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MIKAIL

CITY OF RAHWAY, YUSAN

“Y ou’re bleeding,” Rune says, arching an eyebrow at me.

The five of us wait in the count’s study as he sorts through papers, putting his stamp on some and burning others. Generally, he looks like a man wrapping up his affairs. But he’s paused for long enough to notice the blood on my sleeve.

“Mishap by the hedges,” I say with a shrug.

Sora shoots me an apologetic look, but I’ve already forgiven her. There’s only so much someone can take before they snap, and she’s well beyond her limit. Besides, she wasn’t actually trying to kill me. If she had been, she wouldn’t have used a blade. She’s a poisoner, not a fighter.

Rune’s eyebrow reaches higher. He, of course, doesn’t believe me for a second.

With a wave of his fingers, he dismisses the bookkeepers, noblemen, and advisors who’d wanted his ear. Then he takes the chair behind his desk. He leans back, effortlessly gaining control of the room.

“What can I do for you all?” he asks.

“Settle a debate, if you would,” I say. “Do you happen to know anything about Oosant?”

I spin the walking stick as I wait for him to answer.

“Other than that it’s a city that lies in the old borderlands? No.” He pauses and strokes his chin. “But somehow, I don’t think you’re asking me random geography questions. What is this about?”

He steeples his fingers in front of his face as he waits. His air is casual, but he can’t keep his eyes off the hidden scepter. Rapacious hunger is difficult to conceal.

“We found something there that we need to investigate,” Aeri says. “You haven’t heard any rumors about the city, Your Grace?”

Rune shakes his head. “Not a thing, Your Majesty.”

I watch him closely, but these men are all skilled liars and manipulators. They rarely have obvious tells.

“Oh, come on, you gotta know something,” Royo says. He slaps his hand against his thigh. The sound echoes in the high-ceilinged room.

I close my eyes for a long-suffering blink.

The count slowly turns his head toward the strongman. He looks at him as if he’s a rat scurrying across the dining room floor. “You may wait outside.”

Royo flushes, and his gaze, of course, falls on Aeri. She stares blankly back at him. It’s a smart play—he’s only supposed to be her guard. Still, real pain registers on his face, and I feel for him. A man like him can only lose when playing the games of the nobility.

When Royo finally looks at me, I gesture with my chin for him to leave.

He storms off, dismissed. His footsteps resound down the hall toward the entryway. Stars, I forgot how loud his feet are. The chandeliers actually shake.

“I think I’ll join him,” Sora says, rising from the couch. She faces Rune. “Will you excuse me, Your Grace?”

Rune nods. She inclines her head and leaves on light feet.

Two down, two left.

“My strongman is a bit overzealous,” Aeri says.

Rune looks her over, taking his time at the hem of her dress. “Hard to not be with something so precious in your hands.”

It’s a good thing Royo left when he did. He would’ve choked the count.

Rune then turns his focus to me. “But what is all this about the border town?”

“We think Seok has a substantial amount of laoli stored in Oosant—over a million mun’s worth,” I say. “But we need confirmation.”

Rune’s eyes narrow. He’s trying to figure out if I’m bluffing, which means he really hadn’t heard about the drugs. The warehouse wasn’t his. I leave out the part where we killed everyone and set it on fire. That doesn’t seem relevant right now.

“I can escort you to Oosant,” he says. “I will be traveling that way to meet my army.”

“That’s so very generous,” Aeri says with a smile. “It should only take us a day or two there.”

Rune taps his fingertips together. “I’m afraid that won’t be possible, Your Highness. I will be traveling by fleet coaches to reach the capital as quickly as possible. I can’t afford that much delay, but you will be able to make some inquiries while we water and feed the horses.”

“We will meet you in Tamneki, in that case,” I say.

Rune shakes his head. “I can’t allow that. The borderlands are notoriously dangerous. Too much so during an upheaval. It isn’t worth the risk.”

“Ah, yes, we were having such a peaceful journey otherwise,” I say.

Rune sighs his annoyance. “I would feel much better if the two of you were in my personal coach with armed men. Surely, you don’t disagree.”

What he means is that we are not free to go, as Sora had expected.

The price of his help is not only the throne but being prisoners until he sees a fitting end for us.

The three relics were too much temptation.

He won’t allow us out of his sight because he wants to be able to take the relics if need be.

Or use us in a power exchange if the tides turn that way.

I think about drowning him, but I have more pressing matters.

“Of course,” Aeri says, smiling brightly. “I’d feel much safer that way, anyhow.”

“It’s settled, then,” Rune says. He straightens a stack of papers. “We’ll leave first thing in the morning.”

Sora comes back into the study, her pretty face marred by worry. “Excuse me, please, but Royo is threatening to quit.”

“I…” Aeri sighs. She runs her hands over her short skirt as she stands. “I’ll go speak with him. I’m sure this is nothing an additional diamond won’t resolve.”

“I can provide other guards for you, my relic queen,” Rune offers.

“I appreciate that, but Royo has been reliable since Umbria, and I trust him. Let me see if I can’t settle things first, Your Grace.”

She acts like she is just vexed by a good servant as she leaves with Sora. But the count’s snake eyes track her. His jaw muscle ticks.

“Young hearts are wild,” I say, shrugging a shoulder.

“And foolish,” Rune says. “I’ll have to dispose of him soon.”

Of course. Counts do not tolerate common competition. I was the one who said that to Royo about Bay Chin. Rune will kill Royo as soon as he can—probably in Oosant. I need to buy him time.

“After the nuptials, obviously,” I say. “You don’t want her too distraught to say ‘I do.’”

“Why would her emotions matter?” Rune looks genuinely confused.

Ah, there’s the cruelty. He’s masked it so well up until now.

The yelling reaches the office. It’s Royo’s deep voice and Aeri’s higher one. They’re fighting the way they did outside of the traveler’s inn in Capricia. I rub my forehead.

“Perhaps you should go intervene,” Fallador says to me.

I roll my eyes. “Stars, give me strength.”

Fallador stares at me as I remain in place, and then his eyes dart toward the door. Rune can’t see his face from where he sits.

“I’d like a word with His Grace in the meantime,” he adds.

Right—they must have private plans to discuss. I bow to Rune and take two steps out of the study.

“Mikail,” Rune says.

I’d almost made it. I stand still, and my heart thuds, but my hands are steady. They are always steady. I glance over my shoulder, making sure to remain casual. “Your Grace?”

“See my healer, and she will get you sewn up,” he says.

I incline my head to him.

With quick but not hurried steps, I make my way through the entryway.

Servants open the heavy wooden doors. Down the stairs from the villa, Royo and Aeri are still yelling at each other.

They’re both red and in the midst of an animated argument.

Sora stands to the side of them, her hands out, trying to calm them both but being roundly ignored.

“I’m leaving on the next carriage outta here!” Royo yells.

“By all means, take mine,” a voice says.

The four of us turn, and there is the gorgeous woman from last night—Misha, the count’s new courtesan. She stands by her rented carriage, looking unamused with her hands on her hips.

“You are at a great man’s home, acting worse than the slums of Jeul.” She walks gracefully as servants scurry to open doors and announce her.

I exchange quick glances with Sora. She rapidly moves her fingers by her dress, motioning for all of us to get in the carriage on the side away from the villa’s entrance. Sora is last, looking at Misha. They give each other almost imperceptible nods.

As soon as Sora closes the door, we ride off, headed to the Port of Rahway. I watch out the back, waiting for Rune’s guards to notice that we escaped.