by Caitlin Seal
Naya gripped Lila’s hand and drew in her comforting energy. The warmth reminded her that there were good people here in Ceramor, people she could trust. She was afraid, yes. But at least she didn’t have to do this alone.
Naya opened her eyes and gave Lila a weak smile, trying to offer a little reassurance in return. “Thank you,” she said. “I’ll be okay. I just want to get this over with.”
Another door waited at the bottom of the stairs. Lila unlocked it and led Naya into a square stone chamber with a table and chairs in the middle. Two guards sat at the table with a deck of cards spread between them.
They nodded and let Naya and Lila pass. Lila had called in a few favors to ensure that those on watch this shift would be allies of the Council.
The younger of the guards watched Naya intently. She could tell from his aether that, ally or not, he wasn’t happy with his part in this. Well, she wasn’t happy about it either. She’d been asking Delence for permission to interrogate Valn practically every day since learning he had survived their last encounter. Delence had refused her every time. So, with time running out before the delegation left for Talmir, Naya had been forced to find a way around his orders.
When Naya had gone to the Necromantic Council for help, Lila had told her about the warnings Delence had issued. Apparently, he was afraid Naya would try to kill Valn. As if she’d be satisfied with giving him a quick death. No, Naya wanted to see Valn stand trial for all he’d done. For years he’d passed out bribes and commanded spies, kidnappers, and murderers as he sought to steal the freedom of Ceramor’s people. He would pay. But before that happened, there was something Naya had to know.
“He’s at the end,” Lila said, speaking softly as they stepped into the long hallway of cells beyond the guardroom.
Naya’s attention focused on the cell at the end of the hall. It stood just next to the salma wood chamber where she’d been locked the last time she was here. Despite the despair-drenched atmosphere, Naya felt a burst of vicious glee at the thought of Valn rotting in the same darkness where he’d confined her.
“Are you ready?” Lila asked as she placed one hand on the heavy iron bar set across the door.
Naya didn’t feel ready, but she nodded all the same.
Lila opened the lock holding the bar in place, then slid the bar back. The metal groaned. The door swung open, and Naya stepped into Valn’s cell.
She heard a soft thud as Lila closed the door behind her. A small, irrational part of her panicked at the thought of being trapped. She tried to ignore it, reminding herself that the door was unlocked. Even if it hadn’t been, this cell wasn’t designed to hold a wraith.
The dim light of a single rune lantern revealed a narrow chamber with a straw pallet on one side and a waste bucket on the other. Valn had been lying on the pallet, but as Naya entered he heaved himself upright with the help of a wooden crutch.
Naya stared at him in silence. He bore little resemblance to the man she remembered. His suit was gone, replaced with the simple brown pants and shirt of a prisoner. His normally impeccably combed black hair was dirty and tangled, and bruises and scrapes shadowed the skin around his wrists and across one cheekbone. His right leg was wrapped in a thick cast up to the knee, and from the careful way he moved, Naya guessed at least one of his ribs was broken.
Only his eyes hadn’t changed. Even here, locked in a dirty cell, he still stared at her with that same gleam of confident superiority he’d had when he’d scheduled her execution. He met her gaze, then dipped his head in the imitation of a bow. “Miss Garth, welcome. I had wondered if we’d see each other again. Does this mean Lord Delence has changed his mind about letting me live to face trial before the noble Congress of Powers?”
Valn’s tone was light, almost jovial. Naya’s fingers curled into fists. “No,” she said. “You’ll go to trial. I just have some questions for you first.”
“Ah,” Valn said. “In that case I hope you won’t mind if I sit down. Lord Delence was kind enough to offer the services of an excellent healer, but as you can see, I’m still recovering from the wounds you gave me.” He moved carefully, using the support of the wall and the crutch to ease himself back onto his pallet.
“Well, what did you want to know?” Valn asked once he was seated. “I can assure you I’ve already told Lord Delence and his interrogators everything.”
