Page 39

Nineteen

“ I t… should be possible,” Lerolian agreed much later, when he returned with gossip and was instead quizzed on blood mage abilities. He paced in front of us, and from the back room, the dragon slunk out, blinking. It nudged the empty plate in front of it, trilling low in its throat.

Snorting, I went over to the table and grabbed another dish for it. “I hope this is even remotely good for you and not poison. That would be just my luck. Raise the only dragon left on the continent and kill it with an appetizer.”

“You don’t sound certain.” Tallu looked between Lerolian and me, and I could see that doubt was creeping in, hesitance making it hard for him to believe.

“We never found a way to undo what the blood mages did. When they removed electro mages’ magic—most went mad.

Those who didn’t go mad were released from service. ”

“You said an entire unit of electro mages lost their magic. This one?” Returning to the couch, I began drawing on a scrap of paper, as many of the tattoos as I remembered on Liku’s chest and arms. The man was etched in my brain; the terror of realizing he knew who Tallu was meant I would remember him until the day I died.

Tallu took the paper from me, his long fingers brushing mine, and my resulting shiver raised goose bumps on my arms. I swallowed, aware of how close he was.

“How did you know?” Tallu looked at me, his frown pulling together his perfect dark eyebrows.

I couldn’t help it: I leaned close, inhaling the warm scent of him. Shaking my head, I tried to pull back, but I couldn’t. I wanted to lean against him, force him into the wall, or, better yet, have him force me against the wall.

“Somebody with those tattoos is practicing electro magic in the forest with a blood mage,” I finally managed. “I think she healed him. I think she healed him, and he saved her, and now they’re just trying to live.”

“And so instead of giving them the peace they want, you’re going to drag them into court politics?” Lerolian shook his head. “You know, there was a time when I thought northerners were simple. But I think you are even more merciless than the Imperium.”

“Ice is merciless. And every northerner came from the ice.” It was something my mother often proclaimed, though Yor?mu said it was more metaphor than truth. Our legends held that we were born from one of the great northern bear’s sons who fell in love with an iceberg.

My mother said it was truth. We were born in the snow, and no matter how high the midwife built the fire, our first breath was always cold.

“Great. So, the emperor sculpted from gold and the prince carved from ice got together, and the best thing you both can think of is dragging the last living blood mage into this war.” Lerolian rubbed his face.

“It’s moments like this that I wish I could drink.

A nice beer or even some mead. Hell, I’d settle for some hard cider.

My grandmother used to make the best cider. ”

Lerolian’s eyes went distant. I braced myself, waiting for the question, but it didn’t seem to have occurred to him yet to ask the name of the last living blood mage.

“We don’t need to drag them into this with us,” I said clearly.

“We can give them the option. We can take Velethuil out to them so they never have to enter the Mountainside Palace, or we can sneak them here so no one knows where they live. If she can save Velethuil, then they have the option of going north with Velethuil and Lady Dalimu.”

What would my mother do with refugee members of the Imperium and an air mage who had come recently back into his powers? Likely a feast. Then, a session with her council and another with her trusted spouses.

Above all, she wouldn’t imprison them. She wouldn’t keep them trapped. Miksha, Liku, Velethuil, and even Lady Dalimu would be out of reach of the Imperium. They would be free. Or at least as free as I could promise them.

Lerolian laughed, a bark of a sound that could slice solid rock. “Why would the Northern Kingdom want a blood mage any more than the Imperium does? We were just across the Inner Sea, and when the Imperium invaded, wiping us out, your people did nothing.”

“Things look different now. When the Imperium attacked the Blood Mountains, we had just fought our own war. Our population was decimated, most of our fighters killed or injured, and the distance between us and the Blood Mountains is mostly frozen tundra. My mother would have welcomed any blood mage that made their way to the Silver City, but you ask more from her than the Blood Mountains was willing to offer when the Imperium attacked the Northern Kingdom.” I let that sink in.

“At least in the Northern Kingdom, they won’t have to hide. ”

Shaking his head, Lerolian made a face. “I will go see them. Maybe she can see me, and I will convey your offer. But if she can’t see me, at least then I can find out how they are living.”

