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Chapter Seventeen

Raul

A s Aurelia and High Commander Axius address the five soldiers lined up in front of them, I hang farther back in the meeting room.

Theoretically I’m here in case any of them have questions specific to Lavira, but really I’m reaching through my awareness of the shadows into every pocket and pouch on their uniforms.

Axius and Captain Evando might have vetted these five as closely as they’re capable of, but after the recent attacks, I’m not leaving anything to chance. No hidden weapon, vial of acid, or exploding device is getting past me.

Thankfully, this bunch appears to be free of treasonous intentions. They hold themselves rigidly at attention as Axius gives their instructions.

“We can only give you two of the communication boxes. Guard them carefully, using whatever measures are available to you to avoid any of the opposing soldiers seeing them or noticing you using them.”

All five soldiers give a jerk of a nod, impressively synchronized.

Aurelia picks up the thread in her gentler but equally firm voice.

“If you have anything to report, write it down in the agreed-on code and place the note in the box. When you close the lid, it’ll be transmitted to its coordinating box here in the palace.

We’ll only send messages back in case of extreme need to avoid the chance of anyone else discovering them.

I want you all to stay as safe as possible amid the immense risk you’re taking. ”

The soldier in the middle bobs his head again. “It’s our honor to serve you as we’re best able, Your Imperial Highness.”

A sad smile curves her lips. She hides it well, but I can pick up on how much even this mission pains her.

She could be sending these soldiers off to their deaths. There isn’t much our empress hates more than putting other people in the line of fire on her behalf.

It took a ridiculous amount of reassurance before she’d even rely on me .

“I appreciate it all the same,” she says, “and I’m sorry you’ve been put at odds with so many of your colleagues. I hope that we’ll be able to put an end to this sedition before many lives are lost.”

Axius folds his arms over his chest. “If we can disrupt their plans before they can get very far with them, we’ll have a better chance at that. Anything you can report on the enemy’s intentions and expected movements will be invaluable to the imperial family.”

Captain Evando steps in with an intensity to his bearing that looks a bit anxious to me. As the main officer in charge of the soldiers who guard the palace, he had a lot of input when choosing Aurelia’s spies. I can’t imagine he likes the idea that he might let her down.

“These five men and women are among the most capable and dedicated soldiers I’ve ever met,” he says. “I’m sure they’ll succeed in this mission and help restore peace to the empire.”

Right. The kind of peace where the only people suffering are those who aren’t from Dariu.

At least none of these five is dedicated to Sabrelle. Axius made that a defining condition of who we’d send out. It’s not worth risking the godlen working her divine voodoo on our most precarious mission.

As the five soldiers salute their empress and file out of the room, I think of my mother and brother off in Lavira, watching this very different rebellion form under their noses.

Would they prefer to trade one dictator for another? Did they see enough of Aurelia’s goodness during our visit months ago to trust that they’re better off siding with her—as much as they can with Valerisse right there?

If they didn’t, it’ll have been my failing more than Aurelia’s.

Aurelia glances at me, and I offer a brief smile to say I didn’t catch any concerning signs. I can’t risk any gesture warmer than that is wise with the other men and her personal guards looking on.

My gaze slides from her to the most distinct of those figures. Marc’s attention is fixed on Aurelia with its usual intensity.

I stop my teeth from gritting only through immense force of will. I’d like to take a swing at him.

I’d like to punch his scar-blotched face right off.

How the fuck has he persuaded her to warm up to him enough that she’d set aside all the awfulness of their past? To consider actually getting close to him?

Gods only know how much intimacy she had to feign in the past. They’ve shared plenty of kisses and more. But none of it meant anything. She avoided anything beyond what was absolutely necessary.

For all her sharp mind and ruthless determination, she’s got a soft heart at her center. I can’t let him exploit it.

This new facade of his has to crack sometime, doesn’t it?

Before I can follow that train of thought any further, the guard who was posted outside the meeting room door nudges it open. “Prince Neven would like to speak with Her Imperial Highness.”

Aurelia makes a beckoning gesture. “Of course. Let him in.”

My youngest foster brother hustles into the room. Aurelia steps off to the side to consult with him, their voices hushed.

I’m guessing he’s reporting some impression he’s gotten from Sabrelle. Whatever it is, the slant of Aurelia’s mouth suggests it doesn’t involve sunshine and roses.

When is the godlen of war going to get her head out of her ass and recognize that our current empress is twice the fighter anyone in the imperial family was?

As Neven turns to go, Captain Evando clears his throat. “You haven’t been by the training room lately, Your Highness. Did you decide you’ve elevated your skills enough already?”

There’s a slight edge to the words I don’t totally like. Neven bristles, so he must have picked up on it too.

“I have a more important duty to attend to,” he says brusquely. “It’s easier for me to focus on Sabrelle’s influence when I’m on my own rather than surrounded by other people.”

Evando raises an eyebrow. “Really? I’d have thought being around a lot of dedicated soldiers, especially when many of them are dedicated to her , would be the perfect setting to watch for her involvement.”

Neven scowls. “What does it matter to you, anyway?”

“I’m just surprised, after how committed you were to seeing that your empress learns every possible strategy.”

Aurelia steps closer, looking as if she’s considering intervening, but Neven breaks the tension of the moment with a bark of a laugh.

