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CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

I gaze around the chamber I’ve been allocated with deep satisfaction. We were met, after a delightful ride through chaotic, noisy, bustling streets—how I’ve missed civilization—by the palace’s chief steward, who informed us that His Majesty the King and Master Haftel had been detained in an important meeting of the King’s Council, but that he would be happy to show us our rooms and have bathwater and a light snack sent up. I could have kissed him.

So now I’m clean, dressed in fresh clothing, and snacking on what may be the best crumpets I’ve ever tasted. I think the butter’s helping too. Does royalty get better butter than the rest of us?

There’s a knock on the door, but it opens before I can respond, and Tia stomps into the room, followed by Jaimin.

“What are you doing?” she demands. She’s tetchy because I’ve been ignoring her mind tugs for the past hour. A man deserves the chance to wash and eat, dammit. But she can’t yell at me about that with Jaimin here.

“Waiting for the king’s summons,” I say, smiling cheerfully.

“You don’t think you’d be better off exploring the castle and looking for the champion?”

I shrug and pat my chest, where the stone is resting snugly in its little pouch. “Nobody told me I had to. I guess they’ll cross my path when the stone is ready.” I’m still hopeful that the champion is here. Even if I can’t immediately head home as planned, I’d like to hand over this whole gods-damned mission to someone else and take a background role. Preferably one where I remain here in the palace and coordinate… things. Messages. Maybe I could put pins in maps or something. I’d be good at that, and it wouldn’t involve riding horses or sleeping outside.

Tia’s eyes narrow, and I don’t need to be in her head to know she wants to throw something at me. “Leicht settled?” I ask. Tia had the easiest time of us all in reaching the palace—there’s a whole battlement dedicated solely to dragons landing on it. I made sure that my room isn’t in that wing of the palace. The last thing I need is for some oversized lizard to get enthusiastic and land with less grace than usual, plunging through the stone and crushing me to death.

She’s still scowling, but she says, “Yes. There’s a field on the south side of the city where dragons stay while their riders are here. He’s enjoying the sheep.”

I’m revolted. “They keep sheep in the field for a dragon to prey on?”

Jaimin chuckles and strolls over to the window. “It’s called farming, Talon. That’s where your mutton stew comes from.”

Before I have to spend too much time thinking about that, there’s another knock on the door. I contemplate not answering it so I can finish my crumpets in relative peace.

“Enter,” Tia calls. Siblings are the worst.

A page pokes his head around the door. “His Majesty will see you now.”

So much for my crumpets. Would it be terribly rude if I took one for the walk?

I reach for it, but Tia slaps my hand. “I swear to all the gods,” she begins, but I wave her off.

“Fine. Let’s go, then.”

In the hallway, Jaimin falls into step beside me. “Are you ready for this?” he murmurs.

I shrug nonchalantly, but the truth is, I’m not particularly. I’ve never met a monarch in my capacity as a mage. In fact, I’ve only ever met one monarch, and that’s just because she’s fond of my mother and once paid a royal visit to our estate. I was nine, not at all interested in the monarchy, court, or anything to do with either, and after a stilted two minutes of her talking to Mother about what a “fine boy” I was, I made my escape and spent most of that chaotic week in my room, reading books I wasn’t supposed to have. There were also a few sojourns down to the kitchen. Cook was out to impress that week, and I still have fond memories of some of the sweets I stole.

Jaimin’s sidelong glance is brimming with amusement. “Just try not to insult him… or dangle him out the window.”

I purse my lips. “I’ll try.” Not the dangling—I’m not stupid enough to do that. But who knows what the king will consider an insult? Maybe he’s particularly sensitive.

The page stops in front of a door. It’s not all that impressive except for the two guards flanking it. Just an ordinary door. I guess we’re not going to the throne room or anything, then.

Ignoring the guards, the page knocks. I’m not close enough to the door to hear a response, but he opens it wide a moment later, steps inside, and announces, “Master Kahwyn, Rider Silverbright, and Mage Silverbright.”

