by Jasmine Walt
Lukan shrugged dismissively, wishing he knew where Dmitri was going with all this. “Most people have no interest in reading. You said it yourself—even you, the great Dmitri, chose fun over lessons.”
Dmitri looked at Lukan through hooded eyes. “Hidden in the far reaches of your empire are scholars and scientists, held against their will and forced to work on nightmarish projects designed to entrench your rule for another four hundred years.”
Lukan tried for another dismissive shrug, but this one was harder to justify. “How else can one be expected to keep an empire this size from falling apart?”
“So you admit it is not through choice that your subjects wear the Avanov yoke?”
Lukan shifted in his seat, not wanting to think about the thousands of people imprisoned in Zakar satrapy —scientists, miners, factory hands—who created the empire’s technological marvels. “What has any of this got to do with me reading a book?”
“Everything.” Dmitri tapped the book again. “If you wish to discover the truths about yourself contained herein, then you must first share the knowledge in your archives and in your secret laboratories with the rest of mankind.”
Lukan’s eyes bulged as if Dmitri were insane. “If I did that, everyone would have the weapons and advantages we have. It would be like before the Burning. We’d lose the empire.”
“And would that be so bad?”
Lukan snorted his derision. “You’re as crazy as my father. Why should I listen to you? I don’t even know what you are.”
Dmitri continued as if Lukan hadn’t spoken. “Since your earliest childhood, you have lived in fear of your father’s fists and ridicule, but even amid all your anguish and hate, you have always had hope—hope that one day he will die, and you will be free.”
Dmitri would speak openly of that humiliation? Lukan’s whole body burned. He lashed out a wild punch, catching Dmitri on his solid chest.
Without shifting an inch, Dmitri grabbed Lukan’s hand and pressed it to his heart. “Enough with the violence, Crown Prince. It is not in your nature, and it does not serve you.”
Feeling like a complete idiot, Lukan pulled his hand away. “I don’t discuss my father’s abuse with strangers.”
“I am afraid that, tonight, there is no subject we will not discuss.”
Lukan eyed the door, considering leaving. But there was too much that he didn’t understand about this apparition to flee just yet.
“What hope is there for your countrymen?” Dmitri asked. “For four hundred years, Chenayans have lived with the cruelest abuse, without recourse to mercy or justice. When your father dies, what then, Lukan? Must they endure another four hundred years of despair?”
Lukan squirmed, hating that Dmitri made perfect sense. But all the suffering in the world was not enough to outweigh Lukan’s longing to rule, to prove that he was not the weakling his father always claimed him to be. He hedged. “What’s in it for me, if I throw open my archives and give away the empire?”
“The chance to go down in history, not just as one more Avanov dictator but as the man who brought freedom to the world. The man Dmitri the Seer prophesied about.”
Lukan could be the man prophesied about? Was it possible? Was that how the curse worked? Lukan had no answers, but to be known as a hero, not a failure, carried an enormous appeal. He licked his lips, wishing it could be true. He had to know more. “Then what about Lynx? How does she fit into all this?”
Dmitri took a moment to steeple his fingers. “Lynx stands at a crossroads. The direction she takes depends entirely on you. If you do as I ask and share your precious books, she will be free of the imperative of my curse. It will enable her to follow a path of her own choosing, unfettered by duty—and oaths. If her father knew her true circumstances here, he, too, would release her from all other obligations.”
Lukan had no idea what Dmitri was talking about with his mention of oaths. Still, as much as it grated, he was wise enough to surmise that Lynx would never willingly give herself to him, no matter how much he wooed her. He wondered if her path would take her back to Norin, or would the allure of his cousin be enough to keep her in Cian?
To forever taunt me.
Dmitri’s voice pulled him back to the present.
“Crown Prince, if, on the other hand, you choose to continue as an Avanov emperor, you will force Lynx onto the path of destruction I prophesied of, in which your life is forfeit.” Dmitri’s voice firmed. “I know it seems unfair, but either way, Chenaya and the empire will be free. How that happens is up to you. Will you go down in history as the hero who changed the world, or will that honor belong to your son?”
