Truth of Embers

by Caitlyn McFarland

  Juli had been haunting the corridors of Cadarnle like a ghost for nearly a week. She’d hidden the stolen key in her room and was careful to wear the hateful cuffs and collar any time she wasn’t out, exploring—not as easy as it sounded when the halls grew unexpectedly crowded or when one of the emotion-sensing Lung walked by. Being invisible to the eye didn’t mean one of them wouldn’t sense her.

  Thankfully, emotional control was one of her fortes. Admittedly, the events of the past few months had been trying, but she was determined to return to the person she had once been: intelligent, efficient and self-sufficient.

  A child ran down the hall toward her and paused, the girl’s little mouth falling open. With a chagrined frown, Juli strengthened the magical barrier that allowed her to pass through the halls unseen. She reached out to the girl’s mind and gently folded other thoughts around the memory of a disappearing woman, burying the memory so deep that it could only be found in dreams.

  “Be more careful,” Ashem murmured in her head.

  Juli started. “I’m always careful. Now go away so I can listen.”

  “I thought you should know—Rhys and Kai...they want to sabotage Owain’s operation in the Taklamakan. Rhys thinks that he can use that and a few other things to prod Owain into attacking Eryri in a few weeks, give or take. We’ve sent word for Deryn to start laying traps and preparing the people. Except...”

  “Except what?”

  “I’ve told Kai that Owain has her parents.”

  “Oh.” Terror and worry welled up like blood from a wound. But Juli couldn’t let herself think about the Monahans. Panic, like all emotion, was like scent to the East Asian Lung. The last thing Juli wanted was for any of them—particularly Jiang, who would recognize her—to sniff her out. That was why she’d spent her time wondering about veins of ice and what dragon magic could do for humans instead of worrying about the Monahans. The best help she could be to anyone from her current position was to do what she had come here to do and not get caught.

  Ashem sent comfort through their bond. “We’re flying to the Taklamakan now, and we’ll be there inside a week. I’m only concerned that this won’t be enough, even with the other things Rhys has planned.”

  Juli’s lips thinned. From what she’d gleaned from Kavar—who had closed himself off from both her and Ashem as much as he could without severing the connections—Owain was on edge as it was. It probably wouldn’t be hard to push him off the cliff. “If I get close to him, I can plant some suggestions.”

  Never mind that a battle like that put Ashem, Kai and everyone in Eryri in horrible danger.

  ...and Kavar.

  Juli pushed away the thought. She had to focus on the task at hand. “Will that work?”

  “I don’t know. I wouldn’t be surprised to find that he wears an onyx bracelet. If you have the chance, be subtle, aziz-am. Owain is paranoid. Jiang will be in his mind, as well, watching him like an eagle. At the very least, I’ll need to know if what we’re doing is working, and when he starts preparing for the battle.”

  “I can do that,” she said. “I’ll start now. Be safe.”

  “And you.”

  He withdrew.

  Despite Kavar trying to keep her out of his head, she knew that he had returned from yet another sweep of the tundra empty-handed. Part of her felt a little guilty, knowing that Rhys and the others had left the area two days ago. Guilty, but...not.

  It would be a risk, sneaking around Owain with Kavar present, but she had a good hiding spot.

  She frowned as she moved through the halls and down several sets of stairs, gently pulling her location from passing dragons’ heads as she went, heading for Owain’s rooms.

  Most of the dragons whose minds she skimmed knew nothing of import. Not surprising. Even Rhys and his Council weren’t overly forthcoming with the dragons who called Eryri home. But at least it seemed they attempted some sort of transparency with open Council meetings and places around Eryri where the dragons could read about what they’d been doing.

  There was nothing like that here. Owain had done away with the tradition of having a Council. Juli suspected that was why some of Rhys’s more hostile followers stuck with him: it was their only chance at power. Owain ruled by himself, his law enforced by Kavar’s vee. But even the vees weren’t traditional. In Eryri, dragons were placed in groups when they were children and raised together, learning, working, training and fighting. By the time they came of age and went to battle for the first time, they were a seamless team.

