Sworn to Sovereignty

by Terah Edun

  As she finished, Ciardis said bitterly, “We can’t go to war, not now.”

  Sebastian winced. “I’m fairly sure war is horrible at any time, love.”

  Ciardis leveled a healthy glare at him and he winced again.

  “You know, never mind,” Sebastian quipped. “I’m sure it’ll be just fine. Let’s go to war.”

  Ciardis sighed and buried her face in her hands once more as she waited for some news. Any good news.

  It just was not her week.

  Ciardis looked up at Thanar and back down at Sebastian. “What are we going to do?” she asked in horror. “We have an emperor who wants to kill us, a god that is soon going to be on a rampage, and a dragon empire which I’m quite sure will be bracing for international war within the coming days.”

  “Not to mention the fact that you owe your soul to an assassin who has turned into something that even a dragon gives a wide berth,” Sebastian said in a quip.

  Ciardis closed her eyes in a rush. “Not funny. Not funny at all.”

  “Sorry,” he said, abashed.

  Thanar, on the other hand, laughed.

  Ciardis looked up and glared at him.

  Thanar shook his head gently at her. “Don’t worry, golden eyes, we’ve been in worse situations. So tell me more about that part where you said you loved us.”

  Ciardis groaned and muttered something uncomplimentary. “I’m never going to live that down, am I?”

  “Never,” said Sebastian.

  “Nope,” said Thanar solemnly.

  24

  It was an hour later and Jason SaAlgardis had made his people check all the abandoned buildings in the underground city. If Raisa was still there, she was well and truly camouflaged, which in Ciardis’s eyes could only mean one thing, she had really left.

  So the Weathervane did the only thing she could in that situation. She went to investigate what it was exactly the dragon had meant by a ‘surprise at the gates’. Terris and Sebastian in tow, Ciardis was relieved to see Jason SaAlgardis conferring with what looked like four guards when they topped the ridge overlooking the city.

  That was just about the only thing that went right from the moment they got up there, though.

  Jason nodded to his men and sent them off with a jerk of his chin as he approached the prince heir, Terris, and Ciardis.

  “Your daemoni was nice enough to do a quick survey of the open-air dome for the city,” SaAlgardis said when they strode up to him.

  Ciardis peered up the along the outer shafts that lined the wall until they reached the dome with its circular pockets carved directly into the rock that sheltered the subterranean city from prying eyes. Ciardis assumed the pockets, big enough for a man to climb in, brought fresh air into and out of the city below. As she watched, Thanar dove out of one pocket like a black swallow, banked his wings and flew up into a new one with a speed that belied his size.

  “What’s he looking for?” Sebastian asked as he too peered up at Thanar’s form.

  Jason sighed. “Spies.”

  Terris looked over at Jason with impatience on her face. “And what about Raisa? She may be small in her huge form, but she’s much too large to fly up there to escape to the surface.”

  “Come with me,” Jason said, and led them over to a side tunnel that Ciardis would have easily overlooked because of the cliff overhang that sheltered the entrance.

  “This,” Jason said, “is what your dragon friend was referring to when she said to inspect what the Duchess of Carne had done.”

  Ciardis frowned and moved forward to drag a finger though what looked like rusty red water soaking into the rock. As soon as she touched the substance, however, she knew it was no water. The viscosity alone would have told her this was blood. But the feeling was also unmistakable.

  Looking back at Jason, Ciardis said, “There was a fight here. Maybe a death?”

  The man nodded with his hands looped on the belt at his waist. “This is where we found several of the duchess’s women trying to climb out through secret tunnels with sealed plans for the city in their grips.”

  “Trying?” said Terris. “What happened?”

  “Plans?” Sebastian asked carefully at the same time.

  Jason nodded at them both. “Plans that would have given away our position, the magical reinforcements that shield and protect the city, and a detailed listing of the numbers of people in the rebellion,” he said in a frustrated voice.

