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MIKAIL

ROSE PALACE, GAYA

T hat was an interesting audience. For the life of me, I’m still not sure where Fallador’s loyalty lies.

Maybe I’ll figure it out with time. Regardless, it is better to hold Rune at bay for now, because in the worst-case scenario I might need him.

And if I’m honest, having Fallador here, safe and accounted for, is one less worry.

Good thing I’m rarely honest.

I invite Fremo, Teo, and Calier to join me in the war room.

Teo said Fremo has been involved in the rebellion cause for decades.

He was the one who rallied the people to meet us on the beach.

I never heard of him during my time as spymaster, which means he was clever enough to escape detection, and that makes him very valuable as a leader.

It’s a little cramped in the war room with Sora, Aeri, Royo, and Tiyung also in here—which means this space is useless. It was probably a study that Yong altered. If I had to guess, the new tuhko court is where the real war room used to be.

I’m glad I hung his worthless body from the gates.

“What is your report, Fremo? What have your scouts seen?” I ask.

After the beach last night, I asked Fremo to put trusted rebels at the four corners of the island to report on the movements of the Weian fleet.

Fremo steps forward with his head high. I doubt anyone during his sixty years has recognized his full worth, but I can do so now.

“The warships sail the South Sea, well off the shore of Hallan, Your Majesty,” he says with a bow. “We expect they will arrive in the Strait of Teeth before sunset.”

“What is the likelihood of Jeul being the target?” I ask.

“It is unlikely, Your Majesty,” he says with another sharp nod. “The ships have been within range of our forts for a full day now. If Gaya were the target, they would’ve attacked from the East Sea. It is our belief that they circumnavigated the island to avoid detection by Yusan.”

I relax my shoulders some. Fallador’s warnings about Wei and their steel are still fresh in my mind. He is correct that we wouldn’t survive being invaded by them. Not at the moment, anyhow. Once I have the Flaming Sword, our chances will dramatically improve.

“Thank you, Fremo,” I say. “A group of us will prepare to strike the fleet from the Port of Charm at one bell.”

I reach down and move the model ships and soldiers to the northern port on the map. The Port of Charm sits directly across from Tamneki. It is where the ferry docks and where laoli is transported to Yusan.

I’ll burn it down once we’re done.

Royo furrows his brow. “Why one bell?”

“Because the fleet’s attack on Tamneki will commence between four and five bells,” I say.

“How do you know that?” Calier asks, then hastily adds, “Majesty.”

Teo gives his brother a hard look, and Calier takes a step back. His face reddens, and his chin drops. He spoke out of turn, but I don’t care about the formalities. It was a reasonable question.

“Experience,” I say. “Yusanian generals are taught to use the cover of night to move into place and then begin their assault to catch the enemy unaware. They take advantage of daybreak to continue their strikes. If we attack at one, the soldiers will be asleep in preparation for battle except for a skeleton crew of the least experienced men. We will pull Joon’s ship to us, board with a small group, and kill him without engaging the entire fleet.

I have battled Weian steel before. It’s not a fight we want. ”

Teo and Calier nod. Pride and hunger shine in Fremo’s eyes. My four friends look less than certain.

“And if our attempt goes wrong?” Tiyung asks.

I spin the scepter in my hand. “Then I’ll sink Joon’s ship.”

Sora whips her head in my direction. “You’d risk losing the relics?”

I don’t care about the crown, but the thought of the Sword of Gaya drifting to the bottom of the sea makes me ill. But then I think about Joon sinking with it. When he rose to the surface, I would spear him like a fish, rip the crown from his head, and finally have my vengeance.

“If it means putting an end to Joon, yes I would,” I say.

The room falls silent.

“Fremo,” I say. “Gather the six rebels you trust the most, strong men who can fight, to accompany us.”

He stands as straight as possible and formally puts his hands to his forehead to salute me. Then he marches from the room, his knees high.

I smile. I like him.

I stare at the map of Gaya—everything I want to protect, the place I call home. How do I do it? I’d give my life, but will that be enough?

“Six guys?” Royo’s eyebrows rise. “These boats carry a hundred men apiece.”

