets, trying to keep folks calm. I think Lieutenant Astenda has set up at the guard station past Hillside Street. She probably isn’t taking orders from Valn, but that doesn’t guarantee she’s on our side either.”
“Did you find anyone else from the Council?” Iselia asked.
“We’ve got about ten folks holed up at Velicia’s shop off Market, and apparently a few more at Jalance’s home. They’d sent out runners to try finding more, but I didn’t want to wait around for them to get back.” He shifted in his chair, scratching the back of one elbow. “It’s looking bad,” he muttered. “No one knows what’s happened to the king or the rest of his advisers. Some folks are saying they’re still in the castle or that they’ve already fled the city or that Valn had them all killed.”
Grim silence fell. Naya looked around the room, then realized everyone else was staring at her. “What?” she asked.
“You’re the one with all the inside knowledge,” Iselia said. “You’ve been sitting there all clammed up. How about a little insight?”
Corten’s fingers squeezed hers and Naya squeezed back. She met the others’ eyes even though she would have rather sunk away through the floorboards and out of sight. “I’m not sure. I—” Everything she’d tried so far had gone horribly wrong. She’d managed to escape the execution, maybe even injure Valn. But apparently that hadn’t been enough to stop his plans. “I think we should go to the Talmiran Embassy,” she said slowly.
“Why there?” Lestare asked, his question mirrored in the others’ expressions.
“Because that’s where Valn did his planning. There still might be something there we can use to prove that Lucia and the others are innocent and that King Allence didn’t violate the treaty.”
“Seems a little late for that,” Fredricel said. “If what you said is true, then we’ve got an army charging our doorstep. I doubt they’ll stop killing us just so we can quibble about proof.”
Naya’s fingers bunched tight in the fabric of her skirt. “It isn’t too late. If we can convince the other Powers this was a setup, they can still force Talmir to back down. Banen’s armada is twice the size of Talmir’s. Their army might not be as big, but it would be more than enough to cause trouble if the bulk of Talmir’s troops have already moved south into Ceramor. Silmar won’t be able to threaten Talmir directly, but they could send troops into Ceramor to protect the cities.” It was the only option she could think of, but it still made her uneasy. Some part of her still thought of Talmir as home. And the people there didn’t deserve to be attacked any more than the Ceramorans did.
“How are we supposed to contact anyone, much less convince them to believe us?” Marecen asked.
“The Banian and Silmaran Embassies are only a few blocks away from the Talmiran one,” Naya said. “Jalance said he thought all the embassies had longscribers linked back to their own governments. If we can break into the Talmiran Embassy, maybe we can find proof of what Valn’s been doing. We’ll take it to the other ambassadors and they can send it out for us.”
“That,” Iselia said after a moment, “is a terrible plan. What’s to say we’ll find anything, or that the people at the embassies will let us in? Even if they do, if the Talmiran Army gets here first, they could take the city before the other Powers have time to do anything more than make threats.”
“Well, I don’t hear you offering anything better,” Naya said.
Iselia shook her head. “I admire what you’re trying to do, but last time there was trouble the other Powers sided with Talmir. What makes you think they won’t do the same again?”
“That was before the treaty. Last time, the other Powers only got involved when it looked like the Mad King would conquer Talmir. They won’t support another war so long as we can make them see that Ceramor hasn’t violated the treaty.” Naya could see the doubt still plain on their faces. She drew in aether, trying to look confident. “I’m going to the embassy. Anyone who wants to come with me is welcome, but I won’t force you.”
“I’ll go,” Corten said.
Naya flashed him a grateful smile.
“Might as well see what’s happening there,” Lestare said with a shrug.
“Are you serious?” Marecen gave her brother a hard look.
“Like she said, we don’t have a better plan.” His expression softened. “Mar, please. I know you’re scared, but we can’t just sit around waiting for Valn’s troops t
o find us.”
Marecen shook her head. “I already watched you die once.”
“I’m not dying again. I’ll be careful. I promise.”
Naya could feel the misery and uncertainty in Marecen’s aether. Finally Marecen looked up and nodded. “All right. But if you get him killed,” she said to Naya, “I swear there will be no safe place left for you to hide.”
