《Deviance》


 1. Eujia

    If anyone knew the nation¡¯s favorite figurehead was out picking pockets and robbing manors at night, not even my mother would try to stop the Council from throwing me out onto the street. I¡¯d be the gutter rat to match my pastimes.


    But I wasn¡¯t about to be caught.


    I¡¯d shifted my facial features just enough that no one would recognize me and donned commoner¡¯s clothing, a pristine white shirt and gray pants. I wore no hood or mask, bore no blades¡ªat least no visible ones¡ªand was freshly bathed. I appeared as one of the few upstanding middle-class citizens with a nice home to return to and coin to spare. I¡¯d be one of the last to be suspected of thievery.


    If the people I passed knew I was the Eujia Levie, the chosen Scion, the Breaker of Curses, the Prophesied, I¡¯d be the very last they¡¯d suspect.


    I found my way to one of the wealthier night marketplaces where fine jewelry, embroidered fabrics, plush furs, rare spices, candies, embellished vases and dishes, and purely decorative golden weapons were sold under a wooden canopy brightly lit with several crystal-powered lanterns and chandeliers.


    Each stall was run by some well-known merchant family or other, each and every one having been in the business for generations. Not a single child under the age of ten was in sight, though. Younger ones were barred from the richer markets. Gods forbid a sweet or two would disappear or some precious vase would be broken.


    The only exception ever made to that rule had been for me when I was small. Only a day after my anointment, guards and priests had paraded me around every part of town, rich and poor, including the marketplaces where they shouted nonsense about my pureness of heart and mind. Rich pricks had ogled me even back then, probably imagining what they could get away with having me as their wife. I¡¯d still managed to avoid that particular prison, so far, though I knew talks were being held behind my back. I wondered if those men would still desire me so badly if they found out I wasn¡¯t so pure of body. They probably hadn¡¯t even imagined it was possible, because who in their right mind would bed Eujia Levie out of wedlock?


    Someone who didn¡¯t know who I really was, that was who.


    I pushed away any lustful thoughts of Yesida¡¯s prominent bulge and focused on my current goal. I pretended to scan the goods at various stalls, but wouldn¡¯t risk trying to swipe anything directly from the displays. Instead, I plastered on a broad smile and struck up conversations with wealthy shoppers about which of the crafted goods would be most worth the cost. The crowded nature of the market meant no one would bat an eye at how close I stood to my targets, meaning I could swipe the coins from their purses and tuck them into my shoulder bag without drawing any attention. I needed to be careful, though, and target only the wealthiest of them, the ones with jeweled rings and fat purses on display. If I stole from too many, they¡¯d be more likely to trace the thievery back to the market. Then they¡¯d hold their purses more tightly, not to mention there would be more guards on the lookout, and I¡¯d be down one more market. I¡¯d already lost two.


    My bag¡¯s strap began to dig into my shoulder from the weight of so many coins, so I figured it was time to stop. I bade a good night to the shopper I¡¯d been chatting with and headed for the street. I needed to make my delivery before paying Yesida a visit, then I needed to be home before sunrise. At least with my illness, I could always pass off my exhaustion each morning as another symptom. It was one of the only perks.


    A drunken man wobbled and bumped into me as I passed, snapping me out of my thoughts. He stumbled sideways, his eyes going wide.


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    ¡°Very sorry, my lady,¡± he slurred. He was a desen, made obvious by those Givel eyes with the disturbingly wide pupils, only a sliver of iris visible around them that nearly glowed icy blue even in the dark. He was a handsome one, I had to admit, but he bowed and hurried off before I could accept his apology, his black clothing and hair merging with the darkness down a side street.


    I shrugged off the encounter and continued on my way, only for a pair of guards to block my path. ¡°Excuse me, my lady,¡± one said. ¡°I apologize for the intrusion, but we¡¯ve received a tip about a thief matching your description.¡±


    What? How? I¡¯d been as careful as always! ¡°A thief, here?¡± I asked, feigning surprise. ¡°What can I do? Do I need to come with you to the offices? I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯ve never been stopped before. I don¡¯t know how this works.¡±


    ¡°Not to worry, miss. Can you tell us what you have in your bag?¡±


    ¡°My family is doing well at the market tonight, and my parents didn¡¯t feel comfortable keeping so much coin at the stall, so they sent me to drop some of our earnings at home.¡± I offered the bag to them.


    The guard who accepted it raised an eyebrow as he took the weight in one hand. ¡°Congratulations on a successful night,¡± he said.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    He sifted through it, and the coins clinked against each other, but then he scowled. ¡°What is this?¡± A jeweled dagger with a lapis lazuli inlay in the hilt appeared in his hand, sheath and all. ¡°This doesn¡¯t belong to you.¡±


    I gaped at the thing. I¡¯d never risk stealing something like that. ¡°No, it doesn¡¯t,¡± I admitted. ¡°I don¡¯t know how that got there. But there was a man who bumped into me on the way out of the market¡ª¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re saying a man who just bumped into you dropped this into your bag without you noticing?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how else it would have gotten there.¡± I¡¯d always been so busy picking others¡¯ pockets that I¡¯d never thought to guard my own. I cursed myself for that. ¡°Please, take it back to whoever it belongs to, I don¡¯t mean any trouble.¡±


    ¡°Oh, we will. Tell me, which family are you from? Why don¡¯t we go back into the market, and they can confirm your identity for us?¡±


    ¡°Of course. I¡¯m one of the Zalanis. They run the¡ª¡±


    ¡°The jewelry stall, we know. Lead the way.¡±


    I turned back for the market. Shit, shit, shit. How could this happen? That man who¡¯d set me up¡ªwho was he? What did he want? Had he targeted me, or did he just need a scapegoat? I needed to find him. But first, I needed to get away.


    I spotted a slightly raised cobblestone and pretended to stumble on it. The guard with my bag caught me. ¡°Sorry,¡± I said. Then I snatched the bag and ran.


    ¡°Hey!¡±


    I bolted down a dark alley, then turned a few corners, trying to lose the guards, but they were close on my heels. I didn¡¯t stand a chance of outrunning them, not in my condition. My breathing was already labored, and my legs were growing heavy. Curse it all.


    I repeatedly cast out my consciousness, searching for a house with no living soul inside, but with no luck.


    Turning another corner, a small shed protruded into the alley. I cast out again for just a fraction of a second. There was no one inside. Before the guards came around the corner after me, I¡¯d blinked forward several feet, straight through the shed¡¯s wall, and found myself in pure darkness.


    ¡°Where the fuck did she go?¡± one of the guards shouted.


    ¡°Try the shed!¡±


    Shit! I grabbed the doorknob and held tight. I struggled to hold it firm while the guard tried twisting it from the other side. ¡°It¡¯s locked.¡±


    ¡°Kick it down.¡±


    Oh, gods.


    I checked for any souls on the other side of the wall, inside the house, but there were two right there. If I blinked inside, they¡¯d know immediately who I was, and it would all be over.


    But if I stayed¡­


    A hand clamped down over my mouth while a strong arm pulled me back away from the door. ¡°Thought you¡¯d take the bait,¡± a man whispered. ¡°Stay quiet, now.¡±


    How? How had someone been in here without me noticing?


    The door burst inward, halfway falling off its fragile hinges, and the guard lifted a portable crystal bulb to check inside. But the man behind me held firm, and the two guards scanned over the tools scattered around the shed as if we weren¡¯t there.


    One swore before both turned away and gave up the search.


    ¡°Don¡¯t scream,¡± the man behind me said, and he released me only to shove me back into a bare section of a wall.


    ¡°You¡¯re that drunkard who planted the dagger, aren¡¯t you?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m not actually drunk, but yes.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°How about you answer questions, instead of asking them?¡± A knife¡¯s edge pressed to my throat.


    ¡°Ask away,¡± I grumbled.


    ¡°So.¡± I flinched as his breath warmed my ear. ¡°Are you going to murder the emperor, or not?¡±

 2. Eujia

    ¡°What?¡± I yelped. ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Shh.¡± The knife¡¯s edge pinched into my skin, and I wondered if it had drawn blood. ¡°Just answer the question.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± What kind of answer did he want to hear? Yes? No? How did he even know about this? And if I answered wrong, what would he do? I wasn¡¯t afraid of death, but there were other things that terrified me. But all I could do was guess, and if he already knew about my ideas, then I might as well be honest. ¡°Yes.¡±


    He snorted. ¡°I didn¡¯t believe it when I was told. The little princess wanting to murder the emperor. It¡¯s ridiculous.¡±


    ¡°Do not call me a princess,¡± I growled.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. Would you rather be called Chosen? Or maybe puppet?¡±


    ¡°And what do you know?¡±


    ¡°I know you traded a commoner¡¯s life for a gilded cage.¡±


    ¡°As if I chose that.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s always a choice.¡±


    ¡°Go to hell.¡±


    He chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m already bound for it, princess. But you¡¯re not. Not yet, anyway. I recommend giving up your plan. I know your little friends put you up to it, but they¡¯re using you, the same as anyone else.¡±


    ¡°The same as you?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°Why do you care if I do or don¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°Because you¡¯re not the only one who wants him dead. And you¡¯ll only get in the way.¡±


    ¡°What if I refuse to give it up, then?¡±


    ¡°Are you refusing?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m thinking about it.¡±


    The hand on my shoulder gripped painfully tight. ¡°Trust me, give this up.¡±


    ¡°Or what?¡±


    ¡°Or I¡¯ll have to follow through with the other half of my orders, and you don¡¯t want to know what those are.¡±


    My blood chilled and I pressed back into the wall. ¡°Whose orders?¡±


    ¡°Does it matter? Just stay out of the way and keep your head down, and you¡¯ll get what you want. Or get in the way and regret it. Your choice, Eujia Levie.¡±


    The blade at my throat vanished, so I rammed my knee upward, but it only passed through air. I stumbled out through the busted door, but the man was nowhere to be seen.


    He knew all about our plans and was going to ruin everything. Someone had told. Who else knew? Oh gods, did the emperor? If anyone in the castle knew, then it wouldn¡¯t be safe for me to go back. But the alternative, running and abandoning my family, was unacceptable. No. No, if the emperor had heard, he¡¯d never believe it. Surely, no one in the castle would believe it, either. The meek, fragile Chosen would never imagine doing such a thing.


    But this mole of ours would pay.


    ***


    I skipped visiting Yesida, sending him a message on my new glass tablet that I wasn¡¯t feeling well. Only the richest of the rich had these portable things, and I cringed every time I used mine. But Mother insisted that I have all of the latest conveniences, especially ones that allowed me to communicate from anywhere at any time, just in case I keeled over, and it would take someone a few minutes to find me. With the tablet, I could theoretically send for help and save those minutes. Not that it made any difference. It was what it was, whether someone was there with me or not.


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    Yesida quickly responded with, ¡°No worries. Let me know how you¡¯re feeling tomorrow.¡±


    I tucked the tablet back into my bag and hurried down the streets, careful to take smooth steps so I wouldn¡¯t jar my bag and jingle all those coins too much. I was heading into the slums, after all. Before that, I found a vacant alley where I dug a rough cloak out of my bag and threw it on to hide my nicer clothing.


    The silken smooth copper-toned clay walls of the richer neighborhoods, decorated with colorful dangling tapestries, quickly became more and more rough and cracked, then were replaced by simple wooden huts that grew more rotten the further I walked.


    I was barely a handful of blocks off the main road, yet the slums stretched from here clear to the edge of the city, spanning perhaps two-thirds of its total size. The true body of Kes Ulra that the emperor and his entourage didn¡¯t want outsiders to see. No, visitors were kept to the areas around the main road and the wealthy district.


    I scowled like all the others I passed, keeping eye contact just long enough to establish I wasn¡¯t to be tangled with. The people of this area knew better than to assume by someone¡¯s looks whether they were dangerous or not. They probably guessed¡ªcorrectly¡ªthat I had blades tucked into the waistband of my pants, hidden under the swelling fabric of my shirt. I hadn¡¯t yet needed to use them, thank the gods.


    I hated that I didn¡¯t trust these people. My people. But I was an outsider to them, just the strange girl with a threat in her eyes who paid a visit now and then. They didn¡¯t know what I was doing for them, and that was for the best.


    I arrived at a larger shack and knocked. An eye peered through the peephole, then the door flew open, and a wrinkled hand pulled me inside.


    ¡°You¡¯re early,¡± Ilena grumbled. ¡°What do you have?¡±


    I started fishing the coins out of my bag to dump them onto her rickety table, and the old woman¡¯s eyebrows shot up.


    ¡°How many did you rob blind tonight?¡±


    ¡°Three,¡± I said.


    ¡°Only three? Fucking rich cunts.¡±


    ¡°How many meals will this fund?¡± My family hadn¡¯t needed to pay for a thing in over fifteen years. I¡¯d been educated on large-scale finances at university, but personal expenses were a mystery to me.


    Ilena mumbled under her breath as she counted the coins, organizing them into neat stacks. ¡°We can probably stretch it to two hundred.¡±


    Three individuals¡¯ pocket change would feed two hundred for a day. Gods. And yet¡­ only two hundred, and only for a day. It wasn¡¯t enough. It was never enough.


    ¡°I¡¯m going back out there.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t push your luck, girl. You¡ª¡± She narrowed her eyes at me. ¡°What is that on your neck?¡±


    I clasped a hand around my throat. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡±


    ¡°What happened? Don¡¯t tell me you started trouble, or I won¡¯t have you coming around these parts ever again.¡±


    I dropped my hand. ¡°Someone told about our plan.¡±


    ¡°To who?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. This strange man framed me for a theft just to get me alone, then he told me not to go through with the plan. He said there are other people who want Lenan dead.¡±


    ¡°Of course there are. But we have a solid plan. You are not throwing it away because of some madman.¡±


    ¡°We have a mole, Ilena. What if they give you up to the guards?¡±


    ¡°Leave the mole to me. You keep doing what you¡¯ve been doing. And use a different disguise next time. That cover is blown.¡±


    ¡°I can help¡ª¡±


    ¡°You can help by keeping a low profile,¡± she snapped. ¡°I won¡¯t have you and your family thrown out onto the streets just to have four more mouths to feed.¡±


    We glared at each other for several seconds, but I caved first. ¡°Fine. But we¡¯re changing the plan, and no one else learns about it.¡±


    ¡°Fine.¡±


    We sat for hours arguing over the details while she divvied the coins up into a handful of purses, one for each of our cooks. I didn¡¯t like the new plan we settled on, not one bit, but it was our best shot. I had a feeling it wouldn¡¯t be too difficult to pull off, as long as I could keep up the act.


    ¡°It¡¯s decided, then,¡± Ilena said. ¡°Get back to your castle before anyone figures out you¡¯re gone.¡±


    I left without another word.


    Even the streets of the slums were nearly vacant at this hour. There weren¡¯t any taverns where people could drink the night away, after all. No one here could afford it. Those were reserved for the nicer parts of town.


    Hell, I thought about stopping by one of them on my way back, but it really was getting too late. The sun would be coming up before long. I walked straight to the castle instead, and my lungs and legs were burning from the trek by the time I reached the outer wall. I passed around the castle¡¯s side, blinked through the wall where no guards were on patrol, blinked again into the vacant ballroom, then paused to take a breath before mustering all my power to blink straight up into the art gallery. I was gasping at this point, but I needed to have one more in me. I walked to the far wall, then passed through it into my bedroom.


    I dropped my bag onto my desk chair and collapsed into bed. I needed to change into my nightgown, but a quick rest would have to come first.

 3. Genet

    I met Nal in the alley just outside the inn where we were staying. ¡°Well?¡± he asked, not bothering to take his nearly used-up joint out of his mouth. The smoking didn¡¯t suit his tall, blond, ponytailed, pretty boy looks. Neither did his personality. ¡°What¡¯d you find out?¡±


    ¡°I warned her,¡± I said. ¡°But she seemed set on going through with it.¡±


    ¡°Fuck.¡± He spat the joint onto the cobblestones and snuffed it out with his boot. ¡°You want to do the dirty work, or should I?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡±


    ¡°You sure you can handle it?¡±


    I glared into his golden desen¡¯s eyes. ¡°I can handle it.¡± I¡¯d have to, because I doubted he¡¯d be able to.


    ¡°I won¡¯t tell you how to do your job, then. But we¡¯ve got three days before we have to report in.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    He sighed. ¡°This whole thing is shit.¡±


    I held out a hand, and he dropped a joint into my palm. I hated the things, but I needed something to calm down. He flipped open his lighter and lit up my joint. I almost coughed, but the herbs inside did their work, then thinking didn¡¯t feel so painful.


    I¡¯d give her tonight and tomorrow to think about it. Then I¡¯d get a solid answer out of her. If she still planned on going through with it, I¡¯d have to change her mind, one way or another.


    ¡°This whole thing is shit,¡± I parroted.


    ¡°I need a drink.¡±


    ¡°You just smoked.¡±


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    ¡°And?¡± He headed inside.


    I¡¯d barely gotten a few puffs out of it, but I flattened the joint under my boot and followed him in, just in case he needed a chaperone.


    He sat at the bar and didn¡¯t take long to chug a few mugs of beer. The bartender cocked an eyebrow when he asked for another but gave him one anyway. He was already wobbling on the barstool, and I rolled my eyes as I sipped my water. Good thing I was doing all the heavy lifting on this trip.


    A woman further down the bar watched Nal like a hawk, and I kept my own eye on her. She was pretty, with curves that definitely caught my attention, but I didn¡¯t like that hungry look in her eyes. After Nal finished his next beer, she walked over with an exaggerated sway of her wide hips.


    ¡°Having a good evening, I hope?¡± she asked as she trailed a finger across Nal¡¯s shoulder, making him jump.


    He mumbled something incoherent, looking my way like a plea for help.


    But she hadn¡¯t crossed a line, yet.


    ¡°I could make it even better.¡± Those long fingers kept tracing circles on his shoulder, and she moved in closer, nearly jutting her chest into his face. ¡°I have a room upstairs. You could¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not interested,¡± Nal grumbled, pushing her hand off him.


    ¡°Aw, don¡¯t be like that. No need to be shy.¡± She reached for him again.


    I grabbed her wrist. ¡°He said he¡¯s not interested.¡±


    She looked me up and down like she hadn¡¯t noticed me before, then smiled. ¡°What about you, then?¡± She stepped around Nal like he¡¯d stopped existing and ran her fingers down my chest.


    Part of me wanted to knock her on her ass and tell her to go fuck herself, but my Rage was starting to boil up, and I needed to let off the steam in a way that wouldn¡¯t get me hunted by guards. I grabbed her arm, pulled her close, and breathed in her ear. ¡°Don¡¯t expect me to be gentle,¡± I whispered.


    She shuddered. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t expect anything less.¡±


    Nal shook his head as I let her lead me upstairs.


    I was true to my word as I bent her over the bed, but she didn¡¯t seem to mind. I would have bet the whole inn could hear her over-the-top moaning. I¡¯d get shit from Nal in the morning, if he¡¯d even remember.


    Once I was through with her, I got dressed while she whined that I wasn¡¯t staying. I barely said another word to her before heading back to the room I was sharing with Nal. He was already passed out in the bed. So much for taking turns.


    I sighed and got as comfortable as I could on the pile of blankets on the floor, wondering how I¡¯d waste tomorrow. But I laid awake for hours, dreading what I might have to do the next night.


    I hoped this Eujia Levie would be able to take a hint.

 4. Eujia

    A fist pounding on the door woke me, and I rubbed at my eyes. My sleeve brushed against my face, and¡ª My sleeve. Oh no. I was still in my clothes from last night. Gods fucking damn it.


    ¡°Eujia?¡± Mother called as I scrambled for my nightgown. ¡°If you don¡¯t answer me in three seconds, I¡¯m coming in!¡±


    ¡°Just a moment!¡± I shouted. I stripped off my clothes and shoved them under the bed along with my bag. I started to change into my nightgown, but realized halfway through that if Mother thought I was changing, getting into my nightgown made no sense. I ripped it back off and rushed for the wardrobe, pulling out a simple blue and white dress. I threw it on in a hurry, checking once in the mirror that all of the fastenings were correct and my skirt was smooth, then walked to the door. I forced a few slow breaths before I opened it.


    Mother¡¯s heavyset frame shoved past me, her gray dress matching the silver eyes we shared. ¡°You were taking forever to answer!¡± She looked over the room, likely for any sign that I¡¯d been feeling unwell. ¡°I was getting worried.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mother. I was in the restroom.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Well, Emperor Lenan wants to see you at breakfast. You¡¯ve been skipping too often, and he¡¯s been worried, too.¡±


    Ugh. ¡°I¡¯ll be there. You came all the way up here for that?¡±


    ¡°I sent you messages, and you didn¡¯t answer. Where is your tablet?¡±


    In my bag. Damn it. ¡°It¡¯s in a drawer.¡±


    ¡°Well, how are you supposed to hear it or get to it in time if it¡¯s in a drawer?¡± She headed for my nightstand.


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep it close next time, Mother. I¡¯m sorry, I was tired and wasn¡¯t thinking straight.¡±


    She stopped with a huff, pressing her fists into her hips. ¡°You should always keep it close!¡± She stepped over and gave me a kiss on the forehead. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ll see you at breakfast. Don¡¯t be late. And bring your tablet!¡±


    I rolled my eyes after her back was turned. ¡°Yes, Mother.¡±


    ¡°And don¡¯t forget about the ball tonight!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mother!¡±


    Oh, I would not be forgetting about the ball tonight.


