The Spirit War

by Rachel Aaron

Page 117

 

  The admiral looked up when he heard Josef enter, and his face went scarlet.

  “Prince Thereson!” he shouted. “You are confined to quarters!”

  Josef ignored him, focusing on Tesset as the Council man looked up with a knowing smile.

  “Good morning, Josef Liechten,” he said. “Or Prince Thereson, I should say. I trust you’re well. ”

  “Well enough,” Josef growled. “What are you doing here? When did you arrive?”

  “Last night,” Tesset said. “And I’m here as the Council’s forward agent to help Osera prepare for the war. Your mother welcomed me herself just before all this unpleasantness. Condolences, by the way, on the death of your cousin. ”

  “Keep ’em,” Josef grumbled, making his way over to the closest body. The guardsman was on his stomach with his arms splayed out in an instinctive attempt to catch himself from a fall he’d never get up from.

  “Back of the neck, just like the duke’s men,” Josef said, kneeling to get a better look at the gash that severed the man’s spine. “Quick too. Poor bastard couldn’t even get his sword out. ” He nodded down toward the guard’s belt where the short sword was still snugly in its scabbard.

  “Prince Thereson,” the admiral said again. “Stop this at once! This tower is controlled by her majesty’s navy. Prince or not, I won’t hesitate to lock you up if you do not return to the palace at once. ”

  “What?” Josef said, straightening up. “You can’t blame this one on me. Eli and I were stuck in my rooms since this morning, just like the queen ordered. Look at the blood. These men haven’t been dead more than half an hour. I was probably still being disarmed when it happened. And since it’s clear that whoever did the duke’s house did this as well, I’d say I’ve been exonerated. Isn’t that right, Eli?”

  “Beyond a doubt,” Eli said.

  The admiral stiffened. “When your mother hears—”

  “So go tell her,” Josef said. “Later. Now, what was security like in this room?”

  The old man clenched his teeth, his brow furrowing into a knot as he weighed his outrage against the presence of a prince, even a despicable one. Royalty must have won out, for the admiral’s shoulders slumped and he began his report.

  “Security is as you see,” he said. “Six guards watching, two at the door, four in the room, and the Council’s wizard for the Relay so that we could notify Zarin the moment enemy ships were sighted. ”

  “Yet all are dead inside,” Eli said, silently counting the bodies. “Including the ones who were supposed to be in the hall. And they all died with their swords in their sheaths, correct?”

  “Yes,” the admiral said, looking cautiously at Josef. “Sir. ”

  Eli grinned manically at his newfound authority. “I can see from the lack of blood trails that the bodies haven’t been moved. Combine that with the sheathed swords and we can safely assume that all the soldiers walked in here of their own volition. That means whoever did this was someone the guards knew, else they would have barred the entrance and died outside. Someone respected, for they escorted this person in and were subsequently too shocked to draw their swords when this known, respected person turned on them. ”

  “Impossible,” the admiral said. “Only officers and members of the royal family can enter this room without challenge. ” He said this last bit with a pointed look at Josef, which Josef ignored.

  Eli scratched his chin thoughtfully. “My real question is, why the watchtower? The duke I could understand, but why here?”

  “I believe I can answer that one for you,” Tesset said.

  They all turned to look. Tesset had been standing quietly beside the table. Now, though Josef had not seen or heard him move, he was several feet away, kneeling on the floor. The boards there were scuffed and dusty like any well-used surface, but one spot was darker than the rest. Josef frowned and walked over, kneeling for a closer look. It wasn’t blood, though there was certainly enough of that around. It almost looked as though someone had spilled a tiny bit of water and then tried to wipe it up.

  “What’s that?” Josef said.

  Tesset leaned down and pressed his finger delicately against the floor. When he lifted it, something was stuck there, glinting in the light. A tiny, curving splinter of glass.

  “Question still stands,” Josef said, glancing at Tesset.

