by Radu Aldea
“If she’s alive she has to go somewhere,” Aleyna spoke without realizing what she said.
The two senators looked at each other. It was so simple that they wondered why they didn’t think of it themselves. Until they received the message they couldn’t hope Kara was alive. Aleyna didn’t notice the exchange between her two companions. She was still mesmerized by the images in the crypt. Then, as if she woke up from a trance, the words she had spoken gained meaning. There was an easy answer.
“Julia! If she’s alive she’ll go there. Did you send messages?” Aleyna asked.
“I did, but I didn’t tell them what happened here. They will find out soon enough.”
“Everybody will learn of it soon enough.” It was a bitter comment.
“Perhaps we should send some riders east and see what they find,” Christian spoke.
Marcia nodded. They could definitely spare fifteen or twenty riders. The soldiers were mounting their horses already or they were changing direction. It was that easy when you were a senator. Aleyna wasn’t one. For her everything was harder.
Somehow they came to a silent decision there wasn’t anything else to be seen in the crypt and they returned to the villa. They continued to search it and the missing books and gold came as no surprise. The room with the vault had been their first stop. There was nothing else to find, nothing else missing.
The three of them separated. Marcia and Christian were not strangers and knew the house well, yet they never had the opportunity to explore it like this. They owned the villa now. Aleyna went to her room and started to pack some of her things. She didn’t know what would happen to her, the only certain thing was this wasn’t her room anymore. Marcia walked silently behind her. Aleyna didn’t pay any attention to her and continued packing.
“I know you are hurt and angry and worried and scared, but I need you.”
“No, you don’t. I am just a human. I have no power.”
“You have your mind, and that is more important to me than controlling two hundred soldiers. You are one of the brightest young people I know.”
Aleyna didn’t say anything. What was there to tell?
“You could stay here if you want. Or I could sever the connection between us.”
“You can’t do that. I know too many things and if you free me I would be a target.”
“I am selfish so I don’t want to let you go, but I can’t hold you against your will. Kara will return. And even if she doesn’t your position is secured. You have status. Everybody knows it and Kara’s death doesn’t change a thing. You still have the status of a consort.”
“I am not a consort!”
“Technically, you are not, but everybody considers you Kara’s consort. So what do you want to do? Stay here, go to Julia or come with me?”
“You’re not staying here?”
“It’s not my house. I will hold it until a true owner appears.”
“I will come with you, then. It’s not my house either.”
Chapter nine
Kara woke up later than she would’ve liked. Several hours of the morning had already passed and they should’ve left Matilda’s house by now. It was her mistake. She should’ve given an order to be woken up. The book she had been reading all night was on the bed. It was more than three hundred years old and its language archaic, which was not the only difficulty she had encountered. The text was mainly metaphorical and the formulae used symbols she hadn’t seen before. The rituals, the part that interested her, well, the rituals simply confounded Kara. What did the book mean when it spoke of the goddess’ blessing? That couldn’t possibly be literal. Yet it was a step of the ritual she had been looking at.
The book was more than three hundred years old so it offered a peek behind what everyone called the veil. The veil was the moment when their knowledge ended and their myths began. Few books they possessed were written before that. None of them were histories or annals so they had little idea of what happened five hundred or four hundred years ago. The histories she knew were written at least a hundred years after that and when they touched on events of that period they were using mythology. Some of them claimed they were using older histories, yet nobody had seen those. For a rational being like Kara it was not enough.
The veil was perfect. The three books she had seen supposed to be at least three hundred years old, this included her own book, were all alike. If she hadn’t known any better she would’ve said they were forgeries, only they weren’t. This was the most important book her family owned, and it had been that way for a very long time. Kara had found notes about the book in her ancestors’ journals, ancestors who lived more than two hundred years ago. Her family had had this book for as long as they could remember. It was not a clever forgery.
Some scholars supported the theory that writing was three hundred years old. They doubted any book claiming to be older. It was an easy explanation. We don’t know what happened four hundred years ago, or a thousand years ago for that matter, because nobody knew how to write. Only the theory was wrong. They had found inscriptions on stones from more than a thousand years ago. Books can be easily destroyed, stones were harder.
Kara had asked herself more than once what could’ve happened then that erased almost all knowledge. It must’ve been catastrophic, no doubt about it. The veil had fallen and two hundred years ago they didn’t know why any more than she did now. The major battles between wizards happened three hundred years ago as well. That could not have helped to preserve knowledge. Some senator scholars even claimed the wizards were responsible for the veil. Kara was not so sure, senators were always quick to blame the wizards for everything they could think of. Those wars ended with the birth of the seven kingdoms that would later unite to form the empire. Their histories always began with the wizard wars.
