by Rin Chupeco
Empress Alyx was nearly apoplectic in her relief, clasping Princess Inessa tightly and refusing to let go until her daughter gently pried herself free. Althy was in attendance too, no worse for wear than when I had last seen her and smiling broadly. “Polaire and Mykaela are much better” were the words she greeted us with, even as I dashed into her arms. “They’re eager to see you.”
She was right. Polaire was still weak and exhausted looking, but of the two, Mykaela had fared better, color returning to her thin cheeks. It was difficult to recount everything that had happened since we had left Ankyo for the doubtful safety of Santiang, and not even Polaire’s fragility could shield me from her criticism, all of which I bore in a much better spirit than I had back in Odalia. Now that most of the lingering effects of the Dark had faded from my consciousness, I had more time to reflect and more time to consider my rash decisions.
“You married the emperor?” Empress Alyx asked her daughter, horrified, to which the latter could only manage a sheepish shrug.
The older woman turned to Zoya with blazing eyes. The asha put her hands up in protest. “Annulled as soon as we could. We might have also threatened the emperor with more daeva if he refused and then also offered him trade and a better alliance in the same breath.”
“I am glad that I was not awake long enough to take part in this,” Polaire muttered. “Inessa’s, Zoya’s, and Tea’s ideas of diplomacy seem to stop just short of declaring war.”
Mykaela, perhaps still too weak to scold, laughed instead. “It worked out for the best, Polaire. We might not approve of their methods, but we cannot fault their success.”
“Was the annulment more than a political ploy?” The empress’s eyes fell on Inessa’s hand, which had found its way to Fox’s.
My brother moved to step away, but Inessa only tightened her grip, staring back at her mother with a wary fierceness. “And what of it?”
“You might have found your way out of one engagement, but there is one more with Odalia that comes to mind.”
“Odalia attacked us, Mother. In light of such events, I don’t think it’s unreasonable to break off that engagement.”
“And is that the only reason, Inessa?”
Her daughter took a deep breath. “No, Mother.”
The empress’s eyes shifted to Fox. “You do realize that he is a Dark asha’s familiar.”
“Really? I thought he was a raven prince from Tresea.”
Empress Alyx allowed herself a small smile. “We’ll talk about this later.”
“No, we’re talking about this now.” Inessa straightened. “If you find anything wrong with my relationship with Fox, then say it to my face. I have been hiding my feelings for years when I should have been honest about him from the start, and for that, I am sorry. But I am tired of hiding.”
The empress regarded her daughter for several long moments. “I find nothing wrong with the nice Pahlavi boy. But I was worried for his sake. You are not the world’s most amiable noble, Daughter.” Inessa’s mouth fell open as her mother continued. “I was cautious, of course, as any mother would be, but if I had had any pressing issues with him, I would have voiced my concerns two years ago.”
“You knew?” the princess sputtered.
The empress grinned; it was identical to the one Inessa wore so often. “Of course. Did you think it would have escaped my notice, given the frequency you snuck out of the palace? If I had disapproved, I would have nipped it in the bud early on. Remember: your own father was a general from Arhen-Kosho, and I was no stranger to eluding my chaperones in order to arrive at a promised rendezvous. Gods, I miss that man. As straitlaced as they come, except when it came to me. He sent dozens of marriage proposals after our first meeting, so prim and proper and quite ironic, given our circumstance. I accepted only after he could admit our relationship was more meaningful than simply saving my honor and his.”
She sobered slightly. “There is, of course, the question of offspring and whether or not a familiar can give me grandchildren… Should I discuss that with you in front of everyone else?”
“No, Mother.” Inessa’s face was scarlet.
Empress Alyx laughed.
“How are you two faring?” Khalad was on his knees beside Polaire and Mykaela, examining their heartsglass.
“All bed rest and no excuses,” Althy said from behind him. “Over the sounds of Polaire’s lamentations and expletives, I might add.”