  “It’s the Relay point,” Tesset said. “Or what’s left of it. ”

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  “Powers,” the admiral whispered, staring at the wet sliver of glass. “I never knew they could be broken. ”

  “They’re quite delicate, actually,” Tesset said, standing up and placing the sliver of glass on the table. “Sara will be extremely distraught. Relay points are difficult to make, and we are very short at present. ”

  “I don’t understand,” Josef said. “Why would someone break a Relay point?”

  “To cut Osera off from the Council,” Tesset said.

  “But, why?” Josef asked again. “Osera has ships going to the mainland all the time. Any disruption in communication wouldn’t last past low tide. Six hours at most. ”

  “Six hours is plenty of time for many things,” Tesset said, pointedly not looking at Eli. “For example, if a thief were going to pull a heist, six hours would be amply sufficient to grab the goods and get away. ”

  “Nonsense. ” Eli’s voice was equally disinterested. “No thief worth the name would break something as rare and valuable as a Relay point. Not when he can steal it, anyway. Honestly, what kind of idiot thieves do you chase?”

  The admiral looked from Eli to Tesset, utterly confused. “Thieves? What are you talking about?”

  “Nothing,” Tesset said. “An idle comment. Anyway, if the criminal’s objective was to isolate us, he failed. ”

  “How’s that?” Eli said. “Point looks pretty broken to me. ”

  “That it is,” Tesset said. “But Osera has two Relay points. This tower’s point was a first alert supplied by the Council specifically for this emergency. Osera’s official point is kept in the palace for the queen’s use. ”

  Josef set his jaw, glancing from the dead solders to the dead wizard and back again. “Admiral,” he said quietly. “Who reported this?”

  The admiral blinked. “Excuse me?”

  “Who found these men dead?” Josef said, his voice annoyed. “You? A guard?”

  “Oh. ” The admiral wiped his sweating brow. He looked as though this was all getting to be a bit much for him. “It was Princess Adela. ”

  Josef stopped. “Adela?”

  “Yes,” the admiral said. “She had me take over here so she could go secure the Relay point at the palace. ”

  “Adela went to the palace?” Josef shouted.

  “Yes, your highness,” the admiral said, baffled by his sudden outburst. “She thought that would be the criminal’s next target. But don’t worry, sire, I’ve yet to meet a swordsman who could get the better of your—”

  Josef didn’t have time to listen, he was already headed for the door. A hundred things were clicking together in his mind: the precision of the sword strokes, the speed with which they must have been laid down, Adela circling him in the throne room, holding back. The deep sleep that he felt and she didn’t, the drugged candles and the bowl of stimulant. He glanced out the window at the castle high above them on the mountain. Even with the horse, it would take him five minutes at least to get to the back gate and another three to run to the Relay room at the top. Josef shook his head. He had no time. He had to get there now.

  He hit the door to the stairs with his shoulder, slamming the poor guard on the other side into the wall. Josef didn’t even notice. He stared into the dark and shouted.

  “Nico!”

  She appeared before he’d finished saying her name, and Josef took a relieved breath. For a moment he’d been afraid she wouldn’t come. “I ne
ed your help. ”

  Nico’s pale face broke into a thin smile. That was all the answer Josef needed.

  “I have to get to the palace,” he said. “Can you take me?”

  Her eyes widened. “Through the shadows?”

  Josef nodded.

  Nico bit her lip. “I can try. ”

  “Try is all I need,” Josef said. “Take me to the top, if you can. The queen’s point will be in the palace watchtower. ”

  Nico nodded and Josef stepped forward, snatching his hand away a second before Eli’s fingers grabbed his wrist.

  “I’m going,” he said before the thief could speak.

  “I realize that,” Eli whispered. “But think a second, Josef. Just because she’s been drugging you to sleep doesn’t mean she’s guilty of everything else. This could all be a setup. ”

  Josef moved to stand beside Nico. “We’ll see soon enough, won’t we?” He looked down. “Ready?”