  In Cadarnle, Owain had broken up the traditional vee system. Instead of being raised in vees, young dragons were raised in classes. They competed for the top spots, and once they became adults, they were organized into groups according to skill. Owain had broken up all the old vees—the dragons who had been adults when he came to power—and done the same thing. The more elite the warrior, the higher their rank under Owain. The most elite warriors became part of Kavar’s vee. Unlike Ashem, whose vee had held ten dragons at its largest, Kavar commanded about two dozen.

  Once, she’d snuck up to the surface one day to watch Kavar and his dragons train. Their skill was astonishing. In a clinical, distanced way, Juli wondered if it might not be more efficient for Rhys to do the same. They could finally put to rest the age-old question of cooperation versus competition.

  Juli’s thoughts continued to wander as she cut through the bustling cavern with its huge central amphitheater, keeping to the walls and out of the way of traffic. Balls of white lightning floated in the air, providing light that reflected from the icy ceiling. She suppressed a pang of longing for the sunlit beaches and salty air of Eryri. Sighing with relief to be out of the crowds—it was always harder to hold up a barrier against so many in close quarters—she reentered the halls on the other side.

  She flattened herself against a wall to avoid being run down by a galumphing pack of juveniles. Muttering to herself, she reentered the narrower tunnels that wound through residential areas.

  The closer she got to Owain’s rooms, the emptier the halls were—and the more aware she became of Kavar.

  Juli sighed. He was with Owain. She’d have to make sure she hid herself very well.

  Composing herself, Juli settled across the hall from Owain’s room. Cadarnle was dotted here and there with statuary and fountains. This statue, which would be visible to Owain every time he opened his door, was her favorite. It towered over her head, a white dragon carved of marble with such skill that she could almost feel the wind that lifted its wings, or hear the whistle of air over its scales. It rose into the sky of the artist’s imagination, magnificently framed in the alcove by tapestries in jewel tones that draped all three of the surrounding walls. Juli squeezed in behind the statue and settled in the corner where two of the tapestries came together. There was just enough space in the corner for her to slip behind the hangings and sit with her legs drawn tightly to her chest.

  She’d just sat down when Owain flung open the door, shouting. Juli jumped and peered through the small crack between tapestries. To her surprise, a dozen other dragons filed out of the room. She wasn’t sure, but she thought they were all vee commanders. The one Owain was shouting at just happened to be Kavar.

  Juli pulled the fur-lined blanket she’d brought from her room up over her shoulders. She didn’t know how these people could follow Owain.

  The better to see Kavar’s shame.

  “He’s sundered. I handed him to you, and you still couldn’t find him? It’s been a week. Ashem will have smuggled him back to Eryri by now, no matter how bad his condition.”

  Kavar’s reply was muted, but Owain’s response wasn’t. “Your brother is the reason you’re here, Kavar. If Ashem is so clever, maybe I should employ him.”

  Kavar didn’t respond to that, except for a surge of rage Juli could feel. On instinct, she reached out to so
othe the anger. Kavar’s head snapped toward the alcove. He searched for a moment, then his eyes settled on the sliver of a crack between tapestries.

  Poo on a stick.

  He didn’t speak to her, but she felt his rage darken. By the time Owain dismissed him fifteen minutes later, Kavar was a roiling sea of anger. Unable to go after her in front of Owain, Jiang and the other vee commanders, he forced their connection open with shocking strength. “Get back to the room or I’ll tell Owain you’re there.”

  Juli pressed her lips together and shut down the connection. Kavar might be able to see through the barrier that kept her invisible to the other dragons, but it wasn’t like he could come after her at the moment. Ridiculous man. If she was discovered, he’d only expose himself as her heartsworn and suffer terribly when Owain killed her.

  Owain dismissed the vee commanders and Kavar stalked away. Then Owain and Jiang started down the hall in the opposite direction.

