Illusion: Book Four of the Grimoire Saga

by S. M. Boyce

  “That sounds like great news to me,” Gavin said.

  She nodded. “I thought so, too, until it became clear the other isen in his guild are fighting for control. Among them is Deidre, Carden’s pawn.”

  Frine cursed.

  Kara flinched. She’d never heard the old king curse before.

  “This war keeps getting better,” Aurora muttered.

  At least they were on board thus far. Kara continued. “If Deidre convinces the remaining isen to join her—to join Carden—there’s no telling how many will add to Carden’s army. The estimate is in the tens of thousands.”

  This time, Aurora cursed under her breath.

  “You’d better have amazing good news,” Gavin said.

  Kara frowned. “In a way, yes.”

  “Well, out with it,” Evelyn said.

  “I can go to the guild and convince them to join us instead.”

  All four Bloods began shouting at once. Kara couldn’t make any sense of what they said, but everyone frowned—Gavin worst of all.

  “—insanity—”

  “—murderous leeches—”

  “—lost your mind—”

  “—and absolutely not!” Gavin shouted over the rest.

  “Stop!” Braeden roared.

  The room hushed as quickly as it erupted. The Bloods sat back in their chairs, almost all of them looking at something other than Kara.

  Only Evelyn held her gaze. “You would go to them because you’re an isen, too? How is that enough?”

  Kara lifted her chin in defiance. “I have connections that will help me.”

  It wasn’t the whole truth, but it wasn’t quite a lie, either. Her maternal connections to Agneon’s heritage would, in fact, help the isen of Niccoli’s guild see her as a leader rather than a common newborn isen. And Stone was probably something of a legend among them—one of few to ever escape his master’s command. If she could avoid it, she wouldn’t tell the Bloods of her heritage. The royals of Ourea still hated Agneon for his murder sprees, even if he had only been following orders.

  A pang of guilt rocked her core. She cleared her throat. She had to focus.

  “We need more information on these connections,” Evelyn answered.

  Gavin slammed his fist on the table. “It doesn’t matter. I won’t fight beside isen.”

  “You already are,” Braeden snapped, nodding toward Kara.

  “That—she—no, she doesn’t count,” Gavin said.

  Kara leaned back in her chair, frowning. “Of course I count.”

  “That’s not what I mean. I won’t have a horde of isen in my armies. They could turn on us!”

  Like you all turned on me? Kara bit her tongue, suppressing the impulse to snap at the people she needed to agree with her. She snuck a glance toward Evelyn, her gut churning with how much she looked like her aunt.

  Under the table, Braeden’s grip tightened around Kara’s hand. She sat up straighter.

  Braeden shrugged. “We’ll establish terms of the alliance. No isen will turn on you.”

  “Isen can’t be trusted,” Gavin snapped.

  “Enough!” Kara shouted.

  Gavin flinched and looked at his hands. “That’s not—”

  Kara interrupted. “It’s exactly what you meant. But look at what we did today! A wedding reception between an isen and an Heir. That’s—”

  “What’s a wedding?” Evelyn interrupted.

  Kara suppressed the impulse to roll her eyes. “Sorry, a bonding ceremony between an isen and an Heir. It’s never happened before. This is a time of firsts and overcoming prejudice, of change and growth. I figured everyone would have learned that by now.”

  “You ask too much,” Frine said.

  Kara shook her head. “I’m not making a request. It would be a mistake not to go. Yes, we can sit this out and let Niccoli’s isen do what they will, but we can’t risk Deidre controlling them. It would ruin everything. More of your soldiers will die if Carden gets those numbers on his side.”

  Many eyes in the room glossed over as the Bloods lost themselves to thought. Only Evelyn, now surprisingly quiet, continued to watch Kara.

  “If we want to win, we need all the help we can get,” Kara added, trying not to look at Evelyn.

  “I need assurance they won’t hurt my men,” Frine said.

  Aurora nodded. “I second Blood Frine. How can we defend against that many isen within our own ranks?”

