She moved in front of the mirror, surveying herself. 'I do not wear men's clothing because I am a woman in here,' she touched her head, 'and here,' she touched her heart. 'You are wrong when you say there is no power in being a woman. When I think of my mother and the women in my tribe, and even the hidden women in the harem, I know there are many types of power in this world.' She turned around to face me. 'I found power in accepting the truth of who I am. It may not be a truth that others can accept, but I cannot live any other way How would it be to live a lie every minute of your life? I don't think I could do it.'
I twisted the bracelets around my arm, avoiding her level gaze. I could tell her what it was like, in every fearful detail. But I could not see any power in womanhood. Only suffering.
'Why don't you...' I paused, wondering how to phrase it. How would a Moon Shadow phrase it? 'Why don't you get rid of the male parts?'
She looked away 'I don't need to be cut to know I am a woman. And the Emperor prizes me because I am both Sun and Moon. If I go to the cutters, then I will lose the very thing he values...' She hesitated then met my gaze. 'In truth, I am also afraid of the pain. I am afraid of dying.'
I nodded. I had heard that three in ten eunuchs died in terrible agony after the cutting, some lasting for over a week before the inability to piss or the swelling fever led them to their ancestors. Good odds if you were starving in a village and wanted work at the palace for the rest of your life. But I agreed with Lady Dela; they did not seem very good odds to me.
I pushed the bracelets back over my hands, the smooth metal dragging painfully at my skin.
Carefully, I placed each one back onto the table.
'I am sorry about all of this.' I motioned towards the jewellery. 'I did not come to go through your belongings. I came to ask you a favour.'
She straightened. 'What is it?'
'Do you know someone who can pick a lock?'
She didn't even blink. 'Of course.'
'You were a thief?' I asked, trying to absorb Ryko's words.
He nodded and paced across the private tearoom at the back of Lady Dela's house, his bulk making the small space seem even more cramped.
'It wasn't only thieving.' He cast a strained look at Lady Dela who was kneeling across from me at the low tea table. 'I did anything if the money was good enough.' He looked away.
Anything.'
The word fell flatly between us. Lady Dela shifted, biting her lower lip. It seemed she had not heard this before.
'Then how did you get from the islands to the palace?' I asked. A sudden intuition made me gasp. 'You're a Trang cattle-man!'
'No!' The denial was explosive.
'Lord Eon!' Lady Dela admonished at the same time. 'That is none of your business.'
Ryko held up his hand. 'It is all right.' He let out a long hissing breath. 'No, I was spared that dishonour. I was placed in the palace a year before that happened.'
Lady Dela tilted her head, a small frown creasing her painted forehead.
'Placed?' she asked and her soft tone was suddenly edged. 'What do you mean?'
Ryko stepped over to the door and pushed it slightly open, peering through the crack. 'Are we definitely alone, my lady?'
She nodded. 'I sent my maid to deliver a message.'
Me snapped the door shut and turned to us, his long islander eyes unblinking.
'Up until a few years ago, my life was thieving, fighting and drinking. Then one night, I met my match in a dock alley' He stared through us, remembering. 'There were two of them. One of them knifed me in the shoulder, the other in my belly. I could see the grey of my own guts.'
He laid his hand across the flat of his stomach and focused back on me, his smile wry 'It's never a good moment when you see your own innards. I thought it was the end.'
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Lady Dela's fingers brush the cloth over her wound. She, too, must have thought it was the end when that knife had sliced across her heart.
'But it wasn't,' I said. To both of them.
Ryko nodded. 'My luck was with me that night. A fisherman took me into his house and nursed me back to health. He saved my life.' He paused, his face solemn. 'Such a thing creates a bond. A debt. So when I found out my fisherman friend was also leading a group resisting Sethon's control of the islands, I joined his cause. And when he needed someone to go into the palace, I saw a chance to repay my debt.'
' You're part of the islander Resistance?' Lady Dela said, her eyes narrowing. She looked down, smoothing her skirt. 'You hid it well.' Her voice was cold.
