Cast in Secrets and Shadow

by Andrea Robertson

  His calm pronouncement filled Ara with cold anticipation. Lucket wore a bland smile. It amazed her that he could remain so utterly unruffled despite the disturbing words that rolled off his lips.

  Returning his attention to Lahvja, Lucket continued, “I regret to tell you that your involvement with the Loresmith has had consequences for your people. The empire has been rounding up the Imperial Players’ caravans. My apologies for using that unfortunate term. I know it is abhorred among your own, but the warrants issued read thusly.”

  Lahvja drew a sharp breath before her shoulders slumped. “I feared such a thing might come to pass.”

  Nimhea whispered something in Lahvja’s ear and slid her arm around the summoner’s waist, which Ara watched Lucket take note of.

  “Who is being rounded up?” Joar’s low voice rumbled at them. He’d been hanging back, cloaked in shadows, but now he stepped into the light. Huntress was a ghost at his side, a wary growl emerging from her chest.

  Lucket didn’t move, but he blinked several times as he took in Joar’s massive form and giant wolf guardian.

  “Gotcha,” Teth said under his breath, smiling.

  Lucket shot an irritated glance at him before focusing again on Joar.

  The Low King’s eyebrows pulled together. “You’re Koelli.”

  Joar gave a solemn nod.

  Lucket kept his face blank, but given Teth’s reaction when he’d realized the same about Joar’s ancestry, Ara was certain Lucket stewed inside for having been caught off guard by the hunter’s presence.

  A master of secrets must hate surprises more than almost anything, she thought.

  “I would like to know how this is possible,” Lucket said in a flat voice.

  “And I would like to know you better before I answer such a question,” Joar replied.

  Lucket’s expression was unreadable as he stared at Joar. Then he suddenly pivoted to Teth.

  “You haven’t told your new companion of our arrangement?”

  “We’ve been busy,” Teth shot back, but quickly relented, saying to Joar, “This is Lucket, the Low King of Fjeri; perhaps you’ve heard of him.”

  Joar’s expression darkened. “The Below is known to me. It is a den of iniquity, which should be shunned.”

  “You know, I quite like you,” Nimhea said to him, laughing.

  Unfazed, Lucket replied, “I’ve heard worse, Koelli.”

  “My name is Joar,” the hunter growled.

  “That’s good to know,” Lucket replied. “You’re free to judge my business however you choose, but it’s undeniable that you need our assistance. And I’m sure Teth has proven useful from time to time.”

  “From time to time, my ass,” Teth muttered, then he noticed Joar’s accusing stare.

  “Why does this one speak of you thusly?” Joar asked.

  “We’re sometime associates to say the least.” Spreading his hands helplessly, Teth said, “I must confess I’m an exceptional thief and hope you don’t hold it against me, Joar.”

  “Thieves have no honor,” the hunter growled.

  “I remember saying that once,” Nimhea remarked wistfully. “Sorry, Joar. No one listened to me then; they won’t listen to you now.”

  A pained expression captured Teth’s face. “Do you still wish me gone, Princess?”

  “As if I’d tell you.” Nimhea winked at him, and he grinned.

  “You are joking.” Joar was a picture of confusion as he took in their exchange. “I do not understand.”

  “Let’s just say there’s more to thieves than I expected,” Nimhea told him.

  Teth turned his lazy grin on the hunter. “You liked me before you knew I was a thief.”

  “I find you strange,” Joar replied.

  “Right, but that’s not dislike.”

  “That’s quite enough of that.” Lucket snapped his fingers to reacquire their focus. “For the moment, all you need to understand is that my organization has formed a partnership with Saetlund’s rebels, in the hopes of evicting the empire from our kingdom. That makes us allies.”

  Joar simply grunted, then said, “You haven’t answered my question. Who is being rounded up?”

  “If you want to continue our conversation, you’ll follow me,” Lucket said, turning away. “I’ve grown tired of standing outdoors.”

  With the torchbearers on either side of him, Lucket walked toward the door of one of the fort’s interior structures.