    After Mother left, I gathered the knitted bag she¡¯d made for me and tucked my tablet inside. I threw last night¡¯s clothes and bag into the drawer at the base of my wardrobe where the cleaning staff wouldn¡¯t spot them, then made my way to the dining hall. Mother and my sisters already waited at the table, seated to the left of the emperor¡¯s massive chair, leaving the seat at the emperor¡¯s right hand open for me. He hadn¡¯t arrived yet, and I was grateful for that. Beating him to the table was rare, and the times I was late were when he leered at me the most.


    ¡°Nice of you to join us,¡± Jesun said across from me. She smiled sweetly with her painted red lips, but she wasn¡¯t fooling me. She was my twin, after all, and her silver eyes were as sharp and vicious as mine, if not more. She kept her hair, an almost imperceptibly darker shade of burnt wood than mine, long and draped over one shoulder, the only truly drastic difference between us. I couldn¡¯t imagine the hassle of dealing with all that hair, so I kept mine cut to shoulder length. Her makeup seemed like a pain in the ass, also. She¡¯d blushed her fawn cheeks as usual, determined to be the prettier of us. If she couldn¡¯t draw the emperor¡¯s attention with her status, she¡¯d draw it with her looks. Particularly her cleavage.


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    She didn¡¯t leave much of her body¡ªand therefore mine¡ªto the imagination, and a sinking feeling in my gut told me that when Lenan looked at her, he was actually picturing me instead.


    Invisible spiders crawled up my spine, but I had to shake off that feeling for just one more day. Tonight, the emperor¡¯s lust would be the end of him.


    ¡°Jesun,¡± Mother snapped. ¡°Keep your mouth shut before the emperor gets here.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s time,¡± Jesun said. ¡°Since someone is early for once.¡±


    Ranine pouted at me, tapping patterns on the table. ¡°I wanted to sleep in.¡±


    ¡°You get to sleep in almost every day,¡± Mother sighed. ¡°Don¡¯t you want a real breakfast?¡±


    Ranine crinkled her nose. ¡°They put weird things in it.¡±


    ¡°Gods¡¯ sakes, girl, you¡¯re fifteen. Eat what you¡¯re served.¡±


    I smiled at Ranine with a shrug, but she only stuck her tongue out at me.


    One would think she¡¯d be the most behaved like a proper princess having lived her entire life in this castle, but instead she was the least interested in royal civilities out of any of us. I hoped that would never change.


    Mother shot to her feet and bowed, quickly followed by Jesun and Ranine. Jesun bowed as deeply as she could, her breasts nearly spilling out of her plunged neckline.


    Emperor Lenan¡¯s hand swept across my shoulder, and I shivered. ¡°Ladies,¡± he said as he took his seat at the head of the table. My mother and sisters sat back down. ¡°A pleasure to have you join me this morning.¡±


    A braid of copper hair started at either side of his head, weaving through his golden crown then merging into a single braid in the back. His pale lips tilted up at me, and I forced a smile in return.


    ¡°The pleasure is ours, Your Majesty,¡± Mother said. She gave me a pointed look.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I added. ¡°I apologize that I¡¯ve been absent for so long.¡±


    ¡°There is no need to apologize, Lady Eujia.¡± Lenan brushed his fingers over mine, and there was that involuntary shiver again. ¡°Your health is most important.¡±


    He began to pull his hand away, but I slipped my palm under his to squeeze his fingers. What better time to start my plan than now? His eyes widened slightly in surprise. ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty.¡± I folded my hands in my lap.


    Mother tilted an eyebrow at me, while Jesun glared daggers. Ranine stared at her plate, bored as could be, but she jumped when her stomach growled.


    Lenan laughed. ¡°Shall we?¡± He gestured to the far end of the room, where servants poured out of doors that nearly blended with the wall. They plated seasoned scrambled eggs, perfectly crispy toast, buttered broccoli and cauliflower, and roast beef for each of us. Ranine cast the vegetables a glare, but then watched Lenan like a hawk.


    He lifted his fork. ¡°May we praise the gods for this meal.¡±


    We repeated the phrase, then as soon as Lenan took a bite, Ranine tucked in, going straight for the beef.


    I held back a laugh, but Lenan caught me smiling, and his hungry gaze drifted to my lips before darting back up to my eyes. I didn¡¯t want to think about what exactly he wanted my lips to do, but I¡¯d have to lay it on offer tonight if I wanted to accomplish anything. I forced my smile to stay as I held his stare for a moment.


    Mother cleared her throat and launched into idle banter with the emperor, glancing my way when she expected me to pitch in. I usually detested that, but this time I was glad to have opportunities to flirt laid out for me. Clearly that wasn¡¯t Mother¡¯s intention, but she caught on quickly, talking faster than normal and giving me more openings. Jesun¡¯s jaw clenched as she chomped through her breakfast, but she did her best to keep a neutral expression. After Ranine finished her breakfast, she watched us as if she was attending a sporting match.


    One that I would win.

 5. Genet

    I snuck, invisible, into the castle during the changing of the guard, slipping through the open gate, between groups of nobles, then through the front doors just before they closed. It was time to find Eujia and learn whether I¡¯d need to bloody my hands tonight.


    There was obviously a ball happening, and the hallways were hectic as fuck. Nobles loitered along the walls, gossiping away without a care in the world. Guards paced around, and servants almost ran me over a couple times, which kept me on my toes.


    I hurried as fast as I could to the ballroom, passing through the open doors, a killer set loose on a deafening party. I moved to the left side, creeping behind the emperor¡¯s throne, where he sat completely oblivious. I could have just taken out my knife and ended him here and now. It would be so easy, and over in a second. But also very, very stupid.


    I looked over the room instead, searching for Eujia in the crowd. There, in a silver gown that was distractingly snug down to her hips, with a long slit in the skirt on each side showing off smooth, hickory skin. It didn¡¯t seem very Chosen-like and drew quite a few eyes her way. Her dark hair was tied up in a little bun decorated with jeweled pins, and chandelier earrings dangled almost to her bare shoulders. As she turned toward me and the emperor, her dark red lips stole my attention. Her shifted disguise hadn¡¯t done her justice, not even close.


    She wore a diamond choker necklace to cover the sliver of a cut I¡¯d given her, and I wanted to kick myself. It was just part of the job, but things like this were always part of the job. There was never any escaping it. I didn¡¯t have to like it. I just had to survive. Rage swept up my veins, but I forced it back down. I couldn¡¯t lose it here. I couldn¡¯t lose it, ever. Not if I wanted to make it to the next day, and the next.


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    I spotted Eujia¡¯s twin glowering at her from across the room, looking like she wanted to stab her. I was surprised her wine glass didn¡¯t shatter in her hand. But then Eujia stepped up to the emperor¡¯s throne, asking him for a dance, and her sister stormed out.


    Interesting.


    The emperor didn¡¯t waste a second, taking Eujia¡¯s arm and leading her to the dance floor where the dancers made plenty of room. A slower song began, but with a quick drumbeat, and Eujia moved a hell of a lot closer to Lenan than whatever this dance called for. Her hips swayed side to side like all the other women¡¯s, but hers nearly grazed the emperor¡¯s cock. I wouldn¡¯t have minded being in his shoes.


    But what the fuck was she thinking?


    Wait.


    No.


    Oh, hell no.


    She¡¯d changed the plan.


    I shoved my Rage down again, gripping the hilt of my knife with white knuckles, watching every little move Eujia made like my life depended on it¡ªbecause it did. Eventually, Lenan led her from the room, in full view of everyone. I trailed after them, dodging guards and servants clear to the emperor¡¯s quarters.


    The stubborn, scandalous little¡­


    I needed to hurry, so I ducked into a nearby guest room a servant just left, sneaking through the gap in the door before the woman could rebalance the blankets in her arms to shut it.


    So, Eujia wanted the emperor to die tonight? She¡¯d get her gods damned wish. I just hoped improvising wouldn¡¯t get me killed, too.

 6. Eujia

    Lenan¡¯s hand trailed down my side to my hip. Spiders. Oh gods, spiders up my back again. Keep it together.


    He leaned in to kiss just below my ear. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect this from you.¡± His lips traced a line down to my shoulder, then veered over to just below my choker. I tilted my head back, letting it happen, until one of his hands reached to unclasp the necklace. I snatched his hand and relocated it to my waist, and I felt his smile against my skin.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard rumors,¡± I said.


    He pulled me close, and I pinched my thighs together as his bulge pressed into me. ¡°What kinds of rumors?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Like how you might be considering marrying me.¡±


    He pulled back slightly with a wicked grin. ¡°And that appeals to you, does it?¡±


    ¡°It does,¡± I lied. ¡°Is it true?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s crossed my mind.¡± His lips barely brushed mine, and I shuddered unpleasantly. ¡°I can certainly make it true if you ask.¡±


    ¡°Make it true.¡±


    A hand shot to my throat and squeezed. ¡°I said, ask.¡±


    ¡°Can you make it true?¡± I gasped.


    That sleazy grin returned. ¡°I¡¯ll have the papers drawn up tomorrow.¡± A hand crept down my thigh, tugging at the slit in my skirt. ¡°Tonight, I want you on your knees.¡±


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    Oh gods. I nearly gagged.


    Then his hand shot between my legs. I tried to back away, but he grabbed my arm and reached under my skirt. ¡°What the hell is this?¡± he demanded.


    Fuck.


    He plucked the knife that I¡¯d sheathed along my inner thigh, then shoved me back to the floor. He stared at it, then at me. ¡°Just what were you planning on doing with this?¡± He stalked toward me. ¡°Answer me, Chosen.¡±


    I scrambled back and spotted a narrow letter opener styled after a sword on the table beside me. I grabbed it, wielding it like a dagger. ¡°Stay back.¡±


    One of the windows cracked open of its own accord, but Lenan stomped toward me, snapping my attention back to him.


    ¡°You were going to murder me, is that it?¡± he hissed. ¡°You seductive little bitch. You¡ª¡±


    A blade shot through Lenan¡¯s chest, and his blood splattered across my front. My mouth gaped open, but I stayed silent in shock. He dropped to the carpet, revealing the black-haired desen glaring at me with a bloodied sword in his hand.


    ¡°Scream,¡± he said.


    I stared at him in disbelief as I jumped to my feet, still wielding the letter opener.


    He prowled toward me and slashed his sword¡¯s tip across the little blade, sending it careening across the room. ¡°Scream.¡±


    I screamed, and he bolted for the window. I grabbed my knife from the floor and chased after him, but he leapt from the windowsill clear to the top of the castle¡¯s outer wall, barely grasping its edge to pull himself up. Then he dropped over its other side, and he was gone.


    Guards rushed down the hallway and I tucked my knife back in its sheath before they burst into the room, taking in the scene.


    ¡°He fled over the wall!¡± I shouted.


    Two of them darted back out, shouting commands down the hallway.


    The others approached me with their hands to their sides. ¡°Are you hurt, my lady?¡±


    My hands trembled, my breathing was speeding out of control, and my legs were going numb. Then they gave out. One of the guards caught me, shouting at the other to fetch a doctor.


    But it was too late. Pain flooded my chest and head, and I couldn¡¯t make out any of the words people were shouting around me. Then it all went silent and dark.

 7. Genet

    I was thankful for the darkness in the alleys as I made my way toward the edge of town. I¡¯d had a second to message Nal to come find me, but he didn¡¯t reply, and I couldn¡¯t spare the time to keep checking. Maybe he was passed out drunk again. He¡¯d had awful timing before. I was on my own.


    Guards were rushing down the streets and alleys, speeding past me up to now, but I couldn¡¯t keep up my magic forever. I¡¯d already neared my limit for the night. From here on, I had to sneak around in the shadows like anyone else.


    A crystal torch shined down the alley, its light landing on me. ¡°There!¡±


    I ran, weaving around corners until I lost the guards. But another patrol was coming in fast. Fuck it all. I sped down a narrow street, dodging late night drunks and outrunning more guards. I just needed to make it to Nal and make him get us out of here.


    A guard the size of a fucking mountain charged out in front of me, and I skidded to a stop before darting to the left, but more guards came from that way. The giant barreled toward me, and I jumped out of the way, letting him run over his brothers. I ran again, but something whizzed through the air and stabbed into my lower back. I dropped to the cobblestones, which scraped against my cheek, and gasped a few breaths before I could get myself to try standing.


    But the giant¡¯s boot came down on my back, and he ripped the blade out as I screamed.


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    ¡°Got ya, son of a bitch.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t spare the time to catch my breath. Move! I drew my knife and stabbed his foot through the side. He howled and ripped his foot back, taking my knife with it, but I had an opening. I bolted down the street again, only for a circle of black smoke to open in front of me. Nal! Thank the damn gods. I dove through the portal, expecting to find him, but slammed into an old priest instead, knocking him down to a blue carpeted floor.


    Oh, fuck.


    I tripped over a covered body in a familiar room, catching myself against a cushioned chair. Guards had me by the arms before I could even turn around, and they dragged me out into the castle hallway as I kicked and struggled, ignoring the pain in my back and the fuzzy feeling growing in my head. No way in hell was I going down without a fight.


    I had unfinished business.


    Nal had been my partner, my friend, my brother.


    I¡¯d kill that fucking traitor.


    I couldn¡¯t get free of the guards¡¯ grip, so I roared as I dropped my full weight to the floor like a ragdoll, taking the two down with me. I rolled to my feet and drew my sword, but something shattered against my back, right on my wound. Lights blinked in my vision, and I fell sideways into a wall.


    ¡°What did you do to Eujia?¡± a woman shrieked behind me.


    What?


    The guards tackled me again right as I regained my senses and ripped my sword out of my hand. A whole squad joined them, their own swords ready. I could barely get any breath into my lungs and just hung limp as the men hauled me away.


    Whatever happened to Eujia, I was about to get it much worse.


    I was, beyond a shadow of a doubt, completely fucked.


    Thanks to that blond cunt I thought had my back.

 8. Eujia

    I woke screaming, feeling like my chest and head were going to rip apart. The feeling calmed quickly, but still left me with a throbbing headache and chest pain. A doctor hovered over me, and a servant rushed out of the room.


    ¡°Drink this,¡± the woman said, lifting my head up and a vial to my lips. I did as told, and the bitter stuff burned along my throat, but the pain subsided almost completely, as always.


    I caught my breath and leaned back into the pillow. ¡°Thank you. I¡¯m fine now.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll make sure your mother is on the way, Chosen.¡± She bowed and left.


    I lifted my hands above me. Clean nightgown sleeves covered my arms.


    Well, that meant someone, probably Mother, cleaned me up and found my knife. Wonderful.


    My tablet dinged in my ear, making me flinch. I grabbed it and flicked through the messages. I had¡­ gods, eleven from Yesida. The most recent read, ¡°I need to know you¡¯re okay. I know who you are. Call me when you can.¡±


    I groaned and dropped the tablet on the mattress. I didn¡¯t care how he¡¯d found out who I was. It seemed that didn¡¯t bother him much, but word would get around soon enough about my provocative dance with Lenan before letting him guide me back to his quarters in plain view of so many nobles and guards and servants. I wasn¡¯t overly fond of Yesida beyond his prowess in bed, but I¡¯d thrown him aside and was about to break his heart, and for what?


    I¡¯d planned to claim someone else had murdered Lenan in front of me. I hadn¡¯t expected it would actually happen.


    That desen had been dead serious about murdering the emperor. If I¡¯d done as told and just waited, he would have done the work for me, without all this mess.


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    Me and my gods damned impatience.


    I sat up, but a pile of items on my desk caught my attention, and my breathing stopped. My commoner¡¯s clothes, my leather bag, and my daggers and knives were all laid out in plain sight.


    Well, fuck me.


    I flopped back into the mattress and waited for my mother¡¯s inevitable rage, and sure enough, she stormed into the room without knocking and slammed the door.


    ¡°What have you been doing?¡± she hissed. ¡°What the fuck is all this? Why did you have a knife on you at the ball, only to take the emperor back to his quarters right before he was murdered? Explain yourself, Eujia!¡±


    I stared at the ceiling, thinking. I couldn¡¯t sell out Ilena and her group, couldn¡¯t admit I¡¯d been stealing. But the sneaking out, that much was obvious. And as for Lenan¡­ ¡°I¡¯ve been going out drinking,¡± I said quietly. ¡°Almost every night. I hate it here, Mother. I hate all of it. I hated Lenan. You saw the way he looked at me, and you never said a damn thing. You were over the moon yesterday when I was flirting with him, weren¡¯t you? You thought I¡¯d finally given in, thought I¡¯d finally marry him and let him fuck me.¡±


    I sat up and found her with her mouth hanging open, unable to speak.


    ¡°I was going to kill him,¡± I said. ¡°I was going to stab him in the heart and claim someone else had done it. But then someone else really did it for me. Do you know what Lenan did before he found my knife?¡± I climbed out of bed. ¡°He said he¡¯d marry me if I asked for it. He meant if I begged. He choked me when I didn¡¯t ask nicely. That¡¯s the kind of man you wanted to hand me over to. That¡¯s the kind of man you¡¯ve been grooming me for over the last fifteen fucking years.¡±


    A hand whipped across my cheek, and I stumbled to the side. Mother yelped and clasped her hands over her mouth as if her palm had flown on its own. ¡°Oh. Oh, my gods.¡± Horror crossed her face, and tears spilled onto the floor. She stammered, then rushed from the room.


    Maybe I should have been relieved to get that off my chest. Maybe I should have been as horrified as Mother was. But I felt nothing but numbness, with a faint stinging in my cheek.


    I¡¯d finally told the truth, and come what may, I didn¡¯t care anymore. I was ready. Gods knew Mother, Jesun, and I deserved to be thrown out, and Ranine didn¡¯t care for the castle in the first place. Mother and Jesun could burn for all I cared, while I¡¯d fight for Ranine with every fiber of my being. She would not suffer for our mistakes any more than she already had.


    I swore on all the gods¡¯ names, if nothing else, I¡¯d see to that.

 9. Genet

    I stared at the empty socket at my right wrist where my prosthetic hand had been. Curse them for figuring that out. That had been my last weapon, not that it would have gotten me far. The bars of my cell were damn solid, and the little blade built into my hand wouldn¡¯t have done much good with the lock. At least they¡¯d bothered to have a doctor stitch up my back, so that made up for the missing hand at least a little. They probably needed me alive for questioning.


    If they didn¡¯t get around to it soon, they¡¯d miss their chance. Gradis was old-fashioned and refused to get even a stationary tablet, but Nal would probably reach him in a few hours if he¡¯d left right after throwing me to the wolves. Actually, he was probably taking his sweet fucking time. It wasn¡¯t like him to give up sleep unless it was an emergency. So, tonight, then. I had until tonight to wallow in misery before the end.


    I started shaking and gasping, but I forced my lungs to take deep breaths. I would not die a blubbering mess.


    Water dripped from the corner of my cell into a little puddle on the floor. It must have been raining. Plink, plink, plink. That was going to drive me up the wall if I had to listen to it all day. Maybe I¡¯d die an insane mess, instead.


    The skinny middle-aged man in the cell across from me snored so hard he woke himself up. Not even the commotion I¡¯d made last night had done that. He stretched with a huge yawn before sitting up and rubbing his eyes. He startled when he noticed me watching him.


    ¡°When¡¯d you get here?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Last night.¡±


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    ¡°Really? Huh. What¡¯re you in for?¡±


    ¡°Murdering the emperor.¡±


    He stared at me for a second, then burst out laughing. ¡°That¡¯s a good one.¡± His smile vanished when I didn¡¯t react. ¡°Wait, you¡¯re serious. You¡¯re fucking mad, kid.¡±


    ¡°The emperor¡¯s dead?¡± asked another man I couldn¡¯t see. ¡°Good riddance.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I won¡¯t argue with that,¡± the older man said. ¡°But you know they¡¯re going to interview you, right?¡±


    ¡°I figured,¡± I said.


    ¡°No, no, you don¡¯t figure shit. We¡¯re going to have to listen to¡ª¡±


    The dungeon¡¯s door screeched open, then a woman and a man in black uniforms stopped in front of my cell. ¡°Stand and approach,¡± the woman said.


    I raised an eyebrow and didn¡¯t budge. She pushed some button beside my cell door, and the little cuff they¡¯d locked around my wrist released a shock that had me falling onto the damp stone floor.


    ¡°Fuck, okay!¡± I shook my arm out and moved toward the door.


    ¡°Put your hand through the door.¡±


    I glared at her but did as she said this time.


    The man with her grabbed my wrist, shoved up my sleeve, and before I could resist, he stuck a syringe into my arm.


    I yanked my arm back through the bars. ¡°What the fuck?¡± The injection site ached, and I rubbed at it with my stump. But the feeling only spread, and fast. I dropped to the floor screaming as my veins burned.


    ¡°Why did you murder the emperor?¡± the woman shouted over me.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± I wheezed.


