The Complete Madion War Trilogy

by S. Usher Evans

  Theo's eyes had grown large again, and her hand was sweaty in mine, so I moved quickly to show her that Mom wasn't someone to be afraid of. "Theo, this is my mom," I said, pushing her forward. "Mom, this is—"

  "The Raven girl." My father appeared through the other door, Rhys on his heels, looking neutered and miserable.

  Theo

  The king of Kylae bore down on me, swimming in a fur-lined cloak fastened by solid gold pieces at each shoulder. His gold crown (did he always wear a crown?) was perched on his balding head. Like Bayard, he seemed much older in person than in photographs, but every bit as imposing.

  He swept toward Galian and me, and I fought the urge to hide behind my amichai. I saw nothing of Galian in his father, but I didn't know why I expected to.

  "Does she not bow?" Grieg asked, his malicious eyes sweeping over my amichai as if he were dirt.

  "I believe only your subjects do that," he snarled back. "And as she's not, she doesn't have to."

  I found myself wondering if this was the first time Galian had seen his father since he'd left the castle and, based on their body language, I assumed it was. The tension crackled between them, and I was sure that one of them would throw the first punch.

  "Grieg. Galian. Let's sit down and have dinner." The queen's dulcet tones broke them from their stalemate, and they begrudgingly moved toward the table. I pretended to be invisible, repeating to myself that as soon as we got out of this dinner, we could be on our way to Jervan.

  As often as I considered what life might be like with Galian, never in my wildest dreams had I imagined eating a four-course meal on golden plates with the king, queen, and crown prince of Kylae. The absurdity of it all kept my attention away from the sparks flying between Grieg and Galian, who said nothing as they poked at their creamy soups.

  "Is the food all right, dear?"

  The queen of Kylae was asking me a question. I looked up at her, my tongue sticking to the roof of my mouth.

  "Speak, Raven," Grieg barked at me.

  My face heated, and Galian's clammy hand slipped through mine, giving me strength. "It's very good, thank you."

  "You haven't touched it," Grieg snapped.

  "I'm sure, Father, that after events of the day...she's probably lost her appetite," Galian answered for me.

  I nodded in agreement, but picked up the golden spoon that probably cost more than my entire year's salary and dipped it into the soup. I felt as exposed as the day I'd given my speech in the Jervan parliament, with as many eyes on me.

  I hadn't even realized I was shaking until the pad of Galian's thumb brushed against the underside of my palm and he winked at me. At least now I wasn't alone.

  "So the question is, what do we do with you?" Grieg said, breaking the silence at the table. "We've got a port city half underwater, and a group of soldiers who need an explanation for why two princes decided to go on a rogue mission. And now I hear that Bayard's gone and built himself a bomb."

  Despite my fear, I faced the king. "You aren't...going to retaliate, are you?"

  "Damn right I'm going to retaliate," he grumbled. "Can't have those creatures thinking they can get away with building a bomb."

  Creatures? My mouth fell open.

  "And with what money? Those bastards over in Jervan are going to hear it from me. First they invite the animals from Rave, as if it's a real country."

  Galian's grip tightened on my hand, but there was a buzzing in my ear.

  "These Ravens think they know war, they've got another thing coming. I've been content to let them flounder, but I've had enough. After all, it is my damned country—"

  "It is not your country," I said, my voice a deathly whisper.

  His Kylaen arrogance had awoken my Raven patriotism, long dormant since I'd witnessed all the faults of my country. But although my love was Kylaen, I, myself, was Raven, and I would be until the day I died.

  And no king, Kylaen or otherwise, was allowed to speak about my country that way.

  "Oh?" he asked, sitting back and examining me as if I were beneath him. "Got something to say on the subject?"

  I felt the warning glares of everyone in the room, but I'd been too silent for too long. "Rave never has been, and never will be yours."

  Before I knew what I was doing, I'd dropped Galian's hand and left the room through the nearest door. My boots—Raven-issued boots I'd been wearing since I'd left with Lanis the day before—echoed on the pristine tile floors.