“You told him the runes for my bond came from Talmir,” Naya said. As she spoke, she drew in aether, trying to sift Valn’s emotions from the aura of fear, pain, and despair that seemed to permeate the very walls of the dungeon. Growing up in Talmir, she’d believed her people would never stoop to using the necromantic magic they so hated. But not only had Valn organized her resurrection as a wraith, he’d done it with powerful runes, which should have been destroyed after the last war between Talmir and Ceramor.
Recognition flickered in Valn’s eyes and Naya tasted something sharp and bright in his aether. Was that fear or anticipation? “Did I?” Valn asked. “It’s hard to remember all we talked about. Those first few days after our last encounter were…difficult.”
“Who gave you that journal?” Naya asked, taking a step forward. “Why would a Talmiran have access to illegal runes?”
Valn tilted his head back and laughed. It might have been a convincing display if she couldn’t taste the bitterness in his aether. “Why do you care?” he asked, a harsh edge bleeding into his voice.
Naya didn’t answer, and slowly the corner of Valn’s mouth curled into a sneer. “You know, back when you pulled that stunt to escape your execution, I assumed you were just trying to preserve your own pointless life,” he said. “I never would have guessed your loyalties were so flexible that you’d be willing to switch sides and work for Delence. Perhaps your father was right about what necromancy does to a soul.”
Anger, hot and red and sharp, surged through Naya. That heat concentrated in the rune-carved bones of her hand. She drew in more aether and imagined transforming the despair-laden energy into true heat and burning that condescending look right off Valn’s face. How dare he speak to her of loyalty! Twice he’d ordered her death. He’d used her and betrayed her. He’d manipulated everyone around him as though their lives were nothing. Valn might not have swung the blade himself, but Corten’s death was on his hands, along with those of everyone else killed during his failed coup.
Valn must have seen something in her eyes, because he shifted as though he were trying to press himself back through the stone wall.
Naya clenched her teeth. The aether sang in her bones, demanding action. But she couldn’t, wouldn’t, burn him. She wouldn’t become the monster her father had seen, or the killer Delence apparently expected her to be. She held her hand out to one side and concentrated, releasing the energy in a burst of light that seemed blinding in the dim cell. Valn didn’t cry out, but she heard his sharp intake of breath and the rustle of straw as he jerked in surprise.
“Who I’m loyal to doesn’t matter to you,” Naya said, proud of the cold note in her tone. “All that matters is that you answer my questions. So tell me, where did you get the runes for my bond?”
Valn shook his head. “I already told the interrogators. I had no allies in Talmir. I acted entirely of my own volition. And whether or not you believe me, I acted for the good of everyone in both Talmir and Ceramor.” He said the words in a monotone, like a schoolboy repeating a lesson learned by rote.
“You’re lying!” Naya snarled. “Nothing good would come from another war!”
“I never wanted war,” Valn said, leaning forward. “I sought a transfer of power, a joining of Talmir and Ceramor that would have saved lives.”
Naya shook her head and took a step back. “Just tell me, did you get the runes in Talmir or didn’t you? Is it true that more works like that still exist?”
A series of sharp knocks sounded against the door, two fast and one slow. Naya cu
rsed silently. That was Lila’s signal that someone was coming. Valn glanced at the door, then back at her. “If I said yes, what would you do with that knowledge?”
“Just answer the question,” Naya said.
“Perhaps I will, if you tell me why it matters so much to you.”
Naya couldn’t tell him the truth—that she and Lucia hoped to find an ancient ritual that would allow Naya to step into death and hunt for Corten’s soul in order to bring him back. But she had to do something to convince Valn to talk. “I don’t trust Delence with those runes any more than I trust the Talmiran government,” Naya said slowly. “If they exist, then I want to find them before he does.”
Heavy footsteps and shouts sounded in the hallway outside. Naya could feel the seconds ticking away. She kept her eyes locked on Valn’s. His expression was intent, and the aether around him shimmered with uncertainty. “Well, it’s true that Talmir’s policy on necromancy is more complicated than people like your father have been led to believe,” Valn said. His eyes seemed to shine in the dim light.
