“My father often did the same,” Narre added.
Sanno just shook his head.
“We should try to contact her tonight,” Sall said.
“We have to know what to tell her first,” Tavi responded.
After a short discussion, they decided they couldn’t talk to Camalyn until they had a complete plan in place. And they wanted it to be as solid as possible. That meant they needed two things: rest and plenty of discussion time. It was still an hour before sunrise, so they left the tailor shop, made their way through the dark streets, entered their forest camp, and slept.
By midday, after a refreshing morning of sleep, the Golds were ready to strategize. Tullen was glad there were trees and a fence in between them and the Meadow; their conversation got loud and heated several times. Every time they settled on one detail, more questions popped up.
Once they had a plan that seemed feasible, they reviewed it over and over, looking for holes. Finally, by dinner, they were as confident as they could be.
After so much talking, dinner was mostly silent. Tullen ate his dried meat and apple, all provided by the farmers they’d stayed with. He wished he’d had time to hunt; he was tired of travel food. As he chewed the tough meat, he let his eyes wander to Tavi. She was staring off into the distance, an apple held lightly in her hand, her brow wrinkled with what looked like worry. He knew she hated the inherent risk in their plans. She wanted a strategy with guaranteed success. He hoped she knew there was no such thing.
Again, they set out late at night after a nap that felt far too short. This time, it was just Tavi, Tullen, and Evitt. Using Evitt’s invisibility, the three of them made their way back to the tailor shop.
Tavi activated her hearing gift first. After a minute or two, she told Tullen and Evitt, “I’m listening to all three members of the royal family sleeping.”
As Tavi listened, her eyelids began to lower. Tullen watched her, trying not to laugh, as her head dropped halfway, then snapped up. She repeated the motion several times, and after a few minutes, he couldn’t hold back his laughter. She glared at him through groggy eyes, and he offered to take over.
Tavi lay down for a nap while Tullen listened. It turned out that listening to other people’s rhythmic, slow breathing was incredibly relaxing. He began dozing as quickly as Tavi had, and Evitt had to shake him awake. Before long, Tullen handed the task back to Tavi. Tonight, their shifts would be determined by their physical tiredness, not their magical tolerance.
As Tavi handed the listening responsibility to Tullen for the third time, she gave him a soft smile. He smiled back, wondering if she was remembering the long hours they’d spent listening to Konner’s house and the Gray House in Savala. Those sessions had been boring, just like this was. And they’d been wonderful, just like this was. He wished Evitt wasn’t there.
At last, Tullen heard a few whining noises that made it clear the baby was stirring. After waking Tavi, Tullen tapped his ear. She activated her magic.
Half a minute after he’d made his first, sweet sound, the baby hadn’t gotten any response. So he transitioned to a full-throated wail. Tullen grimaced. Seeing Tavi with the same expression, he laughed.
“Shhhh, little one, shhhh,” came Camalyn’s voice. “Shhhh.”
The child didn’t heed his mother’s urgings, continuing to cry loudly.
Relin’s drowsy voice called, “Can you take him in the next room?”
“Of course, my king.” Sarcasm was thick in Camalyn’s voice.
“Thanks.”
Camalyn continued to shush the baby, and it wasn’t long before his cries were replaced with sounds of contented suckling. Tavi glanced at Tullen, an embarrassed expression on her face. He smiled and said, “Sounds like the little guy is enjoying his meal.”
“I’m going to aim my magic at you so I can share it with Camalyn,” Tavi said. “Start talking, please, and don’t stop until I tell you.”
“I’ve noticed,” Tullen said quietly, “that most people are embarrassed by breastfeeding. But in the Meadow—”
Tavi covered her face with both hands and spoke, her voice muffled. “As important as this conversation is, it’s incredibly awkward, and I can’t focus on what I’m doing.”