    ¡°Answer my questions, and you get the antidote.¡±


    ¡°My orders!¡±


    ¡°Whose orders?¡±


    ¡°Gradis!¡±


    ¡°And who is that?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s¡ª¡± I screamed again as I curled onto my side, clutching my arms across my chest. ¡°He¡¯s nobody!¡±


    She scoffed. ¡°Nobody. Who does this nobody work for?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°And you have no idea why he sent you?¡±


    ¡°No!¡±


    ¡°Useless.¡± They walked away, leaving me writhing on the floor. No antidote.


    ¡°Gods,¡± the old man said. ¡°Sorry, kid. Just, I don¡¯t know, try to breathe.¡±


    I wanted to tell him to fuck off, but no words came out. Eventually, I couldn¡¯t take it anymore, and I passed out.

 10. Eujia

    Nothing happened. I waited an hour, but no one came for me, not even Ranine or Jesun. I guessed Mother must have banned them both from seeing me¡ªto protect one from me, and to protect me from the other.


    She must not have told the Council about my foiled plan to murder the emperor. She likely had to explain my sneaking out, which wouldn¡¯t do me any favors, but I could live with that. They¡¯d be at work sweeping it under the rug as a malicious rumor, if the public would have believed it at all.


    I¡¯d told the truth and gotten away with it. More or less. Only now, the items I¡¯d used to sneak around town had been confiscated. No disguises. No weapons. I¡¯d be under close watch from now on, and the odds of me finding the things I needed and sneaking them back to my room were, well, essentially zero. My thieving days were over.


    My tablet dinged again. ¡°We need to talk,¡± Yesida said. ¡°Don¡¯t ignore me.¡±


    I desperately wanted to ignore him, but guilt clawed at me, setting loose the tears I¡¯d been holding back. I didn¡¯t deserve to feel sorry for myself, so I quickly shut down the waterworks again. I sat up in bed and combed my hair with my fingers, not bothering to change out of my nightgown or shift into my disguise.


    I called Yesida, and he answered almost immediately, his dark handsome face beading with sweat as tools clanged in the background. ¡°One second,¡± he said before pushing his black locks out of his face and muting himself. He silently, but furiously, shouted something to someone off screen, then walked out of the factory¡¯s hangar to his office. He dropped into his chair and set his tablet up on his desk, then unmuted himself with a scowl. ¡°Eujia.¡±


    I cringed at the use of my real name. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t call sooner.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well, sounds like things have gone to shit for you, haven¡¯t they?¡± I didn¡¯t answer, and he sighed sharply. ¡°I have so many questions for you.¡±


    ¡°Ask.¡±


    ¡°Why did you lie to me?¡±


    ¡°Because¡­ Really, you can¡¯t imagine the answer?¡±


    ¡°I want to hear it.¡±


    ¡°Because I needed to not be the damned Chosen for once. I needed someone to see me. I know that wasn¡¯t fair.¡±


    ¡°No, and neither was your little try at the emperor.¡±


    I winced. ¡°I know.¡±


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    ¡°Then why did you do it?¡±


    ¡°I needed something from him.¡±


    ¡°And did you get it before he died?¡±


    ¡°Not exactly.¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t think I even want to know.¡±


    My eyes widened. ¡°It wasn¡¯t¡ª¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care, Eujia. Obviously, your life as the Chosen is very different from your life out here. I probably don¡¯t have a right to judge.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say that.¡±


    ¡°What? I don¡¯t know you. Not the real you. How can I judge something I know nothing about?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t think of anything to say to that.


    He pushed his hair back again. ¡°Look. I get it. I don¡¯t like it, but I get it. But I¡¯m done. I wish you well, best of luck with whatever it is you¡¯re doing, all of that. But that has nothing to do with me. And¡­ Fuck.¡± He grimaced and wiped away a tear. ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to say this, but fuck it. I was going to ask you to marry me. So, I hope it was worth it to you.¡±


    My jaw dropped. ¡°Yesida, I¡ª¡±


    He hung up. Then blocked me. All of our calls, all of our messages, gone in an instant.


    I let the tablet fall to the blankets and pulled my knees up to my chin. What had I done?


    ***


    After my tears had run dry, I changed into one of my simpler dresses and stepped out to find four guards waiting for me, and I cringed as they bowed.


    ¡°Where may we lead you, my lady?¡± one asked. The narrow blue cape dangling from one armored shoulder gave him away as an imperial guard, though the others wore standard castle guard uniforms.


    I scowled. It seemed my days of roaming the castle unattended were over, too. ¡°I was planning to request lunch.¡±


    ¡°I can send a servant to fetch a meal for you¡ª¡±


    ¡°Has the Council restricted me to certain areas of the castle?¡±


    The imperial guard¡¯s eyebrows rose slightly. ¡°No, my lady.¡±


    ¡°Then I will go myself.¡±


    He bowed again and gestured to the other guards, who formed rank around me.


    The dining room was empty when I arrived, and one of my guards headed for the kitchen as I took my seat. I stared at the emperor¡¯s chair. Who would occupy it next? Lenan¡¯s fifteen-year term had been complete, but I¡¯d heard rumors that the Council had planned on giving him a second term. Whatever the reason, they¡¯d been stalling announcing the next emperor, but now they would have to choose one quickly. One who would not have any predecessor whispering in their ear for two years.


    Perhaps I could be the one whispering.


    A servant hurried over to list off a variety of options, but I didn¡¯t want to trouble the kitchen staff too much just for me. I requested only bacon, toast, and strawberries. I didn¡¯t have that much of an appetite anyway. I only wanted to calm my aching stomach.


    I was only halfway through my lunch when a messenger arrived for me, bowing as they all did. ¡°The Council wishes to speak with you at your earliest convenience,¡± she said.


    Of course I wasn¡¯t going to get out of facing them. ¡°Thank you,¡± I said. ¡°Please tell them I¡¯ll be there shortly.¡±


    I slowed my bites, stalling for time. They¡¯d have questions about the murder. They¡¯d wonder why I didn¡¯t save Lenan. They¡¯d ask why I allowed the killer to escape.


    Because I had allowed him to escape. If I¡¯d used my mind for even a second, I could have pulled him back before he reached the window. Or when he jumped to the wall, I could have caused him to fall to the courtyard instead. I could have done any number of things to stop him.


    But he¡¯d taken the fall for me and saved me from my own idiocy. Whatever his motives had been, how could I punish him for doing what I couldn¡¯t?


    The Council didn¡¯t need to know that. It was time to play the part of the frail Chosen.

 11. Eujia

    My guards led me to the Council chambers deep in the lowest level of the castle but did not cross the threshold, where their authority ended and the Council guard¡¯s began. Several men in full plate armor and long blue capes stood at even intervals about the windowless circular room, their feet straddling each silver mosaic star in the floor. I stopped in the center of the tiled blue moon and looked up to the many beady eyes of old men watching me from their tiers of benches.


    The Grand Councilor, with his full gray beard and waist-length hair, scowled down at me from his seat in the very center front. He bowed his head, but did not take his eyes off me. ¡°Chosen.¡±


    I pressed my hand over my heart and gave a slight bow. ¡°Grand Councilor.¡±


    ¡°We will begin shortly. We are waiting on two others.¡±


    My heart rate quickened. Why would others be needed?


    A minute later, two men in black uniforms entered, one of which¡ªa man of average height with a handsome umber-toned face and black hair cut close to the scalp¡ªhad several badges on his shoulders. A general. And with that black uniform, he could only be Spymaster General Gasni, the youngest Spymaster in history.


    He smiled, and both he and his companion bowed, though Gasni kept his hands folded behind his back.


    I spun back to face the Councilors, a new terror gripping my heart. ¡°What is this?¡± Gasni¡¯s man reached for me, and I tried to blink away, but hardly any wisps of smoke formed around me, and nothing happened. The large man gripped my arms to hold me still. ¡°What is this?¡± I repeated.


    ¡°The Councilors thought it may be best if I were to question the only witness to Emperor Lenan¡¯s murder,¡± Gasni said as he stepped in front of me. He presented his hands. Smoke billowed around one, while the other held a small syringe. ¡°I don¡¯t wish to use this, Chosen. Please answer honestly.¡±


    He popped a cap off of the needle and gripped my wrist in his smoke-engulfed hand. I tried to pull back with a whimper as tears streamed down my face. ¡°Why are you doing this? Please!¡±


    He gave me a pitying look. ¡°Answer honestly, and this will be over quickly. Tell me exactly how the emperor was murdered.¡±


    ¡°A man broke into the room,¡± I said in a rush. ¡°He was a Scion. I couldn¡¯t see him until he stabbed the emperor.¡±


    ¡°He showed himself to you? Why?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Did he say anything to you?¡±


    ¡°He threatened me and told me to scream.¡±


    ¡°Then he fled. Yet you didn¡¯t stop him.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I wasn¡¯t thinking!¡±


    ¡°The bloodstains indicated you were on the floor when it happened. Why?¡±


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    I tried to pull my arm away again, but his grip was firm. ¡°Please¡ª¡±


    Gasni inched the syringe closer. ¡°Answer.¡±


    ¡°He pushed me!¡±


    ¡°The killer, or the emperor?¡±


    ¡°The emperor!¡±


    ¡°Explain.¡±


    I sobbed, racking my mind for a way out of this. I needed to give him the truth¡ªat least parts of it. ¡°He told me he was thinking of marrying me if I begged. When I didn¡¯t, he choked me. I was scared and tried to leave, but he shoved me. He was¡ª He wanted¡ª¡± I couldn¡¯t even finish that sentence, even though if events had played out slightly differently, it might have been true.


    The Councilors mumbled behind Gasni, who scowled. ¡°Yet you had a knife on you. Did you draw it?¡±


    ¡°I only had it for self-defense for the ball. I was nervous. But I did. I drew it after he shoved me, but he took it from me and threatened me with it.¡±


    ¡°Then?¡±


    ¡°Then he was killed.¡±


    ¡°Why did you sheathe your knife?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    He pushed the syringe closer, nearly pricking my skin.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want anyone to know I had it!¡± I admitted. ¡°I was scared what people would think, and I knew someone would take it away. It was stupid.¡±


    Gasni sighed and looked back to the Councilors. ¡°Is this enough?¡±


    The Grand Councilor glowered down at me. ¡°Not yet. Use it.¡±


    I stopped breathing and stared at Gasni, but he turned to fully face the Councilors, releasing my arm. ¡°My apologies, Councilors, but this is intended for interrogations only, and it seems¡ª¡±


    The ancient man slammed the tip of his cane into the floor. ¡°Use. It.¡±


    Gasni fell silent and clenched his jaw, but he turned back to me and grabbed my wrist again. He wouldn¡¯t look me in the eye. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Chosen.¡± Then he plunged the needle under my skin.


    A few seconds passed with only a mild ache at my wrist, but then intense pain flared across my body, and I screamed. Gasni released me and gestured for the other man to do the same. I dropped to my knees, my screams tearing my throat ragged. I couldn¡¯t stop.


    ¡°You have made it quite clear, Chosen, that we have granted you too much freedom,¡± the Grand Councilor said. ¡°To wander out at night to do gods know what kinds of unmaidenly things, to wield blades, to seduce your emperor. Unacceptable. You are a symbol, nothing more, and you will learn your place.¡±


    Gasni cleared his throat. ¡°Councilors, may I¡ª¡±


    ¡°Not yet.¡± Gods, kill me. I just wanted it to stop. ¡°Considering the severity of your transgressions, girl, if you are found to leave castle grounds again, greater punishments than this are under consideration.¡± What in hell could be worse than this? ¡°From this day forth, you will no longer attend university, rather you will have a private tutor. You will no longer be allowed visits to the city chapels, but instead will participate in services in the imperial sanctuary. Your quarters and your person will be searched on a daily basis. Your guards will attend you at every moment, and someone will check for your presence at regular intervals throughout the night. Now, Spymaster.¡±


    Gasni quickly kneeled before me, took my wrist, and injected something else into my veins. The pain subsided almost immediately, leaving me limp and gasping.


    ¡°Gather yourself and return to your chambers,¡± the Grand Councilor said. ¡°See to her, Spymaster.¡±


    The Councilors¡¯ shuffling footsteps filed out through doors at the back of the room, and the Council guards followed after them, leaving me alone with the Spymaster and his man.


    ¡°Leave us,¡± Gasni ordered, and the other left. Gasni¡¯s face fell as he remained kneeling with me. ¡°I am truly sorry, Chosen. Sometimes we must play our roles despite ourselves.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t muster any words, so I only glared at him.


    He gave me a pitying smile. ¡°Hate me as you like. But should you ever need anything, you should know that my office is directly above the east end of your chambers. Make of that what you will.¡±


    Was that an invitation? For what?


    ¡°Are you well enough to stand?¡±


    He offered his hand, which was no longer swallowed in smoke, but I slapped it away and stood on my own. I wobbled a bit but straightened my posture and wiped the tears from my face.


    Gasni folded his hands behind his back again, donning a neutral expression. ¡°Until later, then, would-be murderess.¡± He stepped into the hallway before I could get any words out.


    Spymaster, indeed. But why had he kept information from the Council?


    It seemed I¡¯d need to accept that invitation.

 12. Genet

    I jolted awake to a girl¡¯s screaming, but the dungeon was silent except for the drip of water and a few men mumbling to themselves in the distance. How long had I been out? How long did I have left?


    I pushed myself off the damp stone, sweating and shaking, but I didn¡¯t make it farther than just leaning against the cot.


    This was not how I¡¯d expected to die. I figured I¡¯d meet my end on someone¡¯s sword one day, not by capture, torture, and execution. If I even made it to my execution. Nal obviously hadn¡¯t reached Gradis yet, or I never would have woken up. At least all this kept me guessing. Who would manage to kill me first?


    ¡°I¡¯m guessing you¡¯ve seen better days,¡± the man across the aisle said.


    ¡°You could say that.¡±


    ¡°How about worse ones?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, this one¡¯s up there with the worst.¡±


    He chuckled. ¡°Not going to lie, Lenan deserved what he got. But I don¡¯t know how you thought you were making any difference. The next emperor won¡¯t be any better, neither will the next. That¡¯s just how this shit goes.¡±


    ¡°Maybe. Wasn¡¯t my call.¡±


    ¡°Some big conspiracy, then, huh? That¡¯s how it goes, too. Never does anyone any good.¡±


    ¡°Quite a pessimist over there.¡±


    He gestured to the walls around him. ¡°Look where I am. How do you think I got here? I had high hopes for Lenan, you know. Back in the day. Went to university with the guy. Seemed like he had great ideas, so I pulled some less than legal strings to help him gain the Council¡¯s favor. All it got me was this cell, while he turned his back on the rest of us. So yeah, call me a pessimist. But I¡¯m a realist. Maybe if everyone pulled their heads out of the sand, then we¡¯d see some real change. But people still hold onto their little scraps of hope that someone will help them, save them. Bunch of idiot sheep.¡±


    ¡°Shut up, old man!¡± someone shouted. ¡°Nobody gives a shit about your lectures!¡±


    Something didn¡¯t add up. ¡°You said you went to university with Lenan?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m younger than I look. These cells¡¯ll do that to you. Not that you¡¯ll live to find out.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for the reminder.¡±


    ¡°Just stating the obvious.¡±


    ***


    What seemed like another hour passed, and I managed to climb onto my cot before someone entered the dungeon and stopped by my cell, glaring daggers with silver eyes. Eujia¡¯s twin? Now things were getting interesting.


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    She wasn¡¯t wearing any makeup, and even in this dim lighting I could tell she¡¯d been crying. Unlike the ball where she¡¯d worn a very prominently low-cut neckline, she now wore a simple, conservative black dress and black cloak, as if she was mourning. Mourning for the emperor.


    Wow. Maybe she¡¯d beat both Gradis and the executioner. I guessed there was something hidden under that cloak.


    ¡°Can I help you?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I heard you wouldn¡¯t talk,¡± she said. ¡°That the Spymaster¡¯s people couldn¡¯t get much of anything out of you, even with their serum. But there are some things even they didn¡¯t try.¡± She drew a knife from under her cloak.


    ¡°And what are you going to do with that? Throw it? How good is your aim?¡±


    She smiled as smoke swallowed her up, then in an instant she was standing over me with the knife¡¯s point hovering over my dick. My sense of humor vanished.


    ¡°Fucking hell,¡± my neighbor mumbled.


    ¡°Everyone thinks only Eujia can do that,¡± the twin said. ¡°I let them believe it. They all think I wish I was her, so why add fuel to the fire? Like hell I¡¯d want her life. All I wanted was Lenan. And you took him from me.¡±


    She raised the knife to drive it back down, but I was faster. I grabbed her wrist and pulled to the side, throwing her face-first into the wall. Then I wrenched her arm behind her back to loosen her grip, plucked the knife from her hand, and drove it into her shoulder. She screamed, and I wrapped my right arm around her waist to keep her from wriggling free. As long as I kept the knife in her shoulder, she wouldn¡¯t be going anywhere.


    ¡°I did,¡± I said. ¡°I might regret a lot of things in life, but that sure isn¡¯t one of them. Now. You¡¯re going to take me to Eujia.¡±


    ¡°Go fuck yourself!¡±


    I pushed the blade a little deeper, and she held back another scream. ¡°You¡¯re not in a position to be giving orders, my lady. Take me to your sister.¡±


    She roared, then the scenery shifted several times, making my head spin. Finally, we stopped in a huge bedroom where Eujia lay fast asleep on her side. She hadn¡¯t even gotten under the sheets and still wore a day dress. And a dark blotch marked her left wrist, matching the one on mine.


    Gods, they¡¯d tortured their own Chosen?


    ¡°Eujia,¡± the twin hissed.


    The girl sprang awake with wild eyes, staring at us for several seconds before she slowly slid out of bed. ¡°What do you want?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re known as the Breaker of Curses, aren¡¯t you?¡± I asked. ¡°So break a curse.¡±


    She scowled. ¡°It isn¡¯t that simple.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care if it¡¯s simple. Do it.¡±


    ¡°I need a knife.¡±


    ¡°Find your own.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll need to follow me.¡±


    ¡°If you try to pull something, your sister dies.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± She walked to one end of her room and pointed up, then vanished in a puff of smoke.


    Her twin took us up after her, then we were standing in a wide office with books and files stuffed into shelves built into the walls. A dark-skinned man in a black uniform sat at the desk with a file in hand and looked us over calmly. ¡°I wasn¡¯t expecting you to bring guests, Lady Eujia.¡±


    ¡°I need a knife,¡± Eujia said. Straight to the point. I could appreciate that.


    The man¡ªthe Spymaster General, I realized¡ªslowly opened a drawer and set a sheathed knife on the desk.


    ¡°How did you get that?¡± Eujia asked, snatching it up.


    The Spymaster fished a few other blades from the drawer. ¡°I acquired all of your confiscated items.¡±


    Her eyes went wide, but she turned back to me. ¡°Stand still.¡±


    ¡°What are you planning on doing with that?¡± I asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s for me, not you.¡±


    That was disturbing, but I held the high ground here, so I let her step behind me. ¡°The mark is on my neck,¡± I said.


    ¡°I see that.¡± She drew the blade, and a moment later, she pressed something warm and wet to the back of my neck, where my damned curse marked my skin with a black, jagged pattern.


    Finally. Finally, I¡¯d have a real chance.


    I felt something snap and blacked out.

 13. Genet

    I came to with a sword¡¯s tip at my throat. It must have just been seconds that passed, because I was still in the Spymaster¡¯s office. The man stood over me with an eyebrow raised, while the two women huddled behind him. Eujia was hunched over, sweating as blood dripped from her wrist, while her twin pressed a hand to her own wound.


    ¡°Congratulations, your curse is broken,¡± the Spymaster said. ¡°Unfortunately for you, your execution is still on the table, if I don¡¯t dispatch you right here and now. However, I have a proposal. I believe it will appeal to you.¡±


    I rested my head back against the soft carpet. ¡°I¡¯m listening.¡±


    ¡°Good. Now that Lady Eujia has kindly broken your curse, you will repay the debt by working for me to investigate those who held your leash. Completely off the books, of course.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d need to get out of here alive for that.¡±


    ¡°So, you¡¯ll abduct Lady Jesun.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Jesun snapped. ¡°How dare you even¡ª¡±


    ¡°Willingly,¡± the Spymaster added. ¡°The evidence is already there. You only need to guide him out of the city.¡±


    ¡°He murdered Lenan and stabbed me!¡±


    How the hell was the Spymaster going to talk her into this?


    ¡°Would you rather the Council believe you allowed him to escape? That you wounded yourself to cover it up?¡±


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    ¡°They¡¯d never believe that!¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ll believe whatever I inform them. Especially if you were so envious of your sister that you were glad the emperor was murdered.¡±


    Both sisters paled. ¡°That¡¯s an outright lie,¡± Jesun mumbled. ¡°You¡¯d have me executed!¡±


    ¡°I will do what I must. Eujia has witnessed that.¡±


    Eujia rubbed at her bruised wrist. The fucking son of a bitch.


    ¡°Jes, please,¡± she said.