  He continued, in answer to Terris’s question, “Some were dead when we got here. Others were either already dying or trying to still escape with enough cuts and bruises to at least tell me they had a painful climb ahead of them. Don’t know yet by who, but I have my suspicions. Can’t say I’m sorry, not when it was clear that the duchess and her people intended to either sell those plans to the highest bidder or betray us to the emperor.”

  “Why would she want to betray you?” Ciardis asked. “There is no value. You’re both on the same team and accomplish nothing if set apart.”

  Jason shook his head and said in a bitter tone, “That’s what we thought as well, but this Shadow Council is proving shiftier than a night eel in a black lake.”

  Sebastian frowned. “What do you mean?”

  Jason said dryly, “Well, sire, if I didn’t know firsthand that the Shadow Council hates the no-good maniac emperor that you call father more than the rebellion does, I’d say they’d been cooking up this plan all along to double-cross us to the emperor’s agents.”

  “What do they get out of it?” Terris asked as she walked up to the tunnel entrance and looked around.

  Jason frowned. “Power, loyalty, and leverage with the emperor. Not to mention a reward. What more do they need?”

  “As far as I can tell, the Shadow Council is made up of some of the empire’s most powerful and influential nobles,” Ciardis said. “So they already have all those things—in spades. Why would they need more?”

  Jason and Sebastian exchanged understanding glances.

  Slowly Sebastian said, “Cultivating connections and power are never a bad thing in the imperial courts, Ciardis.”

  Ciardis dismissed his comments with a wave. “Of course not. But to risk such a breach of confidence with allies that they’ve been trying to win over for months? For what—something they already possess? I don’t think so. There must be more.”

  Jason spluttered but said nothing substantive.

  Ciardis turned a contemplative gaze on him. “When you said you caught the duchess’s people, what happened? Do you have some in custody?”

  “May I?” said Terris delicately as she pointed to the entrance.

  SaAlgardis jerked his head in acceptance. Terris dipped into the dark, narrow tunnels. Ciardis had no idea what she was looking for, as she doubted Jason’s men had missed much.

  Jason SaAlgardis answered defensively, “The two that lived decided they’d rather fight us than be caught and were killed in the struggle. A third was incinerated on the spot thanks to the ambassador’s timely need for a little in-flight exercise.”

  “And the fourth?” Ciardis asked.

  “He escaped, ma’am,” Jason said with hardened eyes. “But not to worry, we will find him.”

  “How?” asked Sebastian in a firm voice.

  “We’ll send search parties and have people at every tunnel connection and exit,” Jason said. “He may have gotten in quickly, but it’ll take days for him to find his way out. When he does, we’ll be waiting.”

  Terris’s voice wafted out of the tunnel. “Ummm, that might not be necessary. I think I found them. Come see.”

  Ciardis looked to the rebel leader, but he didn’t look the least bit surprised.

  “You’ll need to see that one for yourself. I haven’t confirmed its origin but we all suspect it,” Jason simply said in a respectful manner.

  Sebastian nodded. “Well, why don’t we get this over with?”

  Terris peeked out of the tunnel with an expressive face. She raised
her eyebrows and said, “This can wait, but we really have other things to do thanks to you lot, so please get a move on.”

  Ciardis felt her lips twitch. Only Terris could simultaneously chastise and mock while being nice about it. They walked in. The first thing Ciardis saw when her eyes adjusted to the darkness was a rock that had her jumping back a few inches with her heart leaping out of her chest.

  “What is that?” she shrieked.

  “A warning,” said a soldier as he slipped by her, oblivious to just how panic-inducing the statue actually was.

  Ciardis spluttered as she eyed what looked like a striking snake carved out of rock hanging from overhead. She didn’t dare touch it. It reminded her too much of a snake back during her Patron games which had been stone-still…until it wasn’t.