I guess that’s our cue to enter. Letting Jaimin and Tia go first, since we were announced by rank, I bring up the rear. The page closes the door behind us, and when I glance over my shoulder, he’s gone.

“Your Majesty,” Jaimin says, and I turn back to see him and Tia inclining their heads. I hurry to do the same. Dammit. This is not the time to get distracted.

The stone chooses that moment to send me a reassuring pulse.

“Please, let’s be informal. Thank you for coming. I know your journey is important.”

I lift my head and study the man with the deep voice. He’s got a big body to go with it—tall and wide. His bushy hair and beard are black with lots of gray, and his stern gaze doesn’t match his words. He’s the kind of man you look at and expect to be… disciplined. In a good way.

I cast a sideways glance at Jaimin and my sister, but they’re both smiling politely and thanking the king for his kind welcome. Maybe it’s just me, then.

“And you, Mage Silverbright,” the deep voice says. “I hope your room is to your liking.”

I perk up. “The room is perfect, Your Majesty. And your cook’s crumpets are a gift to humanity. May I ask, is the butter produced especially for you, or could anyone buy it?”

His mouth opens, but no sound comes out. For a moment, he stares at me, then he blinks. “Do you know, I have no idea.” He looks at the white-haired woman sitting in the next chair. “Do you?”

Tuuuuurds. How could I have forgotten that Master Haftel was here? My master’s going to hear about this, and then I’ll have to deal with his lecture as well as Tia’s. I smile at the short, extremely round older woman who, according to everything I’ve heard, has a mind like a steel trap and suffers no fools. Maybe if I pretend to feel confident right now, I can pull this off.

“I never asked,” she says in a firm, clear voice. “But it is excellent butter. I’m sure we can find out for you, Mage Silverbright.” There’s an amused gleam in her blue eyes, and a moment later, I feel a polite telepathic knock.

“Yes, Master Haftel?” Please don’t let her scold me now .

“The butter comes from a dairy a day’s ride south from here. I can arrange an order for you and have it sent to the academy.”

It’s a challenge to keep my face blank. “That’s very kind of you, Ma ? —”

“I’m not kind, Silverbright. I heard you have a case of Camblemere apple brandy from the last vintage before the blight. I want some.”

Ahhh. Now she’s speaking my language. Although, that brandy was hard to get, and the bribes were expensive . “That should be possible. Shall we discuss terms later?”

I sense her shock that I would dare to make a master negotiate, then grudging respect. She gives a single nod and breaks contact.

The king looks curiously between us. “You telepaths are creepy beyond all reason sometimes. Care to let the rest of us in on the secret?”

“Mage Silverbright and I were just discussing the journey. It seems he demonstrated one of his special skills to your guards.”

I wince. Haftel likes to play dirty.

“Oh?” the king asks, intrigued. “Could I see this skill?”

“No!” Tia and Jaimin shout together. The king draws back, clearly offended.

“They’re protecting you, Your Majesty,” I explain hurriedly, before he can kick us out. I’m really enjoying royal hospitality. “I suspended one of your guards in midair by his ankle.”

The king cocks his head. “By the ankle? But that would mean…” He rotates a finger to point up.

I nod. “Yes, sir. He was upside down.”

Slowly nodding, he asks, “But why?”

I shrug. “He asked me to prove who I am.”

The deep belly laugh that bursts from him is unexpected and gratifying. “He’s lucky you didn’t turn him into a toad, then.”

Haftel sighs. “I keep telling you, we can’t do that.”

The king doesn’t look convinced, and I get the feeling he’s determined to believe that if someone annoys him enough, he can ask Haftel to toad-ify them. It’s actually not a terrible idea… except for the fact that only the gods can change a living creature’s form. “If you say so,” he agrees, and we can all tell he doesn’t mean it. “Now… I hope you won’t think me rude for cutting through the pleasantries, but is there any possibility of me seeing the stone of creation?” He shakes his head. “It’s hard to believe those are words I really said. This is such a phenomenal event!”