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  Nico nodded and hesitantly slipped her arms around his waist. She didn’t look at him while she did this, keeping her face tilted down so that she was hidden in the deep folds of her hood. That was the last thing he saw before the world twisted and everything went black.

  Eli jumped back with a curse as Josef vanished, tripping over the top stair and right into the point of the door guard’s sword. He raised his arms on instinct, letting the guard walk him back into the watch room. The admiral was still staring at the space where Josef had been, his wrinkled face as pale as chalk.

  “Before you do anything rash,” Eli said, arching away from the sword in his back, “I’ll have you know that there’s a perfectly reasonable explanation for this. ”

  “Hang it all,” the admiral muttered. “I don’t care anymore. You’re all going in irons until we get this mess straightened out. ”

  “All is a bit much, don’t you think?” Eli said. “It’s just me at the moment. ”

  “Then we’ll start with you,” the admiral growled. “Tie him. ”

  Eli heaved an enormous sigh as two guards stepped forward to secure him. They were fastening the rope around his hands when the admiral turned to Tesset.

  “I am so sorry you had to see this, Councilman Tesset,” he said. “Prince Thereson has always—”

  His voice trailed off. Tesset wasn’t listening. He was standing at the window, staring out at the smooth sea. The admiral blinked and looked as well, squinting against the morning sun, and then what little blood was left in his face drained away.

  “Powers help us,” he whispered.

  No one answered. Everyone, even Eli, was staring at the line of tiny dots on the eastern horizon. Far below, the water on the beach began to churn against the rocky face of the storm wall. Out in the bay, the lines of docked Oseran runners rocked against their moorings as the sea swelled beneath them, the bay’s water pushed aside by the new, enormous current flowing from the east in a perfectly straight line.

  CHAPTER

  17

  Josef gasped as the dark washed over him. This was true dark, not just lightless, but light consuming, and so cold he felt it like a punch all over his body. He couldn’t hear anything, but he could feel the darkness screaming, vibrating against his skin. Panic like he’d never felt began to close over him like a sheet of ice, and he began to sink. The darkness sucked him down like a hungry mouth, screaming and laughing at the same time. Josef couldn’t even move to defend himself, all he could do was sink and wait as the darkness poured down his throat, eating everything it touched.

  Just before he was consumed, Nico’s arms tightened on his chest, pulling him back. All at once, the sinking stopped, and his limbs were free. The feeling of motion was so beautiful, Josef almost laughed with joy. Instead, he clung to the familiar realness of Nico’s wiry body with everything he had.

  In less than three heartbeats, the light returned.

  Josef fell to the ground, clutching his chest. He felt heavy and weak, like he’d been laid up with fever for weeks, and cold like he would never be warm again. He could feel Nico’s hands on him. Her voice was in his ear, asking if he was all right. Josef nodded and reached for the hilt of his sword. The Heart leaped into his hand, and the weakness began to fade. When he was sure he could stand, Josef pushed himself up and looked around.

  He recognized the place at once. They were in the hall that ran through the center of the royal guard’s headquarters at the top of the palace. They’d come out next to the barracks door, but the barracks were empty. So was the hall. Josef’s stomach began to sink. This was the heart of the guard. Given the current crisis, it should be crawling with soldiers as the reserves reported in, but the floor was silent. His face set in a grim line, Josef drew the Heart. He turned the sword in his hand, testing the grip in his palm. An echo of power flowed back like a greeting. Josef held the sword close as he tugged open the door to the stairs leading up to the watchtower. Nico fell in behind him, skipping from shadow to shadow.

  The stair was a narrow spiral ending at a heavy door that was usually guarded and locked. But there were no guards now, and the heavy door hung open a crack, as though someone had just stepped inside and forgotten to close it. Pressing his body flat against the wall, Josef reached out with his sword, opening the door with the Heart’s blade.

