Page 6

I thought Asahi might do it, but when I pulled my hands free, it was Nohe holding the box, another servant scrubbing at the table to try and get rid of the bloodstain where the neck stump had come in contact with the wood.

Nodding at her, I stood and walked over to my room. A nap was looking less possible because every time I closed my eyes, I saw the sightless gaze of the dead soldier, killed for obeying his commander’s implicit order.

There was no doubt in my mind that the soldier had been told to put the northern prince in his place. Had he gotten away with it, I would not have been looking at his head. Only in his failure was he punished.

At the open window, Terror regarded me. From the tilt of his head and the gleam in his eyes, the raven was unhappy.

Terror opened his mouth, but before he said anything, I turned to Asahi, who was standing just inside the door.

“I’m not sure what the death rites are here in the Imperium. Can you make sure that whatever they are, someone performed them for the… head?”

Asahi bowed his chin. He moved to leave, and I said, “The door. I promise not to leave until you return, but I could use some privacy.”

Asahi drew the door closed, and I waited a beat before turning back to Terror. Switching to Northern, I asked, “What is it?”

“You haven’t paid me for two days,” the bird complained. “And I have been busy gathering information. Which I refuse to share until I am fed.”

“Of course. How dare I have a wedding night where you don’t get to eat the dinner,” I said, amused. I went over to the side table where Nohe had thoughtfully placed snacks.

“ No one got to have dinner at your wedding feast because your husband banished all of them after your fight,” Terror said.

“It’s all they’ve been talking about. I saw them.

Eating all day.” The raven croaked a long chuckle.

“And you say I am greedy. These people were complaining about not receiving their final course when all they did all day was eat!”

“What else have you heard?” I asked, taking a handful of thick, heavy nuts and offering them over to the bird.

“Many were talking about how the Chaliko and Dalimu households were allowed favor. They think it means the emperor has forgiven the ministers sent into exile. They wonder if that means they can again start dealing with them.” Terror carefully snapped the nuts out of my hand, throwing his head back to swallow them whole.

“Anyone specific?” I asked.

“You don’t pay me enough to learn these people’s names,” Terror complained. “If I were fed the promised fish, then I would learn their names.”

I huffed something close to a laugh. “Fair enough.”

Terror tilted his head, eyeing the table behind me. “Bring me more, and I will give you a gift.”

I narrowed my eyes at him but went over to the table, trying to decide which of the dishes would be best for a bird. Finally, I picked up a bowl of fresh fruit.

“Well?” I held the porcelain just far enough away that even when Terror stretched forward, he couldn’t catch it. He snapped at me, eyeing me grumpily.

“I’ve brought friends.” Terror clicked his beak, and I offered the dish forward. When he had eaten his fill, he croaked, and two more birds landed on either side of him.

Both were ravens, although one was significantly smaller than Terror. I looked between them before offering the new birds the same dish I’d given to Terror.

“Welcome,” I said.

My tone must not have been appreciative because Terror made a sound like a growl. “You are always complaining about not having enough information. Now, I bring you two more who can give you more information.”

“And charge me more food for gossip that doesn’t have any names attached to it.” My lips pressed flat. “I would have preferred a palace mouse or even a pet bird in one of the ministers’ quarters.”

“Would you like a mouse?” one of the birds asked, and I couldn’t tell if the eagerness was feigned or if he was just that friendly. He bounced once, then launched himself up into the sky, returning moments later with a squirming rodent caught in his beak.

He dropped the mouse into the dish that had held fruit. I stared, and the mouse stared back at me. Before it could flee, I clapped my hands on top of it, gripping it tightly and bringing it to my face.

“Hello, little one,” I crooned.

The mouse screamed in incomprehensible terror. I wanted to plug my ears, but instead, I waited until the mouse had stopped and tried again.

“My name is Airón, what’s yours?” I asked.

“Scared. Fear. Why? Where? Who? Scared. Fear.” The mouse prattled on for some time, listing one-word answers.

When it had finished, I tried again. “Name?”

“Fear. Raven. Claws? Eat. Eat me. Food.” The mouse blinked at me, continuing to list the things it was afraid of and completely failing to understand my question.

“All right.” I sighed. “Where did you get the mouse?”

“I saw their nest. I’ve been waiting until the young ones were old enough to survive without their mother. Then I was going to eat the mother,” the new bird said proudly. “May I eat it now?”

I looked down at the little mouse. “Are the young ones old enough to survive without her?”

“No,” the bird said grumpily. “I will take it back.”

I hesitated, unsure how much I could trust the raven but finally realizing I had no choice. I opened my palm, and the raven leapt forward, trapping the mouse in its beak and flying out the window in one smooth motion.

“What did you expect?” Terror asked.

“I don’t know.” I sighed. “I hoped that in the south, perhaps the mice were smarter. Perhaps they were more worldly here.”

Terror cackled. “More worldly. The mice here are fat and spoiled. Good eating if you can find them. They do not have the space in their heads to answer with the information you want.”

“I know.” I shook my head. It would be far too easy if I could have an army of mice spying in the palace for me.

Terror and his exorbitant fees for information would have to do. Two more birds would only be a boon. Perhaps I could convince the kitchens to send me raw fish regularly, explain to them it was a specific northern diet.

My eyes skimmed over the garden as I followed the new bird, when he passed over the head of someone standing next to the blossoming tree. The man stared at me, not attempting to sneak, not attempting to hide when he was caught.

I blinked. He wasn’t wearing the yellow robes of a servant. He wasn’t even wearing imperial garb. His red clothes were rough, the fabric fitting together tightly over his body.

He continued to stare at me, and I frowned. “Who is that?”

Terror clucked, then turned to look over his shoulder. He tilted his head. “Who? There’s no one there.”