    Jesun stammered, then growled. ¡°Fine. But if any of this ever comes to light, you forced me into this.¡±


    The Spymaster smiled down at me. ¡°Are we all in agreement, then?¡±


    I dreaded the idea of trading my leash from one master to another, but he seemed to be something resembling an ally to Eujia, and I owed her my life. If this was the only way I could repay her, then¡­ ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll do it.¡±


    ¡°Excellent.¡± The blade lifted away from my throat to let me stand, and the Spymaster passed around his desk, digging something out of another drawer. He tossed me my hand. As I tucked it back into its socket with a snap and a painful shock, he opened a cabinet and pulled out my belt, with my sword and knife still sheathed at either side. He tossed that to me as well.


    ¡°Do you like hoarding evidence?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Only the potentially useful kind. A couple more things.¡± He tossed me something else. A hefty coin purse. ¡°You¡¯ll be needing that. There¡¯s a comm device inside. And here.¡± He came back around the desk and unlatched the prison cuff around my wrist.


    I pocketed the little pouch and wrapped the belt around my hips, then turned to Jesun, holding out a hand. I couldn¡¯t help giving a smirk. ¡°Shall we, my lady?¡±


    With a clenched jaw, she grabbed around my wrist, painfully squeezing my bruise. I hid us, then our surroundings flashed again and again, until we were standing to the side of the main road leading into town. Impressive.


    We waited until the nearby wagon passed by, then I dropped my power and ripped my arm out of Jesun¡¯s grip.


    ¡°You¡¯d better do good work for the Spymaster,¡± she hissed. ¡°You¡¯d better kill everyone who had anything to do with Lenan¡¯s murder, or I swear I¡¯ll still hunt you down and kill you myself.¡±


    ¡°That wouldn¡¯t surprise me. I¡¯ll hold up my end of the bargain.¡±


    I disappeared from her sight, and she vanished from mine.

 14. Eujia

    ¡°The knife, please,¡± Gasni said, gesturing for the blade I still held. I reluctantly gave it up. ¡°You know where to find it should you need it. For now, you¡¯d best return to your quarters before someone learns you¡¯re missing.¡±


    I gave him one last glare, then returned to my room. No one had entered since I¡¯d left, I was sure of that, and no one was pounding on the door. At least I could get away with a short absence. I clasped a wide bracelet around my wrist to hide the bruise and the cut I¡¯d made and laid in bed to rest.


    Mother arrived to check on me soon enough, barging in without warning. ¡°Eujia!¡± She ran to hug me, a gesture I didn¡¯t return. ¡°Are you all right? No one came to your room recently, did they?¡±


    I faked a confused look. ¡°No. What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°That killer escaped! Jesun, the stupid girl, tried to kill him, and he used her to escape instead. He hurt her, and she won¡¯t talk, so I was worried he¡¯d hurt you, too. Oh, gods.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, Mother. Was that all?¡± I didn¡¯t bother feigning concern for her or my sister.


    ¡°You don¡¯t care, do you? You don¡¯t give a damn that he escaped. What am I saying, of course you don¡¯t. You¡¯re probably glad for it and wishing him the best.¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t care. So, if you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯m tired.¡±


    ¡°You ungrateful little¡ª¡± Her eyes fell on my wrist, and I glanced down as well. My cuff had slipped a bit out of place, revealing a hint of the bruise from Gasni¡¯s serum. She grabbed my arm before I could pull it away and plucked the cuff off my wrist. ¡°What is this?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± I couldn¡¯t get my arm out of her grip.


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    She studied the bruise, the two little pinpricks, and the cut, and her eyes widened. ¡°When did these happen?¡±


    ¡°It isn¡¯t important.¡±


    ¡°Not important? Someone tortured you, and you cut yourself, and it isn¡¯t important? Who touched you?¡±


    ¡°Drop it, Mother. You don¡¯t want to go down this road.¡±


    ¡°You are my daughter, and I will know who hurt you.¡±


    ¡°Fine. If you must know, it was the Council.¡±


    She paled and stammered. ¡°The Council?¡±


    ¡°Yes. So, drop it and stay out of my business. You can¡¯t help me. You never could.¡±


    She finally released me and stepped back, and her features set in a stern expression. ¡°You¡¯re right. You¡¯ve gone too far. I can¡¯t help you. But I will not have you dragging your sisters down with you. We¡¯re leaving this godsforsaken place. You can have it all to yourself.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I rose to my feet. ¡°Oh, now you want to leave? Now you want to protect your daughters? What about all the times I begged you to take us back home? What about all the times the emperor touched me or cornered me, and you did nothing? You never thought of it then?¡±


    ¡°We were safe!¡± she shouted. ¡°But not anymore, not after the things you¡¯ve done. You caused this. You¡¯re the reason we¡¯re leaving.¡±


    She turned for the door, but I blinked ahead to cut her off. ¡°Don¡¯t do this,¡± I pleaded. ¡°Don¡¯t leave me here. Don¡¯t take Ranine from me! Please, just take me with you. Don¡¯t¡ª¡±


    Tears welled in her eyes, but she shoved me aside and stormed out.


    I tried to calm myself, but a fury was rising and wouldn¡¯t be stopped. I screamed, and my power swelled, transporting everything in the room to random positions. Every piece of furniture, every vase, every book, every single item was rearranged, then crashed to the floor.


    My guards rushed in but froze behind me. I didn¡¯t need to look to imagine their stunned faces.


    ¡°My lady,¡± the imperial guard said. ¡°Are you all right?¡±


    ¡°Get out.¡±


    ¡°I can request servants to¡ª¡±


    ¡°Just get out.¡±


    They hesitated, but a moment later the door clicked softly.


    I sniffled and stepped over shattered vases and crumpled books to shove an assortment of random objects off my bed, spilling pens and papers and clothes onto the floor. I didn¡¯t care that the bed was partially blocking the entrance to my restroom. I didn¡¯t care that splotches of wet ink stained the sheets. I didn¡¯t care that I wasn¡¯t dressed for bed, or that it was still midday. I crawled under the blankets and sobbed into my pillow until I fell asleep.

 15. Eujia

    I was led to service in the castle¡¯s sanctuary the next morning, and I numbly went through the motions in my stark white dress, reciting the usual prayers, making the usual blessings, leading the usual hymns, all the nonsense that had been drilled into my head since I was a little girl. The change in location didn¡¯t make a difference. It was all the same.


    The only differences were the attendees¡ªthe Councilors, generals, several other officials, and university students¡ªand the absence of my family. I did my best not to look at the Councilors or Gasni. I found their attendance ironic, since if hell really did exist, they¡¯d certainly be bound for it.


    When I returned to my quarters, they¡¯d been cleaned and reorganized, almost like I hadn¡¯t done a thing. New vases, fresh sheets, a couple replaced pieces of furniture, all my books returned to their shelves, all my papers smoothed out and stacked neatly on my desk.


    I wanted to wreak havoc on it all over again.


    Instead, I checked Gasni¡¯s office for any visitors, but it seemed he was alone. He jumped when I appeared before his desk.


    ¡°Chosen,¡± he said. ¡°To what do I owe this visit?¡±


    ¡°You know about my mother¡¯s plan to leave.¡±


    ¡°I do, yes. I¡¯m very sorry.¡±


    ¡°Have they left yet?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid so.¡± He raised his hands in a calming gesture as my face twisted. ¡°But Lady Ranine left this in her room, addressed to you.¡±


    I took the small envelope he offered and found a printed photo inside. Our one and only family photo, before Father died, before we were taken to the castle, before Ranine was born. Father had scrounged up what little spending money we had to have this taken. He hadn¡¯t let on, but he¡¯d known he was dying and wanted us to have something to remember him by. He had been thin, his cheeks gaunt, while Mother¡¯s cheeks were full even though she¡¯d been much thinner than she was now. Her hand rested on her swollen, pregnant belly. Little Jesun clung to Father¡¯s leg while I clung to Mother¡¯s, or was it the other way around? Not even I could tell which of us was which. We were smiling ear to ear, dimpling our chubby cheeks, so excited to find out what a photo looked like. It had sounded like magic. Very, very expensive magic.


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    I¡¯d thought this photo had been lost when we moved to the castle. Where had Ranine found it?


    I sank into a chair, failing to hold back tears. Ranine had held onto this photo even though she¡¯d never known this happy family. We¡¯d broken the day Father died, and we were especially broken now. Maybe that was why she wanted me to have it. To remind me of what I¡¯d ruined.


    I tucked the photo back into the envelope. I couldn¡¯t bear to look at it any longer.


    ¡°Lady Eujia,¡± Gasni said, drawing my attention back. ¡°I understand offering my assistance may be unwanted, but I will offer it anyway. The Councilors will announce the next emperor this afternoon. You wish to be a voice of reason in his ear, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°How do know that?¡±


    ¡°It was an informed guess. I assume that was why you¡¯d intended to murder Lenan in the first place. Without the previous emperor hovering over his shoulder, the next will be more susceptible to other influences. However, you should be aware that others will be seeking the same role, and I doubt your status will protect you if you take this path.¡±


    ¡°Why would you want to help me? Why have you kept these things from the Council?¡±


    ¡°Because I¡¯ve seen how this nation works, much worse things than you can imagine. Those old codgers deserve to burn in hell for eternity, but there is only so much you or I can do. This may be our best opportunity to make real change. Our only opportunity.¡±


    ¡°But the Council would still keep their seats. Would it really make a difference?¡±


    ¡°As far as the public at large is concerned, it is the emperor in control. Once he is elected to his role, even if his decisions conflict with the Council, they would not risk disagreeing with him too vocally for fear of backlash. This is the system they created, and they must stand by it.¡±


    I sniffled. ¡°Who is the new emperor, then?¡±


    ¡°I believe you know him. The technological pioneer himself, Yesida Usten.¡±


    I buried my face in my hands. Not him. Gods, not him.


    ¡°I know that may sound like a terrible thing, but your history will give you an advantage. Regardless, he will be your emperor, and you will need to face him on a near daily basis, whether you choose to whisper in his ear or not. You may as well make yourself useful.¡±


    I glared between my fingers. ¡°You do know how it ended, don¡¯t you? Since you seem to know everything.¡±


    ¡°I may have had a listening device or two planted in his office.¡±


    Heat burned at my cheeks. My last conversation with Yesida hadn¡¯t been all he¡¯d heard. ¡°Oh, fuck you.¡±


    He grinned. ¡°That secret, at least, is safe with me, I promise you. So, what will you do?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll attend the announcement ceremony.¡±


    ¡°Then?¡±


    ¡°Then you¡¯ll see.¡±

 16. Genet

    The ride was a bumpy one from my seat at the back of a wagon full of crates and barrels. At least I had a large, fluffy black and white dog for company that was sprawled across my lap, snoozing away. It was a little warm for that, but I wasn¡¯t about to complain.


    Hell, I was free. At least as free as I¡¯d probably ever be. I had some time to relax with a dog in my lap, without the looming threat of death I¡¯d always lived with.


    What did the average person even do with their life?


    What would I do once I¡¯d repaid my debt?


    And the question that strangely gnawed at me, would I see Eujia again? I didn¡¯t know why I cared, but I wanted to show her she¡¯d saved more than just a heartless killer.


    Because I was more than that, wasn¡¯t I?


    ¡°Almost to Nisi,¡± the driver shouted over his shoulder.


    The dog woke up and jumped into my face, licking at my cheek, and I laughed. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll miss you, too,¡± I said.


    We passed by a few farms and ranches before the wagon pulled up to one and stopped. ¡°This is as far as I go,¡± the driver said.


    ¡°Good enough for me. Thanks.¡± I hopped down from the wagon and came around to shake his hand.


    ¡°Good travels to you, kid.¡±


    I gave the dog one more scratch behind the ears before I headed farther down the road to another ranch. Gradis would be long gone, but I hoped he¡¯d been in enough of a hurry that he¡¯d been sloppy and left something behind. He¡¯d obviously left his animals behind. They probably hadn¡¯t been fed in a day, and they were living in their own shit. Some, if not all, of them would die before any of the other ranchers noticed Gradis had abandoned them. Poor things. Maybe I could leave an anonymous note for another rancher tipping them off. But first things first.


    I glanced up and down the road as I stepped up to the little ranch house, but there was no one in sight. I picked the lock and slipped inside.


    I barely dodged the blade that swung at my neck.


    Nal swung again, but this time I had my sword ready to block him. I kicked him back and vanished.


    He stood perfectly still, listening, while I stepped as silently as possible around him. Once I¡¯d reached his side, I lunged, but he stepped back into a portal, reappearing behind me. He swiped his sword down, and I ducked and rolled sideways out of the way. I lifted my sword to block his next cut just in time.


    I didn¡¯t bother hiding anymore.


    ¡°Tell me where he is!¡± I roared.


    ¡°You know I can¡¯t do that!¡±


    I couldn¡¯t hold down the Rage and felt my eyes blacken. My muscles ached to tear into something or someone¡ªto move, destroy, kill. I¡¯d rip his fucking throat out.


    ¡°Don¡¯t start with me,¡± Nal growled as the whites of his eyes turned black, too, leaving only that narrow ring of golden iris.


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    We traded more blows, neither of us landing a hit other than a few shallow nicks. I needed to be faster. But I couldn¡¯t risk going into a full Rage, since I didn¡¯t know if I¡¯d ever come back down.


    I could get just a little closer, though. I only needed a little more.


    My fangs and nails elongated as I snarled, and the next time Nal blocked my sword, I swiped my claws across his ribs. He cried out and stumbled back. I dropped my sword and punched his jaw with my metal fist. His sword dropped, and he fell back into the wall, then my claws were at his throat.


    My hand shook, and I could barely hold myself back from shoving my claws through his neck.


    He blinked a daze away before glaring down at me. ¡°You¡¯re out of your mind.¡±


    ¡°Tell me where he is, you fucking traitor.¡±


    He scoffed. ¡°You¡¯ve always taken the worst of the dirty work so I wouldn¡¯t have to. Always taken your idea of the high road. So, you think you¡¯ve got it in you to kill me? Do it. Because you won¡¯t get shit out of me.¡±


    Just another couple inches, that was all it would take to end him. Just a little further.


    I couldn¡¯t do it.


    I jumped back with a hiss, and my Rage snuffed out.


    Nal rubbed at his throat, his Rage gone, too. He¡¯d never been good at holding his tears back, and he failed at it again.


    ¡°What do we do now?¡± I asked.


    He laughed. ¡°We? I do what we¡¯ve always done. You take your new freedom and fuck off.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t do that.¡±


    ¡°Then next time, you¡¯d better be ready to kill me.¡± He picked up his sword and stepped through a portal.


    And took my only leads with him. Even after searching the house high and low, even tearing into the walls and pulling up the floorboards, I didn¡¯t find shit.


    All Gradis had left behind were a handful of furniture, his tools, and a little collection of books on animal rearing. My Rage was bubbling back up, so I tore the bookshelf down, sending the books flying across the destroyed floor.


    Something metallic clinked and bounced, and I stopped to look around. Whatever it was, it must have gone into the floor. I stepped across the support boards, checking in each of the empty spaces and peeking under the planks I¡¯d torn up, until I found a small silver ring with a clear gem in its center.


    Except that wasn¡¯t just any gem. A tiny wisp of black smoke swirled inside. A stri crystal.


    I pulled Gasni¡¯s comm device out of my pocket and tucked it into my ear, pressing a button to call him.


    It didn¡¯t take him long to answer. ¡°I just realized I don¡¯t know your name.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Genet.¡±


    ¡°Genet. Anything to report?¡±


    ¡°I found a ring.¡±


    A pause. ¡°You found a ring.¡±


    ¡°Look, that¡¯s all I got. It has a stri crystal in it.¡±


    ¡°Put it on.¡±


    I had a bad feeling about that, but I slid it onto my little finger.


    The ranch house blurred and disappeared, then a new scene snapped into place, and I was walking through the castle with a woman¡¯s arm in mine. I turned to face her. Eujia. She¡¯d grown her hair out a little, and she was smiling. Legitimately smiling, and she was stunning. I walked her to what must have been her room, where four guards stood at attention. She said something with a tilted head and laughed at whatever my answer was. Then she closed the door after her, and I continued down the hallway, only to run back in a hurry. I followed the guards into Eujia¡¯s room and found her lying dead on the floor, her eyes staring emptily at the ceiling while blood stained the carpet under her.


    I gasped as the ranch house snapped back in place and ripped the ring off my finger. ¡°What the hell?¡±


    ¡°What did you see?¡± Gasni asked.


    ¡°How do you know I saw something?¡±


    ¡°Answer the question.¡±


    ¡°I, or somebody, was in the castle walking Eujia back to her room. I left her there but came back when she must have screamed. Someone killed her.¡±


    ¡°Shit. I think you found Griana¡¯s ring.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°The prophet Scion.¡±


    I eyed the thing in my hand and felt an urge to chuck it to the bottom of a lake. ¡°Are you saying someone is going to murder Eujia?¡±


    ¡°Someone might try, obviously someone who knows little about her, otherwise they wouldn¡¯t bother. Griana¡¯s prophecies were no guarantee, though, not by time or place, and sometimes they didn¡¯t come to pass at all.¡±


    ¡°People sure seem to put a lot of stock in them.¡±


    ¡°The Prophecy with a capital P is a different beast. But that ring should contain at least most of her lesser visions. She stopped sharing them for good reason. I want you to sift through them, but their contents stay between you and me.¡±


    This felt all wrong, but I didn¡¯t have anything else to go off. ¡°I guess I¡¯m staying in Nisi, then.¡±

 17. Eujia

    I stood in the front row at the announcement ceremony beside one of the imperial candidates who hadn¡¯t been selected. It was no secret among the candidates who had been chosen as the next emperor, so it wouldn¡¯t be a surprise to any of them. I wondered why they were all expected to attend anyway, but I supposed being present at the historic event was meant to be an honor of its own.


    I¡¯d felt a sense of clueless wonder as a little girl at Lenan¡¯s ceremony, but this time all I felt was dread.


    Did Yesida hate me? Would he make my life a living hell? Did I stand any chance of influencing his decisions? He¡¯d certainly done an excellent job of ignoring my presence so far as he stood near the other side of the sanctuary, staring straight ahead during the priest¡¯s speech.


    He wouldn¡¯t be able to ignore me once the speech was over. The priest gestured for me to step forward, and I took my place beside him to lead a hymn.


    Yesida had never heard me sing. I tried to swallow my self-consciousness and clasped my hands in front of me. This was a service like any other. Thousands and thousands of people knew my voice. What was one more? I looked out above the crowd at the far wall and allowed my eyes to lose focus. Just go through the motions.


    I took a deep breath and began the song, my voice ringing out clear and serene over the crowd, and each phrase was echoed by the attendees. Many watched me in awe, a few even weeping. But I kept my eyes locked on the wall.


    Only once the hymn ended did I risk a glance at Yesida. He was even more handsome than usual in a fine black and gold suit, but he stared through me with glazed eyes. I hurried back to my place in the front row.


    The time finally came for the priest to announce the next emperor, and he called Yesida forward. A murmur spread through the crowd. Never before had a man not of noble blood been chosen as emperor. It was likely another ploy by the Council, to show the empire that anyone, even the poorest little boy, could climb their way to greatness. In other words, if you weren¡¯t lucky or insanely talented enough to make it, your poverty was no one¡¯s fault but your own.


    I forced myself not to clench my jaw. Did Yesida buy into that belief? We¡¯d never gotten into discussions on politics. He paid his factory workers well, but beyond that I knew nothing of where he stood.


    Yesida kneeled at the priest¡¯s feet to receive the crown, then turned to face us as the priest announced him as emperor.


    He finally met my eyes, but his were guarded and gave nothing away.


    ***


    I stood with my guards along the wall of the ballroom as the ceremony¡¯s attendees mingled throughout the room to calm, lilting music, not the kind to dance to. Yesida sat in the raised throne at the far end, receiving greetings and well wishes from the guests. I should have been among them, but I hadn¡¯t worked up the courage to face him.


    The music shifted to a livelier beat, and I watched as the partygoers shuffled around to clear the floor for those who wished to dance.


    ¡°May I?¡±


    I nearly jumped out of my skin at the sound of Gasni¡¯s voice. He¡¯d snuck up beside me, and he raised an eyebrow as he offered his arm.


    ¡°I suppose,¡± I said as I looped my arm with his. My guards stayed along the wall, but the other dancers still gave us more than enough room.


    Gasni held me at a respectful distance at first, but slowly inched closer until he could speak and only I would hear. ¡°I noticed you have yet to greet the emperor.¡±


    ¡°I doubt he wants to hear from me at a time like this.¡±


    ¡°Really? Because from my point of view, he looks downright envious.¡±


    I glanced Yesida¡¯s way as we turned, and sure enough, his eyes followed me even as he spoke with one of his guests.


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    ¡°Invite him to dance,¡± Gasni said, then he released me and disappeared among the crowd before the song had even finished.


    I wove through the dancers back to the wall. If I invited Yesida to dance, he wouldn¡¯t be able to say no, or he¡¯d likely start some unwanted rumors. I didn¡¯t want to force his hand. I looked back to the throne, but it was vacant. I scanned the room for him. He danced with another woman, who eyed him lustfully, not bothering to hide it.


    A wave of envy crashed through me, catching me off guard. I had no right to feel that way. I hadn¡¯t loved him. I¡¯d enjoyed his company, in some ways more than others, but my feelings for him ended at a mild fondness. So why, when he caught me watching him, did I look away so quickly? It had to be nothing more than lust.


