by Caitlin Seal
Valn broke the tense silence. “You’d do well to consider the advantages here. The reaction so far has been exactly what we planned. Rumors about the other disappearances have spread throughout the city. No one will fault us when we call for an investigation. And as I said before, I have all the documents in order should anyone else start looking before we’re ready to make our next move. Your daughter was eager to help, once I explained the situation to her. Her condition is manageable. And she’ll be quite useful for the next stage of our plans.”
Another silence. When her father spoke again, his voice was raw with emotion. “My daughter is dead. That thing you created is not her.”
“I understand your concerns,” Valn said. “But is this really the time to be debating theology? Whatever she is, she can still—”
“No,” her father interrupted. “What you’re proposing isn’t an option. We can’t afford to have anyone notice the connection between you and that necromancer. This only works if the Congress of Powers believes that King Allence is responsible.”
“I’m aware of that, and I would appreciate it if you dropped the theatrics. What we’re trying to achieve here is so much bigger than one dead girl. I’ve valued your financial support and the messages you’ve passed to our friends in the navy, but I won’t let your overdeveloped piety destroy everything we’ve worked for.”
Her father snarled, and there was a loud crash as something fell to the floor. “No one is more loyal to our cause than I am. But I won’t sit by while you defile my daughter’s memory by pretending that thing is her.”
“Fine,” Valn said after a pause. “I’ll make sure she’s disposed of. You should make your accusations tomorrow. I expect you won’t have any problem putting on a convincing show for the court? These letters should explain why it’s taken you so long to begin searching for your poor missing daughter and—”
Naya pushed away from the wall. She couldn’t stand to hear any more. Her father’s disgust flowed through her like poison. That thing. He’d never been soft on her. But she’d believed Valn when he said her father knew what had happened, that he understood. It had all been lies.
She stumbled down the alley and into the wide street in front of the embassy. Bright colors and smells assaulted her. She started walking, not caring where she was going. She only knew she had to get away. She couldn’t listen while Valn and her father discussed her like she was some dog to be commanded or put down depending on their needs. She’d thought she was being clever by learning what Corten had to teach. She’d thought that if she fought the necromancers, it would prove that death hadn’t changed her loyalties. But it didn’t matter what she did. Valn had only ever seen her as a tool, and to her father she was even less than that.
The road under her feet began to slope upward. Naya walked with her eyes on the ground. She hugged her shoulders, trying to stop her father’s words from echoing through her head. That thing. She stumbled through a gap in the crowd. Someone shouted. Naya glanced up. She barely registered the blur of red before the tram hit. The world tumbled, up and down reversing as pain seared through the bones in her hand. Her back slammed against the paving stones. Screaming metal and the stench of oil surrounded her. Then the tram passed, its brakes bringing it to a jerking halt that probably sent more than a few passengers flying forward against the rows of wooden seats.
Naya heard shouting as she struggled to regain her bearings.
“Somebody fetch a doctor.”
“Creator, did you see…”
“…right there. What could she have been thinking?”
When she raised herself onto her elbows, she saw people rushing toward her. She stood up before they could reach her. Her body felt strange, like it was still rippling from the force transferred by the tram. But the pain was already fading as she drew fresh aether. Her bones hadn’t been anywhere near the wheels when the tram passed over her. The people inside were probably hurt worse by the sudden stop than she had been. A man’s hand clamped around her wrist, and Naya felt suspicion rather than concern in his aether.
“Hold on now,” he began. Naya broke away. “Hey!” the man shouted.
“I’m sorry,” Naya called back. She ducked and wove through the crowd, turning into an alley, then onto another street. Everyone who’d seen her back there would realize she was a wraith. With the guard, and now maybe Valn, hunting her, the last thing she needed was to draw attention to herself. She reached up to touch her face and was relieved to find her features hadn’t been shocked back to their old shape. Her clothes hadn’t fared as well. Her vest and skirt were torn, and something black had smeared across one of her shirtsleeves.