Any doubts Lukan had about Dmitri being real vanished. Not even Felix would create a scene so horrifying or so seditious. Was this why generations of crown princes and emperors had suffered the Norin to live? Dmitri haunting them with guilt and ruinous consequences?
“You bastard. This is perfect blackmail!” Lukan stood and began to pace. “Either way, I lose. How can you say you support human choice when you’ve painted me into this corner?”
“What did you want, Lukan? A smorgasbord of options? You still have choice, with consequences. Be thankful. It is more than most of your subjects can claim.”
Lukan took a deep breath. “Okay, if I believe you, then let’s look at this logically—”
“Good idea,” Dmitri interrupted. “The logical place to start is with the high-born. You can begin by revealing to them that their precious emeralds and sapphires are monitoring devices. Their anger will be distraction enough for you to breach Felix’s lair. Once you deactivate the guardsmen’s gemstones, the empire will begin to crumble.”
All Lukan could see was chaos and death—his. “The only distraction will be the high-born impaling me on a stake for being an Avanov. I might as well hand the keys to the armory over to Lynx and the rest of the Norin.”
Dmitri frowned with disapproval. “Dismantling this empire was never going to be easy, but you do not have to do it alone. Commit yourself to the course, and I will help you. Legions of the dead will rally to your side. Not even your father, with all his armies, will stay our hands.”
Lukan clicked his tongue, not ready to believe in ghostly armies. As it was, he was struggling to come to terms with a ghostly Dmitri who expected him to throw away his empire. “And what about Felix?”
“You will find out soon enough, if you have the courage to act.”
Lukan couldn’t resist a wry smile. “I guess it doesn’t take much imagination to figure it out.”
His lackluster tone prompted Dmitri to say, “As I’ve already said, I knew you long before you came into mortality. Then, you had the courage to do the right thing for your people. It was why you were chosen for the task.” Dmitri’s voice took on a quiet urgency. “Even now, Nicholas waits in the wings. Unless you follow the course I offer you, his birth is unavoidable. The day you consummate your marriage, he will be conceived, and there is nothing you can do to stop it.” Dmitri pointed to the constellation on Lukan’s map. “It was always intended the empire would end when he appeared.”
Lukan shook his head. Crazy, all of it. If anyone knew he was having this discussion, they would have him committed. He looked at Dmitri with a mix of contempt and disbelief. “Now that I know this, do you really think I would be stupid enough to consummate my marriage?”
“Aye. Lust will do that for you.”
Lukan didn’t want to acknowledge his raging need for Lynx. “You keep saying we knew each other before I was born. Apart from that being crazy, why don’t I remember it?”
Dmitri held up the book. “If you want to know more about your past and your destiny, destroy your empire.” He leaned in close. “I know you can do this, Lukan. Don’t fail us all.”
Lukan wished he shared Dmitri’s confidence, but even if he believed, there was more required here than raw courage. For years, his archives had been his refuge when living with his father and Axel became unbearable. It was his
prize—for all he had endured. He knew every book, had caressed every cover, had memorized swaths of text that spoke to his heart. How could he give it up? It would be easier to let Axel have Lynx than to lose possession of that treasure.
He stood, towering over Dmitri. “I haven’t lived with my father’s brutality and in Axel’s shadow for all these years only to throw away my inheritance now.”
“I understand the lures that come with mortality.” Another rueful smile flitted across Dmitri’s face. “I was mortal once, too, and had to make hard choices. My brother offered me the world if I would follow him in conquest. But at what cost? Keeping mankind in ignorance? Destroying my soul? It was too high a price. Thurban flayed me for my betrayal.” Dmitri reached out a gleaming hand and clasped Lukan’s arm with a firm grip.
Lukan could feel warmth radiating from the dead seer’s skin as if he were alive.
“But what of it? It was a moment in eternity. And, as you see, I live on.” Dmitri flipped the book open to a gruesome image of a man with half the skin ripped from his body.