Ryko had hidden it very well. I thought of Master Tozay and the Trang boy from the docks.
There was no doubt both of them were involved in some way. How big was this Resistance?
Ryko licked his lips. 'Forgive me, my lady. I would have told you if I could. But my orders are to gather information about Sethon, and to get close to the Emperor to protect him. Not to recruit.'
I had to state the obvious. 'But you are guarding Lady Dela,' I said. 'With all respect to you, my lady' I bowed to her then turned back to Ryko, 'that's not very close to the Emperor.'
'True. But the wait has been worth it. I am now closer to the Emperor than I have ever been.'
'How?'
'You, my lord,' he said simply. 'You are the hope of the Resistance.'
The hope of the Resistance? The words seared me. More people relying on me. Relying on my power. It was too much. Too much. I would be crushed under all these needs.
'No!' I clambered to my feet. I had to get out of there.
'What do you mean, no?' Ryko blocked my way.
'I cannot hold the hopes of your Resistance.' I looked over at Lady Dela. 'Or yours.'
'My lord,' Ryko said, grasping my arm, his bruising grip holding me still, 'you may not like it or want it, but you have it. And unless you intend to join with Sethon and Ido, then you are bound to our struggle. The very fact that you have woken the Mirror Dragon makes you a threat to the High Lord. And you have already shown your allegiance to the Emperor.'
I pulled my arm out of his hold. This was not my struggle. I had to get away. Hide somewhere. But where? And what about my master and Rilla? What about Prince Kygo?
Their lives were bound as tightly to mine as I was to the fortunes of the Emperor.
'I do not want it,' I said, but it sounded feeble even to me. Everything Ryko had said was true.
And inescapable.
'I know you have more courage than that,' Ryko said.
I did not feel courageous. But I raised my chin and nodded. What else could I do? Even a cornered rabbit will fight with teeth and claws.
'Good man.' He clapped his hand against my shoulder, making me sway.
'If you have finished recruiting,' Lady Dela said snidely, 'maybe Lord Eon can tell us how he plans to steal back the folio.'
I had not told Lady Dela and Ryko the whole truth about the red folio. They knew it was the last Mirror Dragoneye text. They
knew it could not stay in Lord Ido's hands. But they did not know it was my only chance of learning my dragon's name. I could not tell them I had no power yet. It might lose me their support. Although it was too dangerous to be the hope of the Resistance, it was just as dangerous not to be.
'The plan is straightforward,' I said quickly. 'Dillon will meet us at the side entrance of the Rat Dragon Hall at the midnight bell. He'll let us in and take us to the library. Ryko will pick the lock, we'll find the folio, and then leave with all haste.'
There was silence.
'It's a bit loose on details,' Ryko said carefully. He glanced across at Lady Dela but she avoided his gaze, her posture still stiff and unforgiving. 'Do we know how many guards will be on duty? Do we know their positions?'
'No,' I admitted, 'but I'm sure Dillon will be able to tell us.'
Ryko crossed his arms. 'I think it would be more prudent if I did this alone, my lord. I've had a lot of experience and, no offence, it would be a lot quicker.'
Lady Dela nodded at me across the low tea table. 'He's right. You should not endanger yourself, my lord. You are too important.'
'But Dillon is already nervous. He won't let you in if you are by yourself,' I said, forestalling Ryko's objection. And he says that there is some force around the library that stops people from entering.'
'Dragon power?' Lady Dela asked.
I shrugged. 'I don't know. But if it is, I will have a better chance of deflecting it than Ryko.'
I said this with as much confidence as I could muster. I had no idea how to deflect dragon energy, but I was not going to wait patiently in my apartments while Ryko may or may not retrieve the only thing that could save my life.
'Lord Eon is right,' Lady Dela said, finally looking up at Ryko. 'You cannot get around dragon magic on your own.'
Ryko rubbed the back of his shaved head. 'We need more information. Are you even sure Lord Ido has this folio? Are you sure he keeps it in the library?'
'No. As I said, there is no record of it.'
'Well, at least if you do retrieve it, Lord Ido will not be able to say anything,' Lady Dela said tartly. 'Since he stole it himself.'