Fredricel rubbed his chin. “Well, if you’re all intent on going, give me a few minutes to check the streets and make sure there aren’t any more guards lurking nearby.”
Jessin licked his lips nervously, then shook his head. “I think I should stay here with Lucia.”
Iselia looked between them, then nodded. “I still think it’s a waste of time, but all right. Let’s see if this bastard has any secrets left to hide.”
They scavenged the apartment for anything that might be of use. Iselia found another kitchen knife for Naya and passed Corten an iron poker. Naya hefted the little knife. It wasn’t very sharp, but it would still be better than going to the embassy unarmed. She tried not to sigh as she tucked it into the waist of her skirt. At least her hand had mostly stopped hurting. Lucia had warned her that severing the new bone from her bond might reopen the crack. But so far it seemed she’d gotten lucky on that count.
As the others prepared, Naya found an out-of-the-way spot in the kitchen. She leaned back against the wall and closed her eyes, trying to remember everything she could about the embassy. Valn’s office was on the first floor. Would it be best to go in through the front door or to break one of the office windows? How many people would still be there? Surely Valn would have left a few guards at the embassy. Would her father be there?
“Hey,” Corten said.
Naya’s eyes snapped open and she found him standing just in front of her. “Hi.”
Corten rubbed the back of his neck. “How are you holding up?”
“All right,” Naya said, then shook her head. “No, that’s a lie. I’m terrified.”
“Yeah, me too.”
They were both silent for a moment, and Naya realized for the first time that the rest of the apartment had gone quiet as well. “Where did everyone go?”
“Lucia’s still sleeping, and Jessin is with her. Everyone else went downstairs. Fredricel checked the street. He said there aren’t any patrols around, so if we’re going to do this, we should leave soon.”
Naya nodded and felt a blush creeping up her cheeks. The space between them seemed suddenly smaller, the air sparking with something that longed to jump from her chest to his. “About what happened earlier—” Naya began.
“I think I’m falling in love with you too,” Corten said.
Naya blinked. “Oh.” She paused, stunned. “I thought you said you didn’t really know me.”
Corten smiled. “I’ve seen enough to know you’re a good person. You’re strong and passionate, and what happened at the palace made me realize I don’t want to lose you.”
Naya’s throat tightened. “I don’t want to lose you either.”
“You don’t have to. When all this is done, let’s go somewhere. Anywhere you want, but let’s just get away from all this.” Corten waved at the darkened window, a gesture that seemed to encompass all the chaos and uncertainty brewing in the city beyond.
“What about the glass shop?” Naya asked. Her chest felt like it was expanding, stretching too tight to contain the emotions trapped inside.
Corten glanced at the floor, then drew a deep breath and squared his shoulders. “Like Matius said before, it’s not like it will burn down without me. Besides, I’ve been feeling like it was time for a change for a while. This is probably going to sound stupid, but being around you makes me feel like I’m coming alive again. I hadn’t realized how much I was still hiding from what happened to me. I wasn’t really trying to learn what Matius had to teach, because I still felt like none of it mattered compared with being a necromancer. Maybe someday I can go back and try again. For now, though, I just want to try being alive.”
They weren’t alive. Not really. But Naya’s certainty crumbled when she thought back to the execution platform. For an instant she’d stood facing Valn and she’d seen the fear and shock and anger written on his face. She’d chosen to fight, and in that moment she’d felt more alive than she ever had before. That same surge of joy had echoed when Corten’s lips touched her own. “You know I can’t walk away from what Valn’s done. I have to see this through.”
Corten gave her a lopsided smile. “Then I’ll help.”
“Thank you.” Naya tried to return his smile. By tomorrow they could both be dead, or fleeing from an army they couldn’t fight. It was stupid to hope for anything, but she couldn’t stop herself.
“You’re welcome.”
“I mean thank you for forgiving me. I still don’t feel like I deserve it.”
Corten leaned forward, pressing his forehead against hers. “You do.”