  Curious, Juli slipped from her hiding spot and followed them. This could be her last chance to find anything out for a while. Kavar would put the cuffs back on after this...unless he couldn’t find her. She wondered if she might be able to find another set of abandoned rooms. Perhaps steal food.

  She padded after Owain, careful to keep her distance. Jiang, who had stood next to Owain throughout the lecture he’d given Kavar, glided at his side in a body-hugging gown so heavily embroidered with gold Juli could only just see red fabric beneath.

  “You should get rid of him,” Jiang snapped. “I don’t trust him.”

  “He didn’t give you up in Eryri.” Owain’s voice was mild now, his thoughts like a calm, dark lake.

  So he wasn’t wearing an onyx charm. He thought Ashem was long gone, and didn’t think of her at all. Wingless were generally beneath his notice, unless that Wingless happened to be Kai.

  Subtly as she could, Juli peered beneath the surface. He had been angry at Kavar, but Kavar had been punished. Justice served, he could let the anger go. Jiang, however, was getting on his nerves. The woman didn’t care about anything but her own power.

  Juli switched focus. Jiang was frustrated, as well, and plotting out ways she could show Owain that Kavar was a traitor. How did he get out of Eryri? He was supposed to be there to take the blame for the poisoning. I’ll have to—

  A hand gripped Juli’s arm and yanked her back against a hard chest, another hand going over her mouth.

  “If you make a sound, we are both dead.”

  Kavar.

  Juli thrashed and bit his hand, trying desperately to hear the end of Jiang’s statement. But she’d lost the thread and she couldn’t focus with Kavar dragging her back the way they’d come. Trying to catch Jiang’s thoughts again was like trying to catch mist in her hands.

  Kavar half carried her, silently kicking and clawing, all the way to her rooms and closed the door behind them. It was a good thing he could also cast a barrier that made the eye slide away from him, because he would’ve looked like an idiot wrestling with air.

  “How did you get out?” He thrust a finger toward the manacles and collar she’d abandoned on the low table. “How did you get those off?”

  Juli shrugged, wary. She might be magically stronger than him, but physically she wouldn’t stand a chance. There was nowhere to run, here. No one to help her. Kavar was the closest thing to an ally she had. If he turned on her, she was alone.

  “Don’t shrug at me.” He stalked toward her. Juli stood her ground, but that only made him angrier. Kavar grabbed her arms and shook. “Do you know what will happen to you if you get caught? What will happen to me?”

  Juli tried to pull away, but he squeezed until she writhed in pain. She stomped on his instep, but she was only wearing socks—it was easier to sneak around without making noise that way—and Kavar was wearing heavy boots.

  “Why do you think I agreed to stay with you, Kavar? Out of the goodness of my heart? Because Ashem couldn’t have wiped the floor with you?”

  Something dangerous flashed in Kavar’s eyes. He shoved, and Juli fell hard onto the low couch.

  “So much for holding up your end of the deal.” He bared his teeth. “I shouldn’t have expected you to have integrity. Wingless.” He spat the word like an insult.

  Juli resisted the urge to rub her bruised arms and stood. “You’re one to talk about integrity.”

  “When have I ever broken my word? I let Kai go.” Kavar gestured wildly. “I have you here, Ashem’s heartsworn, and I haven’t said a thing to Owain.”

  Juli snorted. “I’m also your heartsworn, and it’s in your best interest to keep me safe. Let’s call a spade a spade, Kavar. I’m only here because you want to hurt Ashem. You’re hoping I’ll sleep with you. As if I haven’t made it abundantly clear that you repulse me.”

  She told herself that last part wasn’t a lie.

  Kavar grabbed her so fast she couldn’t react. He snaked one arm around her waist, the other grabbing a fistful of her hair and yanking her head back. Juli squeaked and struggled.

  He only held her tighter.

  His face inches from hers, he pushed his way into her mind, flooding her with a hot rush of lust—his, not hers—that made her weak in the knees. Despite the fact that it made her sick, she couldn’t stop her own body from responding.