Clearly he hasn’t spent any time with the stone. I refrain from saying that, though, and reach inside my shirt for the pouch as Jaimin replies, “It certainly is. Of course you can see the stone, sir.”

I tip the rock into my palm and extend it toward King Brend and Master Haftel.

Silence.

“I shouldn’t be surprised it’s so ordinary-looking,” the king muses as he stares at it. “But… it’s so ordinary.”

“An ugly hunk of rock,” I agree, and the stone shares its disapproval.

“My goodness,” the king breathes. “Was that…?”

“The life stone doesn’t like when Talon insults it,” Jaimin says pointedly. “He still hasn’t grasped that.”

I shrug and dump it back in the pouch. “It forced me to leave home and come on this journey, so I get to tell it what I think of it. Relationships are about give and take.”

The king blinks at me, then turns to Haftel. “If you ever decide to leave my court, I want him to replace you.”

Oh, fuck no. “She’s irreplaceable, Your Majesty,” I insist. “And you don’t want me. Trust me on this.”

“You definitely don’t,” Tia mutters. “I’ve been trying to get rid of him for years.”

Haftel’s lips lift in a tiny smile. “Talented twins,” she murmurs. “How fortuitous for the stone that this occurred now, while you were both around to take on this task.”

Tia and I exchange glances. “I’m sorry, Master Haftel, I don’t follow.”

She shakes her head. “It’s nothing. Just a little theory of mine.”

Fear races down my spine. She can’t possibly know about the connection between me and Tia—or even have guessed. It’s probably just that, like everyone else, she’s thinking about how rare twins with different Talents are.

Jaimin shifts his weight, and his arm brushes against mine. Calm reassurance immediately seeps through me, and I resist the urge to yowl with surprise and leap away from him. Did I know he could do that?

More to the point, how did he know I needed it? And would it be bad if I leaned my whole body against him?

“Is there anything you need from us while you’re here?” the king asks. “Or for when you leave? I can have soldiers escort you.”

The negative response from the stone is very clear, and his majesty raises a brow. “Or not.”

“It’s been very specific about who can travel with us,” I explain. “The escort you gave us was a concession specifically because of the attack. I believe we’ll be adding someone to our group while we’re here, but we don’t know who yet.” I hesitate. “Or when.”

Haftel purses her lips. “Samoine implied as much. That may prove helpful—I’ve heard a rumor that the priesthood is interested in your visit here.”

Oh no. “The priesthood? How do they know… What do they know?”

She lifts one shoulder in a half shrug. “There are some mages who have strong religious ties. It’s possible one of them spoke out of turn and mentioned that the stone has reappeared in the world.” Her tone heavily implies that those mages are idiots. “I’ll keep my ear to the ground, but it’s good to know that if some deluded high priest tries to intervene and take the stone, it will express its opinion firmly.”

My mind races. “It will,” I agree, wondering what in all the gods’ names the priesthood could want with the stone—and how much they know about us and our reason for carrying it. “We’ll avoid the temples, just in case.”

“You’ll be busy with your search for the companion,” she points out. “I doubt you’d spend much time in the temple district anyway. Will you be wandering the halls in the hopes of meeting the right person? Or must your search extend to the city?”

Gods, I hope not. When I visit the city, I want it to be enjoyable. “The stone will tell me what I need to do when it feels like it.” I shrug again. “It can’t give us names or anything, I’m afraid, but it’s very good at conveying emotion. Right now it’s not saying much of anything.” I glance down at where it rests against my chest. “Stone, do I need to wander the hallways right now?”

~No~

“See?” I spread my hands. “Does that mean I can go back to my room and have a nap?”

The stone’s agreement is accompanied by a strong sense of judgment, and the king chuckles.

“That’s astounding. It really doesn’t seem to approve of you, though.”