    The song ended, followed immediately by the next, and dancers swapped partners or stepped away. A man approached me, and I looked up into Yesida¡¯s dark eyes. His expression was still guarded, but he offered his hand. ¡°May I have this dance, Chosen?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t say no to him, either, or the rumors would spread about me. Resisting a frown, I took his hand, and he guided me out to the center of the room. He didn¡¯t bother starting with a respectful distance, instead holding me close from the start. I stared at the collar of his jacket rather than look him in the eyes.


    ¡°You look lovely, Eujia,¡± he said.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Are you well?¡±


    To lie or not? ¡°As can be.¡±


    ¡°I heard your family left.¡±


    I winced. ¡°They did.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    I didn¡¯t want to stay on that subject, or I¡¯d begin sobbing in the middle of the celebration. ¡°I didn¡¯t think you were interested in becoming emperor. I thought you were happy with your work.¡±


    ¡°I was.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    We danced in painful silence for half of a song.


    ¡°My sister will keep things running,¡± he finally said. ¡°And I¡¯ll check in now and then. The business will be fine without me.¡±


    Yet as I glanced up, his eyes gazed through me again. The factory was his creation, the achievement that made him a household name and gave him so many opportunities. To abandon it and hand control over to someone else, even his sister, must have been excruciating.


    ¡°How is Nesia?¡± I asked.


    ¡°A bit overwhelmed with everything, but she¡¯ll get used to it. I¡¯m certain she¡¯ll do a better job of running the business side than I ever did.¡±


    I didn¡¯t doubt that. The woman had a knack for numbers, and Yesida had funded her education, too. Not that he¡¯d been terrible with numbers himself, but he¡¯d made a few mistakes that Nesia and I had teamed up to scold him for.


    I missed her. I hadn¡¯t allowed myself to think about her, but it struck me like a brick that I¡¯d lost her at the same moment I¡¯d lost Yesida. I missed them both. And I missed my family.


    ¡°Walk with me,¡± he said and pulled me away from the dance floor as the room blurred. Gods, I was crying at a party, after all.


    ¡°Chosen, are you all right?¡± someone asked.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear?¡± another whispered. ¡°Her family left.¡±


    Several figures took formation around us as Yesida led me out of the ballroom and down the hallway. I didn¡¯t know where he was taking me, but I walked arm in arm with him up flights of stairs and through a set of doors. He gave a command for the guards to stay behind, and a breeze teased my hair.


    I rubbed at my eyes to clear my vision. We stood on the highest balcony overlooking the city. The sun was setting, deepening the reds and blues of the clay walls and patterned tapestries along the lantern-lit main roads. The factory quarter in the distance simply glowed with crystal-powered lights. The poorer areas, though, grew dark as if the shadows were drawn to them.


    ¡°I always wondered what this view was like,¡± Yesida said.


    ¡°What do you think of it?¡±


    He thought for a moment. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. It feels strange, like I don¡¯t belong here. Does that ever change?¡±


    ¡°It hasn¡¯t for me.¡± I hoped I would never feel like I belonged in this place.


    He studied my face. ¡°Why hasn¡¯t it?¡±


    Where to even start? ¡°It¡¯s complicated.¡±


    ¡°Things are often simpler than we let on.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s better to keep it to myself.¡±


    ¡°Eujia.¡± He tucked a few blustering strands of hair behind my ear. ¡°Tell me.¡±


    If he wanted to know that badly, fine. Why not be honest again? A brazen courage overtook me, and I let the words tumble out. ¡°I hate it here. I hate the Councilors. I hate the castle. I hate everyone bowing to me, worshipping me. I hated Lenan, every time he looked at me or touched me, every fucking thing he stood for. I hate being locked in here. I hate that they took my family from me. I hate this godsdamned view that everyone pretends is so beautiful. Look at it!¡± I thrust my arm toward the slums. ¡°Truly look at it! Do you see where we came from? Do you see what they ignore? It¡¯s two-thirds of the entire fucking city. How can they look out there and pretend not to see it? How can they¡ª¡±


    Yesida pulled me to face him, worry in his eyes. ¡°Eujia, calm. Calm.¡± He smoothed back more strands of my hair that had blown loose. My breathing was out of control, and my chest ached. I¡¯d gone too far.


    I slapped my hands over my face. ¡°I said too much. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    He pried my hands away, taking them in his. ¡°Don¡¯t apologize. I see it. I do.¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t tell anyone. Please.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± He kissed my forehead, and I stood numbly as I allowed him to pull me in close to his chest. He stroked my hair, and I focused on his steady heartbeat to calm myself.


    I was beginning to like this, being honest. Even if it might be the death of me.

 18. Genet

    I laid in my inn bed, sliding Griana¡¯s ring onto my finger, watching a vision, then sliding it off again. Most of the visions were either about boring, everyday things or too short or confusing to get anything meaningful out of them. But right as I¡¯d start getting sleepy again, some violent, gory thing would flash into my head and wake me back up. And if the surprises weren¡¯t violent, they were definitely an invasion of privacy.


    Some kind of fancy office with blue carpet came into view, with Eujia sprawled naked across the desk as a man with dark skin fucked her. Gods damn it to hell. I still hadn¡¯t found a way to stop these things. All I could do was wait them out. And when this one ended, I was full-on hard.


    I went straight into the next vision, hoping to knock those images out of my head.


    This time, a teenaged girl with dark brown hair and gray eyes, like Eujia¡¯s, shivered in a barred cell. Her clothes were stained and torn, but her eyes glared out through the cell door. Someone¡¯s legs stepped into view, and the door swung open. The girl snarled until the figure threw something onto the stone floor at her feet. A head with long, tangled dark hair. Then the girl screamed silently, scrambling away toward the corner, and the cell door locked back up.


    I ripped the ring off my finger as soon as I came back. That had to be Eujia¡¯s little sister. And the head, her mother?


    I desperately wanted a break, but I needed to see more.


    After a few more pointless visions, I watched Gradis¡¯s giant, bulky frame tower over Nal as they argued, wishing I could hear the words. Gradis lost his patience and punched Nal in the gut before shoving him face down into a table, screaming something in his ear. He released Nal, then threw a backpack at him and pointed to the door.


    Show me where you are, Nal.


    The vision followed him out as he wiped angry tears away, and I wanted to kill Gradis all the more. He passed fenced-in yards¡ªanother ranch. That narrowed things down at least a little. I followed him down a dirt road into a town that had seen better days. Nal kept walking all the way to the only home in good shape, a huge stone manor surrounded by a spiked fence.


    He slowed down and pulled a map from his bag, pretending to study it. Eventually, a woman came out to offer the guards on duty some water, and I knew Nal would have marked her for a portal. She was his way in. He waited until she¡¯d gone back inside, then put his map away and went around to the alley behind the building.


    Then he took a portal inside.


    He snapped the woman¡¯s neck before she could scream and let her drop to the floor. Whatever he was doing, he¡¯d be quick. Another servant spotted him and ran, but he chased after the girl and shoved a knife into her back. He hurried to the dining room, where he took out three guards as a noble couple and their little girl watched in horror.


    Without jumping out a window, which the family wouldn¡¯t have time for, there was only one way out of the room, and Nal blocked it. He stood and waited, until the father grabbed a steak knife and charged at him. Nal beheaded the man with one quick cut. The mother ran for the girl, but Nal threw a dagger that lodged cleanly into her heart.


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    The little girl just stared at him as he moved closer. No. There was no way he could do it. He kneeled in front of her with a knife in his shaking hand. He pointed it at her throat, and she still didn¡¯t scream. Don¡¯t do it.


    He winced through tears and fought with himself, but he finally lowered the knife, pushing the girl toward the door and shouting something at her.


    She bolted.


    Nal sobbed, staring at his hands. Gradis would kill him.


    But then he flipped the knife in his hand and drove it into his own chest.


    I shot upright in a cold sweat when the inn¡¯s room came back into view. I fished through the coin purse on the end table and stuffed the comm in my ear.


    ¡°Answer, damn it.¡±


    Gasni took his sweet time, but he did answer. ¡°Genet.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to describe a town, and I need you to tell me where it is.¡±


    ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a complete dump with some ranches around it. There¡¯s one manor in the center of town with a spiked fence. A couple with a little girl live there.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like Warenti. It¡¯s about two days east of Nisi by wagon, if you can manage to hitch another ride.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have time for that!¡±


    ¡°Do you know how to fly a Sparrow?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Then look in that coin purse again.¡±


    I dumped the contents onto the nightstand, and a small black coin bounced onto the floor. I picked it up and looked closer. ¡°It¡¯s glass. What is it?¡±


    ¡°I convinced Yesida Usten to install a master override into all of his Sparrows. Another thing that stays between you and me. That glass coin will give you access to any Sparrow, anywhere, but it¡¯s a one-time use and needs to be registered to a chip. Do you have one?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± I pulled up my left sleeve and pressed the coin to my left wrist. A tiny light flashed inside the coin. ¡°I think it just registered. Where do I find a Sparrow?¡±


    ¡°Nisi¡¯s mayor is a collector of Sparrow prototypes. Go steal one.¡±


    Prototypes. Sounded safe. ¡°On it.¡±


    ¡°Best of luck.¡± He hung up.


    I stuffed the coins and comm back into the pouch, grabbed my things, and headed out into the dark.


    The mayor¡¯s house wasn¡¯t too hard to find in a town like this. If it could even be called a house. It wasn¡¯t even a manor, but more like a fucking castle, lit up like a beacon with crystal-powered spotlights. A huge extension stuck out on one side with a flat roof¡ªthe Sparrow hangar. Men stood guard at both the front and back entrances, while a few marched around the perimeter. I¡¯d have to wait for an opening and crack a window. Easy enough.


    I hid myself with my power and hurried to a window right after a guard passed around the corner. I jammed my knife between the top and bottom panes, flipping the latch. I slipped inside and had it closed again before the next guard came around.


    I hurried down the hallway to the other side of the building and passed through a pair of glass doors into the hangar, where a handful of black Sparrows in different shapes and sizes sat in two neat rows, lit with even more spotlights. A few were blockier than the rest, obviously older models, while others were sleek and smooth. Every single one was polished to a mirror shine.


    The one on the closest end at the right looked like the newest model, smaller and flatter than the average Sparrow. I peeked into the glass canopy. It only had five seats, one in front for the pilot, with two pairs in the back for passengers. It looked like it would be lightweight and fast.


    This one.


    I raised my wrist to the lock panel, hoping Gasni hadn¡¯t exaggerated about his little toy. But the canopy hissed open, tilting up like an open jaw, and small footholds folded out of the aircraft¡¯s side. I climbed in, taking a minute to look over the controls. A few switches were rearranged from what I was used to, and the yoke was less bulky, but I¡¯d get used to it in no time. Now, where was the hangar door release¡­


    I found a skinny drawer in the control panel with a remote control inside. I pressed the main button, and a huge hatch in the ceiling opened wide. I closed the canopy, fired up the crystal engine, and carefully pulled back on the yoke to raise the Sparrow over the others.


    A man charged into the hangar shouting curses I couldn¡¯t hear. Too late. I rose out into the night sky, then grinned as the Sparrow shot even faster than I¡¯d expected toward Warenti.

 19. Eujia

    I woke in the middle of the night with Yesida¡¯s arm draped over my bare waist. A servant stood in the doorway gaping at us, then she made a squeaking sound and ducked back out. I hoped she wasn¡¯t going to turn around and tell the Council, since her job was only to make sure I was in my room, but I guessed it didn¡¯t matter much. It didn¡¯t matter if she gossiped to her friends, either. So what if people knew I¡¯d slept with the emperor? Maybe they wouldn¡¯t beg for my blessing as often.


    That was an interesting idea. What would the Council do if I ruined my reputation? My family already left me. They couldn¡¯t do a thing to Yesida. Whatever the greater punishments were that they¡¯d spoken of, I had no one left that they could threaten me with.


    It was tempting to shame the Council, but then I¡¯d also ruin any chances of influencing Yesida. I couldn¡¯t give that up.


    ¡°Do you always have servants spying on you?¡± Yesida mumbled.


    I turned to face him. ¡°These days, yes. They¡¯re to make sure I¡¯ve stopped sneaking out at night.¡±


    ¡°Troublemaker,¡± he whispered as he kissed my cheek.


    ¡°Speak for yourself, emperor who bailed on his own party.¡±


    He smiled against my skin. ¡°You¡¯re much more worth the time.¡±


    My guilt deepened with each kiss he placed on my neck. I was only leading him on again. Using him. But his thumb brushed across my breast, and I stopped thinking. His kisses continued down my body, and I parted my legs for him. I lost myself in his touches, forgetting all my troubles.


    At least I wasn¡¯t alone.


    ***


    Something solid and cold pressed against my side the next time I woke. Bleary-eyed and confused, I blinked several times until the mosaic floor of the Council chambers came into focus. I was laying naked in the center of the blue moon while the Council guards stood at attention around me.


    I shot up into a kneeling position and covered my breasts with both arms. My head throbbed, but that was the least of my concerns. How the hell had I gotten here? What did they want with me now?


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    Someone grabbed my hair and yanked my head back before they crouched at my side.


    Jesun?


    She sneered at me and tugged on my hair again, bringing tears to my eyes. ¡°You just don¡¯t know when to quit, do you? Seducing the new emperor on his first day. Shows how much you cared about Emperor Lenan.¡± She leaned in closer. ¡°Don¡¯t bother trying to get away. I¡¯m not letting go. You¡¯ll get what¡¯s coming to you, slut.¡±


    One of the doors in the back of the room opened, and something hissed and snarled as it clawed at the walls. The creature may have been in the shape of a gray-skinned Givel man, but its eyes were solid black, and long fangs jutted out behind the wire muzzle clasped to its face. It would have had claws, too, except they¡¯d cut off its fingertips.


    It had been stripped of any scraps of clothing it might have worn, and as soon as it saw me, it hardened, screeching as it struggled against the chains its captors held.


    This was a nightmare. It had to be. They couldn¡¯t do this. Who in their right mind would do this?


    The Grand Councilor jerked his head at the guards. ¡°Hold her down.¡±


    Two of the armored men grabbed my arms and pushed me down, and Jesun shoved my face into the tile.


    ¡°Stop!¡± I shouted. ¡°You can¡¯t¡ª You can¡¯t do this. I¡¯ll tell everyone.¡±


    Jesun scoffed. ¡°That the Council set a feral on you? Like anyone would believe that.¡±


    ¡°Jes, please!¡±


    The feral was dragged behind me as it fought and reached for me. Then the chains slackened, and it charged at me.


    I screamed, but the chains stopped it just before it could touch me.


    Jesun laughed.


    ¡°If you overstep again,¡± the Grand Councilor said, ¡°you know now what you will face. The damage from last night is already done, but you will correct it to the best of your ability by marrying Emperor Yesida. Is that clear?¡±


    The feral grunted and chattered behind me, only inches away.


    ¡°Am I clear, Chosen?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°Get that thing out of here.¡±


    The chains clinked, and the feral was ripped away. It shrieked in protest, still trying to reach me even as it was hauled out the way it entered.


    ¡°Take her back to her quarters.¡±


    The guards lifted me to my feet and let go, then after a few flashes, I was back in my room.


    Jesun shoved me into the bed¡¯s footboard, bruising my hip. ¡°Consider yourself lucky. I thought they should have let the feral have you.¡±


    I glared at her through teary eyes. ¡°How could you?¡±


    ¡°Because you ruined everything! You got Lenan killed. You made us leave. And who knows what happened to Mother and Ranine. They won¡¯t tell me!¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we didn¡¯t get very far. I should have known the Council wouldn¡¯t just let us leave. We¡¯re too useful as leverage.¡±


    I sank into the mattress.


    ¡°Oh, go ahead and feel sorry for yourself,¡± Jesun said. ¡°But if anything happens to Mother and Ranine, I don¡¯t give a shit what they do to me. I will throw you to the feral myself, and it won¡¯t have that muzzle in the way.¡±


    She vanished.


    My chest ached, and I could barely breathe. I was truly trapped. I couldn¡¯t let them hurt Ranine. I¡¯d do anything to prevent that. If they wanted me to marry Yesida, I wouldn¡¯t object.


    But I¡¯d find out what the Spymaster knew first.

 20. Genet

    I parked the Sparrow right outside the ranch I¡¯d seen in the vision, not giving a shit about spooking the animals. Gradis stepped out with a sword in hand but ran back inside when I jumped out.


    I kicked the door open with my own sword drawn. Gradis stood in the middle of his little house, sneering.


    ¡°Nal told me you survived,¡± he said. ¡°Didn¡¯t think you were dumb enough to come after me.¡±


    ¡°You mean you didn¡¯t think I was smart enough to find you. Where is Nal?¡±


    He laughed. ¡°Off killing for me. What did you think?¡±


    I slashed my sword across his before he could react. He lost his grip, and the blade shot into the wall. ¡°Where?¡± I growled.


    He started backing away toward the kitchen. ¡°Just in town. I sent him after the mayor and his family.¡±


    Fuck!


    ¡°You don¡¯t look too happy about that. What¡¯s more important to you, boy? I know you¡¯d love to torture me to death. But what about Nal? What do you think he¡¯ll do when he has to kill a little kid? Think he¡¯ll go through with it?¡± He laughed again. ¡°We both know he doesn¡¯t have the guts.¡±


    ¡°You sent him to die!¡± I cut along his thigh, and he grunted as he kneeled to the floor.


    ¡°I did. So, are you going to question me, or what? You want to find out who¡¯s handing out my orders, don¡¯t you? Well, you¡¯d better make a choice. You can torture me and let Nal off himself, or you can kill me now and try to save him.¡±


    He wanted the easy way out. Coward. But I needed to reach Nal.


    I shoved down my Rage and ran my sword through Gradis¡¯s neck before bolting back out to the Sparrow. I reached the edge of town in less than a minute. People glared at me for parking so close, but I didn¡¯t care.


    I raced down the main road to the manor. A woman screamed from inside, alerting the guards, who threw the gate open to hurry inside. I shoved past them, barreling through the hallways the same way I¡¯d seen Nal go in the vision. I jumped over a few fallen guards at the dining room¡¯s doors.


    Nal was kneeling on the floor, and he flipped his knife in his hand.


    ¡°Don¡¯t!¡± I shouted.


    He startled and froze. ¡°Get out of here.¡±


    ¡°Gradis is dead.¡± He lowered the knife, and I ran to his side, shaking him by the shoulders. ¡°Your curse is gone. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    He stared at me for a second, then sheathed his knife and created a portal, pulling me through it before the guards caught up.


    We stepped into the middle of Gradis¡¯s house, and Nal stared at the body crumpled against the kitchen cabinets.


    ¡°You just killed him?¡± Nal asked. ¡°Did you get anything out of him?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t have time.¡± I wondered if Gasni would turn his back on me.


    Nal took a shaky breath. ¡°How did you find us?¡±


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    ¡°It¡¯s a long story, but I¡¯m working for the Spymaster now.¡±


    He walked over to a kitchen drawer, lifted out a false bottom, and pulled out an envelope. ¡°Then here. This is what you came for, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    I eyed the envelope, but my Rage bubbled up before I could stop it. I punched him in the face, and he fell back into the counter. ¡°I came here for you, dumbass!¡± I roared. ¡°If I just came here for information, you think you¡¯d still be here? Huh? You think I would have left Gradis in one piece? What the fuck do you think my priorities are?¡±


    He grimaced and started crying again. ¡°Why? I tried to kill you, twice!¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯d better have a fucking good excuse.¡±


    He laughed. ¡°You want my excuse? Fine.¡± He shoved me back, and I stumbled through a portal, slamming into a wall in a different house. He stepped through after me, and the portal disappeared. ¡°Here¡¯s my excuse.¡±


    ¡°Nal?¡± A young Givel woman with pale gray skin, black hair, and gold eyes stood by a corner, staring at me. She rubbed a hand over her slightly bulging stomach. Pregnant. ¡°Who¡¯s your¡­ guest?¡±


    ¡°This is Genet.¡±


    She beamed and rushed toward me, taking both my hands and shaking them. ¡°Oh, finally I get to meet you! But¡­¡± She frowned, turning back to Nal. ¡°You told me I never could.¡±


    Nal turned his head, pulling his ponytail to the side to show bare, unmarked skin. ¡°Things changed.¡±


    She whimpered and slapped her hands over her mouth, looking like she might faint. He reached for her, but she slapped his hands away. ¡°Clean up!¡± she ordered. ¡°Go! Go, go, go!¡±


    He chuckled and turned around the corner.


    The woman faced me again. ¡°I¡¯ll find you a change of clothes, too. Wait here.¡±


    I waited for several minutes in the woman¡¯s living room, looking over the couch covered in sloppily placed pillows, the bookshelves, the toys scattered all over the floor. She had a kid.


    But what did Nal have to do with¡ª Oh.


    His excuse. He had a family.


    I looked around the room again. This was his home. He had a fucking home.


    The woman came back with a stack of black clothes. ¡°I hemmed the pants up a little. Let me know if they¡¯re still too long. Nal won¡¯t miss them.¡±


    I took them numbly and couldn¡¯t get any words out.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, right. He probably couldn¡¯t tell you about us. I¡¯m Sana, Nal¡¯s wife.¡±


    Wife. Holy shit.