Even though the face was disfigured beyond recognition, Lukan guessed it was Dmitri. So graphic was the illustration, he could almost see Dmitri’s exposed muscles quivering with agony. Lukan grimaced in horror.
Seemingly undeterred, Dmitri said, “I went willingly to my execution. Days before it happened, I saw a vision of my death. I knew the pain would be unbearable, but still, I allowed my brother to capture me so others could escape to write this record. By dying a martyr, I kept the memory of my curse alive.” He tapped the book, and his smile reminded Lukan of a salesman selling snake oil. “You can read about it here.”
Lukan locked his eyes on Dmitri in challenge. “Only if you hand it over.”
“Aye. But now it’s your turn to make the tough choice. Will you give up your archives, your privileges, your dreams of ruling the world, for the sake of your people? Or will you be like your forebears, tightening the screws on the empire as more wondrous scientific discoveries come to light?”
Lukan shook his head. It was late, and he was hungry and far too tired to be making this decision. “Right now, all I want is to sleep.”
Dmitri snapped the book closed. “Then I congratulate you on your decision to marry Lynx. I wish I could pronounce a blessing of happiness on your head, but that is not possible. Lynx will not only torment you all the days of your life with her disdain, her eroticism, and her unquenchable love for your cousin, but she will give you a son who will destroy you.”
“What?” Lukan rasped, hating to hear that Lynx loved Axel. “How can my need of a good night’s sleep lead to my marriage with Lynx?”
“Doing nothing is not a choice, Lukan. It’s a prevarication that will lead you to the altar.” Dmitri rose. His body shimmered, making Lukan think he was about to vanish.
“Wait!” Lukan clawed across the space dividing them, rapacious eyes glued to the book. “We haven’t finished speaking. I—I have other questions before I can make up my mind.”
The light radiating from Dmitri’s body softened.
“What will happen to that book?” Lukan asked.
“Two choices face you,” Dmitri said in clipped tones. “Announce to the high-born that their gemstones are a fraud, or marry Lynx. Choose the first option, and the book, together with my support, will be yours. The second option will result in me giving my support, and the book, to your opponents. It will tell them all they need to know to destroy you and your empire.”
Lukan blew out a slow breath, ran his hands over his face, and rubbed his burning eyes. Regardless of what Dmitri said, he was in no state to make these decisions now. Or perhaps ever.
Could he give up his empire for millions of nameless people he cared nothing about? And then what would he do? Hand over rule to the people, the uneducated masses who, apart from the high-born, lived in nothing more than hovels, caves, and tents?
And Lynx? What about her? Despite all logic, he longed for her with a lust that burned in every cell in his body. And was he really accepting that all this was true?
He was. It all seemed irrefutable.
“You manipulative bastard,” Lukan murmured under his breath.
Dmitri showed no sign of offense.
Lukan sighed and looked at his watch. It was long past three in the morning. “My marriage takes place tomorrow. Please, give me until then to decide what to do about you.”
“If you like making things harder for yourself, then yes, I suppose you can wait. But it is not the wisest course, Crown Prince. It is no accident Lynx is beautiful. She is your personal temptress. Like your precious archives, she, too, has been designed to drive you crazy with lust. Being with her, knowing you could bed her, will only cloud your judgment.”
“From the moment I saw her, I’ve wanted her,” Lukan admitted, more to himself than to Dmitri. “Even if she is a Norin rebel.”
“Choose badly, and your Norin rebel will become a symbol of hope to all the conquered,” Dmitri warned. “People everywhere will look to her as an example of what can be achieved if one never gives up the fight.”
Lukan shook his head in bemusement. “And she’s here to marry me. When my father dies, she’ll be empress. It’s crazy.”
“Aye.” Dmitri drilled Lukan with a stern look. “But it’s in your power to undo that craziness. Make your announcement to the high-born, and Lynx will turn from an enemy into an ally. She will help you dismantle the empire. In time, you will accept that she can never be yours, and you will become friends.”