  Kara tensed her jaw as she regrouped her thoughts. “Like Braeden already mentioned, we need to outline terms, rules they have to follow. In exchange, we need to offer them a compromise as well, something they want, something powerful enough to convince them not to turn on us. We’ll create an enforceable contract with them and mark those who agree.”

  “What should the terms be?” Aurora asked.

  “There aren’t any terms I’d agree to,” Gavin said.

  Kara sighed. “Gavin, we need them.”

  “They’ll kill us the first chance they get,” he snapped.

  “No, they won’t. We’ll still outnumber them, and if any violate the terms, they’ll be killed. They’ll know from the start this agreement is binding.”

  He crossed his arms. “Who’s going to enforce the contract if we’re all in the middle of a battle?”

  “My contacts,” Kara said.

  The lie slipped out before she could stop it, but she withheld the desire to cringe at her own comment.

  “And these contacts are whom, exactly?” Frine asked.

  Kara shook her head. “I need you to trust me on this. I need you to trust everything I’ve done for you thus far, all of the sacrifices I’ve made for you thus far, and trust that I want what’s best for your people. I don’t want them to die, and if we don’t do something, that’s going to happen. The Stele is already a force to reckon with, but it will get worse if Deidre steals away those isen. We won’t get every isen in Niccoli’s guild. Not all of them will want to join us. But I need to try to get as many isen families on our side as possible.”

  Frine grumbled. Aurora stretched her good wing in her chair, eyes out of focus as she stared into the wall. Gavin hunched over the table, eyes on his hands as he slowly shook his head. Only Evelyn continued to stare at Kara.

  “Evelyn, you’re awfully quiet,” Braeden said with a frown.

  The Ayavelian queen laughed. “I’m amazed, that’s all. Once more, the Vagabond is actively convincing everyone to side with another of Ourea’s monsters. First drenowith, now isen. It’s proof to me she’s trying to kill you all, and yet no one else sees it. I gave up trying to make the rest of you see reason long ago.”

  The hair on Kara’s neck stood on end. Evelyn smirked, her eyes locked on Kara’s. That had deeper meaning, but Kara couldn’t figure it out. Her grip tightened on Braeden’s hand. He flinched in her periphery. She glanced over and released her grip with an apology pat on his arm.

  “I trust you, Vagabond,” Aurora said softly.

  Frine nodded. “If we can come to agreeable terms, I will consider this peace treaty.”

  “I’m in,” Braeden said.

  Kara turned to Gavin. The Blood paused, now still as a stone and glaring at his hands. He finally sighed and leaned his forehead into his fists. “I second Blood Frine.”

  Evelyn laughed. “Fools.”

  Kara frowned. Her gut tensed again, concern rippling through her chest like a bad cough. Something was not right with the young queen.

  The Ayavelian Blood stood. “I want no part in this, but yet again, I am outvoted. Enjoy your debate, and send word when you have something of interest to share.”

  Evelyn ripped open the door and stepped into the hall. The door slammed shut behind her, the bang shaking the windowpane.

  Kara clenched her hands into fists and suppressed the urge to run out into the hall and shake the girl until her head spun. Evelyn had changed, soured in some way. Something happened after Kara returned to the Bloods as an isen—something in Evelyn snapp
ed. Kara didn’t have proof. She had only her intuition, which screamed bloody murder, trying to warn her about something she didn’t fully understand.

  Kara and Frine stood in unison. The Blood’s blue mouth open as if he was about to yell something similar to what ran through Kara’s mind.

  “Let her go,” Gavin interrupted.

  Frine grimaced and hesitated but ultimately sat down with a huff.

  Kara waited a second longer, her body tense as she glared at the door. She cleared her throat and sat as well.

  “Now to outline the terms of the isen agreement,” Aurora said.

  Kara nodded, her mind still on Evelyn. This would be a long night.

  Hours later, Kara walked to her bedroom, Braeden at her side. They strolled through the empty halls, passing sconces and rain-drenched windows.

  He wrapped a hand around hers. She squeezed it.