  Even though he knew it was coming, the sight of the watchtower stopped him in his tracks. Men lay sprawled on the floor, their white faces still wide with shock above their severed necks. Josef took a quick count. Fifteen bodies, all guardsmen, far too many for the small tower. Josef set his jaw and raised his eyes to the only figure still standing.

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  Adela stood beside the table where the Council wizard lay slumped in his chair. Her helmet was off, and the dark braid of her hair hung free down her back, which was turned to Josef. For a moment, Josef thought maybe they’d snuck up on her, but before the thought could even finish, Adela turned to face him with a warm smile.

  “I told you one day we’d be done pretending. ???

  Josef cursed. No point in hiding now. “Adela,” he said, stepping fully into the doorway. “Stand down. ”

  “Little late for that, husband,” Adela said. Her hand moved, and Josef raised his sword, but she wasn’t drawing a weapon. Instead, she held up something small, round, and blue between her fingers.

  “What’s that?” Josef said with a sinking feeling.

  Adela’s smile widened, and she clenched her hand in a fist. There was a sharp crunch, like an eggshell breaking, and then she opened her hand again, letting broken glass and a tiny amount of water fall to the floor.

  “It was a Relay point,” she said, shaking the last drops of water from her fingers. “The last Relay point in Osera. ”

  Josef stared at her, trying to put words to everything that was going through his mind. But he wasn’t Eli. Words didn’t come easily. In the end, he managed only one.

  “Why?”

  “Because it is my duty,” Adela said calmly. “And because I have waited my entire life for the day when I could leave this miserable dirt scratch of a kingdom. ”

  “Duty?” Josef roared. “The queen raised you up from nothing! Defended you and your mother when everyone else wanted you cast out. She made you an Eisenlowe, captain of her guard, and this is how you repay her?” He swung his sword over the dead soldiers. “You have a twisted sense of duty, princess. ”

  “And what of that matters to me?” Adela sneered. “I serve a higher power than you could ever imagine. ” Her voice grew deep and resonant as she spoke, and her eyes lit with a fire Josef had never seen there before. “There is no loyalty except loyalty to the true queen of the world,” she said. “No duty except in her service. ”

  Josef was beginning to wonder if she might be truly mad. “What are you talking about?”

  Adela reached down and drew her short sword with a metallic hiss. Josef br
aced himself, but she didn’t point the blade at him. Instead, she held the sword in front of her with the flat side facing him. Josef was so busy trying to guess her ploy, he didn’t see the words etched into the metal for several seconds.

  Sleepers wake. I am coming.

  Josef’s eyes darted from sword to swordswoman. “Who is coming?”

  “Who do you think?” Adela laughed, swinging her sword until the point was leveled at the eastern window.

  Josef kept his eyes on her, but she made no other moves. Finally, he risked a glance. He had to glance twice before he realized what he was looking at. There, miles out on the line where the Unseen Sea met the sky, the horizon was peppered with tiny dots running north and south as far as he could see.

  “Oh yes,” Adela said as the realization broke over his face. “The Immortal Empress is here at last to finish what she started two and a half decades ago. ” She brought her sword back around, aiming the point at Josef’s heart. “We are the sleepers,” she said, her voice trembling with emotion. “For years we’ve worked to weaken this island in her name. Now, your country, divided and hollowed by our hands, shall break like rotten fruit when her boats strike the shore. ”

  “That’s impossible,” Josef said, forcing himself to ignore the rapturous smile on her face and keep his eyes on her sword. “You weren’t even born when the Empress invaded. ”

  Adela lifted her chin with a haughty sneer. “Loyalty to the Immortal Empress is not constrained by time. Our duty is passed down from mother to child, for generations if need be. We who sleep are called the ever faithful, all of us waiting generation to generation for the day she calls our blade. ”

  “Loyalty?” Josef shouted. “Faithfulness? You betrayed your country and your queen! You killed your own men, and for what? Loyalty to an Empress you’ve never met?”

  “Yes,” Adela said, holding her short sword steady. “And I will be rewarded in ways you cannot comprehend. ”