Ryko shook his head. 'It's too dangerous. We should delay a few days and gather information.'
'No!' I ground my palms together. 'It must be tonight. Lord Ido has ridden out to meet High Lord Sethon. He will be gone from the hall until morning. I swear, if you do not go, I will do it by myself
'I had heard that Sethon returns,' Lady Dela said. A dangerous time. Beside the victorious general, our Emperor will look old and sick.'
Ryko sighed. 'If Ido is gone, then it is probably the best time to do this,' he allowed. 'He will probably have taken most of his guards for the journey and left only a basic detail.' He paused. All right then, we will go. I will come to your apartments in good time to meet the midnight bell at the Dragon Hall. Listen for my knock at your window'
'Thank you,' I said.
'You will need to find some dark clothes. Can you ride?'
'No.' I had not even touched a horse, let alone sat on one of the huge beasts.
'Well, we cannot order a chair to take us to and from a theft. And it is too far for you to walk with that —' He stopped, suddenly aware of his discourtesy. 'I will carry you on my back,' he finished abruptly.
'Well, if being a spy does not work for you,' Lady Dela said coolly, 'at least you could hire yourself out as a donkey'
'I think I would have more luck as a bullock than a donkey, my lady' he said, bowing deeply She did not smile back. 'Be careful,' she said to me. Her eyes flicked over to Ryko but he had already turned to open the door. 'Both of you,' I heard her whisper.
Rilla opened the front door of the Peony apartment as I approached. Even from the pathway I could see the tight worry in her face. I should have returned earlier.
'How is the master?' I asked as I entered.
She shut the door. 'He is refusing to take the sleeping draught prescribed until he has spoken to you. The royal physician is here again.'
'Do you think he is worse?'
'I don't know' She shook her head as though chasing away her doubts. 'I think he just needs to rest. He has cancelled all the evening engagements. He wants to be well enough to accompany you tomorrow'
'Tomorrow?'
'Did you not hear? High Lord Sethon will be riding into the city triumphant and the Emperor has declared a day of celebration. Another feast for you to get through.' She smiled sympathetically 'Come. The master is waiting.'
Only one lamp was alight in the bedchamber, its glow shielded by a bronze cover. Above the bedhead, sticks of the same sweet incense that had burned for me a few days ago were smouldering in a gold holder shaped like two leaping carp. My master was propped up against the pillows, his features reduced to shadowy planes. Beside him, the royal physician was sitting on a small stool studying his patient's fingernails. He was dressed for the evening in a lush crimson coat worn over a silk tunic of soft rose that complemented his maroon physician's cap. He looked up as Rilla announced me.
'Lord Eon. Come in, come in,' he said, releasing my master's hand and dipping into a low bow. 'Lord Brannon is not asleep. Merely resting.'
My master stirred and opened his eyes, their liquid gleam catching the light. 'I am glad you are here.' His voice was still rough. He glanced across at the physician. 'You may go now.'
I thought I saw the physician's face darken at the dismissal, but perhaps it was just a shadow from the flickering lamp as he bowed again. We watched him leave the room.
'Close the door and come here,' my master said.
He did not speak until I pressed the door home and took the stool next to the bed.
'You have heard that Sethon returns?' he asked softly. The bruising around his throat had deepened into the shape of Lord Ido's grip.
'Rilla told me,' I said, but it was an image of Dillon's frightened face in my mind. Would he keep his word and meet me at the gate tonight?
'Ido has left the city,' my master said. 'There is no doubt that he has gone to meet his master and report on his failure in the Council. We have them on the back foot.'
'What will happen now?' I asked. He was including me in his plans; he knew we had to rely on one another. The knowledge made me sit straighter and focus on his words.
'They'll try and consolidate their influence in the Council,' he said. 'But I am confident that I will hold the vote.' He pushed himself up against the pillows, the determination showing through his fatigue like bones under thin skin. 'Tomorrow is a celebration of Sethon's victory in the east. We must counter his show of military strength with a show of our own strength.