  Luckily, Sebastian happened to have been right behind her when she jumped back, and his steady hands at her waist were the gentle push she needed to get back to business. Judging by the banal response of the soldier who had answered her question, no one else had seen her actions thanks to the darkness. So Ciardis walked forward again with her chin in the air as she tried to inspect whatever it was that Terris wanted them to see.

  She marched forward with determination not to frighten so easily again. The next second she banged her high forehead against a jagged stalactite and cried out.

  This time Terris answered, “Sorry, watch the rocks! They hang low in some places. Even for you, Ciardis.”

  Ciardis leveled a glare that she knew her best friend couldn’t see and shouted, “Is that a comment about my height?”

  Her tone was outraged.

  Terris’s voice, however, was highly amused when she was replied, “You’re shorter than a gnome, Ciardis Weathervane.”

  “I am not!” the Weathervane replied.

  At least three men, including Jason, his man and Sebastian, replied just as quickly. “Yes, you are.”

  Ciardis sniffed and jerked out of the grip Sebastian still had on her waist, stalking forward while rubbing her temple in irritation.

  She didn’t bother replying to the offensive chorus behind her, but she did make sure to duck low to avoid any more dangerous collisions in the future.

  It didn’t take long to find Terris and see for themselves what had her in such a tizzy.

  When the cave got to glowing and Ciardis could really see what it was that all the fuss was about, her jaw dropped.

  Quietly she said, “What is this? A warning as well?”

  Ciardis’s voice was directed at the mysterious soldier in front of her, but Jason SaAlgardis answered, “No.”

  “Why not?” Ciardis asked as she walked around the object, fascinated.

  “Because, Lady Companion Weathervane,” the old soldier said with a dead sigh, “this we didn’t have carved as a warning to outsiders. The striking snake rock was meant to keep individuals residing in the underground city from using the tunnels to sneak up to the surface and potentially blowing our cover.”

  Sebastian said, “Hmmm, an interesting tactic. Usually such elaborate measures would be taken to keep people from getting in.”

  Ciardis heard the pride in Jason’s tone as he replied, “Not necessary, sir. The entrances to the underground city are few and far between. Not many know it’s here, and for those that find a way to get inside…our preventative measures are extreme.”

  “More extreme than turning someone into stone?” Ciardis heard Terris ask, aghast.

  “Not quite,” the old soldier replied. “But certainly quite permanent.”

  Ciardis hummed. “So this…this man. He was alive at some point recently?”

  “Within the last half hour,” Jason SaAlgardis confirmed.

  Ciardis laughed. “Good joke. Really good one.”

  She didn’t doubt the magical ability to accomplish this feat. What she doubted was a person’s ability to accomplish it in the time that was set.

  “No joke, my lady,” Jason said with serious bluster.

  Ciardis said in a faint voice, “But that’s impossible. You said you saw this man alive less than an hour ago and running into the tunnel. There’s not enough magical skill in the world to petrify someone within minutes.”

  “I’m afraid there is, ma’am,” Jason said in a troubled voice. “I wouldn’t want to wish this fate on anyone, but it is clear from the expression on this man’s face that he did not see this coming. He was surprised. He was afraid. Those are not the emotions of someone who planned to execute this himself or with someone else.”

  Blinking, Terris waved a hand and said, “All right, forgetting the creepy suggestion that this was a form of suicide…are you saying some other person did this to him?”

  Jason looked at her impassively.

  Terris shrugged and looked around with waving hands. “Am I wrong here, guys? Did no one else think this just might be an eerie but naturally-passing magical phenomena? Stranger things have happened in Algardis.”

  “But not in Sandrin,” Jason SaAlgardis said in a firm voice. “I would know, I’ve lived here long enough. I’ve also studied these tunnels for quite a while during training missions.”

  What kind of missions? Ciardis wondered.

  Aloud, Ciardis asked, “So what are you saying, Jason?”

  The man looked directly at her. “That this spy was murdered, and not by one of my own men.”

  “Could it have been Raisa?” Ciardis asked while wincing.

