Slowly, he leaned back and lowered his hands down to the table top, his gaze panning up toward those circled around the other end of the room. “So, this is it?”
The lead engineer nodded, motioning with his right hand. “There will, naturally, be some small revisions required along the way, there always are with such things, but this is what we needed to accomplish to begin construction.”
He gave a nod and stood up, lacing his hands behind his back. “Good. You’ve done well. You’ve come in three weeks before the original date you provided.”
The engineers exchanged nervous glances. They hadn’t come in ahead of schedule out of loyalty. Athan had taken all of their children and wives away from them, intending to hold them prisoner until the ice ship was completed.
Athan flashed a thin smile and licked his lips. The questions on their minds were clear enough to him. “I assure you, your families are all just fine. They’re fortunate that I took them. If not, they would have died in town like so many others did. I was able to feed them and keep them warm through the winter.”
“We are grateful, My Lord,” the lead engineer replied quietly, averting his gaze. “The winter was exceptionally harsh.”
Athan nodded and raised his brows, turning his head away from them. Much of the known world had suffered unprecedented amounts of snow over the prior months. Talaus, being a northern country, still had several more weeks to go before the snow would be off the ground. Though the loss of life and damage done in his country dwarfed what Tordania had suffered, Athan was emotionally detached from it.
“It was.” The vampire walked around the table to get closer to the anxious group before him. “I can feel the doubt in some of your minds that your families are even still alive. Since I need the lot of you motivated until this project is completed, I will have the guards escort you to see them. Now, go.”
Without hesitation, the group fled the war room, leaving Athan alone. He turned around and looked over the spread of plans again, his smile returning.
Though the sea was still frozen, his advisors had provided him with an accounting of steel Talaus had stockpiled over the previous year. Construction would be started as soon as the ground cleared enough to transport the raw materials to the site farther north where it was to be built.
His smile faltered as he heard Sabetha’s unmistakable steps carry down the hall toward him. He turned around and crossed his arms over his chest as she appeared in the doorway. All the news she’d been able to give him about the outside world had not been to his liking over the previous weeks, and he dreaded what she would tell him.
She entered the room, scanning over all the drawings on the table. Her instinct was to touch them. She loved the feel of paper and enjoyed shredding it, but Athan had made it clear to her several times not to touch anything in the war room.
Athan saw the wheels turning in her head, and he snapped his fingers, getting her to focus on him. “Sabetha, is there something you need? This room is off limits.”
She swung her head toward him, her feathers standing on end. “The vampire in the Sador Empire has taken control of the land.”
He quirked a brow, his mouth tugging down into a surprised frown. “Really? I thought it would take him much longer. I suppose they didn’t have to deal with the winter we’ve had, though.”
Sabetha leaned to the side, standing on one leg. Her other leg swung awkwardly up and over her back, her talons scratching at the back of her neck. “No snow there. Never is.”
“I suppose not,” Athan replied, marveling at her flexibility for a moment. “I’ll have to visit him again at some point. And Keiran? Is there anything of interest going on there, or is he still buried under the snow?”
Sabetha put her leg back down and twisted her neck. “He is there, hasn’t left. There are some moving in and out of the castle, finally. Boring, all boring.”
He nodded and drew a long breath. “And Baden? Vinson? Anything about them or are they still simply gone?”
She leaned far forward, lowering her entire body closer to the stone floor. Her eyes narrowed. “Nothing. There will never be anything. Gone!”
“Well, I had to ask,” he said, turning away from her. “I should have put guards on Baden the moment he came back. I should have known better, but there is nothing to be done about it. If they went with Kayla into the Northern Wastes, I will find them when I go there.”
Sabetha didn’t make a sound. Her body froze in place as she watched Athan’s reaction, enjoying her deception. While she’d been Athan’s eyes for ages, this was the first time she’d ever felt as though she wielded any power over him. Baden had told her it was all a game, and she intended to play it to the fullest.
He looked back at her, still standing in her odd pose. “…is there something else?”
She gave two quick snaps of her stubby beak.
“Then go on, Little Bird,” he replied, pointing back toward the door. “I have work to do.”
* * *
Thana sat with Keiran in the throne room. It was rare for her to be there with him, but in his current state of mind, she didn’t like to leave him alone.
He turned toward her after an advisor departed, his eyes red in exhaustion. “I suppose he was expecting me to be excited that the passage north has been verified clear, but I just don’t have it in me. Besides, Mari already told me as much yesterday.”
She offered him a smile and reached over to place her hand on his arm. “You’re taking this too hard, Keir. You’ve been doing your best to get the country moving again. The improvements you were able to make over the past year probably helped put many more people in a position to survive this than otherwise would have.”
“Perhaps…” he looked away from her and shook his head. “I’m going to dump most of what is left in the coffers into getting grain brought up from Ibia. If things don’t pick up further, we will simply run out of money.”
She slumped back in her seat, turning her sights toward Zach as he sat on a blanket at the base of the steps to the dais. While Thana wanted to give him words of encouragement, his long-term view wasn’t out of line.