  He nuzzled her cheek and whispered in her ear, “Oh, Juliet. If I wanted you, I would take you.”

  Oh...my...

  A flash of queasy unease passed through Kavar, bringing Juli back to her senses. He might threaten these things, but even he couldn’t stoop so low as to actually go through with it.

  “Let me go.” She sent a spear of pain lancing through Kavar’s mind. He winced and stumbled back. When he straightened, Juli wound up and slapped him full across the face.

  Kavar lunged at her, silver eyes alight and livid, but Juli skipped out of the way and he tripped over the coffee table, sprawling onto the floor.

  Ashem—who had become aware of the altercation as soon as Kavar grabbed her—was shouting something into her mind. From the intensity, he meant it for Kavar and she was just getting the spillover. But she’d spent twenty-one years defending herself. She didn’t need to depend on a knight in shining armor just because one was willing.

  Juli leaned over Kavar’s prone body. Speaking through her teeth, she said, “If you touch me like that again, you will never wake up.”

  She turned and marched away. Ashem was in a state, so she assured him that she was all right, and no, he could not come get her, because Rhys needed him. When she went to fill one of the ceramic mugs in the basin that served as a kitchen sink, she realized her hand was shaking. Steadying her mug with her second hand, she turned to regard Kavar over the rim.

  He pulled himself off the floor. His cheekbone had hit the corner of the table, and he was bleeding. She expected rage. Instead, he was quiet. Not contrite, not from the way he was clenching and unclenching his fists, but...uncertain?

  Kavar had always seemed smug and cocky. But for all his show, lacked the conceited surety that everything he did was right. A surety Ashem had in abundance.

  Curious, Juli slipped into Kavar’s mind, just a little bit.

  He was worried. Not just that Owain would find out that Kavar had brought Ashem’s heartsworn into Cadarnle, but that she might be caught. Hurt. He was torn between wanting her and hating her. He knew how precious she was to Ashem, and that, combined with their own heartswearing bond, made him want to protect her—which he also hated.

  He did still care for Ashem.

  Shocked, Juli pulled back before he could catch her there.

  Kavar snatched the cuffs from the table. “Put these on. You’re here to keep me from climbing the walls, not to spy for my brother.”

  It was degrading, standing there while he clasped the manacles around her wrist
s and the collar around her neck, but she did it. Fighting wouldn’t do her any good. When he finished, Juli took a cloth and wet it in the water from her cup. Kavar stepped back as she approached, but he came up against the counter and had nowhere to go.

  Silently—ignoring Ashem’s mutterings—she pressed the cloth to his cut. Kavar swallowed, and Juli could feel him wavering between hate and wanting.

  That was fine. Good, even. She could use that.

  After today, she would have to.

  After a moment, he shoved her hand away, then tossed the room until he’d found where she’d hidden the key, which she’d buried in the stone container on the counter that held flour. Turning it over in his hand, he glared then stalked from the rooms without a word.

  “You’re going to be the death of me, Juliet King,” Ashem murmured.

  Juli sagged. She knew how much Ashem hated when she let Kavar close or took risks, and she’d done both in the past hour. “We have to make the most of this chance, love. If he’s conflicted, that means we could win him over. Can you imagine what the three of us could do together?”

  Ashem said nothing, but from what Juli could sense, it was as if Ashem felt about Kavar the way Kavar felt about her. He missed his brother, but hated missing him. He felt betrayed by their past, the way Kavar had chosen Owain over him.

  Probably the same way Kavar felt betrayed by Ashem choosing Rhys.

  Juli tried to imagine suddenly finding herself on opposite sides of a war with Kai. How painful it would be.

  Love could so quickly hate turn to hate. Maybe she was crazy to imagine she could help them turn it back.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Fight for This

  It took a week of hard travel to reach the Taklamakan Desert. Rhys pushed them, afraid that somehow Owain would learn of their plans before they could arrive.