“Friends?” Lukan asked bitterly. “She’s supposed to belong to me.”
Dmitri exhaled a long-suffering sigh. “I’ve already told you, her heart belongs to Axel. It always has, long before any of you were even born. She will never be yours.”
“Then why am I supposed to marry her?” Lukan shouted. It wasn’t his fault Thurban had invaded Norin and murdered Dmitri. Why was he being made to pay for it?
“You saw in my book. She’s a test to see if you can overcome your lust. By letting her choose Axel over you, you will prove that you are not just a learned man but an intelligent one, too. A man worthy to change the world.” Dmitri paused. “Fail, and Lynx will herald your destruction.”
Lukan rubbed bloodshot eyes. “There’s something I don’t get. What stops me from murdering her son? That will stop the curse.”
The light gleaming around Dmitri surged. “Your conscience, I would hope, Lukan. But if that fails you, then know this: the success of your rule would depend on the talents of your cousin, General Axel Avanov. Marry Lynx, and you lose Axel. Your rule will be weak. That weakness will drive you to cruelties you cannot now even begin to envisage.” Dmitri held open the page depicting the execution. “But, if in your bloodlust, you murder your son, born or unborn, Axel will flay you as Thurban flayed me. Remember, your cousin has loved Lynx for as long as she has loved him.” Dmitri pursed his lips and then added, “And before you think to murder your cousin, realize that Axel’s role in my curse makes his life inviolate, too.”
With gruesome fixation, Lukan studied the painting. Then he blanched. Heaped next to the skinned man lay a pile of familiar black and silver clothing.
How had he not noticed it before? He was seeing his own death. His stomach churned. Was everything else true, too? Moments from throwing up, he had to get rid of Dmitri. With as much firmness as he could muster, he said. “I—I will think on your words.”
The light glowing around Dmitri constricted, drawing into his core. The moment the glow extinguished, the seer disappeared, leaving nothing but a rustle of air in his wake.
29
Count Felix Avanov was not a trusting man. Especially not when words like challenge and blackmail were bandied about. Even more so when they came from Axel’s lips. Felix might no longer be an official heir to the throne—thanks to that bastard Mott—but he was the most feared Lord of the Household in the history of the empire. That accolade hadn’t been won by allowing himself to be bet
tered by a twenty-four-year-old. If Axel wanted to sing the blackmail tune, he would find a worthy partner in his father—one always a few steps ahead in the dance.
Felix ignored the phlegmy rattle in his chest and picked up his pace as he reached the stairs to Axel’s wing of the palace. He needed to confront his son before he left his apartment to join the trickle of high-born heading for a post-ball breakfast.
Felix sighed, a perfect blend of exasperation and pride.
Axel was everything he wished for in a son—except for one critical flaw. His son had somehow managed to reach maturity without growing a single malevolent bone in his body. He was willful and arrogant, definitely, but vicious? No.
And that was a problem.
Too often, his son allowed that great human weakness, his conscience, to dull the killing edge that should govern Avanov relationships with their subjects. Now that conscience seemed to cover the crimes of seditious ones, too, like Princess Lynx of Norin. It was why Felix always kept Axel under scrutiny, so he could guide his boy.
Axel didn’t take guidance well.
After learning of Axel’s visit to Lynx’s bedchamber, things would be different. Felix pursed his lips to stop them quivering with anger. Today, his son would both listen and obey.
He reached Axel’s apartment and, without knocking, threw open the door. It crashed against the wall and bounced back, almost hitting him in the face. He sidestepped and glared at Axel. After all that, he needn’t have bothered hurrying because Axel was still in bed.
Felix strode across the room and ripped the covers off Axel. “Get up!”
Axel rolled over, ignoring him.
It further incensed Felix. “Don’t play dumb with me. I know you’re awake.”
“It’s not even day,” Axel grunted, pulling the covers back over his head.
“If you’re so tired, then perhaps you should have gone to bed when the ball ended instead of sitting up all night in Lynx’s apartment.”