She kissed him again, feeling his arms wrap tight around the small of her back. The world fell away. For a moment Naya thought she could feel Corten’s emotions spiraling through her—hope and fear mingling in an intoxicating rush.
Someone made a loud throat-clearing noise from the kitchen doorway. Corten jerked away, turning and putting his hands behind his back like a schoolboy caught stealing cookies.
Iselia stood scowling with her hands on her hips. “Really?” she asked.
Corten coughed. “I take it everyone’s ready?”
“Everyone else is.” Iselia raised one eyebrow. “Of course, if you two are too busy to help us stop this little war…”
“No,” Naya cut in. “Let’s go.”
Nervous energy filled Naya as she stepped into the cool night air. Her fingers brushed the handle of the kitchen knife at her waist. Hopefully she wouldn’t have to use it.
The others were waiting for them in the dark street behind the house. “Right, good luck,” Fredricel said to Iselia. “It’s quiet here, but I’m guessing that won’t be the case near the embassies. Keep your heads down and try not to get caught.”
“You too,” Iselia said, giving her grandfather a hug.
Fredricel smiled, though his eyes looked misty with worry. “Don’t fret over me.”
They watched him go in solemn silence. After he retreated inside, Naya motioned for the others to follow. They didn’t speak as they slipped from one dark street to the next, avoiding the blue-white glow of the lamps. Naya felt as though the whole city were holding its breath, everyone barricading themselves into their homes until they could see what the morning would bring. She used the aether to guide them around those few people who were still out on the streets.
They were nearing Market Street when the first shouts reached their ears. Naya froze. The shouting was coming from somewhere up ahead—one voice, then more.
“Is that smoke?” Marecen asked.
Naya sniffed the air. She’d been so focused on blocking out the oppressive fear in the aether that she hadn’t noticed the acrid scent on the wind. Her chest tightened. “Come on,” she said.
The smoke thickened as they neared the embassy. Naya quickened her pace, and when she rounded the last corner her steps faltered and her eyes widened.
“Well damn,” Iselia said.
Smoke billowed from the shattered windows of the Talmiran Embassy, illuminated by the flickering orange glow of the fire inside. A small crowd had gathered in front of the burning building. A few looked like they were trying to organize a bucket line from the nearest fountain, but most just stood and stared.
“What now?” Marecen asked. She and her brother came up beside Naya.
“I don’t know,” Naya said, feeling her hopes curl and crumble to ash. Any evidence Valn might have left would soon be consumed by the flames.
“We can still go in,” Corten said. “It’s like the gla
ss in the furnace. So long as we don’t stay too long, the fire shouldn’t damage our bones.”
Lestare nodded. “It could be there is still something worth saving.”
Marecen looked uncertainly at the rest of them. “I can’t go in,” she said.
“But you could go to Velicia’s shop and tell them what’s happening,” Lestare said.
“Or find one of the fire brigades,” Iselia said with a wary look at the embassy. “The last thing we need is to have the whole city burning down before the Talmirans even get here.”
Marecen looked at Lestare. “You sure you’re okay with going in there?”
Lestare smiled. “I’ll be fine. You go get us some help.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll keep an eye on him,” Iselia said.
“What about you?” Corten asked Naya.
Naya looked back at the blaze. Only a minute or so had passed, but already the flames looked like they were growing brighter. “If we’re going to do this, we need to go now.” She took a moment to describe the layout of the embassy, and then the four of them headed toward the crowd. Marecen moved in the opposite direction in search of help.
The crowd around the fire was growing slowly, and Naya had to shove with her elbows to get through.
“Hey!” someone called, trying to grab her as she broke into the open and started for the embassy’s front door.
“Stay out of the way!” Iselia shouted back. “And go get some water, for Creator’s sake.”
Naya didn’t wait to see if the stranger complied. This close she could feel the heat against her face. The flames growled like a hungry beast. She couldn’t see the telltale glow of aether around the front door. If there’d been any runes there, the fire had already damaged them beyond function.
“Okay,” Corten said. “Move fast, don’t let your clothes catch fire, and try to keep your bones away from the flames. If they start to hurt, get out of there.”