  I stopped against a wall to try to collect myself, and to stop the shaking. I heard someone approaching and I didn't bother to look at him.

  "Go away, princeling."

  "I am neither a princeling, nor am I one to be ordered around."

  My blood ran cold. Queen of Kylae stood before me, beautiful in her gown and terrifying in her countenance. She'd followed me? I turned to look for guards or soldiers, or those who would arrest and execute me for impudence against the precious king. But the queen was alone.

  Why was that scarier?

  She approached me without hesitation, coming close enough that I could smell her expensive perfume. I was rooted to the spot, terrified by what horror my words had wrought.

  To my surprise, she simply looped my arm through hers and gently guided me through the maze-like corridors of the castle.

  We walked in silence, the only sound was the quiet clack-clack of her shoes on the floors, and the bowing and murmured hello of passing servants. It was apparent that they loved their queen, and she them, as she nodded her head in a pleasant greeting to every one who offered her the same. I might as well have been invisible for all the attention she paid to me.

  I wasn't sure how long or far we walked before my curiosity got the better of me.

  "What are we doing?" I asked, my own voice sounding foreign.

  "My darling, we are taking a walk," she replied. There was no malice or anger in her voice, simply observation. She reminded me very strongly of Galian with her gentle nature.

  "Oh," I said simply. "Why—"

  "There are things you need to understand," she said, interrupting me. "First and foremost, you should watch your temper around the king."

  I tensed, my curiosity about the queen suddenly turning to hatred. How dare she—

  "He is not a forgiving man, and I would hate for Rave to lose such a valuable ambassador because she lost her temper one too many times," she continued, and her words defused my anger almost immediately.

  "A-amb... What?" I sputtered.

  "You are the first Raven citizen to walk freely in the king's castle in over fifty years," she replied, looking forward. "You have the ear and heart of the king's third son, and the respect of the king's successor, and at this moment, the arm of the king's wife. You are in a very powerful position for your country."

  "I'm not here to..." Did the queen think I was only here on behalf of my country? The thought of her not knowing how I felt about Galian made me sick. "I love Galian—"

  "Oh dear, that is apparent, and he is most deeply in love with you." She smiled, patting my arm lightly. "And as his mother, I wholeheartedly approve of anyone who my son is willing to go to such great lengths to be with." She cast a quick glance at me, affirming that she was truly happy to see me there, yet I saw the trace of regret on her face.

  "But?"

  "As queen, my first priority is my people, who have been locked in a fifty-year war with another nation. Hundreds of thousands have died because peace is out of our grasp." She stopped to look at me in the eyes. "You and Galian built a bridge of trust and peace on that island. I only ask that you consider how best to bring more people across."

  I was stunned into silence. Korina wanted me here. She wanted me to use my position to advance the cause of peace between Kylae and Rave.

  If only I had a position. "I wish I could help but I'm nothing but...Bayard won't listen to me. He put me on that plane. He thinks I'm a traitor—"

  "There are others within Rave who would listen," she responde
d. "A small rebellion has been fomenting in the slums of Veres for some time. They have a good cause, but are in dire need of money, and money is something I have plenty of. What I do not have is a person to extend the olive branch."

  My heart skipped a beat, but my suspicions were raised. "And what is Kylae's interest in the Raven rebels? To what end would I be working?"

  "An end to the war, however that may happen. To bring the two countries to the table to work out their differences and come to an agreeable solution. But first they have to want to come to the table. Kylae is weary of war, and Grieg may be amenable in the way his father and grandfather weren't. But we need someone we can work with in Rave until we can get better leadership in place here."

  "Better le..." My voice died in my throat, and I stared at her in wide-eyed astonishment.

  Rhys.