Keiran stood up and moved over to the baby then getting down on all fours to observe Zach’s wobbly, seated pose. Though the child made him smile momentarily, he turned to look back at Thana. “How can I possibly help the Nahli with Athan and cope with all of this? What if he makes his move while we’re so desperately beaten down?”
She moved from her seat and sat down on the steps closer to them. “Keir, you don’t honestly think this harsh winter was limited to only Tordania, do you? What if Talaus took it even worse? You’ve said it was colder up there to begin with. Maybe Athan is dealing with the same dismal issues.”
Keiran quirked a brow. “As unfortunate as that would be for the people living under his rule, it would be best for the world at large if that were true. Though, I doubt he’s as troubled by the plight of his citizens as most of the rest of the world’s leaders would be.”
“I have a feeling this winter did crush them just as it did us. I suspect your sister and the Nahli are the only ones thriving under the circumstances. What’s a bit more snow to them?”
“The cold has always been the Nahli’s greatest ally. It’s the only thing that has kept them safe from the troubles of the southern nations for the most part.” He shifted around and sat beside his son, placing a hand against the baby’s back to keep him from toppling over as his swaying increased. “If it put all of our nations back equally, I suppose I have less to worry about. The next year will be spent simply trying to survive.”
Garhan strode into the room, clutching the prosthetic hand Thana had turned over to him against his chest. He wore a wide grin, his mood in contrast to the couple sitting before him.
Thana gave a hopeful smile to him. “Are you done examining it?”
Garhan stopped and held the prosthetic out in one hand, waving over it with the other. “This device is absolutely amazing. I did find s
omething unexpected within.”
Her expression fell. “Unexpected?”
Keiran rose, picking up Zach and bringing him along. “What is it?”
“All right. Thana, come here and put it back on, please,” Garhan asked.
She rose up, casting a dubious glance toward her husband and son. Though a pang of anxiety washed over her, she fought past it and made short work of getting the hand affixed to her right arm.
Garhan nodded and then held out his hands toward her. “May I?”
Thana looked toward Keiran again, but he simply responded with a shrug. She sighed and nodded her consent. “Go on.”
Garhan smiled and held her right wrist with his left hand. “Watch this.”
Keiran moved in closer as Garhan gripped the thumb of her artificial hand and pushed it back toward her wrist. There was an audible click.
With that, Garhan stepped back. “Now, Thana, extend your arm straight out before you.”
Before, that action had caused the fingers of the hand to open up, but now they curled inward to form a tight fist. As her arm completely straightened, there was a louder click and a dagger-like blade darted out from between the middle and ring finger knuckles.
The recoil force of the blade’s springing forth caught her by surprise and she yelped. With her eyes wide, she bent her elbow again, bringing the blade closer to her face, examining it. Her left hand came up, touching it, finding the edges of the blade to be incredibly sharp. “What in the world?”
“A defensive weapon. There is nothing I could find on this hand to harm the user, just a means of protection,” Garhan said, crossing his arms over his chest. “I realized the mechanism inside was too complicated for what we knew it could do.”
Thana’s initial fear was taken over by fascination. The surface of the blade was covered in the same ornate decorative etching as the other components. “A work of art and a weapon always at the ready…”
“A weapon that cannot simply be plucked from your grip. Quite clever, really. I’ve never seen anything like it before.” Garhan shook his head and looked at his brother. “You better behave from now on.”
Keiran shook his head and raised his brows. “I don’t want any trouble.”
Thana lowered the weapon and turned her attention back to Garhan. “So, how do I put it back to the way it was?”
Garhan tipped his head toward her prosthetic. “Grab the thumb and pull it away from the fist and down toward your wrist again. Extend your arm once more afterward.”
Thana did as instructed, the blade smoothly sliding back into the mechanism it had sprung from. When it was gone, the hand again functioned as before.
With Zach writhing in his arms, Keiran addressed Garhan. “And you are absolutely certain there is nothing else unexpected in that?”
“I’m confident. She should exercise caution in the beginning with it, but since she must extend the arm away from herself to deploy the blade, harming herself shouldn’t be an issue,” Garhan said. “It has to be deliberately engaged.”
Thana turned away from them slightly, still marveling at the piece of technology strapped to her arm. “This…this didn’t come from someone that wishes me harm. Someone is honestly trying to help.”
“It would appear so.” Garhan sighed and looked at Keiran. “Still, that someone walked right into this castle unseen and left it here.”
Keiran’s skin crawled at the thought. Yet, he could see Thana’s initial concerns were abating, and she clearly wanted to keep the hand. “And there is no chance of it accidentally engaging?”
Garhan shook his head. “As I said, it must be deliberately deployed. The mechanism is physically blocked from springing unless she activates it. Whoever built this knew exactly what they were doing.”
Thana turned to face them. After the few scares she’d had over the previous year, the idea of being constantly armed appealed to her. “I’ll be careful with it. Give me Zach, he’s ready to go have a nap.”
Keiran offered over their son, then watched her walk away with the boy perched on her left hip. Once she was out of earshot, he turned to his brother. “Now, we are still left with why and who.”