Tullen grinned. He cleared his throat and began reciting a boring poem he’d learned as a schoolboy. Tavi dropped her hands, gave him a grateful look, and closed her eyes. A moment later, she held up her hand, and he stopped talking. Her ears stopped glowing, and she pointed at him. That was his signal to talk to Camalyn. If everything worked as planned, Camalyn would hear him, thanks to Tavi’s shared gift.
“If you hear me, don’t panic,” he said. “This is Tullen, the one you saved last night. I’d like to speak to you. Can you please whisper ‘Hello’ so I know you can hear me?”
He waited but got no response.
“Is she saying anything?” Tavi asked.
“Nothing,” Tullen said. “Camalyn? Do you hear me?” He waited, then shook his head.
“It’s entirely possible I shared my magic with the baby instead of Camalyn,” Tavi said, looking a little embarrassed. “Let me try this again.” Her ears glowed, and after a few seconds, she said, “Can you please recite that poem again?”
He complied. She held up her hand, and he watched the magic leave her ears. He began the introduction they’d settled on, but after the word “panic,” he was greeted with a string of curses, full volume, spoken in the queen’s voice.
“Please calm down!” Tullen said. “This is Tullen. I’m sharing my hearing gift with you from a distance.” He wasn’t about to tell her that Tavi was actually the one sharing her gift. “You can whisper as quietly as you want, and I’ll hear you. But please don’t alert anyone.”
Camalyn whispered another curse. “I almost dropped my baby,” she snapped.
Relin’s drowsy, annoyed voice called, “What happened?”
“I stubbed my toe; go back to bed,” Camalyn said.
“G’night.”
Several seconds later, Camalyn whispered, “You’d better explain yourself. Now.”
Tullen kept his voice calm. “As I told you before, this is Tullen. I wanted to thank you for helping me last night. Why did you do it?”
“You said you’re sharing magic with me?” Camalyn asked. “Did you just do that to my baby too? I saw his ears glowing. I thought he had a hearing gift we hadn’t noticed when he was born.”
“I did inadvertently share my gift with your baby before I shared it with you.” Tullen gave Tavi a playful glare. “I’m sorry; that must have been frightening.”
Tavi stifled a laugh and mouthed, “Sorry!”
“Do you think Relin saw your ears glowing just now?” Tullen asked.
“Probably not; my hair is over them.”
“Good.” Tullen took a deep breath. “Camalyn,” he said, for they’d decided he should speak to her as an equal, “will you please tell me why you helped me last night?”
There was a long silence, and Tullen began to worry Camalyn was no longer sharing Tavi’s gift. Tavi gave him a questioning look, and he responded with a shrug.
At last, Camalyn whispered, “You said something about making this country safe for our children. I want that.”
Tullen’s heart beat harder. “How much do you want it?” he asked.
Another pause, and then she replied, “Very much. I don’t want to go to war. That’s not what I want for my son.”
Time to get to the point. “Camalyn, if we try to take Konner down, will you help us?”
“Would I still be the queen?”
“No.”
“Why do you think I would do that?”
“Because you know our country was never meant to be ruled by monarchs the people didn’t choose. And because we will do whatever it takes to save this nation, whether you help us or not. But if you do help, we’ll make sure you and your son stay safe.”
Camalyn paused again, then asked, “Do you want Relin’s help too?”
This was one of the things the Golds had argued about. Ash had insisted any sense of morality Relin had was shallow. He’d said they should require Camalyn to keep their plans secret from her husband, threatening her if necessary. Wrey had said if both the king and queen were on board, their plan had a higher chance of success, and Camalyn would know better than anyone whether her husband could be convinced. Half the other Golds agreed with Ash, half with Wrey. Finally, they’d gone with the option that seemed least likely to backfire.
“Don’t say anything to anyone, including Relin,” Tullen said. “We’ll do our best to protect him too. But you must keep this secret, Camalyn.”
She took several deep breaths, then said, “Tell me what you want me to do.”
“Does that mean you’re willing to help?”
Another pause, and then Camalyn spoke in a soft, gentle voice. “Is that good? You want more?” The suckling noises started again, and Camalyn whispered, “Yes. Yes, I’ll help you. If I can.”