“I feel better now, Althy!” the brunette said, scowling. Althy shot her a glare right back; Polaire acquiesced eventually, sinking back onto the pillows, huffing.
“That’s amazing,” Zoya said. “You’ve managed to get Polaire to sit and stay.”
“I found it entertaining.” It felt good to hear Mykaela giggle again, clear and bereft of pain. “She’s been on my back for months, and now it’s payback. But where is the azi?”
“Usij broke our bond during the fight. I don’t know how he did it.”
“And you’re no longer linked to the azi?”
Before Daanoris, I would have kept this a secret. I’m learning from my own foolishness at least. “No. I reached out to it again.”
She sighed. “Tea.”
“I forged no new bonds with it. But I learned that I no longer needed to compel the azi for it to obey me. Familiarity might have something to do with it. It’s free to come and go as it pleases, but it’s choosing to stay near.”
“I’m not happy about this, but I understand. Can you control it again if you have to? I don’t think we can trust it acting independently, however noble its intentions.”
“I think so.”
“Good. Its help could still be invaluable, and we have few choices for allies.” She turned to the old forger. “It’s good to see you again. We thought we lost you at Daanoris.”
“Truth be told, I was very nearly lost. You have a very clever protégé here.”
“We have high hopes for her,” my sister-asha agreed.
“Although she still acts without thinking half the time,” Polaire said, still frowning. “Althy has been telling me about the Faceless’s book. How you could not deign to tell us earlier? I don’t—”
“I know, and I’m sorry.” I wasn’t sure if this was the right place to ask, but curiosity was getting the better of me. “You knew of the book too—the Heartshare rune.”
Polaire hesitated, then sighed. “I suppose I owe you an explanation. I’ve flouted the rules a few times myself.”
“A few times?” Althy quipped. “At least a hundred times is my best guess, and that is a conservative estimation.”
“I recall many nights in my youth misspent because of all the trouble you talked Althy and me into,” Mykaela chimed in.
Polaire rolled her eyes. “Fine, I am the scoundrel of this bunch. But I stumbled upon the rune quite by accident when I was your age, Tea.”
“Did you find it in a book?” Kalen asked.
Polaire shook her head. “I came upon it at Mistress Clayve’s study actually. She was the former head of House Imperial before Hestia took over, more than ten years ago. We had our dance exams, and I thought I had made a bad mess of it. So when an opportunity arose and I found her study unguarded, I snuck in to see my results, possibly to change any unsatisfactory scores and criticisms. I found several papers on the rune on her desk. It gave comprehensive details of its usage and effects. I had never been a good student, even at my best, yet it burned itself into my brain—I could not forget it if I had wanted to. I suspected that it was forbidden, and perhaps that was its appeal. I never thought to use it until recently, when Mykaela grew worse and I was desperate.”
I felt cold. “But why would the elder asha have a Faceless’s rune?”
“I was foolish enough to ask Mistress Clayve then,” Polaire snorted. “She nearly went into hysterics at the question. She refused to answer a
nd dumped chores on me in retaliation. I snuck into her study again afterward, but the papers were gone. They were nowhere to be found, no matter how hard I searched.” She gazed steadily at me. “Do you think there is a connection?”
“There has to be. This cannot be a coincidence.” Hidden runes wielded by Dark spellbinders, lost over time—deliberately—by the asha, to prevent Dark witches like us from rising too high. I felt sick to my stomach, remembering Aenah’s words.
Althy shook her head. “But why would they hide such runes from us? I have made my own inquiries into the matter like you asked, Tea. I could find nothing incriminating.”
Mykaela frowned. “Althy says that they have been very vocal about us since you left Daanoris. The empress refused to allow them to see us, but they were very persistent.”
The plump asha sighed. “It is still not a sign of guilt, but it is obvious there are details they are hiding from us. Not surprising, really.”