Garhan placed a hand on Keiran’s shoulder. “Whoever brought it will reveal their identity when they are ready.”
“Baden seems most likely. You and I both felt something here recently. There’s no way he made it though. I may not know him well, but he didn’t come off as possessing that sort of genius,” Keiran said.
Garhan snorted. “If Baden was born and raised in Talaus, there’s no chance he could have built it. As I said, that is clearly Weslanese craftsmanship on a master level. Baden is little more than a boy. Someone else made it, but even so, why Baden would have brought it, I do not know.”
Keiran frowned. “I suppose it will have to remain a mystery.
The older vampire gave his brother a sidelong glance. “You know you got me into trouble with Mari. She knows I discussed my continued concerns about her health with you.”
He winced. “I didn’t mean to make her angry. We all care for her a great deal, and I don’t want to see her make matters any worse.”
Garhan sighed and slouched. “I know. I fear losing her too quickly after being reunited. I would do anything to please her, which brings me to something I wanted to discuss.”
“What?”
“She told me the way north is clear,” Garhan said.
Keiran nodded. “I received a second account just a while ago stating the same. I suppose Mari will be getting ready to head back to Aleria. I wish I could make the journey myself, but with the state of affairs as they are, I can’t leave in clear conscience.”
Garhan closed his eyes and groaned, already feeling fear welling up within him. “I dread the journey.”
“If you’d rather not go, I will send escorts with her if it will put your mind at ease,” Keiran replied.
His teal eyes opened, his deadpan expression sending a chill down Keiran’s spine as their gazes locked. While Garhan looked like Athan in general, the added emotional burden of whatever he felt gave him a countenance all too much like his father. “I’m afraid, little brother, my initial comment last year that I needed to talk to Theryn myself still stands.”
Keiran quirked a brow. “But your fear of going outside…”
“Is irrelevant. I must do what I have to.” Garhan straightened up, standing slightly taller than Keiran. “Mari will protest my accompaniment, and make no mistake, I do not wish to go. However, it is the best way to put all this trouble with Aleria to rest.”
“I would think she’d be happy to have you along,” Keiran said.
“She’s openly said she wishes to travel with me, but this is…” His words trailed off as he struggled with the thought. “My phobia of being out there is going to make me generally unpleasant to be with for such a trip. If we are to head north, I can only assume you are sending us by ship once we hit the coast?”
“Aye, it would be quickest.”
Garhan frowned and growled in his throat. The notion of being on a ship was worse than simply being outside. “Well, I suppose I better get used to the idea. How soon do you want us to leave?”
Keiran shrugged. “I will leave that up to Mari’s discretion. She knows what she needs to get for this trip better than I do.”
Garhan flashed an insincere smile, again looking a little too much like Athan for Keiran’s liking. “Then, I will go tell her. I know she’s eager to get underway, pain or not.”
Keiran watched Garhan go. He knew his brother had been increasingly concerned about Mari’s condition and drug use. Being shut in for the duration of the winter certainly hadn’t helped things between them.
They’d been little more than children when they’d fallen in love. Decades of separation where they’d both changed independently of one another certainly hadn’t made their situation any easier.
* * *
Magretha stood at the counter in the kitchen, helping Co
rina get the evening meal together. Supplies in the castle had run low, and they’d needed to get creative with what they had left.
Corina, chopping root vegetables, paused and looked across the counter at the younger woman. “Mag, are you feeling well?”
She was leaning forward on the counter, both hands clamped tight around the edge of it. There was a faint sheen of sweat across her skin. “Not at all.”
The old woman rushed around the counter and put a hand on Magretha’s back. “What’s wrong?”
“Cramping,” she replied quietly, her fingernails digging into the wooden countertop.
“We need to get you in bed, immediately!” Corina’s words wavered in her concern.
Within minutes, Corina had escorted Magretha to the room she and Jerris shared while they wintered in the castle. The younger woman lay on the bed, curled up on her side as the pain and tension worsened in her abdomen.
Corina soon spotted the blood staining the skirt of Magretha’s dress. She tried to hide her initial reaction to it, forcing up a smile. “Magretha, I’m going to leave you for just a moment to go get Jerris. I’m certain you’d feel better with him here.”
Magretha gave a slight nod, her eyes closed as her mind was overtaken by the pain. “Aye…”
Corina hurried from the room, going straight to Laron’s quarters. She looked inside, but the castle physician wasn’t there. Her instincts told her it didn’t matter but having another to validate her concerns would have been preferred.
She backed out of the room, wondering where she’d be able to find Jerris. She nearly walked into Keiran.
He looked her over, seeing the expression she wore. “What is it, Corina? Are you looking for Laron? He’s left to go travel through the valley and help those in need.”
She wrung her hands together and shook her head. “It’s not me, it’s Magretha. Keir, she’s losing the baby.”
His eyes widened and he scanned up and down the hall before settling his gaze back onto her. “Should I dispatch someone to go find Laron and get him here?”
The King's Knight (Royal Blood Book 5) Page 4