“If that’s still bothering you, we can settle it pretty quickly.

Sparring match, fifteen minutes, in the main training room?

We’ll see whether politeness beats determination. ”

Evando hesitates as if he didn’t expect to end up quite so committed to Neven’s training himself. Then a gleam lights in his eyes that I’m not sure what to make of. “Yes, we will.”

Aurelia cuts a glance toward me with a bemused expression. I can almost hear her saying, with a dollop of exasperation, “Men!”

I doubt she’d appreciate my recent hostile thoughts, so I keep them to myself other than a quick gesture. We’ll come. Your room. Soon.

She can piece together my meaning well enough. As she heads to her chambers with her guards, I set off to find Lorenzo.

Several minutes later, I confirm it’s only Aurelia and Marc in her bedroom and step out past the sliding panel with the prince of Rione beside me. From the tic of his face, Marc wasn’t expecting us.

Good. Let him remember that no matter how much he’s wriggled into our woman’s good graces, she doesn’t tell him everything.

Aurelia is sitting at her desk, petting the cat that rarely leaves her side when she’s in residence. “I’m guessing this isn’t just a social call.”

I flex my hands. “I’ve been thinking more about combining gifts.

How we can ward off talents like Valerisse’s that rely on ferreting out other people’s intentions rather than carrying out their own.

Most shielding gifts only work with physical attacks.

Marc’s gift is along more analytical lines too, isn’t it?

We should see whether we can deflect it. ”

Marc’s mouth tightens even more. “I suppose that’s accurate. How do you imagine you’d ‘ward it off’?”

He’s game, then. Let’s see how he reacts if this works—if we can strip him of even more power.

I let myself grin. “It won’t be much of a gift for long, I suspect. My gift can obscure what’s around us. Lorenzo’s can warp perceptions. Between the two of us, I figure we could create a sort of smoke screen against other magic. A secret shield that both conceals and diverts.”

Lorenzo signs, I’ll try , and swipes his hands together. I filled him in on my idea while we made our way to the apartment.

Aurelia glances between the three of us and appears to resign herself to the impromptu competition. “It’ll certainly be interesting to see the results.”

As she leans back in her chair, Marc takes a few steps toward Lorenzo and me. “You know what I’ll be attempting to do.”

“Discerning my greatest physical weakness. I don’t think I have any of those anyway.”

If the former emperor is bothered that Aurelia shared the details of his gift with me, he doesn’t show it. He studies us with an expression I can only call bored—his retaliation for my heckling. “Let me know when you’re ready, and we’ll find out.”

I reach toward the shadows cast at my side, explaining for Aurelia’s benefit.

“When Bastien and I blasted this fool, we didn’t consciously combine our powers.

We were simply focused on the same goal, and I’m assuming they merged into something more based on that.

So Lore and I will use the same tactic—concentrating our own gifts in tandem to deflect any magic that’s aimed at us—and let the magic work as it will. ”

Marc narrows his eyes at me. “You still haven’t mentioned what exactly your full gift is.”

“She knows. Why should I mention it to you and give you that advantage?” I shoot him another grin and motion to Lorenzo.

He squares his shoulders, his face setting with concentration. I grasp hold of the nearby shadows. With all the mental effort I can summon, I disperse them into a filmy barrier between Marc and us.

Let it obscure any sense of our bodies and minds. Let any opposing gift get lost in the haze. Let us trick him even more thoroughly than either of us could alone, Kosmel.

I press my other hand to my sternum over the brand that connects me to my patron godlen. A tingle ripples through the air.

Something is happening, even if I can’t say quite what.

“Go ahead,” I tell Marc.

His jaw works. He fixes a piercing stare at me—rather than Lorenzo, naturally.

I focus on the shadows flowing between us, the faintest haze in the air, disguised by Lorenzo’s powers winding through them. Marc’s brow furrows.

He takes a small step closer, his expression tightening. “I can’t quite— It’s as if you’re not exactly there. But I can see you still, right?—”

His head twitches, and a smile flits across his face.

“Ah. I’m sure all your training and your practice in the arena has benefitted you, but you still have a bit of a defensive gap when it comes to the left side of your neck.

Best make sure no one rams a blade there, because you might not react quickly enough. ”

A chill washes over me, and I lose my grip on the shadows. Not that they were contributing enough anyway.

“It took you longer than usual to get a sense of it,” I say, biting back the words I actually want to spit at him. I don’t think telling him to fuck off would endear me more to Aurelia.

To my surprise, Marc inclines his head in acknowledgment. “It did. I needed a fair bit more concentration and finessing of my gift. You might be on to something.”

My instinctive urge to argue with him collides with his obvious compliment and leaves me momentarily speechless. “Yes. Well. We will have to practice more.”

Lorenzo makes a triumphant gesture, and Aurelia beams at us. “And no ill effects that I can see. We’ll have to try more experiments—without straining your gifts, of course.”

I allow myself to bask in the pride of her approval for a moment, only to be interrupted by a knock on the door.

With a hitch of my pulse, I hustle to the hidden passage, Lorenzo right behind me. As we shut the panel behind us, Aurelia’s voice carries through. “What is it?”

Axius’s voice replies from the other side of her door. “We’ve just gotten two letters by messenger, one from Rione and one from Cotea. I think you’d better have a look at them, Your Imperial Highness.”