We will appear together, dressed in the red of the Mirror Dragoneye. It will be a symbol of our combined force: your Ascendant power and my experience.'
'Will you be well enough? What does the physician say?'
'Don't worry,' he said, smiling. 'This is only exhaustion. I have not slept more than four hours since you were chosen. The physician has left me a draught. A good night's sleep will see me whole again.'
He tapped my hand, the fleeting touch bringing our gazes together. For a moment something weighted the air between us, and then I looked away from the fullness in his eyes.
'And you?' he said, clearing his damaged throat. 'How was your first Staminata lesson?'
'It went well.'
For all his protestations, he looked more than tired. I did not want to burden him with my worries about Tellon's keen eyes. Nor could I tell him about the folio. Not yet. Not until I had solved the problem of calling my dragon. And maybe not even then — for the danger would be over and he would never need to know. So many secrets to keep. Each one was like lead in my chest.
'Good,' he said. 'Tellon is the best person to help you control your power.'
I leaned forwards, the existence of the folio rising to my lips. How sweet it would be to share the weight. 'Master —'
He shifted irritably. 'Eon, I am not your master,' he said. 'Not any more. You must remember that.' He smiled grimly. 'You are your own man.'
I sat back. He was right. I was no longer a girl peasant or boy candidate. I was Lord Eon. In this new world of royalty and riches, I was a man. My every word was a command to those beneath me. And a man of such power did not lay his problems onto the shoulders of another.
Even when those problems ate at him like maggots in a mess of rotting meat.
'You should rest,' I said. 'I'll send Rilla in to you.'
I stood up and took my leave of Lord Brannon with the small formal nod of equals.
CHAPTER 12
The wait for Ryko had settled into my muscles like a cramp, forcing me to pace my room to ease the tension. Twice I thought I heard his rap on the shutter only to find the garden outside my window still and shadowy in the warm night air.
I wiped my damp hands down the front of my old work tunic — stealthily retrieved from the shabby basket in the dressing room — and sat on the bed. Although I was st
rung as tight as a lute, I could feel a deep fatigue lying in wait from the day's relentless pace. Looking for a distraction, I pushed myself off the bed again and walked over to the beautiful altar that Rilla had made for my ancestors. She had obviously taken Lady Dela at her word and plundered the royal stores. The death plaques were propped on small gilded stands, and behind them a miniature tri-fold screen painted with peach blossoms created an elegant backdrop, the design carried through to the offering bowls and incense holders. I knew I should kneel in front of it and pray for protection and, perhaps, some much needed tranquillity. Instead, I felt myself drawn to the sword rack set against the wall.
The polished jade and moonstone in the hilts shone like animal eyes in the lamplight. The swords were mine now, until my tenure as Mirror Dragoneye ended. Two swords with rage woven into their steel. And I had absorbed it during the ceremony Had heard their voice in my head. I reached towards the hilt of the top sword. Would I hear it again? Slowly, I laid my fingertips on the cold metal.
Like a scream, the rage flared through me, snatching at my breath.
I jerked my hand away.
Another sound. A soft knock. From the window.
In a few strides I was at the shutters and pushed them open. Ryko was standing to one side, his hand held up to silence my greeting. I saw a glint of a hilt as his sleeve slipped down; he was wearing an arm sheath. No doubt he had a matching knife strapped to his other wrist for a double draw — the weapon choice of a thief not an Imperial guard.
He peered into the gloom, his flattened profile silhouetted against the pale grey of the pebble garden. Seemingly satisfied, he turned and smiled. The sudden curve of teeth was startling against his dark skin.
'Ready?' he breathed. He'd told me that the hiss of whispers carried more than a low tone.
I looked back at the swords. Silent in their rack. I hoisted myself onto the window frame, gently lowering myself over the other side to soften my impact on the pebbles.
'Lightly now,' he murmured. 'These stones are as good as a guard dog.'
I carefully followed him towards the servants' path that ran behind the apartments, holding my breath as pebbles crunched and clinked under our weight. We both sighed when we finally stepped onto the rough dirt track.
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