  “I’ll take care of the horses and join you in a few minutes,” Teth told Ara.

  She nodded and led the others to where Lucket stood in front of the now open door, through which his companions had already passed.

  “After you.” Lucket gestured to the entrance.

  * * *

  Lucket’s companions had made the barracks more than hospitable. A cheerful fire danced in the hearth and a long table had been spread with a fine linen cloth, playing host to platters of roast meat and steaming dishes from which rose mouthwatering scents.

  The sight and smell of hot food made Ara’s stomach rumble, reminding her that she’d only had a handful of nuts and fruit to eat that day.

  “I hoped you’d join us for dinner.” Lucket took a seat at the head of the table. One of his unnamed companions immediately appeared with a goblet and poured wine for the Low King. “As you can see, we have plenty to share. I’m not one to go without certain creature comforts, no matter where life takes me.”

  Ara chose the chair opposite Lucket. Nimhea and Lahvja settled onto the bench to her right. When Joar lowered himself on the bench to the left, the wood creaked in protest. Lucket kept a wary eye on Huntress as she nestled in beside the hearth, but otherwise made no complaint about the wolf’s presence.

  “Things are afoot in Five Rivers, troubling signs of what’s to come,” Lucket told them. “The seizing of Imperial Player caravans is one.”

  He leveled his gaze at Nimhea. “Prince Eamon’s unexpected treachery is another.”

  The room became stiff with tension, and Ara’s heart skittered beneath her ribs.

  Nimhea’s fork clattered to her plate. “You have news of my brother?”

  “Indeed.” Lucket dabbed the corners of his mouth with a linen napkin. “I must say, I was pleased you chose to contact us rather than go directly to the Resistance. In the Below, we tend to understand the subtleties of delicate matters such as the case of your brother.”

  With a brief nod, Nimhea said, “But you brought the matter to the Resistance, as we asked.”

  “Yes,” Lucket replied. “And as you guessed, they wanted to kill him at the earliest possible moment.”

  Nimhea blanched, then drew a hissing breath. “Without telling me?”

  “Easier to beg forgiveness than ask permission, Your Highness.” Lucket’s smile was little more than a thin line with the hint of a curve. “Fortunately, I convinced Suli that a hasty response wouldn’t be wise. It is paramount that we know the full reasoning behind Eamon’s departure before acting.”

  “And you have the means to discover his motives?” Ara asked.

  “Of course.” He sounded a bit insulted. “The prince has already been located—he’s being held at the Temple of Vokk—and an asset has been deployed to investigate the situation.”

  “An asset,” Nimhea repeated, watching Lucket with suspicion. “What do you mean?”

  “An individual with the appropriate skills to deal with a complicated set of variables,” the Low King told her. “And then take whatever action is necessary.”

  Nimhea’s eyes blazed. “Including killing him.”

  He replied in a flat tone. “I do not yet have a report on the status of that operation, but assassination is only one of several possibilities.”

  Suddenly on her feet, Nimhea scowled at him. “How can you sit there and say that to me? You�
��re talking about my brother! My twin!”

  Lucket steepled his fingers in front of his face. “Your Highness, if you plan to rule this kingdom, you’ll have to get used to unpleasant news. Such is the nature of monarchy. You must also face the fact that by all appearances your brother is a traitor.”

  Nimhea sank back to her seat, face wan. “I know.”

  Lahvja leaned over and whispered in Nimhea’s ear. The princess gave a tight nod, but didn’t speak.

  “I’ll keep you apprised of the situation as it develops,” Lucket said. He drained his goblet and indicated to the server to replenish his wine.

  “It comes down to this: the Vokkans are actively hunting you. It’s unwise to be haphazardly wandering the kingdom. I’d advise you to ensconce yourself with the Resistance as quickly as possible. They have means to keep you hidden and safe until the moment of the rebellion is at hand.”

  Ara shook her head. “The quest isn’t finished. I still have to complete the gods’ trials at three hidden sites, and to do that I have to first find those sites. We need Loreknights to take back the kingdom. I can’t stop now.”