“Yes, but if we do this right, they will be asleep aside from ten men, split between above and below deck,” I say. “A small team allows us to move quickly, strike, and then get out.”

“We request to accompany you as your personal guards, Your Majesty,” Teo says. Calier looks at him with a questioning glance, but then his expression clears and he nods.

I eye them, looking from one to the other.

Stars, it’s like I can feel Euyn standing by my shoulder, questioning their loyalty.

Teo is the older brother, the one calling the shots.

Calier seems less certain, but I simply haven’t known them long enough to tell.

If they are Gayan through and through, they have every reason to give me their allegiance, but if this is a ruse, they would have me alone, able to dispose of me and claim I died in battle.

No, I wouldn’t be alone. I’ll have Aeri and Royo with me.

“Granted,” I say.

The brothers salute me and leave the war room. Calier looks behind at us as he goes. There’s a flash of hesitation in his eyes, but he follows his brother.

“So, it’s settled, then?” Aeri asks.

I nod. “It will be over tonight.”

No one smiles. Including me. The pit of my stomach twists, and sweat dots my forehead.

Tremors start, and I tense my muscles to try to make them stop.

Maybe it’s remembering what happened in the arena—how the decoy crown broke into two and yet Joon still lived.

But I don’t believe it will be as easy as I just laid out.

Something will go wrong, and that normally means death in Yusan.

Or maybe it’s simply worsening convulsions. I grip the table, and eventually they subside. I’m certain they all saw, but no one says a word.

“All right, then,” Aeri says. “We’ll meet you for supper later.”

I nod. My chest feels tight, but there’s nothing more to say. The four of them move to leave.

“Sora, stay behind for a moment, please,” I say.

She turns to me, her eyes wide and searching. “Of course.”

Aeri and Royo exchange glances in a silent conversation before walking out the door. Tiyung eyes both of us, but then he turns with a resigned look on his face. He closes the door behind him.

Sora and I both wait until the door clicks shut. She has on a light-green dress that makes her look like the hope of spring. We continue to stand silently, letting time pass until someone listening at the keyhole would naturally give up.

“What’s on your mind?” she asks, her voice low.

“I brought this up before, but I need you and Tiyung to stay here tonight,” I say.

She sighs, doubtlessly tired of this conversation. “Mikail…”

“I need someone I can trust to keep an eye on Fallador, and I need Tiyung to stay here—you happen to be the perfect person to accomplish both.”

She frowns.

“With what Fallador said, with so many players in this theater, things are bound to go wrong,” I continue. “Tiyung is Seok’s only heir, and you know he’s not valuable in a fight. I can’t bring a man like that on this mission, and I know he won’t agree to stay without you.”

“You underestimate him,” she says. “He survived Idle. He killed in Oosant. He’s not the useless nobleman you think.”

He’s not useless, but survival is a different skill set from being a wartime killer. I suppose Aeri isn’t a trained fighter, either, but she’s more of a natural murderer than even Royo. She’s second only to me, seemingly feeling no regrets about it. I happen to love that about her.

“I will tell Tiyung that we need him here to signal us from the watchtower,” I say.

She narrows her purple eyes. “Signal for what?”

“Danger. If the soldiers from Berm march north, or if you spot the fleet moving toward Jeul, I want you to flash a lantern three times. It’s not out of the question for the Weian fleet to attack Yusan and Gaya at the same time—and that would be disastrous for us.”

She presses her lips together. “I don’t know that he’ll buy that. Any one of the rebels could stay here and signal you.”

I take a step closer to Sora and rest my hand on her delicate shoulder. “That’s why you’ll help me convince him.”

The truth is, they’re both key hostages, and although Sora can kill, she can be replaced by another Gayan rebel for a fight like we’ll face tonight.

More importantly, though, for my heart, I couldn’t take losing her.

I have to take Aeri, and Royo will not accept being separated from her, but Sora, I can save.

I need her to stay safe here just as much as I want Tiyung to stay behind.

She sighs, her chin falling. “All right, Mikail. I’ll do what’s necessary.”