Naya started walking. She checked back over her shoulder but didn’t see anyone following. She slowed to a more casual pace. She was acting too conspicuous. She needed to get away from here, find someplace quiet where she could think. She kept walking uphill, away from the bustle of the market district.
She eventually stopped in a plaza near the crest of Lennia, one of the hills in the northern sector of the city. Two girls tossed a ball in the plaza’s center. A group of old men lounged in the shade on the far side, smoking from deep bowled pipes and mending a pile of old clothes. Afternoon light shone golden and the aether was soft with a sense of quiet peace that helped muffle the pain in her chest. Naya sat on a bench, trying to look as small and inconspicuous as possible.
Her hands began to shake, and something between a laugh and a sob pushed its way up her throat. She should have seen this coming. She’d known how her father felt about the undead. His hatred was as deep and cold as an ocean rift. Still, she’d wanted to believe that he could see past it. Maybe if she spoke to him, he could. There had to be something she could do or say that would prove she wasn’t a monster. But that fragile shard of hope was almost more painful than the memory of his disgust.
Naya squeezed her eyes shut, trying to focus on something other than the pain. Valn had told her they were working to block Ceramor in the upcoming treaty negotiations, to maintain the status quo and stop the necromancers from enticing their neighbors toward corruption. But the plans she’d overheard hadn’t sounded like they had anything to do with the treaty negotiations. What had been the point of kidnapping Delence? And what had Valn meant when he said her father hadn’t cared what happened to the others? Had he been talking about the other Talmirans who’d supposedly gone missing in the city?
Naya rubbed her temples, dread and exhaustion warring inside her. She had too many questions and too little information. “What do you know?” she whispered to herself.
She knew her father now wanted her dead. She knew Valn had given in to his demands and agreed to have her killed, and that the city guard was hunting her. They might not know enough to tie her to the kidnapping yet. But if they searched Lucia’s shop and found evidence of her illegal binding, they’d kill her and Lucia without a second thought.
Naya opened her eyes. One glance at the sun told her hours had passed since she’d hauled Jesla from the necromancer’s shop. It felt more like a lifetime. She couldn’t just sit around waiting for someone to hunt her down. She didn’t know what to do next, but she wouldn’t let Valn discard her like a broken tool. She’d helped him because he’d made her believe they were protecting Talmir. But even that might have been a lie. Naya watched as a young boy joined the two girls in their game of catch. Running would be her smartest option. She could leave Belavine, head out to the orchards and villages that speckled southern Ceramor. No one there would know her. If she kept moving, maybe Valn’s spies wouldn’t find her.
But she’d been a part of whatever her father and Valn were plotting. She’d helped them kidnap Delence. She couldn’t bring herself to leave without knowing what was really going on. Naya glanced again at the sun. Would the guards hunting Delence’s kidnapper already have searched Lucia’s shop? Even if they’d come and gone, the shop was the first place Valn wou
ld send people to look for her. That was reason enough to avoid it. But on the other hand, Lucia was the one person Naya could think of who might have the answers she sought.
The decision settled like a hard lump in the pit of her stomach. She stood up. No more following blindly. It was past time she found out what Valn was really up to.
Naya found Lucia pacing in her workroom, a piece of paper clasped tight in one fist. When she saw Naya her scowl flickered to confusion. “Who are you? We’re closed.”
For a moment Naya wondered if Lucia had lost her mind, but then she realized what the necromancer must be seeing. She concentrated and felt her face shift back to its original features. It was like relaxing a muscle she hadn’t realized was tense.
Lucia’s scowl returned in an instant. “Ah,” she said, the single syllable flat and heavy with scorn. “So you decided to come back.” Her voice got louder with each word. “What were you thinking, leaving like that? Where is Jesla?”
Naya stepped back, trying to get out of reach of Lucia’s wrath. “I took her home. She’s fine. Listen, we have bigger problems.”