  “As much as these storied Loreknights might be useful to us, I have to deal in practicalities,” Lucket said drily. “Perhaps you could have a word with your gods and tell them that time is of the essence.”

  His words took Ara by surprise. Surely, after all that had happened, Lucket didn’t harbor doubts about her quest.

  “One does not hurry the gods,” Joar rumbled, and tore a drumstick off the roast chicken.

  “Aren’t you the droll fellow.” Lucket watched Joar with a mildly curious expression. “Wherever did you find this one?”

  “Vijeri,” Ara said. “We needed a guide, and Joar offered his assistance.”

  “And then you decided to . . . keep him?” Lucket ventured.

  “Though I’m more than glad for his companionship, the choice wasn’t mine. Joar was named by Wuldr as the second Loreknight,” Ara told him. “He’s one of us now.”

  “The second Loreknight?” Lucket set down his goblet. “Pray tell, who is the first?”

  Surprise shot through her.

  He doesn’t know.

  No wonder Lucket had so easily dismissed her comment about Loreknights.

  “You didn’t tell him?” Ara stared at Teth with disbelief.

  Lucket’s expression remained impassive. “Tell me what?”

  “I’d really rather not,” Teth said, avoiding her gaze.

  “You have to,” Ara snapped. “Now.”

  With a groan, Teth turned to Lucket. “I’m the first Loreknight.”

  Lucket gave him an appraising look. “Your jests are usually more clever, Teth. I’m disappointed.”

  “This is exactly why I didn’t tell him,” Teth muttered, shooting a glance at Ara.

  “It’s not a joke, Lucket,” Ara said. “Eni chose Teth, naming him Loreknight.”

  Lucket’s expression hardened. “You expect me to believe—”

  “Come with me.” Teth stood up, gesturing for Lucket to follow. “I know you won’t be convinced until I show you.”

  “I—” Lucket began to protest.

  “Go with him.” Ara’s hard glare startled the Low King into silence.

  He briefly inclined his head and followed Teth outdoors.

  * * *

  Lucket was silent for at least a quarter of an hour after they returned. Teth set into his meal with relish, a smug twinkle in his eye, while the Low King emptied another goblet of wine. The rest of them ate dinner quietly as little by little Lucket removed the bewildered mask that had captured his face. All the while, Lucket’s followers hovered like ghosts, never speaking but always watchful.

  “You’ll have to pose as traders.” Lucket abruptly broke his silence.

  “I beg your pardon?” Ara had filled her belly to its satisfaction and a bit beyond. She didn’t think she’d ever eaten so well.

  “To enter the Great Market,” he replied. “Medicinal herbs, spices, and potions, I think. Lahvja is Vijerian, Teth looks part Vijerian, the goods are valuable enough to warrant a”—with a delicate cough and a glance at Joar, he went on—“substantial bodyguard, and you’ll only need a merchant’s wagon.”

  The Low King appeared to be entirely himself again.

  “Can’t we take backroads like we did in Fjeri?” Ara asked. She didn’t relish another wagon journey after the unpleasantness of the caravan in Daefrit. “It would save time.”

  Lucket caught her with a steady gaze. “There are no back roads in Sola.”

  “But—”

  “You haven’t studied your history, Loresmith,” Lucket cut her off. “Once upon a time, Sola had gentle hills dotted with small farms. But when the kingdom was formed, the farms grew larger. Cities were born, and farmers’ children sought their fortune in the new metropolises. Their children had children, and the kingdom developed quite an appetite.”

  He paused to smile at her. “That was all right. New generations of farmers didn’t forget what Nava had taught them. They kept the land fertile and the crops varied. That ended when the Vokkans came. Soldiers need corn and oats and wheat and beans. They need them in massive quantities, and the empire prefers uniformity. Large farms were combined to become enormous imperial farms. Outside of its cities and the Great Market, Sola is now nothing but farms operated by the empire. All of the roads were built to optimize efficiency and accommodate the flow of supplies into the farms and crops out to the coasts. In case you don’t know, most of Sola’s crops are shipped to the empire’s armies overseas, where they’ve been contending with rebellions.

