by Rin Chupeco
A black heartsglass was made from rage and murder. Only the Faceless bore such darkness, and the Willows would have my head should it manifest in mine. Even now, I hold no regrets for killing Aenah, though I wished I had turned King Telemaine over to his son, instead of destroying his mind. Prince Kance didn’t deserve to lose his father that way, and his anger at me, his decision to exile me from Odalia, was the direct result of my recklessness.
There was no black in my heartsglass today. But it is like droplets of blood, dripping into a bowl of fresh spring water, I thought. Mix it well enough, and you can’t see the blood. But would you drink it? Let the taste run down your throat? How can one know liquid so clear could also bear such a taint?
I bent my head and, briefly, allowed myself to wash her grave with a few more tears.
Kalen helped me to my feet. His warm brown eyes studied me before he placed a gentle kiss on my forehead. Faint wisps of rune surrounded us—Heartshare was a near-permanent runic spell that allowed two people to share strength. Kalen had saved my life with it. It was not as strong a bond as I shared with my brother, but I was connected to Kalen through it nonetheless. He knew my heart’s pain and understood, and I could not have loved him more for it.
• • •
We rode outside the city of Ankyo for a mile, to where the others waited. By asha standards, this was an unusual rendezvous point. We also had an unusual means of transport.
Those of us who formed the delegation wore woolen cloaks despite the hot day. Councilor Ludvig, the previous adviser to Istera’s King Rendorvik, was garbed in Isteran colors—blue and silver, in a deftly embroidered long coat he called a gákti. Likh, lovely as ever, was in an eye-catching cerulean hua, tasteful crewels skimming up his sleeves. Althy’s garb was plainer, with white doves sewn over a sky-blue fabric. Rahim, as always, was dressed to kill. His sherwani was a magnificent display of beadwork waves stitched along the edges of his shirt, with a collar of pewter threads surrounding his thick neck, which was half-hidden by his long, angularly trimmed beard. He wore no cloak himself—the man claimed to have shrugged off Tresean winters and was as invulnerable to the Isteran cold. In contrast, Khalad looked like a merchant in his rough, brown čūqā.
At Rahim’s insistence, I had worn his latest creation—a beautiful mahogany hua, stitched with a jewel-eyed, three-headed dragon, which was partly concealed by my waist wrap. My mastery of the azi was no secret, he pointed out, and it was important for me to command such narratives in subtle ways. I slipped a small knife into my sleeve, a growing habit of mine.
My brother wore a huge grin on his face when we approached. “Have a good rest?” His voice was mild enough, but I knew Fox. We had perfected our Veiling rune and rarely stumbled into each other’s minds whenever one of us wanted privacy—but we knew anyway.
“As if you spent the night alone,” I grumbled at him with a sideways glance at Inessa. As usual, the princess looked stunning. The way they snuck adoring glances at each other was almost oversweet. Three months ago, Inessa had been engaged to both Prince Kance of Odalia and Emperor Shifang of Daanoris. My brother had fought her and both engagements nearly every step of the way.
How much things change in a short time, I thought with another pang of sadness.
“You’re late.” Zoya’s presence was suspicious. Mykaela, Inessa, and Fox were there to see us off, but Zoya wasn’t the type for such sentiments.
“What are you doing here?” I demanded.
She shrugged. “Mistress Parmina sold tickets for an azi viewing. They are to be summoned by none other than Lady Tea of the Embers herself.”
I groaned. That particular moniker had spread quickly, a not-so-subtle reference to my connection with the daeva.
“She’s dispatched me here,” Zoya continued, “to ensure your pet dragon actually arrives and her guests receive their money’s worth.”
“An azi viewing?”
“Rather like a cherry blossom viewing, but with daeva. They’re at the fourth floor of the Falling Snow cha-khana, which has a very good view of this particular terrain. Why did you think she suggested this meeting place? Because she was concerned about her safety or yours? You don’t know your mistress very well.”