“Sadly, Your Majesty, that seems to be my lot in life.”

“Perhaps the stone would like you to attend the little gathering this evening?” Haftel interjects. “The captain of the King’s Own Guard is retiring, and we’re having a little party here in the palace, to properly honor him at court, before the real party at the barracks.”

The barracks party sounds a lot more interesting, to be honest, and I cons?—

~Yes~

Really? I ask the stone. A court party? I trained to be a mage partly to avoid that very thing.

“We’ll be there,” Tia says before I can talk the stone out of it. “Thank you for the invitation. It seems the stone doesn’t want Talon growing moss from idleness.”

I resent that, but it’s not worth arguing with her about it while she’s in this mood. Maybe the party will mellow her. The one good thing you can say about a court party, according to what I’ve heard, is that there’s always plenty to drink.

“We’ll see you this evening, then,” the king says with a charming smile I wouldn’t have thought would suit his face, but somehow does. “I’ll call for someone to show you the way back to your rooms.”

“That’s kind of you, sir, but we’ve got it,” I assure him. I don’t want to wait until we get back there to demand answers from Jaimin. We take our leave of them both and close the door firmly behind us.

I wait until we’re out of earshot of the men guarding the door before I hiss to Jaimin, “What was that?”

“What was what?” Tia asks.

Jaimin takes us both in with his usual calm gaze. “Talon was anxious, so I fixed it.”

“By brushing his arm against mine, through all our clothing,” I add. Damn that clothing. “And I was not anxious. I was… annoyed. People are always trying to make a big deal of us being twins.”

“Oh,” Tia says, and the single word encapsulates so much. She tugs gently at my mind, and this time, I reach out. “Does he know?”

“I don’t think so. He probably suspects there’s something going on.” I hope, anyway.

“What do we do?”

“Nothing. Bluff. Hope he hasn’t guessed somehow.”

“Are you both done?”

The simple question has the impact of a boulder. I try not to react, try not to freeze, but I can’t stop my heartbeat from racing out of control… and damn him, he’s close enough to me and a strong enough healer to know that.

“What do you mean?” I ask. I’m sticking with bluffing for now.

“I won’t betray you,” he says, still in that calm, gentle tone, as though we’re discussing the weather and not something that could get me and Tia locked up and studied for the rest of our lives. Tia’s safety is the only thing that stops me from telling him everything.

“Betray what?” Tia asks, doing an excellent job of sounding confused. “Talon being annoyed about people’s obsession with twins? They already know. He doesn’t keep it secret.”

Jaimin stops walking, and we do too. To keep going would be to make it seem like we were trying to get away from him. He studies us both, and I make myself breathe evenly. Calm. I’m calm. I’m not worried about becoming some master’s lifelong research project.

“You’re saying,” he begins slowly, “that you can’t speak mind-to-mind with each other?”

“Of course he can,” Tia says impatiently. She’s really a better actress than I give her credit for. “He’s a telepath.” She pauses. “Wait, do you mean can I speak in Talon’s mind?”

Jaimin raises his brows. “Can you?”

“Only when he reaches out to talk to me. Does that count? I can’t reach out to him, if that’s what you’re asking. I’m a dragon rider, not a telepath.”

I owe Tia the biggest apology that exists. She’s a goddess. Not a single word she said was a lie… exactly. I concentrate on looking innocent and confused.

Jaimin glances between us both, then sighs. “I would never betray you,” he repeats. “But I can’t be fully useful if you’re keeping secrets.”

“Of course we’re keeping secrets.” I try to sound surprised. “I’m sure you are too. But if you think we have some kind of mystical twin bond that allows us to talk to each other…” I shake my head. “I’m a telepath, so yeah, sometimes I talk privately to my sister. I can try to stop, if it bothers you.”

He shakes his head. “When the time comes, remember you can trust me.”

I want to believe that. More than anything, I want to believe I can trust him with this. But I won’t risk my life, and I definitely won’t risk Tia’s.