by Radu Aldea
She shrugged. If she failed, someone else would take her place. Lucian would die. He deserved it. She knew she had the time to get a message to Cecilia and Amelia. Nothing was faster than a thought. She would see in Michael’s expression when he would receive the order to kill her.
“You were a good lay. I’ll miss you in that regard. You don’t mind if I enjoy myself one more time. This will not be unpleasant for you, much.”
“You weren’t and you won’t.” Meaning he wasn’t a good lay and he won’t be enjoying anything now.
“I think I would enjoy it a lot more if you were feisty and fighting me, but we can’t have that. You are too dangerous.”
Lucian thought he knew her so well, but he didn’t. There was the satisfaction she had been right about him and guessed exactly what he would do before he killed her.
“Immobilize her!” Lucian ordered Michael and she immediately felt that she couldn’t move one inch with any part of her body. There was a pained expression on Michael’s face and she guessed he was using air against her.
“I want her bent over the couch.”
And that happened. She was being moved against her will and no matter how much she fought it, there was nothing she could do. Michael was simply too powerful. How much longer are you going to allow this? Until the end, she answered herself.
“You know he has been keeping secrets too. You know about the other wizard, but do you know what they are planning? He may’ve saved your life, but you were a fool to think you can trust him. Don’t worry, I’ll get rid of him and then I will hunt the other one.”
She will have to ask Michael about it. There was something he had been hiding, she knew that. The way he had been going over those books spoke of purpose. Kara hadn’t asked about it, because she didn’t care. Perhaps she should have. But right now she was bent over a couch and it was more than humiliating.
Chapter forty-two
Aleyna woke up with a start. It took her a few seconds to realize that it was still the middle of the night and she was in a strange place. Then she remembered she wasn’t even in Suttland. Felix’s house was welcoming enough, but it wasn’t home.
The dream had seemed so real, which was why it startled her. Nothing like that had ever happened to Aleyna. Dreams were just dreams, but try as she might she could not recall it. There was only the feeling of dread she could not escape even now that she was awake.
For once she was stumped and didn’t know what to do. Maybe Christian would have an idea. She ran to his room. It was not far, and just like hers, it had guards on the door. They were not going to stop her, but Christian would be awoken by the commotion. She walked right past them to find a drowsy Christian. Aleyna hadn’t given him time to prepare.
“Kara’s in trouble,” she just blurted it out.
He didn’t answer immediately and was looking around the room. The senator was searching for something. “Kara’s dead, Aleyna. Don’t you remember that?”
The way he said it, made her think that something else was going on. So she tried to identify what was out of place. There was very little light in the room, only what managed to get in through the windows, but her eyes adjusted and she found the intruder. Silhouetted against one of the windows, still looking outside and not moving, was another person. It didn’t take Aleyna long to identify her. Maya was wearing a very short tunic that barely covered her buttocks and revealed her long, supple legs. She had taken Christian by surprise and Maya did the same to her. She could usually tell if there was another person in the room, regardless of darkness, but the girl had been that still and quiet.
“Kara is in trouble? May I inquire how you know this?” Maya was amused.
Aleyna figured the best solution was to tell the truth. “I had a dream.”
“How intriguing! I was expecting something more mundane. What was it about?”
“I don’t remember. All I have is the feeling something is happening to Kara.”
“It was just a nightmare, Aleyna. It doesn’t mean anything.” She wanted to protest, but with Maya in the room she thought better of it. Christian turned his attention to Maya. “The truth is we haven’t found Kara’s body and Aleyna’s been through so much. It is hard for some to accept that Kara is at the bottom of the lake. I’ve been expecting something like this.”
Christian was so smooth in making her look like a crazy person that at first she didn’t know how to react. And then she was angry. Yes, she should’ve been more careful, but he could’ve found another solution. After all, he was the one who invited the little tramp into his bed, ignoring her warnings of how dangerous the girl was. He was the one who was sleeping soundly, while Maya had been watching and planning only the gods knew what.
“And you couldn’t find a body in a lake? Aren’t they supposed to bloat and rise to the surface?” They were. Aleyna had the distinct impression Maya was toying with Christian too. That reinforced Aleyna’s opinion that Maya was a far more formidable opponent than her young senator friend thought. At least the girl didn’t think she was insane.
“Not if they got caught in something. We sent people to search the bottom, but you can imagine how difficult that is. Why are you not in bed, anyway?”
“I told you. I only sleep in places where nobody can get to me. Your bed is not that.”
“I have guards. Nobody can get to you here while sleeping.”
“Except you.” Maya may’ve shared his bed, but that didn’t mean she trusted him. Once again the girl proved that she, not Christian, was the more rational of the two.
“Do you really think that after I lay with you I am going to break the guest law and end your life? Who do you think I am?” Christian had been insulted and was really upset.
“I probably would’ve slept had I needed it or been tired. I wasn’t, so I took the time to think. And don’t be so insulted! You must think I’m a moron if you believed that I was going to buy your story about Kara. You know, some believe that senators, wizards and sorceresses evolved from humans who exhibited unusual abilities. Maybe Aleyna’s dream is proof of this.”