“Did she promise you access to my room for your part in this? My room, which happens to be right next to Shadi’s?”
Zoya’s smile was so bright it was blinding.
“I wish Fox and I could come with you,” the princess murmured to me with a sigh.
“But there are no emperors in Istera to be accidentally engaged to, Your Highness,” said Zoya.
“You have a very lovely mouth, Zoya. It would look even lovelier if it remained shut for the rest of the day.”
“As you wish, Your Highness.”
“How is the old Heartforger?” I asked Khalad.
He smiled sadly. “Feeling his age. His own heartsglass is weakening. The exertions at Daanoris finally caught up to him, and I’m not sure he can shake it off. We brought him to Holsrath for treatment. They have better facilities to help him there. We both knew that day was coming, but…”
“I’m so sorry, Khalad.”
“Kalen was a lot of help.”
Kalen was the new Duke of Holsrath, a title he hated for how he came to it. His father’s death at the hands of King Telemaine and Aenah was a painful subject, and not one he liked to talk about. “It was nothing,” my love murmured, looking a bit abashed. “Just glad I could be of service to Khalad.”
It felt odd to not be traveling with my brother. As the Kion princess’s official consort, Fox grew more involved in the politics and day-to-day administration of the kingdom Inessa would one day rule. They were frequent visitors to the city, overseeing new constructions to the marketplace and tending to those in the poorer slums, often with Khalad and me in tow.
As if sharing the same thoughts, Fox smiled sheepishly. “I’m half-tempted to jump onto the azi’s back with the rest of you when it arrives.”
“And I’m whole-tempted to drag you back to Ankyo on your ear,” Inessa said tartly. “I’m not going to spend the next two days alone with the Drychta and Yadoshan ambassadors talking about trade deals. They’re more likely to murder each other than reach an agreement.”
“You have your own responsibilities now, Fox,” I said. My feelings were strangely contradictory. I had only ever wanted Fox to have a life of his own, to be happy. But I could not stamp down the spark of resentment that he was no longer at the forefront of my life, nor I at his.
“It’s strange to be away from you,” my brother admitted, rueful.
“We don’t have much time, you know.” Zoya scanned the sky. “Are you certain the azi will come when you’re not lodged inside its head? I’d rather not have the asha elders hear of our plans early enough to stop you.”
“You didn’t need to come and see us off, Zoya,” Althy reminded her gently. “And don’t use Parmina as an excuse.”
“And not get the chance to complain?” she chided.
“We still have room for one more,” I encouraged Mykaela. Physically, my mentor was in peak health. Her bright-silver heartsglass, lost for so many years, now hung around her neck where it belonged. But Polaire’s death had hit her the hardest. It would not do, I had argued, to have her spending the rest of her life in vigils by Polaire’s gravesite when Polaire had sacrificed so much for Mykaela to keep living. Still, the older asha split her time between her friend’s tomb and her old lover King Vanor’s crypt. I had often wondered about the conversations she had with the latter but didn’t want to pry.
Mykaela shook her head. “We still have much work to do, Tea. It’s hard enough for the asha association to relinquish one bone witch, much less two.” She smiled at me and took my hand. “There are other battles to be fought here. And I expect you to bring back valuable information when you return.”
I nodded.
The asha association and I were not on the best of terms. I believed they were at least partly responsible for losing Mykaela’s heartsglass, to prevent her from becoming too powerful for their interests. But Mykaela and the others didn’t think they would go so far. They believed the association hoarded their influence while still adhering to the asha codes. I had little evidence to change their minds.
Recently, we’d received word about strange creatures prowling near Istera—creatures that resembled smaller daeva. Officially, we were to head to the ice kingdom to investigate the sightings. Unofficially, we were following up on the only lead we had: Aenah’s cryptic words before she died.
In her last moments, the Faceless had shared how the legend of the Blade that Soars and Dancing Wind were corrupted sources, and that only the true version held the answers to the mysterious and powerful shadowglass that Aenah and the elder asha were keen on possessing. We hoped that Istera, which was home to the world’s oldest library and largest collection of books on runic magic and asha history, would provide clues.