  “No,” Jason SaAlgardis said. “She was busy herself. Too busy to notice one man fleeing into the tunnels.”

  Sebastian crouched down and picked at the rubble at the man’s feet.

  When he stood up he had something long and thin in his hand as he asked, “What’s this?”

  “If I may, sir?” the soldier said.

  Sebastian handed the object over and watched as the man turned it around and around in his hand.

  Surprised, the soldier looked up from studying it and said, “It looks like paper.”

  Jason strode forward eagerly. “The plans?”

  “Perhaps, sir,” the man said in a doubtful tone.

  “All right,” said Terris. “But even if they aren’t. There only four traitors. Two are dead, one is ash and the other is stone. Which means your city plans are safe, are they not?”

  “I’d prefer not to guess about a matter so important,” Jason said stiffly. “If those plans got into the wrong hands, my entire strategy would be compromised alongside the fate of the followers.”

  “Right,” Terris said with irritation in her voice. “I didn’t mean to be flippant.”

  “But you were,” pointed out the soldier.

  “But,” Terris said with a long glare at the soldier, “they’ll need more than a map to get into here. If none of your men have the plans and neither does stone-face here, who does?”

  There was an uncomfortable silence.

  Then Sebastian said, “Whoever murdered this poor man here.”

  Ciardis spoke up to the group at large. “I don’t mean to be rude, and I know this plan is of paramount importance, but we can’t chase ghosts because we assume they exist. We need to set things in motion. We need to know how many people you have, how useful they are, and what will happen next.”

  When she finished, Ciardis turned to look at Jason. She saw the seriousness on his face.

  He nodded and said, “I think it’s far past time that we have a meeting of the minds.”

  Ciardis nodded and looked over at Sebastian, who seemed to be fascinated with poking the stone-solid flesh of the man who had set this mad chase in motion.

  Sebastian turned around and said, “Before we go, do you have a suspicion of who the murderer was?”

  Jason SaAlgardis hesitated, but he would never ignore a direct question from the prince heir of the realm.

  The hesitance was obvious in his voice as he said, “The woman you call Vana Cloudbreaker was seen heading this way. No one saw her enter the tunnel as we all had our hands full, but after
the fight she was nowhere to be seen, and neither was the stone gentleman she left behind.”

  25

  Sebastian nodded with a thoughtful look on his face. “Let’s go back.”

  They walked outside the cavern, which was much larger than Ciardis had thought possible previously, into what passed as the midday sunlight in the underground city. Everyone was silent and contemplative.

  For Ciardis’s part, she was contemplating the headache of an assassin-gone-mad and a dragon-turned-rogue in a city that seemed primed to explode.

  Someone just needs to light the fuse, Ciardis thought with dread as she looked over her belowground refuge. The kegs of blasting liquid are already set.

  It reminded her perversely of the city in the sky during the Initiate Wars. It was something a few thought were fairytales, but most who had some history with the wars knew was very possible. The stories passed down from old warriors to their children included the tale of a floating city in the early centuries of the Algardis Empire. A beautiful city with forests and waterfalls and people galore. A city ruled by fools who had thought that stockpiling fire fuel in canisters as they prepared to rain them down on enemies below was a good idea.

  That city had exploded with a fury that had darkened the skies for days after.

  Ciardis didn’t know how that blaze of glory had come about, but she was having visions of Sandrin falling in a similar manner. It made her queasy to think about as she looked up at the domed rock above them. It didn’t even really matter if the city went to hell while she was underground. What mattered was the innocent people, victims of circumstance, who would be caught in its fiery wake.

  People like the bookbinder’s daughter, Ciardis thought bitterly.

  If Sandrin came crashing down, she knew the wars that had been seen during the Initiates time would seem like a cakewalk compared to what they were seeing now.

  They weren’t facing down gods, Ciardis thought with a bit of bitterness. Just mortal men and their assumptions. And even then, the empire took decades to recover from the excess and fallout from their battles.