Zoya frowned. “The association has been a thorn in our side since Likh. There must be a reason for their meddling. Did Aenah give you any reasons, Tea?”
“No, unfortunately. Just that they wanted to control what Dark asha can do to some extent.”
“Perhaps it is prudence?” Althy suggested. “The book is proof enough that some runes shouldn’t be drawn.”
“I think it’s more than that though. Aenah hinted that there was some big secret they didn’t want us to know.”
Empress Alyx paced back and forth. “There is still the matter of Prince Kance’s illness and the Duke of Holsrath on the throne in Telemaine’s stead. We cannot afford to divide Kion when there is still Odalia to deal with. We can deal with the elders afterward.”
“Kance takes priority,” Kalen said tersely. “Khalad, how quickly can you re-create an urvan for the prince?”
“I should have everything done by tonight.”
“Which brings us to another problem,” Zoya said. “How exactly do you propose to sneak back into Odalia when practically every armed person there is after us, knowing full well that someone has woven compulsion over many of the soldiers and possibly over the king himself?”
“Wasn’t that Usij’s doing?” Likh asked.
Zoya replied, “I’m not sure yet. If someone else is controlling the men there, whether or not it’s Holsrath’s doing or if the duke was under Usij’s thrall, it pays to come prepared for any eventualities.”
“I’m impressed, Zoya,” Polaire said. “You actually thought this through.”
“We flew thousands of miles on the back of a dragon to reach a kingdom where an emperor had forcibly kept us hostage in a warded palace. I want the odds to be better for us next time.”
While Zoya, Polaire, and the empress worked out the details, I drifted toward the small veranda, and Fox followed, his expression somber. “Do you still feel the azi?” he asked me.
“In a fashion. I’m sorry. I know I messed up, Fox. I wasn’t thinking straight, and I worried you more than I should have.” I took a deep breath. “But you kept secrets from me too, you know.”
“Ours were not the same, Tea. Yours had greater repercussions—”
“Really? You still think that after being involved with a princess who has had two royal engagements to powerful kingdoms? A princess who is breaking both because of you?”
He winced. “You have a point.”
We stared at the night sky for a few minutes before he spoke again. “Where do we go from here?”
I closed my eyes. “I don’t know. Do we still make it up as we go along?”
“Isn’t that what we’ve been doing?” He paused again. “Inessa wants to make our relationship public. The empress seems to like me at least, but the elder asha won’t feel the same way.”
“They’re going to look at this as a political move on my part—a way to exert more influence over the empress and her daughter,” I said.
“I know. And that’s why I’m breaking from our longstanding tradition of keeping secrets from each other and telling you first. If you think this makes life difficult for you at the Willows, then I’ll—”
“You’ll what? Turn her down? The last two years have shown me how easy it was for you to reject her.” I grinned at him. “I understand, and thanks. But you aren’t dead, Fox, so stop treating yourself like you are or like my life has more importance than yours. I don’t care what anyone else says. You have a heartsglass. You’re in love. You’re much more alive than other people I know. You know what it is to die, and that’s why every second of life has a sweetness that only you understand. You deserve a chance at living, and Inessa does too.”
He smiled wryly. “When did you get to be so wise?”
“I’ve had time to think about a lot of things. And it offsets some of my dumber moments.” I gave him a playful push. “Talk to her. Stop keeping your heart from her. She loves you enough to accept your flaws, and you do the same to her. Go on and prove the empress wrong and give me lots of cute nieces and nephews.”
He really colored this time. “I don’t even know if familiars are…ah, capable of—”
“Talk to the forger or to Khalad. They’re working miracles, so I don’t think one more challenge is going to stump them. Look at what they were able to do with Mykaela’s—”
I stopped, staring up at the sky in shock.