“Bigger problems?” Lucia raised her hands above her head, looking like she wanted to throw something at Naya. “What do you suppose would happen if her bond became unstable? She could fade before her parents bring her back to us. Perhaps life is cheap for you Talmirans, but here—”
“I was trying to protect her. Would you just listen? Something’s happened. I need you to tell me everything you know about Valn’s plans.” The words stuck in her throat but she forced them out.
Lucia paled. “I know nothing of that.”
Naya stepped toward her. “Don’t lie. I’ve seen how scared you are of him. You know something. So tell me or I’ll tell him you’ve been experimenting with the war runes.” Naya prayed the threat wouldn’t ring hollow.
She hadn’t thought Lucia’s eyes could go any wider. “Tell him…? But…are you saying you don’t know?” Lucia laughed humorlessly. “Creator. Tell him all you want. Valn was the one who brought me those runes.”
At first Naya was sure she’d misheard. “That’s insane. He wouldn’t.”
“Why do you think I was working for him? He knows my history. He came here with your body and demanded I make you a reaper. He said if I didn’t comply, he’d expose the truth about me. He’d also go after Alejandra. And everyone I’d ever resurrected would be investigated. I couldn’t risk getting them into trouble like that.”
What truth, and who was Alejandra? Naya shook her head. “That’s impossible. Where would Valn get those runes? And why would he ever want to use them?”
“I don’t know. I have been trying not to know since you arrived here.”
Naya frowned. “Please. I think Valn might be planning something terrible, and I think you know more about what’s going on than you’re saying.”
“Is that a joke? Why in creation would I know more than you? You’re the one working with him.”
Naya balled her hands into fists. “Not anymore. I thought we were trying to protect the treaty, but things have changed.” She sensed a flicker of doubt in Lucia’s aether. “I heard you that night at the café. You were asking about the missing Talmirans. Why?”
Lucia’s nostrils flared. “Because someone has been trying very hard to make everyone think a necromancer killed them.”
“But you think it was someone else?”
Lucia crossed her arms over her chest. “Seven Talmiran sailors have gone missing in the past five months. Anywhere else that wouldn’t mean much. People would assume they’d abandoned their contracts, or met with some mundane trouble. But around here Talmir screams dark magic when one of your people so much as skins their knee. This time they’ve decided to stay quiet. I wanted to know why.”
Naya felt the puzzle pieces in her head shift, then click into place. “Valn said they were ready to start the investigation,” she said, half to herself. “And King Allence—” Before she could finish, someone banged on the door hard enough to rattle it in its frame.
“King’s business! Open this door!” a deep voice shouted from outside.
“What the—? What did you do?” Lucia demanded.
Naya glanced to the door and cursed under her breath. “That must be the guard. They think a wraith kidnapped Delence. They’re interrogating everyone.”
“Salno Delence? He’s been kidnapped? Why didn’t you say something?” The knock came again, even louder this time.
Naya wanted to scream in frustration. “Just please tell me you keep your notes somewhere safe. Corten said they searched the glass shop. If they find evidence of my bond, then we’re both doomed.”
Lucia stared at the door. The crumpled note fell from her fingers. “So this was his plan. If Delence is gone, then…” She spun toward Naya. “If you’re serious about protecting the treaty, then you have to go. Now. Valn will have me no matter what, but you still have a chance. Find Corten, tell him what you know. If I’m right, then Valn is dragging us toward another war. The Necromantic Council must be informed. Corten will know who to talk to.” The door banged open in a cacophony of splintering wood. A bell on the counter, probably linked to the door’s alarm ward, clanged frantically for a few seconds before going silent.
Naya stepped back as she sensed the guards advancing into the entryway, their aether filled with deadly intent. “If I run, they’ll assume I’m guilty. And what about you? I can’t—”
“I’ll be fine. Go tell Corten what you know.”