“I’ve never ridden dragons before,” Rahim said to me, rubbing his hands excitedly. “But ah, my uchenik, I always wanted to.”
“Always wanted to?” echoed Likh, who had ridden the azi before and did not feel the same way.
“It must feel good to be up so high, looking down at the world below.” Rahim combed at his beard with thick fingers. “Good to think about how little one’s problems can be when everything is small in the grand scheme of things, no? Was that not how you felt when you rode the azi, dear Likh?”
“I was mostly thinking about not throwing up,” my new asha-brother admitted, the latest recruit to House Valerian. The asha association had initially opposed his candidacy, but after his part in fighting the Faceless in Daanoris had been revealed, support for him among the other asha had been too overwhelming for the association not to concede.
“We’d best be going, Tea,” Khalad reminded me with a small smile. “Let’s not keep Mistress Parmina waiting.”
I laughed at that, then cast my mind out, searching—and finding—my target as its familiar presence seeped into my thoughts like molasses over scones. The asha association had wanted me to kill the azi. With both Mykaela and Empress Alyx’s blessing, I had refused. Controlling the azi made the association wary to plot directly against me. And a docile azi, much to my surprise, had brought even more tourists to Ankyo. Where my attempts at invoking empathy in the asha leaders had failed, greed had prevailed. “It’s here,” I confirmed.
The words were barely out of my mouth when the azi landed, not ungracefully, several meters away. The sight of the three-headed dragon was familiar to many of us in our gathering, but Councilor Ludvig and Rahim swore in unison, staring at the large daeva. Likh gripped Khalad’s arm.
“Good luck,” Zoya said, as the Heartforger began clambering up the beast’s back, assisting a nervous Likh once he found steadier footing. “Just so it’s official, Tea, I will be crashing in your room while you’re away.”
I rolled my eyes. “Everyone knows you’ll be in Shadi’s room, Zoya, no matter what Mistress Parmina promised you.”
The asha grinned as the others dragged personal trunks up the azi, the creature sitting quietly with minimal fuss.
“Be careful,” Mykkie told me. “None of those reports we’ve received from Istera match what we know of daeva. Keep an eye out, and you and Althy watch over Likh. This is only his second trip outside of Ankyo.”
“I will.” I hugged her. “Don’t overwork yourself.”
“I will try. I shall let Fox know of new developments here, so he can relay them to you.” She stepped back and looked up at the azi. It crooned and bowed its head respectfully at her.
“You better not get into trouble in Istera without me around,” Fox said.
“You better not get into trouble in Kion without me around,” I shot back, and nearly knocked him over with the force of my embrace.
“Quit dillydallying,” Althy said from atop the dragon. “Or we’ll be all day trading good-byes.”
I hugged Fox one last time, did the same to Inessa, and accepted Kalen’s help climbing up the azi. Once we were all settled, the daeva made a soft keening noise and flapped its magnificent wings. It leaped into the air, and I watched as my friends grew smaller as the azi ascended. The creature sang out. Rahim swore again.
Smiling, I glanced down for one last look at Ankyo—and startled, mouth agape.
The city was on fire. Balls of flame fanned against the gates, and I watched in horror as buildings and houses collapsed, thick clouds of dark smoke rising to obscure my view. Everything burned—
“Tea?”
I jumped when a hand touched my shoulder.
Kalen looked at me quizzically. “Is something the matter?”
“I…” The city of Ankyo gleamed back at me from below, pristine and unchanged. Soon, even that view disappeared, as the azi barreled through the sky, the Swiftsea soon replacing the land below us.
“It’s nothing,” I said shakily, but I kept glancing behind us, struggling to see any telltale trace of smoke and finding none.
A young woman met us as we boarded the ship that would take us to Kion. She was dressed in brilliant gold, her hua a symphony of vines and roses. Jewels glittered in her black hair. Several other asha stood beside her, their expressions strange combinations of worry and grimness.