Tullen released a relieved breath and smiled at Tavi, who looked like she was ready to explode with nerves. He knew how much she wanted to hear the other side of this conversation.
“I’m glad to hear that,” Tullen told Camalyn. “We need to get Konner out of the house. There are too many guards, plus that magic quencher makes you all inaccessible during the day. It’s also important to take Konner down publicly so there are plenty of witnesses. We want you to tell Konner that you’d like to bring the entire army together for a rally. You’ll introduce your son to them, and—”
“No.” Despite Camalyn’s soft voice, Tullen could hear the firmness in that word. “Whatever you’re planning may not be safe. I’ll leave my son with my midwife. He will not be involved.”
“That’s fine.” Tullen wouldn’t try to change the mind of a protective mother, particularly when he agreed with her. “Tell Konner you’ll use your gift to introduce him to the troops. You’ll tell them he’s a strategic genius who will lead them to victory. Be sure Konner knows he’ll be the star of the show.”
Camalyn chuckled. “You know Konner better than I would have thought. How will you turn this around to bring Konner down?”
This was another point the Golds had argued about: Once they had Konner out in the open, what would come next? Most of the Golds wanted to personally confront Konner. He had destroyed the lives of Ash and Wrey; captured Tavi, Narre, and Tullen; and been a terrible boss to Sanno and Evitt. Even Sall, who’d never met Konner, despised him for his role in Narre’s abduction.
But none of them had the right to arrest the man. They might be able to humiliate or even kill him, but the first action would be insufficient, and the second could cause chaos. Camalyn, however, was the queen. She had nearly unlimited power. If she brought Konner down, no one except possibly Relin could stop her.
Sall had made all these points as the Golds discussed their plan. And when the dust from a fierce argument had settled, everyone finally agreed with him. Perhaps they didn’t have to be the ones to personally bring down the monarchy. Sometimes it was all right to be in the background.
Tullen took a deep breath and told Camalyn, “You will arrest Konner during the rally and explain to the entire army why you’re doing so. Your words will be incredibly important, Camalyn. You won’t use your gift when you speak. You’ll tell the army why people with gray magic can’t lead Cormina. Why we must return to a system of free elections. And you’ll officially dethrone yourself and Relin.”
He heard a muffled patting sound, and it took him a moment to realize Camalyn was probably burping her son. How strange it must be, plotting the downfall of a monarchy while holding a member of the next generation. She spoke again. “I can’t do this by myself. I can’t restrain Konner and Relin.”
“We’re aware of that. As soon as possible, you must talk to two of your royal guards in private. Their names are Leme and Ansile, and we have reason to believe they’ll help us. They must stand right behind Konner and Relin during the rally. Tell them what their cue will be to restrain both men. It should be close to the beginning of your speech. Once you’ve given Leme and Ansile their cue, you’ll instruct any other guards or soldiers onstage to help with the arrests. Activate your gift just for that if you must. And then you’ll finish speaking to the soldiers.”
“It sounds simple enough,” Camalyn whispered. “But what if something goes wrong?”
“We have an entire team of people who will be there, ready to intervene.”
“How many of you are there?”
“Enough.” Tullen still didn’t entirely trust Camalyn, though it was too late to protect the Golds if she turned on them. “Talk to Konner in the morning,” he said. “Get the rally scheduled. Tomorrow night, we’ll talk to you again, just like this. Be ready to tell us when and where the rally will be.”
She took one more deep breath. “I can’t believe I’m doing this.”
“It’s the right thing, Camalyn.”
“I know.”
Tullen pointed to Tavi’s ear, and she called her magic back.
The next night, Tavi and Evitt listened to Tullen’s half of another conversation with Camalyn. When he was done, Tavi pulled her magic back into her ears, released it, and asked, “What did she say?”
“Konner loves the idea of a rally,” he said. “He managed to claim he came up with it.”
Tavi would have laughed if she hadn’t been so tense.