Excitement and frustration thrummed through Naya’s chest. “Stop giving me half-answers. Who are you even trying to protect? Your plans failed. Do you really think anyone in Talmir will argue for you at the Congress? They named you a traitor. It’s over.”
Valn laughed at that. “Over?” He met her eyes. “For me, maybe. But for you, my little spy, I suspect the war has only just begun.”
“What war?” Naya asked Valn. Then the door to the cell burst open, silencing any answer he might have given. Delence strode in, followed by four very nervous palace guards. He eyed Valn as though checking to ensure his prized prisoner still had all his limbs.
When he seemed satisfied, he turned to Naya. “Out,” he said coldly.
Naya stared at Valn, but his face was now set in a carefully blank mask.
“Now, Miss Garth,” Delence said.
“I’m going.” Naya stalked reluctantly out of the cell. Delence and the guards followed, locking the door behind them. When they were all back in the hall, Delence turned his glare on Lila.
“Sir—” she began.
“Return to your barracks, Lieutenant. We’ll discuss your role in this mess later.”
“It wasn’t her idea,” Naya said.
Delence’s already-stern expression hardened. “Of that I am very much aware. Come with me, Miss Garth.”
The guards formed a loose perimeter around her, making it clear that Delence’s words weren’t a request. Heat rose in Naya’s cheeks, but she flipped her brown curls back over one shoulder and forced her expression to remain calm as the guards escorted her up to Delence’s office.
The office was small, despite Delence’s status as one of the king’s most trusted advisers. Naya remained silent as Delence settled behind a desk covered in papers. “You know,” he said, “several important people think I am making a mistake by bringing you to the Congress of Powers. I’m beginning to wonder if they might be right.”
“I only wanted to talk to him,” Naya said.
“I don’t care what you wanted. I made it clear you weren’t to go near Dalith Valn.”
“Why?” Naya asked. “I’m the one who stopped him. If not for me, Ceramor would probably be under his control. I think that gives me the right to interrogate him.”
“No, it doesn’t,” Delence snapped. “Clearly I was right to send an extra pair of eyes to watch the dungeon’s entrance. Do you have any idea how delicate your situation is? I have spent a great deal of time and effort convincing the world that you were nothing more than an innocent victim in Valn’s schemes. I don’t need you complicating my efforts by assaulting prisoners.”
“I didn’t touch him,” Naya growled. The bones in her hand prickled with heat and power at Delence’s insult. She held the power in, barely, as the rest of what he’d said sank in. What had he meant by an extra pair of eyes?
After a moment she remembered the servant who’d been polishing the picture frame. Of course. Naya had been so wrapped in her own unease that she’d barely given the woman a second glance. The servant must have gone to Delence as soon as she saw Naya and Lila talking by the prison door. It certainly explained how Delence had learned where she was so quickly.
“You still disobeyed me.” Delence leaned back in his chair. “Perhaps it would be better for everyone if I leave you behind when we sail for Talmir tomorrow.”
“You can’t! You need me.” Naya stared at Delence. Surely he wasn’t serious.
“I don’t need anyone who can’t follow orders. You’re valuable, Miss Garth, but you are not irreplaceable.”
Naya froze. She could taste the anger still swirling around Delence. Sharp fear grew in her chest and the prickling sensation in her hand turned cold. Had she pushed him too far this time? Her conversation with Valn had left her almost certain that the necromantic secrets she sought were in Talmir. She needed to get back into the country to find them. After a moment her anger surged back, strong and hot. Delence wouldn’t care about resurrecting Corten. He only cared about Naya because he wanted something from her. In the end he was barely any better than Valn. Just like Valn he was ready to throw away anyone the second they stopped being useful.
Perhaps she should let him dismiss her. There had to be other ways to slip past the Talmiran border. After all, she’d grown up in Talmir. She knew the language and the culture. And since she’d died, she’d spent nearly all her time training as a spy. She could reshape her features—and even fight if she had to.