Before I could interrupt, Tallu held up a hand. “Don’t go too long, unless you plan to fade. We are so close, my friend, and I do not want you to miss our success.”

Lerolian looked at him, something softening in his expression. “I know that the war against the blood mages affected you, too, Tallu. Let us both hope that there is some mercy left in this world.”

Tallu grimaced, seeming to understand what Lerolian meant, even if I didn’t. Then we were alone.

Tallu looked at the wall, his eyes unfocused. “So many have disappeared or wandered off. When I was younger, I could not be anywhere without seeing one. Now I worry what I will do when he is gone. We should rest. Tonight will come soon enough.”

“Yes.” I looked over to the bed, and even though I hadn’t had any of Hipati’s favorite caffeinated drink, I felt as though I was five coffees in. I couldn’t have slept even if someone took a club to the back of my head.

“Come.” Tallu’s words were an order, and he turned to the bed, pulling off his long robe and unbuttoning the jacket underneath. I looked away when he got to his shirt and stripped off my own clothes.

By the time I looked up, holding my pants, Tallu had already slid under the covers, the thick blankets hiding his form from view. He was the first partner I’d ever slept with, and it felt intimate in a way that went beyond flesh meeting.

Tallu leaned over, closing the curtains around the bed, and then we were in the darkness together. A sliver of light peeked from between two of the bed curtains, making Tallu gleam. His eyes almost glowed in the darkness.

Swallowing, I turned my back to him, trembling as the mattress shifted, Tallu approaching me. But he merely slid an arm over my chest, pulling me close. His weight pressed me into the mattress a bit, and I tried to relax against him, tried to fight the tension in every muscle of my body.

“I can sleep on the couch,” he offered, starting to pull away.

“No.” I grabbed his forearm with my hand, squeezing. He stayed where he was, and before I knew it, sleep took me.

Asahi and Sagam were ready when we woke. Tallu unlocked the door for them, and I checked the hallway, but all the servants were sleeping in their own beds, and Asahi and Sagam were the only Dogs on duty.

Sagam produced two sets of Dogs’ clothing. They were dark gray, not quite black. From experience and training, I knew that dark gray blended better into shadows than black, which stood out in shifting darkness.

Without speaking, Tallu and I dressed.

“The outer door is locked?” I asked. There would have been too many questions if it had been open, but I assumed Tallu or one of his Dogs had figured out a way to get out if necessary.

“Yes.” Tallu looked between his two Dogs. “But the Emperor’s Dogs have secret ways in and out, don’t they?”

Asahi bowed his head in admission. “They are difficult. Difficult enough that if you do not know them, you would never see them.”

“Difficult enough that even as well trained as you are, Emperor Tallu, you might die in the attempt. Which would violate both of our oaths to protect you, so try not to do that.” Sagam smiled as he pulled two cloth masks out from his inner pocket, offering them over to Tallu and me.

“Yeah. Don’t get killed. If you get killed, then their heads are on the line, and I don’t imagine the next emperor will be nearly as pleasing to me as you are,” I teased.

Tallu exhaled sharply, as close to a chuckle as he could get, given the tension in the room.

“Let’s go. If I plunge to my death, let us hope we all do.” Tallu looked around. “It will make things easier for the next emperor. Fewer immediate executions.”

Sagam walked over to the window, the one I often left open to allow Terror and the other birds entrance. He gestured over the ledge.

“Not all of these stones are made from the same material. The ones made from granite are slippery. You will fall to your death if you try to grip them. However, there is a special pattern of ones that were etched using electro magic. As long as you are quick, you can use them to guide your way down. Follow me exactly.”

Sagam crouched on the window ledge, ready to back out of the window. Asahi made a horrible noise and crossed the room. He pulled his mask free and pressed his lips to Sagam’s neck.

He whispered something and then stepped back, sliding his mask back into place.

“Everyone needs to relax here. No one is dying,” I said firmly. “No dying, got it?”

“No dying,” Sagam agreed. Then, hands still curled against the window ledge, he stepped out.

As soon as his hands cleared the ledge, I stepped into place.

Looking over my shoulder, I saw where he had gripped the rocks.

I would have to watch him from between my legs as he moved, careful not to get a single hand or foot wrong.