Kara opened the book and looked over the ritual again. The incantation was clear, a request for help from the goddess. What it meant by blood sacrifice she understood as well. When blood was involved, especially from a powerful being, the ritual was always dangerous. Perhaps it may even claim her life. Yet if the ritual were to succeed, the benefits would be well worth the risk. She put the book away. What was unclear in the ritual would remain so no matter how many times she read it. Kara had been studying the book for more than five years and her mother and father, her grandparents before them and so on had done the same thing. Everything that could’ve been learned from that book was learned by successive generations of senators. Right now she either took the chance or she didn’t. If she didn’t she would have to go to Marcia or Julia. Or first to Marcia and next to Julia. She had the opportunity to take advantage of the ensuing chaos and it conflicted with the fact she cared very deeply about the two female senators. Time to make a decision!
She quickly got dressed and was ready to get out of the room when she heard a knock on the door. Michael walked in when she invited him and looked at her with concern.
“Did you get enough rest?” Michael asked.
“Not really! I spent most of the night reading a book. Don’t worry, my power is almost at its full potential.” Kara tried to be very calm about it. She wasn’t! Time to make a decision! Michael was really worried about her, she could tell. His choice would be first, then she would make hers. It was a game where he had the first move and he was going make it now.
“I know your power is back. What are you going to do now, Kara?”
“Are you going to stay with me?”
“Do you still want me around?” There was doubt in Michael voice.
“Not only do I want you with me, I need you.” It was true, she did need him more than he knew. And he would have to trust her as much as she trusted him.
Kara saw Michael was considering his position. He was too close to a senator who had just suffered a great loss. From his point of view she could change her mind or act irrationally at any moment. And she was still a senator and he a wizard. The hatred between their two races went back a lot farther than twent
y years, when the war actually started.
“I guess I am coming with you, then! I hope you’ll make things interesting.”
“Be careful what you wish…” she replied with a curt smile.
“Well, make them at least as interesting as the book that kept you up all night.”
“That would be a challenge. The book was very engrossing.”
“I’m sure you could think of a few things.”
She could think of more than a few things. She already had last night. In fact, not only could she make things interesting, she could make them downright surprising. It would be a shame if she would not meet his expectations. And Kara hated to be disappointing.
“Am I the last to wake up?”
“No, your two servants are still asleep. The old senator is up and watched me like a hawk the whole time. I don’t think she likes me very much.”
“She likes you, she just doesn’t know you! Don’t worry about it, we’ll leave soon enough. In fact, we are already late. You should’ve dragged me out of bed earlier.”
“As enticing as you make that sound, you still needed the rest.”
Kara laughed softly. It was a surprise to her she did find the thought of Michael waking her up in the morning intriguing. The idea had probably been hidden somewhere in her subconscious since he rescued her. And Kara could be grateful to someone who saved her life. Yet she knew herself well enough to understand that gratitude had little to do with the attraction she felt. Before she could dig deeper into her reasoning she decided this was certainly not the moment to examine her motivations.
In what was supposed to be the kitchen she found food and Matilda waiting for her. The food was welcomed, she was hungry, much to her astonishment, but she could do without the interrogation that came with it. Matilda may have not asked many questions last night because they were all very tired. Now, that Kara had rested, she would ask. This would go much easier if she ate something, so she grabbed whatever was closest to her. It wasn’t what she was used to, but the food tasted really good. It was probably because she had been that hungry.
“Are you going to stay here much longer?” Matilda asked before she finished a couple of bites. Clearly, the old senator tolerated them for a night and not any more.
“No, Michael and I are going to leave as soon as I finish eating. I would really appreciate it if Amelia and Cecilia could stay here for a little while longer.”
She hoped she didn’t have to explain what a little while meant because she didn’t even know. Michael had a questioning look and Matilda failed to hide her surprise for a moment.
“As long as they keep out of my way and don’t bother me, they can stay,” Matilda replied. “Maybe you should take them with you, anyway, I don’t know what good they would do here. They might not look it, but they are tough. They might be useful.”
“They would be safe here. If they come with me they will be in danger. And if there is trouble, I can let people know what happened through them. They are more useful here.”
“I guess I could let people know if something happened. But if you need me to tell people about you, it means you are not returning to your clients. So, where will you go?”
“You are right, I am not returning to my clients. I have sent messages, but if they still think I am dead I would like to keep it that way. So I would be very grateful if you don’t enlighten them just yet,” Kara told both of them.
“Is that wise?” Michael asked. “Maybe you should let someone else know.”
It was a risk, that’s what it was. It could prove to be incredibly unwise, yet she felt like being reckless. Her friends would bring chaos to the world if they thought she was dead. They would probably do that regardless. What Michael said had to be taken under consideration. How far did she want them to take things? Surely, not that far! Just far enough to keep the eyes of the world elsewhere, while she executed her plans. Only their final part needed a distraction, so she hoped her clients obeyed her orders. She had no idea what Julia would do.
“As I said, I’ve sent them messages. They’ll know I’m alive,” Kara replied.