    ¡°There¡¯s a restroom right back there if you want to change.¡± She pointed to a narrow door behind me.


    I nodded and hurried through the door. I dropped the clothes onto the counter, bracing myself against it as I slowed my breathing. Nal¡¯s wife. Nal¡¯s kid. I couldn¡¯t believe it.


    I looked in the mirror. Blood splattered my face and clothes, so I threw everything off, shoved my clothes into a trash basket, cleaned up, and put on the clothes Sana gave me. They were a little loose, but she¡¯d hemmed the pants to almost the perfect length. She had a good eye.


    Nal was waiting in the living room when I stepped back out. We stared at each other for a solid minute.


    ¡°Well,¡± I said. ¡°This is a hell of an excuse.¡±


    He looked like he might cry again. ¡°I wanted to tell you.¡±


    ¡°But you couldn¡¯t. I know.¡±


    He pulled the envelope from a pocket. ¡°You should still have this. It¡¯s a time and place. Gradis never told me what for, but it seemed important.¡±


    I took it this time and looked inside. The main chapel in Kes Ulra at midnight, in two days. I tucked it into my own pocket. ¡°Thanks.¡±


    ¡°Keep going, Tisa,¡± Sana¡¯s voice said down the hallway.


    ¡°I¡¯m sleepy,¡± said a little voice. Nal¡¯s face twisted as he looked toward the corner.


    ¡°I know, but this will be worth it, I promise.¡±


    Sana came back, holding the hand of a little desen girl, maybe four or five years old. Her eyes shot straight to Nal and went wide. ¡°Daddy!¡± she screamed.


    He kneeled just as she ran at him, and he picked her up, rocking her side to side.


    She leaned back and slapped her little hands over his cheeks. ¡°Why are you crying?¡±


    He laughed. ¡°I¡¯m just happy.¡± He nodded in my direction. ¡°We have a visitor. That¡¯s your uncle Genet.¡±


    My breathing stopped, and my legs couldn¡¯t hold me up. I slumped to the floor and pressed my hands over my face. What was wrong with me?


    ¡°Why is he crying?¡± Tisa asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you in a minute. Sana?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go wait in your room, Tisa,¡± Sana said.


    ¡°But I want to talk to Uncle Genet.¡±


    ¡°We can always talk later, okay?¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Tisa mumbled. Footsteps faded around the corner.


    Nal sat on the floor beside me, and neither of us said a word until I managed to catch my breath.


    ¡°You have a family,¡± I said.


    He gave me a light shove. ¡°So do you.¡±


    ¡°Stop.¡±


    ¡°I mean it. Anything you need, just say the word. Sana would be raising our daughters completely alone if not for you. Does that make killing Gradis worth it?¡±


    I sighed and wiped my face clear. ¡°Yeah. Yeah, it does.¡±

 21. Eujia

    I cast my mind toward Gasni¡¯s office. No one was inside. Perfect. Maybe he¡¯d gone to breakfast. Maybe he was out interrogating someone. Whatever the reason, I just hoped he¡¯d stay away for a while.


    I blinked inside and went straight for his desk. Maybe I¡¯d find a note or something, anything, that might give me a clue about what happened to my family. I dug through the drawers, checking for hidden compartments, and skimmed through the papers on his desk. Nothing relevant. A tablet rested on the desktop, but of course it was locked by both password and fingerprint.


    I turned to the steel footlocker tucked under the window and flicked the mechanism, popping open the lid. The contents made me wince¡ªweapons, syringes, and an assortment of small knives and tools¡ªbut no documents, and nothing else caught my eye.


    I glanced at the shelves, but who was I kidding, he wouldn¡¯t have anything too damning out in the open. He¡¯d have to know I could easily come looking. The information I was looking for was likely on that tablet, and he¡¯d left the thing out to taunt me. I was wasting my time.


    I tried to blink back into my bedroom, but I didn¡¯t move.


    Curses. I fished my knife out of one of the desk drawers and drew it from its sheath.


    The knob turned, and Gasni stepped inside with an eyebrow raised and smoke swallowing his right hand. ¡°You should know I have sensors arranged around the room. I assumed it was you sneaking about.¡± He eyed my knife. ¡°Do you intend to do something with that?¡±


    ¡°I might.¡±


    He stepped around his desk, unbothered. ¡°And what have I done to earn your wrath?¡±


    So calm and arrogant. I laughed. ¡°As if you don¡¯t know what the Councilors did to me.¡±


    He froze. ¡°Pardon me?¡±


    ¡°Having Jesun take me from my room? Threatening to sic a feral on me?¡±


    He scowled. ¡°I assure you I knew nothing of that. The Council likes to keep secrets even from me.¡± He dropped into his chair. ¡°They have Jesun under their control. Hmm.¡±


    ¡°She said they took Mother and Ranine.¡±


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    ¡°I received the news this morning that your family had been ambushed on the road, but my spies lost track of them.¡±


    ¡°So you have no idea where they are?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid not.¡±


    ¡°Then find out!¡±


    ¡°If only it was that simple.¡±


    ¡°They have my family! They¡¯re forcing me to marry Yesida! What am I supposed to do?¡±


    He sighed and leaned back. ¡°You keep your head down and do as they say. Marry the emperor. You moved too quickly, pressed too far, too fast. You can¡¯t expect any change to happen overnight. You still have a chance to influence Yesida, but you must take it slow. His decisions must be his own ideas. If the Councilors have even the slightest suspicion that you¡¯ve planted those ideas¡­¡±


    I shuddered. ¡°I can¡¯t risk it. I can¡¯t. Please, just find my mother and sister. Please help me.¡±


    ¡°I will do what I can, but I must be discreet, or the Council¡¯s suspicion will fall on me. I make no promises.¡±


    Sniffling, I sheathed the knife and threw it at him. The smoke around his arm vanished, and I blinked back to my quarters. I sat on the bed, and a note on the nightstand caught my attention.


    ¡°I would be thrilled if you would join me for breakfast when you wake. -Yesida.¡±


    I crumpled it up and slapped it back down onto the nightstand. I had no appetite, not to mention no desire to step out of my room at all. Then there was the issue of my forced engagement to him, assuming he hadn¡¯t refused. I wasn¡¯t sure if he could refuse. Would he even want to? Until recently, he¡¯d been planning to propose, after all.


    Someone knocked at the door. ¡°May we enter, my lady?¡± one of my guards asked.


    I looked at the clock. Gods, it was already time for the search. I groaned. ¡°Yes.¡± Two guards stepped inside. ¡°Where is the servant?¡± I asked.


    ¡°She is ill today,¡± the imperial guard said. ¡°The Councilors asked me to perform the search in her stead. May I?¡±


    My blood chilled as he stepped closer. He reached for my arm, and I jerked back. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me.¡±


    He took a step back. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to startle you, my lady. But I am under orders from the Council.¡±


    ¡°Then tell them you found nothing. I have nothing on me.¡±


    He exchanged a look with the other guard, who¡¯d been busy digging through my wardrobe and drawers. He jerked his head toward me, and the other man approached me, too.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid we can¡¯t disregard our orders. Please don¡¯t make us restrain you.¡±


    ¡°Restrain me?¡± The feral¡¯s shrieks echoed in my ears. ¡°Just find another servant.¡±


    ¡°Our duties cannot be transferred to another, my lady,¡± the imperial guard said, growing impatient. ¡°Please, stand.¡±


    He reached for me again, but all I could see was a faceless armored man holding me down onto blue tile. I shoved him back and blinked across the room, slamming into my wardrobe.


    He sighed sharply. ¡°My lady, we will have to report your lack of cooperation to the Council if¡ª¡±


    ¡°No!¡± I turned back to face him. ¡°No, please.¡±


    He held his arms out to either side. ¡°Then let me search you. It will only be a moment.¡±


    I had to do this. I had to let him touch me. For Ranine¡¯s sake. I nodded, but as both men stepped closer, my vision spun, my chest ached, and I began to hyperventilate. Gloved hands gripped my arms, and everything vanished into blackness.

 22. Eujia

    Several hours later, Yesida held me as I sobbed, not from any pain¡ªthe doctor had seen to that¡ªbut from the knowledge that my guards still would have had to search me even after I¡¯d collapsed. My whole body tensed at the thought of the violation, of some man¡¯s hand groping along my breasts and thighs as I laid dead on the carpet. Yesida still hadn¡¯t pried an explanation from me, and I was grateful for that. But I¡¯d have to tell him something, and soon.


    ¡°Are you feeling any better?¡± he asked.


    ¡°A little.¡±


    He pulled back to look me in the eye. ¡°Eujia, please tell me what happened. My imagination is going wild trying to think of why a pair of guards would cause you to die so suddenly. What did they do?¡±


    ¡°They followed orders,¡± I admitted. ¡°The Council doesn¡¯t just check for me at night. They search my room every day. Search me. It¡¯s supposed to be done by a servant woman, but she was sick today.¡±


    ¡°So your guards did it instead?¡± He gave me a confused scowl. ¡°I will speak with the Council. But I still don¡¯t understand why¡ª¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about it.¡±


    ¡°Did someone hurt you? I¡¯m emperor now, I can¡ª¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I snapped. ¡°You can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°The Council, then. They did something.¡±


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    My tears started all over again. ¡°Please, just drop it.¡±


    ¡°They strongly suggested that I marry you, Eujia. Did they threaten you?¡±


    He just wasn¡¯t going to let it go. ¡°They have my family,¡± I whispered.


    He swore. ¡°I will not force you to marry me over blackmail.¡±


    ¡°No, please!¡± I gripped his hand. ¡°I¡ª Don¡¯t speak with the Council. Please, pretend I didn¡¯t say anything. I have to do as they say.¡± Gods, I¡¯d stooped to begging him to marry me.


    ¡°It¡¯s that bad? Gods damn it, I wasn¡¯t thinking last night. But we¡¯ll fix this. We¡¯ll find your family, and I¡­ I¡¯ll marry you.¡±


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have to. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. We¡¯ll just start over with a clean slate.¡± He kissed my forehead. ¡°I¡¯ll bring you some dinner.¡±


    About ten minutes later, he returned with a tray of food and a glass of water, but I asked to be alone. Once he¡¯d gone, I stared at the food for a few seconds. I couldn¡¯t stand the thought of eating right now, and the scent alone made me want to gag. I tossed it into the restroom trash basket, a waste that pained me, and shut the door to lock the smell inside. I downed the water in seconds, though.


    No one came to visit me for the rest of the evening, and that was just as well. I spotted myself in the wardrobe mirror at one point. My hair was a tangled mess, and I had dark bags under my dull, reddened eyes. Death had never been kind to me, but this was something else. This time, I looked like I hadn¡¯t fully made it back.


    Maybe I hadn¡¯t. Maybe a part of me had truly died.


    My tablet dinged, making me jump. Who could possibly be messaging me?


    I opened the message¡ªfrom Nesia of all people¡ªand an image filled the screen. An ornately decorated engagement announcement issued by the Council. Had they even waited for Yesida¡¯s confirmation before they sent that out?


    A note beneath the image read, ¡°You¡¯d better treat him right.¡±


    I didn¡¯t bother to respond.


    Instead, I changed into a nightgown, crawled back into bed, and imagined setting that feral loose to rip out all the Councilors¡¯ throats.

 23. Genet

    I wielded a padded toy sword and pointed it at Tisa, who gripped her own with white knuckles. ¡°On your guard,¡± I said.


    She made a little scowl, then attacked. I blocked a couple blows, then let her hit my shin. I dropped to one knee, and she smacked her sword on my shoulder with a battle cry.


    ¡°Ahhh, you got me¡­¡± I collapsed onto my back.


    She roared and pounced on me, knocking the air out of my lungs and sending a shooting pain through my lower back.


    ¡°Tisa!¡± Sana scolded from her seat at the dining table. ¡°Don¡¯t play so rough.¡±


    ¡°You okay there, Genet?¡± Nal asked.


    Wincing, I carefully pried Tisa off me as she kept roaring like a little monster, whacking her sword on my arm. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Sana asked. ¡°Because you¡¯re bleeding on my rug. Come on.¡±


    ¡°Tisa, that¡¯s enough,¡± Nal snapped.


    She shot him a glare and slumped onto the floor, crossing her arms.


    I followed Sana through a door and down a staircase into the cleanest room I¡¯d ever seen. Spotless counters lined the walls with cabinets hanging above them. A couple medical beds sat at either end of the room with perfectly smooth white sheets.


    ¡°You¡¯re a doctor,¡± I said.


    ¡°I am. Sit over there.¡± She pointed to one of the beds. ¡°Nal often comes home with some injury or other, so I set up this room.¡±


    ¡°I wondered where he was getting stitched up.¡±


    ¡°I hope this room won¡¯t see as much use from now on.¡±


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    I guessed that depended what Nal wanted to do. He¡¯d been talking with Sana all day while I kept Tisa entertained.


    ¡°Lift your shirt, if you would.¡± She studied my back for a few seconds. ¡°I¡¯ll need to take out those stitches, they¡¯re a terrible job. No wonder it reopened.¡±


    I held back a groan as her miniature scissors and tweezers tugged at the gash, then as she sewed it back up.


    ¡°There, that should hold. But no more roughhousing with Tisa. Doctor¡¯s orders.¡±


    A piercing scream came from upstairs, and I flinched. Tisa was screeching gibberish, sounding like she was being murdered.


    ¡°Calm down!¡± Nal shouted. ¡°It¡¯s fine!¡± But the screaming didn¡¯t stop, and something repeatedly thudded on the floor above us like a hammer.


    Sana sighed as she cleaned up her supplies. ¡°It¡¯s just one of her tantrums. Maybe stay down here for a little while.¡±


    ¡°I hate you!¡± Thud, thud. ¡°I¡¯ll kill you!¡±


    She called that a tantrum? I was starting to worry Tisa really would kill Nal.


    Sana plucked a little vial from a cabinet before hurrying upstairs. ¡°Tisa! Tisa, here! It¡¯s your medicine.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want it! Go away!¡±


    ¡°You get a piece of candy if you take it, remember?¡±


    Tisa screamed bloody murder again, and it sounded like there was a struggle. ¡°No, no! I don¡¯t want it!¡±


    She wailed for another few seconds, but finally quieted down. The floorboards creaked over my head while Sana came back downstairs, her hair more frazzled than before.


    ¡°Sorry about that,¡± she said, placing the vial back in the cabinet. ¡°Sometimes she gets a little too excited with playtime. I should have noticed before it got out of hand.¡±


    So excited that her parents had to drug her? I didn¡¯t know what to say.


    Sana smoothed her hair back and gave me a smile. ¡°Come back upstairs. I¡¯ll make dinner.¡±


    I followed her back up, and she locked the basement door after us. Nal came down from the upper floor, retying his hair. Blood trickled from a deep scratch on his cheek.


    ¡°How is she?¡± Sana asked.


    Nal dropped into a chair at the table, dabbing a napkin against the scratch. ¡°She¡¯s asleep.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, but, how often does this happen?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Lately, every week or so,¡± Sana said in an exhausted voice.


    I looked to Nal with wide eyes, but he was rubbing his forehead and didn¡¯t notice.


    I hadn¡¯t seen Tisa¡¯s tantrum with my own eyes, but I could guess what it looked like. It probably involved the whites of her eyes turning black, at least. Just how deep into the Rage had she gone? Were these episodes coming closer together, or farther apart? At Tisa¡¯s age, Nal and I had our Rage under control, locked down tight until we called on it to fend off the other boys.


    Tisa did not have it under control. And Nal had to know it.

 24. Eujia

    The Council certainly didn¡¯t waste time scheduling the wedding, as I found out from a servant first thing in the morning when she arrived with a dressmaker in tow. It would be the night after next at midnight, right in the middle of the quarterly festival. The location¡ªthe largest public chapel in the city¡ªsurprised me, but I guessed they were making an exception to my imprisonment to make a spectacle of me.


    The dressmaker¡¯s face was taut as she took my measurements. She¡¯d have only a day and a half to make a wedding dress worthy of the imperial bride and a few hours to make any adjustments. I didn¡¯t envy her that. All I had to do was show up.


    After the dressmaker left, more servants arrived to fuss over my hair, arguing over how best to style it for the wedding. I sat in a daze as they tugged and pinned the strands only to undo their work again and again. Finally, they settled on braiding my hair along the scalp, tucking the braid¡¯s end underneath at the nape of my neck. It was a simple style, but there was only so much they could do with the shorter length. As soon as they left, I pulled the braid out and let it fall loose to my shoulders again.


    Then Yesida and I were called on to rehearse the ceremony in the castle¡¯s sanctuary, then to select the dishes to be served at the celebration, then to decide where and how our wedding portraits were to be taken. I allowed Yesida to take the lead on all of it, because I couldn¡¯t care less.


    I just wanted to get this over with. Maybe the Council would release Mother and Ranine if I continued to cooperate, but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to fake enthusiasm.


    Yesida needed to attend a meeting, so we parted ways, and I returned to my room with nowhere else to go. I sat at my desk, opened my sketchbook, and readied a pen, but paused. All of my drawings so far had been still lifes, portraits, random objects or landscapes, but the thoughts that filled my head now were of blades and fangs and blood. If I drew what was on my mind, someone was bound to snoop and report it to the Council. If only it were winter and my fireplace was lit, then I could have burned the evidence.


    I flipped through the pages until I found the secret portraits I¡¯d made of my mother and sisters. They¡¯d known about the formal portrait I¡¯d painted at one point, but they might have lost their tempers if they¡¯d known about these. Mother¡¯s fakest smiles. Jesun¡¯s glares. Ranine¡¯s pouting, exaggerated quizzical looks, or the pure delight on her face the time the cooks had surprised her with a gigantic chocolate cake on her last birthday.


    What had the Council done with her? I slammed the sketchbook shut before my tears could drip onto the pages. I wanted to slap myself. Crying wouldn¡¯t help anything.


    But maybe Gasni had learned something. He was alone up in his office, so I blinked to join him.


    He didn¡¯t even look up from the tablet he studied. ¡°What can I do for you, Chosen?¡±


    ¡°Do you have any news on Mother and Ranine?¡±


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    ¡°Even if I did, I wouldn¡¯t inform you until after I could take action.¡±


    I snatched the tablet to get his attention. ¡°Are you even trying?¡±


    He gestured to the tablet. ¡°There are more pressing matters at hand.¡±


    I glared at him but looked over the page on screen. A photo of Yesida¡ªone that he didn¡¯t look aware of¡ªstood out. ¡°Why do you have a profile on Yesida?¡±


    ¡°Read it.¡±


    The profile covered what I already knew: that he¡¯d been born into a poor family like I had, but somehow a wealthy merchant recognized his genius and funded schooling for him and Nesia. He founded Usten Industries at age seventeen with his sponsor¡¯s backing, and though the man passed away a year later, Yesida had made so much of a profit off his inventions that he was able to expand the company and fund his and Nesia¡¯s attendance at university. And so on.


    A table at the bottom of the page caught my attention, though. A record of a few large donations he¡¯d made. They weren¡¯t to any charities I¡¯d ever heard of, and they all went to the same organization. The Order of the Eight. I hadn¡¯t thought Yesida was religious.


    ¡°What were these donations for?¡± I asked.


    ¡°A good question, because the Order of the Eight has no record of these transactions.¡±


    ¡°How is that possible?¡±


    ¡°We only discovered these donations from his personal records. They are not in the Order¡¯s records because they never received them. I don¡¯t believe the money was ever intended for the church.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± I admitted.


    ¡°Those listings were mislabeled on purpose. We managed to trace the shipment of gold to a warehouse in Mikell. From there, it was distributed to several cities and towns¡ªto the chapels.¡±


    ¡°You just said it was never intended for the church.¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t. Every single coin went directly into the pockets of the priests of Valil.¡±


    The god of beauty and decay. This wasn¡¯t making any sense.


    ¡°Those priests are members of the Knights of Valil, Lady Eujia. They are not yet widely known, but they are a cult of zealots who believe Valil has descended into the world in mortal form. And they are dangerous. They¡¯ve been abducting and sacrificing atheists and cursed for years.¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°Yesida would never fund something like that. He rarely even attends services. He¡¯s no zealot.¡±


    ¡°No, he isn¡¯t. He¡¯s funding them because he doesn¡¯t have a choice. Read the next page.¡±


    I swiped at the screen and found a photo of a handwritten letter. It listed out several activities, including times and locations, from simply shopping for groceries to attending specific classes at university. At the bottom it read, ¡°We are watching your sister. You will follow the below instructions, or you will receive her head.¡± Then it described exactly what Yesida had been doing with his donations. But the letter made no indication of who had made the demands.


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t even know who he¡¯s funding,¡± I said.


    ¡°It¡¯s possible.¡±


    ¡°But Nesia is responsible for the company¡¯s finances now. If she doesn¡¯t know about this¡ª¡±


    ¡°Oh, she knows. You think she wouldn¡¯t have spotted these odd transactions the moment she took over? She¡¯s continuing the payments.¡±


    I set the tablet on his desk. ¡°Why are you even telling me this?¡±


    ¡°Because this cult is very interested in you. I doubt they¡¯re thrilled that an atheist was made emperor, and they¡¯ll be even less thrilled that you¡¯re marrying him. Combined with Nesia taking over the payments to protect herself, they don¡¯t need Yesida anymore.¡±


    ¡°Oh gods.¡±


    ¡°The cult would never harm you, Chosen, I am certain of that. I am informing you so that you can keep an eye on the emperor. I have agents among his guards who are aware of the situation, but if anything were to happen in your presence, you will be his best defense.¡±


    And our wedding would be in public.