It wasn’t. She was human and had not previously shown any sign that she possessed such abilities, but Maya sounded like she truly believed what she was saying. Of course, in the darkness it was more difficult to read facial expressions and easier to lie.
“How could you possibly think this is a good idea?” Aleyna asked Christian. “I like her too, you know, she’s smart, pretty and funny, but she works for the Casti.”
“She’s a far better idea than Aidan and I didn’t say anything about that.”
“You didn’t say anything? That’s all you talked about. There was no end to your jokes.”
“This is fascinating,” Maya spoke. “As much as I like to hear you bickering like two old ladies, let me put an end to this argument. Me bedding him, it wasn’t a bad idea, it was a horrible idea and I will pay for that. That being said, it happened, it’s not your problem and we will deal with that, not you, Aleyna.”
“Are you saying it won’t happen again?” Aleyna used a light tone, but she didn’t know if she was serious or joking. Probably both.
“I’m saying I am ready to face the consequences of my actions.”
Aleyna understood that Maya had a very strong personality and was not going to back down. That made her smile inside. The young senator needed someone like this. The girls she had noticed around Christian were the kind that fawned all over him. They didn’t challenge him at all and that’s why he was so easily bored. The problem was that he seemed more upset about them splitting up than Maya. Of course, the girl had no intention of giving Christian up, which she had made abundantly clear.
“You are wrong. I am involved in this because I am his friend and I’m not going to allow anyone to take advantage of him. His mother might have a problem with this too.”
“Do you really think someone can take advantage of a senator, even another senator?” The answer to Maya’s question was no and she was
diminishing Christian. “I told you, what happened between us might be a good idea for him, only for me will there be negative consequences. And as far as his mother is concerned, Marcia is a politician. She will weigh the benefits against the risks and she will approve.”
“So confident of that, are you?”
“Yes!” There had been no hesitation or any other sign that would suggest she was anything but truthful. Damn! Marcia would do exactly that, although Aleyna could not see the benefits for Christian of having a relationship with a senator of medium power. Of course, if she was right about Maya, there were a lot of advantages. To have someone powerful enough to challenge Kara on your side would be quite a coup. It would secure Marcia’s leadership.
“You’re wrong about me, you know. I have no intention of helping Marcia become the head of the family,’’ Maya answered her unasked question. The girl was a mind-reader too.
“What do you want?”
“You’ll be surprised to hear that it’s mostly what you want, what everybody wants. But right now, from you, I want everything you know about the priests of the Sun God and why you aren’t sure they weren’t involved in the attack on Kara.”
“And why would we do that?”
“Because the Casti are not a problem. Lucian is even less of one. You might not be aware of it, but Julia’s plan is working, and if he isn’t dead already, he will be soon.”
That was incredibly arrogant. Although Julia’s plan was to kill Lucian, Maya’s claim that she actually knew how it would happened, well, that was too much. “You claim to know Julia’s plan? Is she so easily read by the Casti?”
“I have no idea what Robert is thinking. And I do know why Julia created the most elaborate diversion I’ve ever seen, but I’m not sure you do. Her plan is what will happen. The backup plan is to make Lucian leave his fortress and ambush him. The backup of the backup plan is taking Ornulf’s Gap and hoping you can stop Cuttland there until Essland is conquered. I doubt anyone thinks that is achievable.”
Aleyna gasped. Maya was right and those were Julia’s plans, at least the last two. The suggestion that the powerful blonde had a plan she had not shared with them was not out of the realm of possibility. The Eastern Suttland senator had acted like she knew something they didn’t and was quite capable of manipulating them to serve her own agenda.
“If you tell me what I want to know, I will tell you something you want to know.”
Maya’s offer was quite attractive. “What do you think we want to know?”
“Ask your questions and if I know the answers I will give them to you. Let me answer one of them. Kara is alive and she is not in trouble. Trust that she has a plan and knows what she is doing. There’s nothing you can do about it from here, but you can about the priests.”
“Where is she hiding?”
“She’s not hiding, well, not exactly. I’m not sure you understand what the purpose of this game is. Julia does. And if you don’t see the game-board, the endgame, you just stumble around like you two do. There is something you are not seeing, but Julia did.”
Aleyna closed her eyes, took a deep breath and then she understood. The endgame was right there before her eyes. The objective of this game, that’s what Maya had called it, but it was somehow deceptive considering its bloody nature and the lives already lost, was both almost unachievable and simple. Julia and Kara wanted Suttland’s hegemony. The first obstacle in their way was Lucian and he had to be removed. That was evidently Julia’s thinking, but could it be Kara’s? Yes, her friend wanted to kill him two years ago and she still wanted it now. Yet there was not much she could do without an army. And the redhead didn’t have one, as far as she knew. What was she missing that Julia hadn’t? Aleyna still didn’t have an answer.
“Are you sure she is in Essland?”
“That’s where she was heading when I saw her,” Maya answered flatly, as if she hadn’t just revealed explosive information. Christian recovered first.
“Wait a minute, you actually saw her?”
“Well, her hair was shorter and she dyed it, but it was her. So you see, Aleyna, I am not your enemy. If I were, Kara would be dead. She was alone when she visited a local historian in Orenburg. We had a lovely conversation about the veil, actually.”