Yes, the prospect of throwing all Delence’s offers away and setting out on her own was very, very tempting. But seizing that freedom would come at a price, and Naya wasn’t sure it was one she could afford to pay. On her own she would have to find a way across the border that didn’t involve sailing in the Gallant, the ship she’d inherited from her father. Anyone who recognized the ship might realize who she was—the daughter of a traitor, and a wraith besides. Being exposed as either could be deadly in Talmir without the sort of protections the Ceramoran delegation offered. She’d have to go by land, which would take more time and money than she had.
Naya clenched her jaw and spoke in what she hoped sounded like a calm and reasonable tone. “Who would you replace me with? You need me to testify against Valn. Last I heard, you haven’t had much luck catching Celia, or anyone else who could say for sure that Valn organized the spy network and the coup against your King Allence. Not to mention that most of the documents that could have proved his guilt burned with the Talmiran Embassy.” Naya was satisfied to feel a brush of rough frustration through Delence’s aether. His people had been working to hunt down the dregs of Valn’s spy network for weeks.
“And,” Naya added, “if you don’t bring me, the other delegates will wonder why you left someone with so much valuable information about Valn’s crimes behind in Ceramor. They’ll wonder if you’re hiding something.” Which, of course, he was. Delence was one of a very small number of people who knew Naya had been resurrected with a reaper binding, one of the powerful and illegal bindings created during the Mad King’s War.
He’d claimed he wanted to help keep the secret of what she was in order to protect her. If the Talmirans discovered the truth, they would demand her execution. But Naya wasn’t fool enough to think his reasons were purely sentimental. According to Lucia, Delence had taken all her notes on the reaper binding. With those notes a talented necromancer could make more of the reaper soldiers who had so terrified Talmir’s armies during the war.
In keeping Lucia’s notes and hiding Naya, Delence was taking a risk. But if something did cause the alliance to fall apart, Ceramor’s lack of a standing army would leave it at a severe disadvantage. Resurrecting their dead as reapers could give them the edge they needed to keep from being overrun by Talmiran troops.
Delence watched her in silence for several seconds, then nodded. “It’s true that
your testimony is valuable,” he said slowly. “But your actions today make me wonder if you understand the seriousness of this situation. This Congress is about more than just punishing one man for his crimes. The Ceramoran delegation has a chance to prove we are valuable and trustworthy allies. If we succeed, we can leave Lith Lor with better trade agreements and a more stable alliance. If we fail, we may end up facing another war.”
“I know,” Naya said.
“Then you should understand why I can’t bring anyone I don’t trust.”
Naya crossed her arms. Obviously Delence hadn’t trusted her to begin with, otherwise he would have let her speak to Valn. But if the prickly impatience in Delence’s aether was anything to go by, then saying so wouldn’t get her anywhere good. “I understand,” she said.
Delence nodded. “I hope we can put this matter behind us. Can I trust you to follow orders in the future?”
“Yes,” Naya said through clenched teeth. She could break that promise later if she had to.
“Good. Then I suggest you go finish preparing for the journey. We sail with the tide tomorrow.” Delence looked down at the papers on his desk, clearly meaning the words as a dismissal.
Naya hesitated. “What are you going to do to Lila—I mean Lieutenant Selmore?”
“I haven’t decided yet,” Delence said. “I could demote her, or reassign her to a posting in one of the outer villages where she’ll be less tempted to cause trouble.”
Naya’s fingers closed into fists. “She deserves better than that. She risked her life for Ceramor during the coup.”
“And I will take that into account.” The edge in Delence’s voice made it clear he considered the matter closed. “Is there anything else?”
Naya shook her head, then stalked out of Delence’s office. As she walked through the castle halls, she thought back over her brief conversation with Valn. The anger in her chest coiled and hissed. After everything, he still had the nerve to claim his intentions were noble. She tried to force her anger aside and analyze his words with the cool, logical calm that had once come so easily.