Tullen continued, “The rally is tomorrow at noon in the meeting hall. We’ll all wait in the kitchen in case anything goes wrong.”
“Did she talk to the guards?” Evitt asked.
“Yes, and they’re more than happy to restrain Konner and Relin.”
Tavi took a deep breath and blew it out slowly. She’d been aware of the Grays’ existence for more than two years. In that time, she’d lost so much. Her sister. Her belief in a fair, just world. Tullen. Her nation.
Much of what she’d lost was gone for good. But tomorrow, they would do all they could to get Cormina back and return the nation to its citizens. Tavi couldn’t cling to false hope; she knew there was a good chance they’d fail. She might lose everything.
Tess’ voice rang in her head. Will it be worth it, just to have tried?
Yes.
She believed it. More than ever.
Chapter Forty-Five
My apologies; I am too tired to embellish this. I waited in our sitting room for two weeks straight, morning ‘til night, watching through the window and completing a shocking amount of needlepoint. I never once saw a royal procession on our road; the closest thing I witnessed was seven ducks walking in a line.
Doubtless, the king and queen traveled somewhere private and luxurious to relax. Perhaps she’s had their child and they don’t want to be disturbed. Wherever they are, I’m sure it’s positively divine.
- Mika Stag to Erti Stag, from Year One: Correspondence in the Corminian Kingdom
Camalyn didn’t think she’d ever felt so tired. Her son woke three times a night to eat. Each of the past two nights, she’d spent the second feeding session plotting with her former enemy. Both times, she’d been unable to get back to sleep.
Now it was the morning of the day that would change everything, and she was sitting in a comfortable chair, feeding her son yet again. Silent tears flowed down her cheeks.
“Camalyn, what’s wrong?”
When Camalyn saw Ellea, her quiet weeping turned into vicious sobs. “I don’t know!” she wailed.
Ellea rushed over and placed glowing, golden hands on both Camalyn’s cheeks, wiping away both tears and hysteria. “Have you been sleeping?” she asked.
Camalyn shook her head and sniffled. “Not much.”
“May I pull another chair in here?”
Camalyn nodded, and Ellea left the room, returning moments later with a wooden chair. She sat in front of Camalyn and said, “Let’s see how your little prince is doing.” She leaned in and took a close look at the baby, who
was enthusiastically eating. “He’s latched on perfectly. When I saw you crying, I was concerned you might be in pain.”
“Just tired.” Camalyn gave Ellea a small smile.
“After this, I’ll tuck you into bed for a long nap.”
“No, I must get ready.”
“For what?”
“A rally at noon with all the soldiers.”
Ellea sat up straighter, her face hardening into a stern mask. “There is absolutely no reason a woman who had a child nine days ago needs to be at a military rally.”
“You don’t understand; I have to go.”
“And why is that?”
Camalyn examined Ellea. Eight weeks earlier, the midwife had been arrested for not registering. The safety officer who’d taken her had known the new law: One of his gifted colleagues could gain a gray awakening from this woman. But midwives were among the most respected people in Corminian society, especially Karian midwives. The officer had come to the palace to ask whether Ellea should be subjected to such a harsh punishment. Relin had overheard the man’s conversation with the secretary. He’d sent for Ellea and appointed her to the new position of royal midwife.
But Camalyn didn’t know the rest of Ellea’s story. Why hadn’t she registered? She’d told Camalyn she’d just arrived in the city, but she’d hedged when asked where she’d moved from. However, the woman’s every action had radiated love and care. Despite Ellea’s reticence, Camalyn trusted her and considered her a friend. Perhaps her only true friend.
So as Camalyn continued to feed her son, she told Ellea everything. When she finished and saw the midwife’s wide eyes, Camalyn suddenly worried Ellea would flee the room and tell Konner.
Instead, the woman who’d given Camalyn’s child his blessing breath gathered both mother and son into a tight embrace. “You’re so very brave,” she whispered.
Camalyn cried again.
Facing the Fire Page 42