Only they wouldn’t. She hadn’t signed the messages on purpose and she had left room for doubt. It was a clever and ruthless piece of misdirection. Kara wasn’t exactly proud of it. When she would return from among the dead there would be consequences. People would feel betrayed. And they would be right. Nothing she could do about that.
“Girl, do you know what will happen if they think you are dead?” Matilda asked.
“The same thing would happen if they know I am alive. They killed my father and that demands a reply. I just hope if I am not with them they would exercise more caution.”
“You said you would be forced to invade Essland,” Michael spoke to her.
“She’ll be forced to invade Essland anyway,” Matilda answered for her.
“It’s what I’m trying to avoid. Lucian is a snake, but this is not his style. The senators from Essland may not like him, yet they would have to support him. Are you forgetting, Matilda, that two of the Circle of Five are in Essland and it’s their land? It will not be an easy battle.”
“No, I’m not forgetting it girl. You are a senator, you have no choice.”
“Kara does not think Essland senators are responsible for the attack on her family,” Michael addressed Matilda. Kara noticed he hadn’t asked about the Circle of Five, although curiosity must kill him inside. Surely, she thought, he would ask when they were alone.
“They came from Essland, girl! You said a human count from there sent them. That is certain, the rest is hopes and suppositions. The answers are there.”
“I know they are and I intend to get them. The matter in contention is how I am going to ask the questions. Nicely, or by invading their province with more than ten thousand soldiers. Anyway, I am not sure what the other two houses of Suttland will do.”
“You don’t think Lucian or his friends will answer your questions honestly?”
No, she was not that naïve. It was just a matter of how you asked the questions. And she was going to do it in a way Lucian would have no other choice but to answer. She had bested him once and she could do it again. When it happened the first time he thought it was an accident and was gracious about it. The second time he was resentful and didn’t hide it. Their relationship did not survive that. It was never going to work, Kara was aware of that, yet it could’ve evolved into friendship and an alliance beneficial to both of them. It didn’t happen and they quickly became enemies, a development known only to few. It was Lucian’s choice, really.
“I intend to ask them very nicely.” Kara’s answer left room for interpretation.
“Out of curiosity, who do you think attacked you?” Michael asked coldly. He didn’t seem to appreciate the answer Kara had given. She smiled inside.
“A senator from Cuttland! It has to be one of them,” Kara replied.
“That is a very strong possibility, but the answers are in Essland,” Matilda repeated. “However, you are forgetting one thing!”
“Am I?” Kara asked with a mysterious smile on his face.
“Maybe you thought of it. Your clients don’t know that soldiers from Essland attacked you. They will find the battlefield and try to track the soldiers to their homes,” Matilda spoke.
“It is going to rain soon,” Michael said.
“That would destroy the tracks, but traces of the campsites would still be there. It is hard to hide a place where a thousand soldiers stopped for the night,” Matilda pondered.
The old senator was probably right. They must’ve made an effort to hide them, but the archers were not trained and the horses left more than their feces behind.
“The soldiers probably crossed the mountains and did not come through Julia’s lands or you would let your clients know the soldiers came from Essland,” Matilda kept thinking aloud.
Yes, the soldiers had crossed the Serelians. There was another logical step to Matilda’s reasoning.
The old woman was old, not senile, and she had probably taken that step. Her clients would believe the attacker came from Cuttland. It was beautiful in a way, she stayed dead and they would believe a lie that just might be the truth.
“The only question is if they were going to be caught or not,” Michael said.
“They were going to get caught,” Matilda answered while Kara kept thinking.
“Three hundred soldiers were going to get caught, no doubt about it, but…”
“They were going to meet with a sorceress and most likely with two senators,” Michael completed the sentence for her. “They might’ve killed the soldiers just to erase their tracks.”
“They didn’t seem that concerned with anything that could be traced back to them at the villa. They didn’t even bother to take those cups with them and it was easy enough to do.”
“The bodies there were proof enough of what happened for everyone who knows what to look for. Taking the cups with them would’ve accomplished nothing.”
There was no easy way to hide the work of a senator from another. They knew exactly what to look for. It was one of her first lessons, how to judge an aftermath and explain what had happened. Most senators were taught the same things. The difference was she had better training and a lot more practice. Many of the young senators considered they didn’t need the training anymore. Others just went through it and not much stuck to them. This was not the case with Kara and the upper tier of young senators. The world of the Order was a brutal one and the powerful young senators were aware they might need to enforce the hierarchy.
That was the moment when Amelia and Cecilia made their entrance. They may have been the last to wake up, but their sleep was not a calm and restful one. Kara knew they would not like one bit being left here. Bringing them with her would create another set of problems. In the end she was a senator and her decision was the one that counted.
“Did you tell them the good news?” Matilda asked sarcastically. The old senator really didn’t want to give her another moment of peace. Kara sighed knowing what would follow.