  Korina Helmuth had been singlehandedly trying to stop the Madion War since she married Grieg. Rhys seemed much more gentle than I'd imagined him to be. He'd cared for whether I lived or died on that plane. The same way Galian had cared when we'd landed on that island. I'd considered it a fluke, or perhaps just his nature, but I'd never considered that the heir to the Kylaen throne would share the same kindness.

  But his voice on the radio had been calming. He'd been interested in what I had to say. He'd valued my life. He'd even given the order to save it. For someone like that to take over in Kylae...

  Korina paused in front of a door where two soldiers were stationed, and I realized our walk had come to an end.

  "Where are we?" I asked.

  "We are at the back entrance of the castle," she said. "Elijah, Galian's guard, is waiting for you. He will take you to his apartment where you can stay until you can secure passage back to Rave."

  The air left my chest as I realized what this meant for me and my amichai. In order for the Raven rebels to trust me, I would have to continue to keep my love for him a secret. They wouldn't trust me otherwise.

  "If you don't want to go, nothing would make me happier than to see my son happy. But," she touched my cheek, "I have a feeling you will want to delay your happiness for just a bit longer."

  "If it means all this could stop—"

  "T-Theo!" Galian's voice took me away from his mother as he came running down the hall breathlessly. "Oh, damn it, Theo, you really—"

  "I will take care of your father, Gally," Korina said, and I couldn't help but enjoy the way he bristled at the name. For as much as I loved him, it amused me to see others love him as well. She nodded her goodbye to me and asked the two guards to take a walk with her.

  And then it was just me and my amichai.

  Galian

  I watched her face as she warred over whatever my mother had just told her.

  "What did my mother say to you?" I asked, pulling her into my arms.

  Instead of answering, she buried her head in my shoulder, wrapping her arms around me and shaking her head.

  "What?"

  "I won't do it. I won't put my life on hold again," she whispered. "We're going to Jervan."

  "Why wouldn't we?" I asked, gently lifting her chin until she looked at me. "What did my mom want you to do?"

  "S-she wanted me to go back to Rave. To...to make contact with the Raven rebels and..." She scrunched up her face and shook her head. "No. I won't do it."

  I held her to me, but my mind returned to my meeting with Gerard McMullen in the hospital. He'd said that no one would meet with him because he was Kylaen.

  "Why does she want to work with the rebels?" I asked.

  "She wants to depose Bayard," Theo replied. "She wants to put someone in power who will come to the negotiating table when...when your brother takes over."

  Her words were barely audible, but they seized me with so much hope and terror that I crushed her tighter to me.

  "But I won't do it," she repeated. "I can't...because it means we couldn't be together—"

  "You should go."

  The words came out of my mouth before I could stop them. My mother was right; Theo would never have willingly left Rave behind. Even now, as she said she wanted to leave, I could see guilt mixed in with the relief. She was a Raven woman, and as much as she loved me, she would always be Raven. She loved the shores and the dried plains of the country, the dingy cities and the crowded slums. Even when her government turned its back on her, she still remained faithful to the people.

  I knew it wouldn't be easy. Finding peace between Raven and Kylae was about as probable as the Madion Sea freezing over. Their president was willing to massacre half a population rather than come up with a real solution, and my father was already intent on avenging all those who would've been killed had Bayard succeeded. It would be damned near impossible to bridge the river of blood already spilled.

  But just as she saw my potential for greatness, Theo knew the potential in Rave. She wasn't willing to give up on it just yet. And I would never give up on her.

  I cupped her face and brushed away her tears. "I love you, Theo. But I love you enough to know that if I take you to Jervan, you'll never be able to forgive yourself."

  Two more tears slipped out of her eyes, but there was resignation and a silent gratitude in them.

  "Six months," she whispered. "I will try for six months, and if I don't succeed—"

  "You're mine," I said, knowing we would be having this same conversation in six months. But I didn't want to think about that now.

  "I'm always yours, amichai."