  They had their terms. They had their agreement, and Kara would leave in the morning. Stone would grumble over the delay, most likely, but she didn’t care. She wanted one more night of peace with Braeden before all hell broke loose.

  Chapter 6

  Reckless

  Kara rolled over, eyes fluttering as she drifted toward consciousness. Folds of warm linen pressed into her cheek. Her hand trailed along the sheets and met a lump of cotton. She pulled it closer, snuggling the pillow as she drifted awake.

  A hand wrapped around her waist and pulled her across the mattress. Her eyes snapped open.

  An olive hand pressed into her side, the fabric of her shirt denting under the weight of its fingers. Her mind stuttered, clearing. She looked over her shoulder and into the open eyes of the man she married.

  “Morning, beautiful,” he said.

  She smiled and rubbed her face. She needed to relax.

  He brushed his fingers along her tummy, tickling her. She giggled and squirmed, trying to wriggle out of his reach, but he moved too quickly. He tortured her for a few seconds before wrapping his arms around her shoulders and pulling her back into him.

  She laughed, shaking off the tension. “Jerk.”

  “You looked so serious. I had to do something.” He kissed her neck.

  She smiled and leaned back into the pillow, just far enough to examine his face. His bright eyes shined, his face lit with laughter. Despite the joy, dark lines cast a shadow beneath his eyes.

  She ran a hand through his hair, brushing her nails over the scalp. He closed his eyes and hummed. She wanted to savor this moment, to live in it forever and forget everything outside, but a pressure built in the back of her mind. She needed to wake up. She needed to get ready. She and Stone should have left for the isen guild yesterday, but she’d wanted one more night with Braeden. The joy had to end eventually, and she had one more task before she left for Niccoli’s guild.

  “Guess I’d better get ready to go,” she said softly.

  He frowned. “Mood killer.”

  She forced a smile and rolled out of bed. The grimoire pendant hummed on her chest, the blue stone casting a dim light on her skin. She rubbed it, summoning the book with a silent wish. Dust blew from the stone, swirling about her and forming on the desk nearby. It condensed into the solid pages of the book with a poof. Flick yawned from his pillow on the bedside table. He chirped in welcome. Kara scratched his ears.

  Braeden grumbled from his side of the bed and stretched, his long limbs almost reaching the four corners of the sizable bed. He mumbled something and stood, rubbing his neck on his way to the bathroom.

  A pang of guilt rocked her core. She really had killed the moment. But this final battle couldn’t fail, and for the Bloods to coordinate in the heat of battle, they needed assistance from her vagabonds.

  She sighed and opened the cover, flipping to a page bookmarked with a thin quill. After rummaging around the desk for a few moments, she found an inkwell and began a short message to Twin. She outlined the basics of why the vagabonds were needed, what the risks would be, and what they would need to do. She then asked for volunteers.

  Twin had already come to Ayavel to watch over Flick during the wedding, so at least she would be available to take over this new task. It would be easier if volunteers came from those vagabonds already in Ayavel—they didn’t have much time left for travel, but Kara would use Flick’s teleportation if necessary. She cracked her fingers and wished away her grimoire.

  The bathroom door creaked open. She shifted in her seat and smiled as Braeden walked out without his shirt on.

  “I need that back,” he said, nodding to the shirt she wore.

  She grinned. “Fine, but you have to promise me something.”

  He smiled and sauntered closer. “Undying love?”

  “There’s that, and—”

  “Protect you from harm?”

  She laughed. “Fine, that and one more thing.”

  He paused in front of her and ran his thumb across her chin. “To bring you bliss and joy for the rest of your life?”

  She shook her head. “Now my thing sounds dumb.”

  He let out an exaggerated sigh and smiled. “What then, bossy-pants?”

  “Tell the Bloods we’ll assign a vagabond to them so they can better communicate with the others during the upcoming battle.”

  His smile wavered and slipped into a half-frown, as if he couldn’t decide whether to be annoyed or sad. He set a hand on her cheek. “Can’t you enjoy one morning without thinking of work?”

  She ran her fingers over his. “Not really. Not until we finish this.”