  “If you like, you can try your luck at crossing the fields themselves,” he continued. “But even those only able to produce dust devils now are still well guarded. The imperials rarely show mercy to trespassers, even those claiming to have lost their way.”

  “So we take the major trade route,” Ara said, losing patience.

  “Ignorance of the past is foolish,” Lucket snapped at her. “History brought you here, and you’ll need its lessons if you expect to win this game.”

  Ara pressed her lips together and nodded, thinking that Eamon would have said the same thing but in a much nicer way. The pain of his betrayal was a reopened wound since Lucket had raised his specter.

  Knowing that Eamon had indeed gone to the wizards in Five Rivers seemed to confirm the worst. Part of her had hoped that he had simply run away, possibly returning to the Ethrian Isles or else hiding out somewhere in Saetlund. Perhaps even making his way to one of the universities in Daefrit to lose himself in research.

  But she didn’t want to believe he was actively working against them. That he would wish them harm.

  And she didn’t want Eamon to die.

  “You’ll need better clothes.” Lucket’s comment brought Ara back to the moment. His gaze perused each of them, focusing on their garb. “Vijerian silk and Daefritian jewelry, for the women. Apothecaries proclaim the quality of their goods in the fineries they wear. We’ll keep Teth and Joar as nondescript as possible.”

  “One last thing.” Lucket leveled his gaze on Nimhea. “Remove your bandages.”

  Nimhea drew a sharp breath, and Lahvja half rose, glaring at Lucket.

  Rolling his eyes, Lucket said, “Don’t be tiresome. It is my business to know, in depth, your current circumstances. The extent of the princess’s wounds falls under my purview.”

  “Is it really necessary?” Ara asked.

  Lahvja had been changing Nimhea’s bandages in private. Ara didn’t know if Nimhea had even seen her own reflection since the attack. If she had not, Lucket’s demand was invasive and cruel.

  “The wound is still healing,” Lahvja said sharply. “It will be bandaged for several more weeks.”

  “This will be but a moment’s work, and do no harm,” Lucket re
plied.

  “I can describe her injuries in detail,” Lahvja countered. “I’ve been tending to the wound.”

  “Seeing is believing, as they say,” Lucket replied. “We can waste time arguing about it, but I’d prefer to have the matter over and done with.”

  Lahvja opened her mouth to protest again, but Nimhea stilled her with a gentle hand on the summoner’s arm.

  “It’s fine,” Nimhea said quietly. “Like he said, it will do no harm.”

  She reached up and loosened the bandages. The room went very still as she slowly unwound them. Nimhea drew a long breath and released it, then let the bandages settle onto her lap.

  Ara’s breath caught in her throat.

  The scar began just above Nimhea’s right lip. It curved just outside her nose and up her cheek, continued along the outer edge of her eye, over her forehead, and into her scalp. The wound was still angry and red, bound together by fine silk stitching.

  Nimhea gazed unflinching at Lucket. After a moment, the Low King gave a brief nod.

  “Thank you.”

  While Nimhea allowed Lahvja to rebandage her face, Lucket stood and snapped his fingers. His companions instantly materialized and just as quickly filed out the door.

  “My people and I will gather the wagon and supplies in TriBridge and then return here in two nights. In the meantime, work on the backstories you’ll use while operating in the Great Market. Teth will help you construct them. Commit them to memory. You can’t afford mistakes. I’d prefer not to send amateurs into a situation like this, but there’s no helping it.”

  He shot a wry glance at Joar. “Unless the gods allow substitutions?”

  Joar shook his head.

  Lucket barked a laugh, then gave a short bow before exiting the room. Without realizing she’d made the decision to follow him, Ara was on her feet and out the door.

  “Lucket!”

  He turned to face her. One of his companions pulled up short, moving quickly toward Ara. She caught the glint of a blade. Lucket waved the man off.