Mykaela’s heartsglass. Mykaela’s heartsglass. It all came back to where Vanor had hidden it, lost all these years. To save her, Polaire had given part of her heartsglass to Mykaela, the way Dancing Wind had given hers to Blade that Soars in the legend. Khalad and Shaoyun’s corpse, the forger’s intuition, his breakthrough, Khalad telling me once that Vanor loved Mykaela, though Vanor had refused to reveal her heartsglass’s location.
“Tea?”
“I need to talk to Khalad and the forger. I might know where Mykkie’s heartsglass is.” My hands tightened against the hem of my dress, knowing that my proposal would not be popular. “But to do that, we’ll have to return to Odalia as soon as possible.”
• • •
Councilor Ludvig had not been idle, and his official retirement from Isteran politics in no way put a damper on his love for spying and intrigue.
“Odalia has done little since their abortive attempt at invading Kion,” he reported, spreading a fan of reports on the empress’s table. “Frankly, I’m surprised. It’s not in the duke’s temperament to give up so easily, especially after such heavy losses. I have read reports of them fortifying parts of the city by increasing their soldiers on watch, which is not unexpected. I see no siege preparations despite the rise of military activity, but they do not appear to have plans to mount another attack. The Odalians are fearful and unsure. The king has not shown himself for some time, and neither has the duke. As far as my spies are aware, Prince Kance remains stable, though there is no change in his condition.”
The old man frowned. “Personally, I think Holsrath plays a waiting game, to see what we would do. News of Daanoris would have reached him by now. Surely you can wait before attacking?”
“Lady Mykaela and Lady Polaire are better, but they will only grow weaker in time again,” Empress Alyx pointed out. “If there is a remote chance that we can recover her heartsglass, then we should do so before they take another turn for the worse.”
“A pretty theory on paper, Your Majesty,” said Zoya, ever the pragmatist. “But sneaking two asha, who are not exactly at the peak of health, into hostile territory makes for difficult logistics.”
“Polaire and Mykaela are rallying at the moment, Zoya, but Mykaela will die, and Polaire, in her stubborn refusal to relinquish Mykaela at the cost of her own life, will soon follow.” Althy sighed. “Your Faceless book deals very much with the process of using the Heartshare rune, Tea, but it says very little about repercussions. Which is not surprising, as Faceless think little of the consequences of their own
actions. But it is very clear on one point—Heartshare is a temporary fix. In time, they both will die, and we cannot measure the when of it.”
“Then what do you propose?”
Althy grinned, grim and purposeful. “Perhaps we should ask Polaire and Mykaela themselves. It is their lives at stake.”
“Let’s do it,” Polaire said immediately.
“Polaire!” Mykaela protested.
“I love you, Mykkie, but I am not going to be tethered to you any longer, knowing you can weaken again at any moment. I can still fight, and I defy any asha to say otherwise. The sooner we find your heartsglass, the better chances we have of winning this war.”
“I didn’t have the chance to apologize to you,” I told Polaire. “I made assumptions that I shouldn’t have, and it was wrong of me not to trust you. I’m so sorry. If I could take back all the words I said…”
The brunette smiled and wrapped me up in a hug. “You are so much like me, Tea. Perhaps that is why I chose not to tell you, knowing full well you would act the way I would. I love you even at your most troublesome, you silly girl. You are stronger than I give you credit, so it’s time I should start.” She smiled coyly. “Kalen seems to have come to the same conclusion.”
Nothing got past Polaire.
We were four and they numbered in the hundreds of thousands. But the fighting ceased; they retreated. They knew: our seven daeva outnumbered them all. It was the golden-haired asha who rode out to greet us, gesturing at the others to stay back. I saw some of the elder asha ignore the command, though they stopped several feet behind her when the bone witch approached. Unlike Lady Mykaela, the older asha sweated profusely under the hot sun, and the silk of their hua stuck to their skin in the least appealing ways. There were other asha and Deathseekers among the army—I saw glimpses of hua in muted colors and men dressed in heavy black. My zivar glowed almost as bright as their heartsglass.