  He pulled her to him and kissed her nose. “We will. And once we do, I’ll take you on a vacation. No wars. No rules. Just fun.”

  Kara nodded. “I’d like that.”

  Ourea without a war—now that was a thought she couldn’t quite process.

  It took hours for Kara to leave Ayavel, mainly because she didn’t want to leave Braeden behind. She took her time gathering supplies and packing. She would let her mind wander until she came to, staring out the window with a sock in one hand. Only when Stone barged into her room and all but ordered her out of the kingdom did she summon the Grimoire’s wolf Ryn and leave.

  She’d debated taking Flick with her—in the event everything went south, it would be good to have an escape plan. Stone wouldn’t help her if she lost a fight, after all. But Twin needed to find volunteers, and they were running out of time. If no vagabonds within Ayavel volunteered, Twin would have to travel. That could take weeks. So after a few heavy sighs and biting her nails in worry, Kara left Flick once more with her second in command. Besides, her throat stung at the thought of what would happen to her pet if she lost a fight with one of Niccoli’s remaining isen—creatures this far removed from society, trained in theft and murder, would either enslave or kill her pet. She couldn’t allow that.

  Five lichgates and several hours later, Kara and Stone strolled through yet another of Ourea’s many forests. The trees arched overhead, blocking out the sun except for thin rays that crept through here and there. Kara took a deep breath, savoring the sweet air. But the silence of the woods tugged at her as she strained her ears to hear something, anything amidst all the quiet.

  “How was your errand?” she asked, trying yet again to prompt conversation out of her mentor.

  He didn’t look over. “The Sartori cave isn’t finished yet.”

  “When will it be done?”

  He shrugged.

  She huffed. Helpful.

  Their path curved, and the forest retreated to reveal a darkening sky. A few of the brightest stars twinkled in the navy blue sky as evening rolled across a small Hillsidian town not far off. Their path curved down a hill overlooking the village, but Kara paused to examine the township below. She leaned her elbows on Ryn’s neck, using the break to stretch her back. Relief swam along her spine as she shook out the day’s travel. Stone’s horse reached for the grass on the hilltop, straining against the reins in an attempt at a snack. Stone tugged, returning the horse to attention. It snorted.
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  In the town below, smoke billowed from red-brick chimneys sticking out of the tree-homes, the exhaust of cooking fires a gray haze amidst the emerald canopy. Rope bridges tied the trees together, passing by the open windows of massive, carved-out trunks. The homes reminded Kara of those in the city of Hillside, but with less polish. No gold framed these windows. Instead of doors with inlaid gold filigree, the townspeople had only bits of bark that swung open and closed to cover the entrances to their homes. No grand staircases. No elaborate cobblestone paths with rocks that mimicked the shape of whatever touched them.

  A pang of loss shot through Kara, weighing down her shoulders. She never thought she would miss Hillside, but it had its charms.

  Stone nodded to the town below. “We should stay there tonight. There’s probably an inn.”

  “Fine, but I get my own room,” Kara said.

  “Gladly. You probably snore.”

  Kara rolled her eyes. “Whatever gets me my own room.”

  “Take this.”

  Stone handed her a purple flower with no stem. Its petals pinched together at its base and curled outward, their centers bleaching like faded jeans. The ends bent backward and ended with a rounded tip.

  “A gift?” she asked.

  He huffed. “It’s hyacinth. It will disguise the isen scent.”

  Of course. She should have known better.

  He pulled another from his pocket, dragging it across his wrists and neck before rubbing it in his palms until it disintegrated. She mimicked him.

  “We wouldn’t need to stay at an inn at all if you’d been ready earlier,” he said.

  “Will you give it a rest? I’m sorry.”

  Kara dropped the remains of her flower and nudged Ryn forward. He trotted along the path as it curved down the hill, head lowering as the slope steepened. Kara leaned back in her seat to keep balance. Stone’s horse loped behind, rocking its head back and forth as if uninterested in speed. It tried again for a passing patch of grass and instead chomped the air, missing.

  “You should have a disguise,” Stone said.