The workroom door burst open and a group of four men dressed in the red-and-white uniforms of the city guard marched in. Their leader, a man with a perfectly waxed mustache and oiled black hair combed back from a broad forehead, swept the room with a look of obvious contempt. “We are here on orders of His Majesty the King regarding the disappearance of Salno Delence. Are you Lucia Laroke?”
Lucia cast a despairing glance in Naya’s direction. “Yes.”
“Our information tells us you are harboring a Talmiran wraith.”
“Information about my patients is confidential.” Lucia stepped between Naya and the guards.
The man with the black hair smiled, showing the barest hint of teeth. “I’m afraid some questions have been raised about this girl’s identity. I’m going to need to confiscate your records. And the two of you are going to come with us to answer questions regarding the disappearance of Lord Delence.”
“I told you, you don’t have any right to that information. Now get out of my shop and don’t come back unless—”
“Sir,” said one of the guards, hand moving toward his weapon, “this woman is resisting a direct order from the king. I fear she may become violent.”
“Violent?” Lucia sounded confused. Naya glanced between the necromancer and the guards. Their eagerness infused the aether, making it buzz against her skin. This wasn’t just another search for them. They’d come here expecting to find what they were looking for.
“Detain these two, then search the shop.” The guards moved forward. To Lucia and Naya the black-haired guard said, “Please raise your hands above your head. No harm will come to you so long as you cooperate.”
“Go!” Lucia said again. But Naya didn’t move. She was sick of running, and she didn’t like the idea of leaving Lucia to face the guards alone. As impossible as it seemed, Lucia hadn’t sounded like she was lying when she said Valn had given her the runes.
She needed to get rid of the guards. She needed space and time to figure out why Valn and her father would want to frame the Ceramoran king for the disappearance of Talmiran sailors. Lucia had said war, but that couldn’t be right. Naya took a step forward, raising her hands slowly.
“Wait—there’s been a misunderstanding,” she said. “Lucia Laroke was here all night performing a resurrection. We don’t know anything about what happened to Delence.”
The guar
d’s smile widened a fraction. “This girl’s features match the description, do they not?”
The man next to him, burly, with a nose that looked as if it’d been broken more than once, nodded. “Yes, exactly so.” He walked toward her, then in a voice barely above a whisper said, “Come now, there’s no need to get feisty. Play along and you’ll be safe with us. You’ve done your job well and Ambassador Valn will protect you.”
Naya froze. She’d never guessed Valn’s network had infiltrated the city guard. He must have sent these men to dispose of her as he’d promised her father. He couldn’t know she’d overheard his conversation, so he probably assumed she’d come quietly. But why would he want the guards to take Lucia? A shiver ran through her. Maybe Valn meant to get rid of anyone who could tie him to Naya’s resurrection.
They couldn’t go with the guards. But if Naya refused, she’d only be revealing that she knew about Valn’s plans to destroy her. “I’ll go with you,” she said. “But Lucia isn’t involved. There’s no need for you to take her too.”
“I’m afraid you’re wrong there. Madame Laroke still has her part to play.” One of the guards near the back slid his club from the leather loop on his belt.
Naya looked between the four men and saw her death written in their hungry eyes. They might pretend to be her allies, so long as she cooperated. But if she tried to run, they’d stop her. Rage boiled through her. She’d trusted her father, trusted Valn. She’d given up everything for their cause. She’d made her father’s hate her own and believed him when he told her the undead were monsters. In return, he and Valn had sent strangers to kill her.
“My patience is running thin, girl,” the black-haired guard said.
Naya took a step back. Four guards, all armed with clubs. She couldn’t fight them. She might still be able to escape, especially if she could make it to the roof. But that would leave Lucia in the guards’ clutches. Naya forced the rage down. She slumped her shoulders and widened her eyes, staring up at the man with what she hoped was an innocent expression. She needed time. Maybe if they thought she was cooperating, she could buy enough time to figure out how to get them both free.