  The word shivered through me. I yanked her closer, covering her mouth with mine and pouring all of my anger, my frustration, and my love into the kiss. My hands clutched the back of her neck and I seared everything into my memory for the lonely months to follow. The smell of her hair, the sound of her soft moan, the taste of her tongue as it slid over mine, and the saltiness of her tears.

  I lifted my lips and stared at her without a word, too afraid to say goodbye.

  Then I let her go.

  S. Usher Evans

  PART I

  ONE

  Galian

  The mid-afternoon doldrums usually hit around three or four. Summer in Norose was stifling, as the winds off the Madion Sea stopped, and the hot, moist air hung between the tall buildings. Although the hospital was cool to keep away infection, it didn't keep away the malaise.

  To boot, it was a slow day. We hadn't had many scheduled surgeries, and except for a few cases of heat exhaustion, there'd only been a couple of admittances since my shift had started that morning. Dr. Maitland, only two weeks returned from his sabbatical to the country of Herin, had sent home a quarter of the staff, and was considering sending another few if things didn't pick up.

  He'd offered me the afternoon off, but I couldn't take it. Even Maitland didn't know that my purpose at the Kylaen Royal Hospital was twofold. To the world, I was Dr. Galian Helmuth, resident. But I was also a courier on behalf of my mother, Queen Korina.

  For the past six months, the messages had been mostly innocuous. Mom was having me receive responses to questions she sent through other channels. Usually, the most I had to remember was "yes" or "no." Sometimes, I didn't even know the question I had the answer for. Mom said it made things safer, just in case I were found out or my contact was a spy.

  But I wasn't completely blind to what we were doing. I knew my mother had her hands in several things—most importantly, fomenting rebellion in the island country of Rave, but also in trying to placate several competing interests in Kylae. Our barethium stores had begun to run low, thanks to my efforts—I'd closed the death camp that processed it. But the businessmen who dealt in the material were growing restless.

  Although I might've chalked their pain up to "well, that's business," these same businessmen had targeted me in an assassination attempt that had killed my best friend, Dave Martin. It pleased me that while we were helping to find them a new revenue stream, we were also gathering evidence to bring formal charges against them. My father would never go after the miners—they
employed a third of our population. So Mom was working to build a case so strong my father would have no choice but to allow a formal trial to go forward.

  I glanced at the time—nearly four. The first time I'd received a message for my mother, I'd been a nervous wreck and had driven the nurses crazy. But now, I was an old pro and I had a process. Five minutes before the meeting time, I'd roll over to the nurse's station and start a conversation with Nurse Rima, the charge nurse. I'd ask her about her two grandkids, and she'd go on and on about them. Eventually, I'd casually ask if we'd had any new cases, and then make my move.

  "Nurse Rima," I said, handing the gray-haired woman a cup of coffee. "Slow today, isn't it?"

  "How many times have I told you not to say that?" she said, taking the coffee and adding two packets of sugar to it. "It's a jinx. Next thing you know, there'll be a tidal wave or something like that."

  I smiled and apologized. Kylaens were now paranoid about tidal waves, thanks to one hitting the port city of Duran to the north. My father's scientists had said it was due to an underground earthquake, but I knew better. It had been caused by a massive warhead sent by the Ravens, which I'd helped put into the water. But my father, unwilling to broadcast that the Ravens had escalated the war, had kept that under wraps. I told my mother that the barethium processors should invest in life jackets, as those had become almost fashionable in Norose.

  I coaxed Rima to talk about her grandchildren. Teddy had a recital and Jonas was nearly walking, and both of them had been over recently for an afternoon. I feigned great interest, even as my gaze darted to the clock. In about forty-five seconds, I'd begin to steer the conversation back to—

  "Dr. Helmuth, your car is ready."

  I blinked, too focused on Rima to process immediately what the person had said, at first. I turned to my right and found a blonde, brown-eyed sergeant standing in the hall. Her hands were clasped behind her back, her yellow hair pulled into a military bun. The dress uniform of Kylae's military was immaculate, the same one that my guards wore when ferrying me to and from the hospital.