“Cyprian Vitalis lives in Orenburg, but why would she go to him?”
“You will have to ask Kara about that.”
Aleyna could see no reason why her friend would risk going to that city and reveal herself to the historian, disguise notwithstanding. Her features were too distinctive and Kara was easily recognizable. Then she remembered something that happened there. “She killed three Casti battle-senators. Julia was blamed for that, but she didn’t have enough troops near the city for an ambush.”
“That’s possible. They did break the guest law, so they deserved it.” When Maya told the story, Aleyna agreed with the girl. Of course, Kara couldn’t have known what happened in Cyprian’s house, but removing nearby threats, which the three Casti senators were, was sound thinking. “These fools who trample on the guest law don’t know what they are doing. Short-term they might gain a little, but in the long-term it will destroy the hierarchy of the Order. Patrons won’t visit their clients, clients their patrons, and everyone will hide behind solid walls.”
Hiding behind impregnable walls meant ceding the initiative, but if everyone started undermining their immediate superior the Order would collapse. Yet that was in the future and they had more pressing concerns. Maya had answered their question and Aleyna saw no reason why they shouldn’t tell her everything they knew about the priests of the Sun God. The missing memories came as a surprise to Maya. She didn’t know about those.
“And are you sure you did everything you could to take over that priest?”
“Yes. I’ve tried and Sarah tried. It was to no avail.”
Only they hadn’t done everything. “We need to get Julia!”
Maya smiled. Aleyna knew she had been led to that solution. Julia was the most powerful available senator, since Kara, if alive, was out of reach. “You know, Cyprian Vitalis has made a very interesting discovery. Perhaps you should send someone to ask him about it. I’m sure he is hiding somewhere, since the three dead Casti senators were guests in his house. But you should send someone who will understand. Julia and you Aleyna, maybe, I’m not sure about you, Christian, definitely Reyna. I don’t want to say anything that would influence your own conclusions. You should see it for yourselves.”
That was cryptic. If they trusted Maya, they should definitely follow this lead. Of course, this could be a trap, but not a very good one. Nobody said they should send Reyna or Julia to search for the historian. They should send soldiers to bring him to Suttland where they could interrogate them. She wondered what had the historian discovered that was so important.
“You know, the emperor miscalculated badly when he used that Essland count to attack Kara.” Again, Maya’s matter-of-fact tone aggravated Aleyna.
“You were holding onto that one, weren’t you? Did Kara tell you that?” Christian asked.
“No, but I’m pretty sure she knew. One of the reasons she was going to Essland.”
“Perhaps you will enlighten us on who killed Rufus?” Aleyna wasn’t sure Maya was telling the truth, but that could be easily verified.
“That I don’t know, but I wish I did. I don’t think it was the Casti. I’m pretty confident about Robert, I am pretty much aware of every move he does. I’m not so sure about Roger, though.” A pause. “I can see the pieces on the board so clearly. The emperor charged into the enemy lines. A pawn sacrifice. Lucian is a more important piece, but he is under attack from multiple sides, there aren’t enough pieces to protect him and he has nowhere to run. He’s done. Riffland will fall as soon as your family sets its sights on it. Then Kara and Julia will converge on Cuttland and tear it apart. The Conclave will implode in internal fighting. On this game-board nothing can withstand Suttland’s onslaught. But this is not the re
al game-board.”
Chapter forty-three
Kara had waited long enough. It was time to fight. She could feel Lucian’s grubby hands on her body. Everything had to be timed just right or it wouldn’t work. The dagger was within her reach if she could actually move. Only she couldn’t. Michael was still holding her and even though he was fighting Lucian’s control he would not be able to get free in time.
This is the moment. Now she would learn if her crazy plan actually worked. She opened the connection in her mind, the different one, the one she had blocked. Immediately, a flood of emotions hit her. Confusion, desperation, hurt, powerlessness, all coming from Michael. She sent hers in an effort to reassure him, love being the most important one.
That got a response from Michael, because his hold on her disappeared. Now was her opportunity to act before Lucian realized what happened. How long would it take him to understand he lost control of the wizard? It wasn’t soon enough. She didn’t waste any time, grabbed her dagger and stabbed him in the neck. Kara knew she had severed the carotid artery and he didn’t have long to live. She took out the blade and could not avoid the spray of blood. Luckily, Michael was out of the way and he wouldn’t have to get clean.
“Hold them,” she shouted to Michael and he seemed to understand that she wanted him to immobilize the guards, because they stopped moving towards her. Lucian was still capable of commanding them. For how long, she wasn’t sure? Maybe it will take him a minute to die, or maybe two, but he would die.
She melded a tendril of power with her connection to Michael, the one she had created when she had performed the joining ritual on the mountain shrine. The ritual allowed the two people it connected to exchange emotions, not thoughts or orders. This was a connection between equals who trusted each other with their lives. It allowed her to choose the moment when it was completed, and once started, even if another senator took over Michael, she could shatter that control by unblocking the connection. She hadn’t been sure it would work, although her book said it would, until she actually freed Michael. Her gamble paid off.