    ¡°I won¡¯t let anything happen to him,¡± I swore.

 25. Genet

    ¡°You¡¯re just reporting this now?¡± Gasni asked through my comm as I laid in the guest room bed. Nal had a guest room. So strange.


    ¡°I was busy,¡± I said. ¡°Do you know what¡¯s going to happen tomorrow night?¡±


    ¡°Only Eujia¡¯s wedding to the emperor, in the middle of a gods damned festival.¡±


    ¡°Does your Council give a single fuck about security?¡±


    ¡°They are unaware of the threats.¡±


    ¡°Threats plural?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I need you to attend the wedding.¡±


    ¡°You want me to go back into that city.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll blend in just fine. There will be large crowds, and the guards are highly unlikely to recognize you.¡±


    ¡°Any ideas what I should look out for?¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, no. Also, make sure to dress appropriately for the wedding. I wouldn¡¯t want you to draw attention to yourself.¡±


    A stuffy suit, he meant. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll head out soon.¡±


    ¡°Report in once you arrive.¡± He hung up.


    I gathered my things and headed downstairs, where Sana was making lunch.


    ¡°There you are, sleepyhead,¡± she said. ¡°Have a seat. I¡¯m almost done. And I think Tisa has something to say to you.¡±


    Tisa sulked in one of the chairs, so I sat beside her. ¡°What did you want to say?¡± I asked.


    She stared at the table. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I jumped on you. I didn¡¯t mean to hurt you.¡±


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    ¡°Hey.¡± I poked her shoulder until she looked at me out of the corner of her eye. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m not mad.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not?¡±


    ¡°Nope.¡±


    She sniffled. ¡°Okay.¡±


    Sana removed a large pot from the stove and set it on a folded towel in the center of the table. Whatever kind of soup she¡¯d made, it smelled amazing. ¡°Nal!¡± she shouted. ¡°Lunch!¡±


    Sana set out bowls and spoons, but Nal didn¡¯t come down the stairs.


    ¡°Can I wake him up?¡± Tisa asked.


    ¡°Go get him,¡± Sana said.


    Tisa grinned and sprinted for the stairs. ¡°Daddyyyyy!¡±


    A minute later, Nal came down holding Tisa in his arms. She giggled as she combed her fingers through his messy hair, and he winced when she found a tangle. He set her down and yawned before he sat across from me. ¡°Sorry,¡± he said.


    Sana sat beside him, dropping a large ladle into the pot. ¡°Help yourselves!¡±


    Tisa reached for it, but Sana snapped her fingers at her, and she dropped back into her seat with a huff. I laughed and filled her bowl for her. ¡°Thanks!¡±


    ¡°I need to be going after this,¡± I said.


    ¡°Already?¡± Tisa said with a full mouth.


    ¡°I have to get back to work. I¡¯ll come back and visit, though.¡±


    She smiled and dug in again.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get you our address and take you back to your Sparrow,¡± Nal said.


    So, he was staying. Good.


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome back anytime, Genet,¡± Sana said.


    Fuck, I was not going to cry again. ¡°Thanks.¡±


    After lunch, Nal grumbled as Sana hemmed up the pants of his only suit and checked the fit of the matching jacket. It was black, but with a subtle leafy pattern that shined under the lights. I didn¡¯t want to know how expensive this had been. It was a little long on me, but it would have to do. I packed the suit into a backpack Nal dug up, traded hugs with Sana and Tisa, then took a portal back to Gradis¡¯s ranch house.


    The rotting stench almost made me gag. No one had found Gradis yet. Only flies.


    Nal covered his mouth and nose. ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here.¡±


    We hurried outside, and my Sparrow was still parked right outside the front door.


    ¡°Damn,¡± Nal said, circling it. ¡°Where¡¯d you get this, anyway?¡±


    ¡°Stole it from some rich asshole¡¯s private collection.¡±


    He snorted. ¡°Why doesn¡¯t that surprise me?¡± He came back around, and he was crying.


    ¡°Whoa, what now?¡±


    ¡°Shut up. You know what.¡± He rubbed a sleeve across his face. ¡°Just be careful out there, okay?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll give it a try.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m serious, Genet. You¡¯re working for the fucking Spymaster. I just¡­ I have a bad feeling about it. Watch your back.¡±


    ¡°I will.¡±


    He pulled me in for a hug, nearly crushing the wind out of me. ¡°I meant what I said about you having a family. Don¡¯t forget that.¡± Then he let me go and disappeared through a portal.


    I climbed into the Sparrow and slumped in the pilot seat, getting some tears out of the way before I tried to fly.

 26. Eujia

    The dressmaker returned in the late morning with a glittering white gown that hugged my figure despite revealing very little skin. Then I had plenty of time to waste, time that I filled lying in bed, trying and failing to sleep through the dread crawling up my spine. I bathed in the middle of the afternoon, in time to let my hair dry before the servants came to do my hair and makeup. Then a carriage took Yesida and I into the city as the sun set, before the crowds became too thick.


    I clung to him as he squeezed my hand. ¡°We¡¯ll get through this together, Eujia.¡±


    I wanted to tell him this wasn¡¯t safe, that he needed to call off the wedding or at least relocate it to the castle sanctuary. But I couldn¡¯t oppose the Council, couldn¡¯t risk Mother and Ranine¡¯s safety. I was trading Yesida¡¯s safety for my family¡¯s, and the guilt struck me like a blow to the chest.


    But the Spymaster was aware of the dangers. Surely he had precautions in place.


    So, I only squeezed his hand in return and said nothing.


    Though it was far from traditional, we dined with the priests in a small room behind the chapel¡¯s sanctuary. My eyes kept drifting to the young priest of Valil, marked by the golden rose pinned to his fitted jacket, which emphasized his toned muscles. He was stunning, the picture of vanity, like most priests of Valil. I imagined he had a knack for seduction, taking worshippers to bed in the name of his favored god. And one day, when he¡¯d begin to show signs of age and his charms no longer worked, he would likely end his life and offer his body to the worms. Such was the disturbing tradition for those that preferred the god of beauty and decay. But was he one of these Knights of Valil? Was Yesida in danger even here?


    Yesida cleared his throat, and my attention snapped to him. ¡°Are you all right, Lady Eujia?¡±


    I forced a smile. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sorry. I was lost in thought. Did you ask me something?¡±


    ¡°The fireworks should begin in a few minutes. Would you like to see them?¡±


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    Anything to get away from these priests. ¡°I would.¡±


    Our combined guards walked with us to the sanctuary¡¯s upper balcony, where we looked out over the crowd through a tall window. They danced in the dark street to music I could barely hear or climbed onto the rooftops to get a better view. Then with a loud bang, a sparkling trail shot into the sky and exploded in a burst of color, followed by a barrage that spanned the length of the blocked off main road.


    Yesida¡¯s hand found my hip, and he pulled me close to his side.


    ¡°I¡¯m guessing those are yours,¡± I said.


    ¡°They are.¡±


    How many crystals were needed to fire all of those mechanisms? How many were destroyed with each explosion? How much gold had it all cost? I should have just enjoyed the beauty of it, but all I could think was how wasteful it was.


    Even after the display ended, we stayed to watch the celebration below until the earliest of the guests arrived.


    ¡°We¡¯d best get ready,¡± Yesida said.


    ***


    My hands trembled, and I clasped them in front of me, but it didn¡¯t help. I waited before the sanctuary¡¯s side door while my attendants fussed over my hair and gown, making sure every little detail was perfect. Then the door opened, giving me a clear view of Yesida in his gold-trimmed suit and robe. His eyes widened, and his mouth opened slightly, making my cheeks burn. Seeing his reaction, the guests at the very front leaned forward to get a glimpse of me through the doorway, and they whispered to each other.


    Ignore them. I could get through this. I only needed to step through that door and up those few steps, then do as the priest said. It would be easy. Then it would be over with, and the Council would have had their way. I could do this for my family.


    I forced myself to move, and I stopped before Yesida, who couldn¡¯t tear his eyes away from me until the priest loudly cleared his throat. I went through the steps in a daze, placing my hands in Yesida¡¯s and repeating the phrases the priest told me to say. Just like we rehearsed. The priest asked if there were any objections, and¡ª


    ¡°I object,¡± a man¡¯s voice said.


    I flinched and crashed back to reality, my eyes darting across the room for whoever had said that. A Givel man with steel-gray skin and long, loose black hair stepped out of the crowd near the side of the room, approaching the platform until the guards stood in his way. His scarlet eyes were focused on me, as if the rest of the world didn¡¯t exist.


    Yesida gave me a questioning look, but I shook my head. Who the hell was he? I gripped Yesida¡¯s hands tighter, just in case we needed to blink away.


    ¡°I object,¡± he repeated.


    The priest sighed sharply. ¡°For what reason do you object?¡±


    The stranger smiled in a way that made my skin crawl. ¡°Because she¡¯s mine.¡±

 27. Eujia

    ¡°You¡¯re mine,¡± a voice whispered in my head, and I couldn¡¯t look away from those blood red eyes. ¡°Isn¡¯t that right, my princess?¡±


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t know you,¡± Yesida snapped. ¡°You have no grounds to place an objection.¡±


    ¡°Your bride should be the one to decide that, don¡¯t you think?¡± The Givel man lifted a hand which was engulfed in black smoke. ¡°Release him and come to me.¡± His voice was silky and seductive, strangely familiar and enchanting. The world darkened, all except him, his eyes glowing all the brighter. I found myself moving, barely registering my name passing someone else¡¯s lips.


    A guard reached for the man, but with a flick of his other hand, each and every guard around us was thrown back, some of them crashing into the crowd. But it didn¡¯t matter. All that mattered was taking the hand he offered, to feel his skin against mine. I¡¯m yours.


    As our fingers touched, a jolt shot up my arm, fading to a pleasant tingling as it spread across my neck and back. The man gasped as his pupils dilated, and he pulled me to him, gripping my face with his free hand.


    ¡°Hands off.¡±


    What? What was I doing?


    The man chuckled and glanced over his shoulder, but he didn¡¯t budge. ¡°You¡¯re not meant to be here.¡±


    ¡°Too bad. Let her go.¡±


    That voice. I knew that voice. The desen assassin, Genet.


    I jerked back, but the stranger held tight to my hand while he gripped my other arm. ¡°Listen to me,¡± he crooned.


    ¡°Let me go!¡± I shrieked.


    A knife stabbed into his arm, and he dropped my hand. I slapped him with as much force as I could muster, and he released me. I stepped back but caught the hem of my gown beneath my feet and fell onto my rear.


    Yesida rushed to my side to help me stand, then pulled me away behind a wall of the guards who¡¯d recovered their senses. The crowd was slowly evacuating the chapel, while Gasni and several of his agents appeared seemingly from nowhere. The priest had vanished.


    ¡°Now look what you¡¯ve done,¡± the Givel man said. ¡°I won¡¯t easily forgive that.¡±


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    He flicked his hand again, and Genet was thrown back, ripping the knife through flesh. But the man didn¡¯t seem to mind, and the wound closed up within seconds. Genet rolled into a crouch and drew his sword, snarling.


    ¡°If I may,¡± Gasni said, stepping forward and drawing everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°This seems like an issue that can be resolved with a simple conversation. Perhaps we could take a moment to discuss this, instead of resorting to violence.¡±


    The Givel¡¯s eyebrows rose, and he burst out laughing. He bent forward, resting his hands on his knees until he recovered his composure. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re an amusing one.¡± He turned to face me. ¡°All right, then. Lady Eujia will decide. Either choose the two-faced emperor you don¡¯t even love, or¡­ come with me.¡± He spoke in those velvet tones again, extending that smoky hand, and my vision narrowed to him.


    ¡°She¡¯s not going anywhere with you,¡± Genet growled.


    I snapped back to my senses, finding myself on the wrong side of the wall of guards. I blinked back to Yesida¡¯s side.


    The man tilted his head back with a groan. ¡°I do wish you would stay out of this.¡± He glanced at Gasni. ¡°Violence it is.¡±


    He drew a sword of his own as the guards charged him. He moved so quickly that I couldn¡¯t trace his actions, but the guards fell in quick succession. Every single one. Then Genet pounced.


    The stranger laughed as he blocked several of Genet¡¯s cuts. ¡°This is more like it!¡± He pushed forward, making Genet stumble back, but he regained his footing in an instant. Their blades clashed again and again, until the stranger drew a knife and cut Genet¡¯s sword arm, distracting him for the fraction of a second the stranger needed to slice at his throat.


    I blinked Genet back several feet, and the sword only sliced through air.


    The stranger gave me a sour look. ¡°Really?¡±


    Genet charged again, but this time the stranger only blasted him back to the floor. Bone snapped, and he cried out, gripping his right arm that could no longer hold a sword.


    The stranger sheathed his sword and approached me and Yesida, who stepped in front of me. ¡°Fine. I accept your choice.¡± He patted Yesida on the cheek with a smile. ¡°Best of luck to you.¡± Then he turned, walked right past Gasni¡¯s agents, and left.


    But another whisper sounded in my head. ¡°No one else will have you.¡±


    ¡°I have agents trailing him,¡± Gasni said.


    Yesida nodded, but sweat beaded along his forehead. ¡°Good.¡±


    ¡°Are you feeling all right?¡± I asked. His skin was turning a sickly grayish color.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­¡± His breathing became labored, and he clutched his chest. ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡±


    Gasni snapped at an agent, who sprinted for the doors.


    ¡°You should sit and¡ª¡± I froze. Wrinkles were forming across Yesida¡¯s face, and his hair was turning gray¡ªrapidly, like he was aging decades per second. ¡°Oh my gods.¡±


    He collapsed, staring at me with frightened eyes. He looked like an old man, maybe four hundred years old. I kneeled beside him as I shouted at Gasni to hurry up and get a doctor, but when I looked again, the life had faded from his eyes and his skin had gone cold.


    Then his wrinkled skin began to rot away, and I yanked my hand back. His cheeks sank inward, revealing raw, blackened muscle. I scrambled back, and someone caught me as I tripped on my gown again. But I couldn¡¯t look away, not until Yesida¡¯s eyes liquified, leaving gaping black holes behind.


    I almost couldn¡¯t hear the panicked shouts around me over my own screaming.

 28. Genet

    Luckily, the castle¡¯s doctor didn¡¯t need to set the bone in my arm, so she only wrapped it in a plaster cast after the swelling had gone down. She said I¡¯d need it for a few weeks, but I knew from experience it would be more like a week and a half. But that was a week and a half that I was supposed to keep my hands off my blades. My fingers weren¡¯t restricted, so I could still grip my sword hilt, but I¡¯d have a limited range of motion. I¡¯d be useless and helpless.


    I draped my jacket over my good arm, found the stairs leading up to the third floor, and followed Gasni¡¯s directions. I tensed every time I passed someone, but not one of them knew my face. Logically, I knew that, but I couldn¡¯t help feeling like someone might pounce on me at any second. I never thought I¡¯d be walking down these hallways like I belonged here. Not after everything I¡¯d done.


    I passed a few offices with brass nameplates on the doors, one for each of the master generals. The Warmaster General, the Coinmaster, the Fieldmaster, and so on, ending with the Spymaster¡¯s office. I knocked at the door, but no one answered, so I leaned against the wall. My arm already itched under the cast, so I tapped on the hard shell, the best I could do. It didn¡¯t help much.


    The door finally opened and a woman in a black uniform stepped out. Shit. The woman who¡¯d interrogated me. I pressed back into the wall, but she just gave me a quick glare before walking away. I took a deep breath and tried to relax. I guessed we were coworkers now, after all.


    Gasni appeared at the door and held it open for me. ¡°Have a seat.¡±


    I sat in one of the chairs in front of his desk. It wasn¡¯t all that comfortable, but that was probably intentional.


    Gasni slumped into his own chair, which looked much more cushioned. He tapped on his armrest for several seconds, just watching me, and I couldn¡¯t tell if he was angry or something else. ¡°So, things have gone to shit.¡±


    And I still couldn¡¯t tell. I just waited without saying anything.


    ¡°The Council is scrambling to choose a new emperor, again. My agents who were trailing Yesida¡¯s killer have gone silent. And Eujia¡­ You¡¯ll see for yourself. I told the Council you¡¯ve been one of my agents for years and recommended you as Eujia¡¯s personal guard captain. You¡¯ll start immediately.¡±


    ¡°Her guard captain?¡± I lifted my casted arm. ¡°I won¡¯t be much good for a while.¡±


    ¡°You have a mind for stealth and matters of security, not to mention you were able to get through to Eujia when no one else could. You¡¯d be able to break her out of that¡­ spell, should the killer show his face again. For that reason, you¡¯ve been assigned the quarters directly across from hers. You¡¯ll find your new uniform there.¡±


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    A room in the castle. Fucking hell, what kinds of turns would my life take next?


    ¡°But before that, there are some things you should know.¡± He explained how the Council was holding Eujia¡¯s family, how they were keeping her prisoner in this place, how they¡¯d abused her. The more he talked, the harder it was to hold down my Rage. I¡¯d figured she was just a spoiled princess with a rebellious streak. I couldn¡¯t believe how wrong I¡¯d been. ¡°That¡¯s the short of it, anyway,¡± Gasni said.


    I was lost for words. Eujia was supposed to be their Chosen. How could they treat her, or anyone, like this?


    Gasni gave me directions to my room, and I hurried off to change into my uniform. It was a black suit, like the other agents¡¯, but came with a small royal blue capelet that hung off one shoulder. It fit my new job, since I was something between an agent, a castle guard, and an imperial guard. I had to leave the right sleeve of the jacket unbuttoned around my cast, which looked awkward, but otherwise I looked very official. Gods, that was weird.


    I crossed the hallway to introduce myself to Eujia¡¯s handful of new guards, doing my best to seem authoritative, but I wondered if they could see right through it. They gave me their names, which I almost immediately forgot, and told me when the shifts changed. They only had two shifts, day and night. I asked how long each of them had been guards, and it ranged from three years to only a few months. I¡¯d keep an eye on the newer ones.


    Then I knocked at Eujia¡¯s door. A servant answered, and she gave me a slight bow. So, so strange.


    ¡°She says she doesn¡¯t want visitors, Captain,¡± she whispered. ¡°But maybe you should come in, anyway.¡± She held the door open.


    ¡°Thank you. Could you step out for a little while?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± She closed the door after her.


    Eujia was still awake and sat at her desk in a nightgown, staring at a book in her hands. Her eyes were puffy and red, and she didn¡¯t bother looking up even when I slowly walked over. It wasn¡¯t a book, but a sketchbook, opened to a page full of drawings of Yesida from before he was emperor.


    ¡°You draw?¡± I asked. ¡°You¡¯re good.¡±


    ¡°Do you need something?¡± she asked softly.


    ¡°I just wanted to introduce myself properly this time. Gasni¡¯s made me your new guard captain.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°Right. If you ever need anything, my room is right across the hall.¡±


    ¡°Mm-hm.¡±


    I glanced at the sketches again, but the image of Yesida¡¯s rotten body with vacant eye sockets flashed in my head. Was that why she was staring at her drawings? To try to push that image out?


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I said. ¡°For everything. For killing Lenan, for failing to protect you and Yesida. I¡¯ll do anything I can to make it right.¡±


    ¡°Make it right? You can¡¯t make it right. No one can. Whether you¡¯d killed Lenan or I had, it doesn¡¯t matter. It would have ended the same. Now I¡¯ll be expected to marry the next emperor instead. I won¡¯t have a choice.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s always a choice.¡±


    She turned her dull, dead eyes to mine and pointed to a large wooden box at the foot of her bed. ¡°Look inside. Then get rid of it.¡±


    Curious, I lifted the lid and immediately gagged at the stench that reminded me of Gradis and Yesida¡¯s rotting corpses. Glass lined the inside of the box, and¡ª Oh, gods. I slammed the lid back down. Her mother¡¯s head.


    ¡°That will be Ranine next,¡± Eujia said. ¡°I can¡¯t allow that.¡±


    I gulped hard and took a few breaths. ¡°Does Gasni know?¡±


    ¡°Take it to him if you want. He can¡¯t do anything, either.¡±


    She was giving up. The fight I¡¯d seen in her eyes when I first met her was gone. But she had something wrong.


    There was something I could do. I left with the promise that I would send someone for the box and returned to my room for the night, but my ideas wouldn¡¯t let me sleep.

 29. Eujia

    The Councilors had already chosen the next emperor by late morning, and they scheduled his coronation ceremony for the afternoon, which would double as our wedding¡ªin the castle sanctuary this time. I was sure the rumors would be making the rounds. The Chosen seducing three emperors in a row, within a week? Except I knew nothing of this one. Not his face, not his name, nothing. I wondered if this one would take no for an answer tonight, and if so, how long his patience would last.


    Not that it mattered. I¡¯d do whatever it took to keep Ranine safe, so I steeled myself for the day ahead.