“Took you long enough,” the woman in gold groused. “You were supposed to be here a day ago.”
“We rode as fast as we could, Zoya,” Lord Fox told the woman shortly. “What are you doing here?”
“Empress Alyx sent me, of course. We heard word of what happened.” The woman took a long breath, a catch in her voice. “I am so sorry. I should have been there. Maybe I could have—”
“You had your own duties,” Princess Inessa interrupted her firmly. “I took charge of this expedition. If there is anyone to blame, then I bear that burden.”
“Your Highness—”
“How are the others?”
The asha exhaled again. “Awaiting orders in Kion. It would ease Zahid to know if the rest of the Deathseekers will be returning quickly. It’s not easy defending Kion with only a handful of us present. The asha are spread thin as it is.”
“And Aadil?”
“Sighted in the south.”
The princess swore.
“A cadre of our soldiers were ambushed. No missing limbs or insanity—they were simply put to sleep. Druj must be getting soft. Kance tells us Druj’s army is making for the Hollows next, that they’ve seen Drychta camped there. That’s about all the information he sent. Frankly, I’m surprised Kance’s even given us that much. They’re to leave next week, and he asks if we could spare some soldiers. We’ll talk more about this on the ship.”
“What’s that for?” Lord Khalad asked, gesturing toward the mast.
I saw nothing where he pointed.
“I’m sure you’ve seen runes before, Khalad.” Lady Zoya shrugged. “Speed is our priority, or so Empress Alyx told me. With my help, I can get you across the sea and back to Kion in under two days. It’s not as quick as a daeva perhaps, but we’re not paid enough for all this tomfoolery.”
“Two days?” I blurted before I could help myself. “A ship’s journey from here to Kion takes three times that long.”
“What can I say? We’re women of many talents.” She stared hard at me. “And who in the seven hells are you?”
“Tea found a scribe,” Lord Khalad said, watching the men cast off the lines and hoist the anchor.
“A scribe? All the havoc she’s wreaked in the kingdoms, and she wishes to have that immortalized on paper? She needs a good thrashing.”
“Her story needed telling!” Perhaps traces of her compulsion still lingered inside me, goading me into defending a woman I still sometimes feared.
“Her side of the story?” The asha shot an arm out toward the horizon as the sails unfurled behind her. “Take a long, hard look, you idiotic man. Tell me what defense you can make of that.”
I saw faint wisps of gray smoke wafting from a long way off. “What is that?” I asked, horrified.
“The smoke is from Kion, you little simperseed. Her azi attacked Ankyo five days ago. I don’t know where the rest of her daeva are, but one was more than enough to destroy Ankyo. You may not know what she intends, Fox, but I do. She’s calling for war, and damnation to anyone who stands in her path.”
2
It takes great inner strength and perseverance to survive in the coldest place in the world, but the Isterans have always done so with style. Brass fanfare greeted us as we landed at the edge of the Runeswood. While I was certain most of those waiting had never seen the azi before, to their credit, they stood their ground when the dragon turned its three heads toward them, rumbling noisily. There was, however, a faint clatter of metal hitting metal as more than a few swords slid out of scabbards. The Isterans were a friendly people, but they were also pragmatic.
The cold bit through my cloak. The ground was caked in snow, crunching beneath our boots as we walked. Likh shivered. Wordlessly, Khalad shook off his thick cape and draped it around Likh’s shoulders. The younger boy smiled his gratitude, white teeth chattering even as his cheeks turned pink from more than the frost. The younger boy’s crush on the Heartforger grew every day.
King Rendorvik stepped forward, bowing low to his old mentor, Ludvig. His wife, Daeri, an attractive brunette with deep-set blue eyes, took her welcome further, hugging and kissing the cheeks of the women in the group, including Likh, in friendly fashion. “It’s been quite some time since you’ve honored us with a visit, Ludvig. You’ve been sorely missed.”