    Relieved that the box with Mother¡¯s head had disappeared overnight, I managed to get dressed and comb my hair. Stepping out into the hallway, Genet greeted me with a strangely cocky smile, even though he looked as though he hadn¡¯t slept. ¡°Good morning, Chosen,¡± he said with a bow. The other guards followed suit.


    I mumbled a reply and started walking. Genet fell in step beside me, easily keeping up with his long strides. His smile stuck.


    ¡°I hear this will be a busy day,¡± he said.


    I eyed him skeptically. That was why he was so chipper?


    ¡°Congratulations on your engagement.¡±


    I wanted to punch him. What was he playing at? ¡°Thank you.¡±


    We arrived at the dining room, and I only asked for whatever meal would be easiest for the cooks to prepare. I didn¡¯t care what it would be. Genet hovered just over my right shoulder, his hands folded behind his back, taking after Gasni.


    My tablet dinged while I waited, and I pulled it from my knitted bag. Another announcement from the Council? It said the wedding had been postponed, and the original announcement had been sent by mistake. Only the coronation ceremony would be held this afternoon.


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    I turned a scowl on Genet, and he just kept that arrogant smile. He¡¯d done something. I hoped the kitchen staff would be bringing me a steak knife so I could stab him. If he caused anything to happen to Ranine¡­


    I ate my lunch in a rush and returned to my room, then blinked up to Gasni¡¯s office. ¡°What did Genet do?¡±


    He looked up from his tablet, genuine surprise crossing his face. ¡°I¡¯m sorry?¡±


    ¡°The wedding was just called off. What did he do?¡±


    ¡°He did nothing. The new emperor, Henlas, only felt it was cruel to push you into a wedding while you were grieving. He politely asked the Council to postpone, and they agreed.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t buying it.


    ¡°I can see that you¡¯re skeptical, but I assure you that Henlas made this choice on his own, with no influence from us. The wedding was not cancelled, only delayed. This will not affect Ranine¡¯s safety.¡±


    ¡°You say that as if you know for certain.¡±


    ¡°The Council may be spiteful, but they are methodical in their decisions. You played no part in this change of events, and so they will not harm Ranine for it.¡±


    I glared at him for a moment. ¡°I want to borrow my knife.¡±


    ¡°Lady Eujia, you can¡¯t take it from this room¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll bring it right back.¡±


    We held a staring contest, but he surrendered and set my knife on the desk.


    I snatched it and returned to my room, poking my head out the door to ask Genet to come in.


    He was smiling again. ¡°What can I do for you?¡±


    I jumped at him, pushing the blade at his throat, and his eyebrows shot up. ¡°What did you do to postpone the wedding?¡±


    ¡°Why do you think I¡¯d do that?¡±


    ¡°Answer the question.¡±


    He chuckled and raised his hands to his sides. ¡°Okay, okay. I may have¡­ encouraged Henlas to see things a certain way. Nothing the Council will ever find out about, I promise.¡±


    I shoved him back. ¡°Stay out of my business!¡±


    His smile finally faded. ¡°I¡¯m your guard captain now. It¡¯s also my business.¡±


    ¡°Your job is only to keep me safe. Why do you care about anything else?¡±


    Something fierce flickered in his icy blue eyes. ¡°I owe you my life, and then some, even if I did force your hand. If you think I¡¯m going to stop at keeping you alive and trapped here like I¡¯m supposed to, you¡¯re going to learn fast just how wrong you are.¡±


    This was dangerous. He was taking on the Council. ¡°What are you going to do?¡±


    And that smile returned. ¡°I¡¯m going to find Ranine.¡±

 30. Eujia

    The coronation ceremony went about the same as the last one, except this time I numbly sang a mournful hymn that brought many to tears. Beforehand, I¡¯d spotted mourners in black crowding the streets, facing the castle. Yesida had barely been emperor, but losing him was like losing a part of our culture, a part of our modern history, to these people. He¡¯d been an icon to the poor, as well. For him to die so young, when he could have had hundreds of years to advance our society in ways we couldn¡¯t imagine¡­ It was no wonder the entire city mourned.


    With my song finished, I returned to the front row of spectators. Then the priest announced Henlas as the next emperor, and he stepped forward, scowling deeply. His muscles bulged through his jacket, and he towered over the priest. His scalp was shaved, leaving scars visible, and his giant hands were thick and veiny. Good gods. If we had married today, he could have easily forced himself on me. I looked to Genet where he stood at the side of the room, and the grim look on his face confirmed that Henlas would have been the type.


    I tried to slow my breathing before I got too dizzy. The wedding was only postponed. The Council would still hand me over to this man someday soon.


    But when Henlas glanced my way, his eyes widened, and he quickly looked back to the priest. What had Genet done to him? Being half Henlas¡¯s size and having a broken arm, how could he have possibly frightened this man so badly?


    After the coronation, we moved to the ballroom just like we had after Yesida¡¯s, but this time it was a somber affair. The musicians tried playing dance-worthy music, but very few guests took the bait, so they switched to playing calming pieces that faded into the background. The guests milled around muttering to each other, many of them glancing my way with curious looks as I stood near the wall.


    They could stare all they liked. I had no control over my own reputation anymore, and I was beginning to wonder if it was the Council that was intent on slandering my name.


    Genet stiffened beside me and took a subtle step forward. I followed his gaze to find Henlas approaching us, a nervous look on his face. He bowed slightly as he stopped a few feet away, but he didn¡¯t seem to notice Genet even as my guard captain gave him a chilling stare. So, Genet must not have directly threatened him. Was it blackmail? Or did he have someone else do the threatening for him?


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    ¡°May we talk, Chosen?¡± Henlas asked.


    I couldn¡¯t exactly say no. ¡°Of course.¡±


    He offered a bulky arm, and I took it, feeling minuscule at his side. I¡¯d thought I was fairly strong, at least after Yesida had started training me with knife and sword, but Henlas could probably snap my arm like a twig.


    Genet moved to follow, but Henlas shooed him off with a sharp gesture. He scowled as he stayed behind.


    ¡°I wanted to apologize for the confusion around our engagement,¡± Henlas said as he guided me into the hallway. ¡°It must seem like a cruel joke.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all right. I heard you asked the Council to postpone the wedding. Thank you for that.¡±


    ¡°It was the least I could do.¡±


    We walked in silence up the stairs and out onto a balcony. My nerves were rattled being so alone with him, but he wouldn¡¯t dare hurt me¡ªnot visibly like this.


    He watched me with outright fear in his eyes. ¡°May I ask you something strange?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°Do you believe in demons?¡±


    I certainly hadn¡¯t expected that. I was stumped for words for a moment. ¡°I¡¯m not certain, to be honest. Why do you ask?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t spoken of it to anyone. It might sound like madness, but I had a vision of a demon. The things it showed me were¡­¡± He gulped. ¡°I won¡¯t speak of them. I hoped you might offer me your blessing, to hold it at bay.¡±


    I was speechless again, but the fear in his eyes grew to panic.


    He kneeled at my feet. ¡°Please. I beg you.¡±


    I wracked my mind for a blessing that might assuage his fears. One of the lesser gods wouldn¡¯t do, as they ruled over very specific domains and held no power to fend off a demon. I¡¯d never been asked to recite a blessing in Isenna¡¯s name, but it seemed appropriate for the situation.


    I placed my hand on his prickly scalp. ¡°May Isenna guide you on a righteous path and shield you from evil. May you ever walk in her shadow.¡±


    My arm burned, and I couldn¡¯t move my hand. Smoke burst from my skin and transferred to Henlas, swallowing him whole for several seconds. It faded away, leaving him staring at me with wide eyes.


    My hand was free, and I yanked it back. ¡°Are you all right?¡±


    He grabbed both my hands, nearly crushing my knuckles. ¡°I felt her just now. Isenna. You truly are her Chosen.¡± Tears streamed down his face. ¡°Thank you. Thank you.¡±


    Black, intertwining lines crawled across his hands until they settled into a permanent marking.


    ¡°Look! Your blessing even marked me.¡± He launched to his feet, and I jumped back. ¡°I must spread the word.¡±


    ¡°Wait!¡± But he was already through the door and barreling down the hallway.


    He claimed the mark was a blessing, but to me, it looked far too much like a curse.

 31. Genet

    Eujia hadn¡¯t returned with Henlas, and he was so busy showing everyone his supposed blessing that I couldn¡¯t reach him to ask where she¡¯d gone. I led the guards back to her room and thankfully found her in the hallway leading to it.


    ¡°What happened?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Inside, please.¡± We left the guards in the hallway. ¡°He said he had a vision of a demon and asked for my blessing. I gave him one, and those markings appeared on his hands.¡±


    He was supposed to keep that to himself. ¡°Has this happened before?¡±


    ¡°No, never. He said he felt Isenna when the blessing sank in.¡±


    ¡°You blessed him in Isenna¡¯s name?¡±


    ¡°I know he doesn¡¯t deserve that, but he was begging, and I needed to get him off my back.¡±


    ¡°So you, what, shielded him from evil?¡±


    ¡°I guess so.¡±


    Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    I laughed. ¡°Just that now my threat is useless.¡±


    ¡°What threat? You haven¡¯t even told me what you did. Maybe if you had, I wouldn¡¯t have blessed him so fucking well. He obviously doesn¡¯t know your face, and he said the demon showed him terrible things. What did you do?¡±


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    ¡°One of the Spymaster¡¯s well-kept secrets.¡±


    ¡°That he gave up to you? Please, I¡¯m not an idiot.¡±


    ¡°What can I say? I¡¯ve made a good impression.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re full of it. Tell me.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, can¡¯t.¡± I headed for the door.


    She blinked into my way. ¡°You¡¯re not leaving until you tell me.¡±


    I grinned and dropped into her desk chair, crossing an ankle over my knee. ¡°Then I guess I¡¯m not leaving. What a scandal that¡¯ll raise.¡±


    She stomped over to glare down at me. ¡°I thought we were going to work together. You know all about me, but I know next to nothing about you. How am I supposed to trust you if you won¡¯t even answer a simple question?¡±


    A hint of my Rage was starting to simmer. ¡°Because it isn¡¯t a simple question.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    I rolled my eyes. ¡°Because it¡¯s complicated.¡±


    ¡°Do not start with me. Why won¡¯t you tell me the truth?¡±


    And my patience broke. I jumped up, and she hurried a few steps back. ¡°You want to know so badly?¡± I let my Rage boil to the surface, and I knew my eyes had turned based on the shock on her face. My fangs elongated slightly, but I kept my claws hidden. ¡°I spiked his drink with a hallucinogen and let him believe I was the demon. His visions were his own imagination.¡±


    She had gone pale, and she was breathing fast. Too fast.


    My Rage vanished, and I took a step closer. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Eujia, I¡¯m sorry. Sit down. Breathe.¡±


    She backed away and sat on her mattress but didn¡¯t take her eyes off me. ¡°You¡¯re feral.¡±


    ¡°Part feral,¡± I said.


    She looked like she might be sick, and for good reason. She didn¡¯t need to know the details.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I scared you. I can control it, I promise.¡±


    She sniffled. ¡°Now Henlas thinks he¡¯s protected from you. Gods damn it.¡±


    ¡°He already called off the wedding for now. He can¡¯t backtrack on that. And maybe now he¡¯ll worship the ground you walk on.¡±


    Her face went blank. ¡°Or he¡¯ll be even more determined to claim me.¡±


    My eyes blackened again, and she flinched. ¡°I will not let that happen.¡±


    Color returned to her cheeks. ¡°Then do whatever you need to do tonight.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll get started as soon as the guard changes.¡±

 32. Genet

    The dungeon guards let me pass, and I stopped in front of the cell where the not-so-old man slept. I rattled the bars to wake him up, and he almost fell onto the floor.


    ¡°Well, look at you,¡± he said. ¡°Nice uniform.¡±


    I gestured for him to come closer, then grabbed his shoulder and pulled him against the bars, pressing the hidden blade in my right hand against his throat. ¡°It¡¯s just for show,¡± I whispered. ¡°Act scared.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s easy.¡±


    ¡°You said you helped convince the Council to elect Lenan. Do you know where the Grand Councilor lives?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. What¡¯s in it for me? Other than not having my throat slit.¡±


    I smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll see if I can pull some strings.¡±


    ¡°One day you¡¯re breaking out, the next you got friends in high places, eh? Okay, then.¡± He didn¡¯t know the exact address of the Grand Councilor¡¯s manor, but he gave me detailed directions. ¡°Can¡¯t miss it.¡±


    I patted his shoulder. ¡°Thanks.¡±


    ¡°Best of luck, kid.¡±


    ***


    Wearing plain clothes, I walked down Kes Ulra¡¯s main streets until I found the right manor. My prison friend wasn¡¯t kidding, it was impossible to miss. It looked like a smaller version of the castle, all white stone and heavily guarded with a high wall around the property. Barbed wire covered the top of the wall, not that I could have climbed in my condition anyway. I ducked into a dark alley to study the entrance. This would have been so much easier with Nal¡¯s help.


    I paced around the alleys, trying to think of a way through that gate without raising an alarm, but I drew a blank. Until a little boy darted around a corner and nearly ran into me. He gasped and ran the other way.


    ¡°Hey, kid!¡± I hissed.


    He stopped and looked back, skeptical.


    ¡°If you make a distraction for me, I¡¯ll give you some change. Want to cause some trouble?¡±


    ¡°What kind of trouble?¡±


    ¡°Just stay right here, wait a minute, and scream as loud as you can. Make it dramatic, like you¡¯re dying or something. Can you do that?¡±


    He crossed his arms. ¡°How much?¡±


    I pulled three gold coins from my pouch, and his eyes nearly popped out of his head.


    ¡°Deal!¡±


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    I handed him the coins, told him to run when the guards got close, then hurried back to the alley entrance closest to the gate. The kid¡¯s blood-curdling scream carried down the street, and the half-asleep guards jumped. They exchanged a look, and one of them ran toward the sound. Only one.


    Damn it. I turned invisible, crept up on the guard, and rammed my knife¡¯s pommel into his scalp, knocking him out. I dragged him around the corner and set him down, then picked the lock on the gate, shutting it after me. The other guard came back, lifting his arms in a ¡°what the fuck¡± motion and taking up his post again.


    Idiot.


    I snuck around the side of the manor, picked the latch on a window, and climbed inside. Now I just needed to find the Grand Councilor. His study and bedroom would have to be on the second floor, so I started there.


    Every door looked the same, but shouting voices came from a room down the hallway.


    ¡°You never come to dinner!¡±


    ¡°I have work to do, woman!¡±


    ¡°You need to eat!¡±


    ¡°I will eat when I please! Leave me!¡±


    The old woman stormed out into the hallway, grumbling to herself, and I caught a glimpse of a bearded old man with excessively long hair sitting at a desk. I waited until his wife passed around the far corner, then knocked at the door.


    ¡°What is it now?¡± The door flew open, and I shoved the man back with my knife at his throat, kicking the door shut behind me.


    ¡°I have some questions for you, Grand Councilor,¡± I said, becoming visible again.


    ¡°Lenan¡¯s murderer.¡± He eyed my cast. ¡°And Eujia¡¯s new guard captain. You¡¯re playing a dangerous game, boy.¡±


    I backed him against the desk. ¡°Where is Ranine Levie?¡±


    ¡°Safe. Or she was, until you barged in here. What do you think the other Councilors will do once they find out you¡¯ve been snooping around?¡±


    I dug the blade into his skin, drawing blood. ¡°I¡¯d answer the question if I were you.¡±


    He laughed. ¡°Who do you think you¡¯re fooling? You¡¯re going to kill me no matter what I tell you. Burn in hell.¡±


    A tablet on his desk dinged. ¡°You unlock that with fingerprint?¡±


    The old man paled.


    ¡°Great.¡± I stabbed my knife through his neck, severing his spine, and I caught his weight to lower him quietly to the floor. I brought his tablet over, placing his thumb over the little scanner, and the screen lit up.


    I found arguments between Councilors, long legal documents, invitations, family photos¡­ But there was one icon I didn¡¯t recognize, so I pressed it. It was a live video feed of what looked like a prison, with multiple views displayed in a grid. A girl sat curled up in a corner of one cell. Ranine. But where was this?


    I closed it and skimmed through the messages again. A chain from today caught my eye, between three of the Councilors.


    ¡°We received another threat today. If we don¡¯t hand her over, we¡¯ll never keep an emperor.¡±


    ¡°Even after Henlas¡¯s blessing?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s bullshit, and you know it.¡±


    ¡°It looks like a curse to me.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. He¡¯s already corrupted her.¡±


    ¡°Tonight, then. Let him break into the castle and kill that cocky little shit of a guard captain.¡±


    ¡°What about the girl?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t need her anymore, right?¡±


    ¡°Should we be rid of her?¡±


    ¡°Grand Councilor, are you there?¡±


    This was from a few minutes ago. Shit.


    I typed up a message. ¡°I¡¯ll have someone handle it. Send me the coordinates again.¡±


    One of them replied in seconds. Those coordinates¡­ That was in Jakasi, Nal¡¯s hometown.


    But I couldn¡¯t save both Eujia and Ranine.


    I forwarded the coordinates message to Gasni, and he called me almost immediately. ¡°I just received coordinates from the Grand Councilor. What the hell are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Ranine is in the prison there. They¡¯re going to kill her tonight.¡±


    ¡°Why would they¡ª¡±


    ¡°Because they¡¯re giving Eujia to that Givel who killed Yesida. I need to get back to her.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of Ranine.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sending you an address. Take her there and tell them I sent you.¡±


    ¡°I will. I¡¯ll move Eujia to the inn off the main road. Meet us there, room four.¡±


    I hid myself and hurried out, throwing the gate open and not caring if the guard noticed.

 33. Eujia

    I tossed and turned in bed, pretending to sleep when a servant checked on me, but my mind was racing with thoughts of Ranine. I needed to trust that Genet could handle it, but I barely knew him. Was he as capable as Gasni seemed to believe? What if he was discovered?


    I needed to calm down. It was barely eleven. It would take time. Maybe she wasn¡¯t even in the capital. She could be anywhere.


    Someone knocked. At this hour?


    I found Gasni, of all people, at my door. ¡°May I?¡±


    I let him in, and he handed me my leather bag with my commoner¡¯s clothes, knife, and daggers inside. ¡°What is this?¡±


    ¡°Get dressed, quickly. I need to move you. Now.¡±


    He turned away, and I didn¡¯t bother asking questions. I threw on the clothes from my bag, tucking my blades into their places. I grabbed my tablet for good measure, dropping it into my bag. ¡°Where?¡±


    ¡°Into town. Don¡¯t bother shifting.¡±


    I grabbed his arm and blinked us through the walls and floor until we were past the castle¡¯s outer wall. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Yesida¡¯s killer is coming back for you. Come on.¡±


    ¡°But then Ranine¡ª¡±


    ¡°I have people on it.¡±


    ¡°Genet isn¡¯t going?¡±


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    ¡°He¡¯s needed with you.¡±


    Because I couldn¡¯t be trusted.


    He pulled me down side streets, avoiding the main road. He took me along the side of an inn.


    ¡°Take us up to that room.¡± He pointed to a window on the second floor. I blinked us into the darkness and fished for my tablet to provide some light, but Gasni shoved it back into my bag. ¡°No light.¡±


    ¡°No one is going to check into this room?¡±


    ¡°I have a permanent claim on this one.¡±


    ¡°What now?¡±


    ¡°We wait for Genet.¡±


    I felt for the edge of the bed and took a seat but flinched when an alarm sounded in the distance.


    Gasni sighed. ¡°Seems my days as Spymaster are over.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    ¡°As of now, I¡¯m officially a traitor. As are you and Genet. The Council will claim you ran off with that man and that we gave you up. In reality, it was the Council that surrendered.¡± He groaned. ¡°I need to advise my agents to scatter.¡±


    All those people would be dragged down with him? With me? Gods. I moved to the window and leaned to one side to get a view of the main road. Guards sprinted in the direction of the castle.


    ¡°Yes, she¡¯s safe for now,¡± Gasni said into his comm. ¡°Spread the word to the others but save those in Jakasi for last. Yes. To you, as well.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s in Jakasi?¡± I asked.


    He joined me at the window but drew the curtains closed. ¡°Your sister.¡±


    ¡°Where will they take her?¡±


    ¡°To a location Genet recommended. There wasn¡¯t time to ask for details.¡±


    Everything was out of my control. And if that Givel man found me¡­ I shuddered. I¡¯d grown used to being trapped, but I¡¯d rather die¡ªpermanently¡ªthan be a mindless slave to that man¡¯s whims. Why did he hold such sway over me in the first place?


    Someone knocked, and Gasni drew his sword before answering.


    Genet pushed past him. ¡°Eujia?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here.¡±


    ¡°My Sparrow is just outside town.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s get moving,¡± Gasni said.


    I grabbed their arms and blinked us back down to the alley. My head spun for a moment, and Genet steadied me. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    We took more side streets, Genet occasionally hiding us when guards ran by, then hurried to the grouping of Sparrows parked in the field outside town. Genet swiped his wrist over the scanner, then we climbed up into the seats.


    This Sparrow was unlike any Yesida had ever shown me, but there was no time to marvel at it. ¡°Where are we going?¡±


    ¡°To Jakasi.¡±