“You’re mine, now, Ashovar. Mine to command. Come here.”
Ash crosses the room, his steps as jerky as if he were a marionette. His expression shows furious concentration, as if he’s fighting every movement, but he still ends up standing once more in front of his father. His knife hangs uselessly at his side. There is fear in his eyes, mixed with the fury and grief. What else can his father force him to do?
“You will never attempt to harm me again, is that understood?”
He nods, unwillingness in the jerky movement of his head. His eyes blaze with fury, and Celebrach turns away, his defenceless back showing more than words could how little he now has to fear from his son.
Ash’s eyes stray to the girl, still standing there, mindlessly waiting for her next order. Waiting for her life of slavery to begin. I suddenly understand that this is how the zombie servants are created. This is how Ni’ishasana, Thief of Souls, drains them of their essence, leaving an empty shell behind.
I realise what he’s going to do almost before he does. It seems inevitable, given how much he loves her. Loved her. Because she’s gone, that beautiful carefree girl, and it would have been kinder to let her die than leave her like this, a mindless servant.
The knife rises again behind Celebrach’s back, but the Lord is no longer his target.
Tears running down his face, Ash buries his non-magical dagger in the girl’s breast, catching her falling body in his arms, heedless of the blood. And this time, there are oceans of blood.
“What do you think you’re doing?” a voice demanded roughly, back in the here and now, and suddenly, I was back in my own body, dizzy and disoriented.
I was still in Celebrach’s study, and I snatched my hand away from the dagger and turned to confront the speaker, hiding my hands behind my back as if I’d come to steal it. Lord Celebrach himself faced me, his frown of displeasure leaving me in no doubt of his opinion of apprentices who wandered around fondling daggers that didn’t belong to them.
“My lord, I’m sorry.” Ash and the dying girl were gone, as if they’d never existed. Great. So now I had true dreams while I was sleeping and visions when I was awake. Visions that felt so real that I knew they had once been right here in this room, and everything I’d just seen had really happened.
My heart was breaking for Ash’s pain, and I had no doubt this time that I’d seen the truth. Darkness still crawled at the edges of my vision, which unsettled me. What kind of freaky magic was this that could send me visions when I was wide awake? Things were going to get damn awkward if I could lose myself like that without any warning. All I’d done was touch the stupid dagger. Had that been what triggered it?
I almost looked back at Ni’ishasana, but that seemed unwise with an angry fae right in front of me, so I stopped myself in time. “Ash sent me to deliver a message, my lord, and when you weren’t here, I came in to leave it on your desk.” I moved so he could see the message waiting there.
“And did he also tell you to treat the place as if it was your own and touch whatever you pleased?”
“He told me to … to memorise your room. For a memory exercise.” I was having trouble focusing on the reality around me, despite the warning signals that Celebrach’s frown was giving off. My head was still lost in the vision.
Ash had told me that he’d killed the girl he’d tried to save, but now that I’d seen the vision, I understood why he’d done so. It had been a mercy killing, not a murder.
And in that case, I had to completely rethink my initial impression of Ash. When he said he’d taken me as an apprentice because I was an innocent, he’d really meant it. He wasn’t the man I’d thought he was at all. He hadn’t wanted to be an assassin; he’d been trapped, like me. Maybe his years as an assassin had turned him into the cold man I knew. But then I thought of his face by firelight last night, and the things he’d told me, and I felt certain that that cold face was nothing but a façade.
Someone rapped on the door, and I jumped.
“Come,” Celebrach said without taking his eyes off me.
The door opened, followed by a sudden indrawn breath. “What is she doing here?”
We both turned to look at the speaker. In the doorway stood Atinna, the girl Rowan had so infamously picked up in the bar—the assassin who’d tried to kill Allegra. She was staring at me in outrage.
25
“Atinna,” Celebrach said. “You’re back.”
She had the blond hair and delicate appearance I remembered, but there was nothing delicate about the look she was giving me. There was death in that stare.
I drew in a shaky breath. I’d forgotten all about her. What a shitshow. In the corner of my vision, the shadows moved, advancing on me, and I shifted uneasily from one foot to the other. Why the hell was I seeing these things? I needed all my concentration here.
“Have you met your fellow apprentice?” Celebrach asked her.
Holy shit. She was Evandir’s missing apprentice?
“Apprentice?” Atinna frowned in confusion. “But she’s … she’s the Spring heir’s best friend. Why would you accept someone like her? She’s here to spy on us.”
They both stared at me, and I almost wished the stupid shadows would swallow me up. At least that way they’d be doing something useful. The fury on Celebrach’s face didn’t bode well for my continued health.
“Are you sure?”
“Of course I’m sure.” Atinna sounded miffed at being questioned. “I studied them all a few weeks ago, when you sent me to remove Allegra Brooks. Her name is Sage Domani.”
Celebrach’s head whipped around so fast it was a wonder he didn’t give himself whiplash. “Fallon Domani’s daughter?”
“Yes.”
For once, I couldn’t think of a single thing to say in my own defence. There was no point lying; Celebrach wouldn’t take my word over Atinna’s, and the facts were easy enough to check anyway. I swallowed hard. Here I was, without a weapon—and I still couldn’t open the damn gate of this blasted sith. There was no escape this time.
Celebrach’s eyes lost their focus for a moment, and I felt a tug somewhere inside me. Was he about to force me to kill myself, or worse? But my panic subsided when nothing else happened. “We will wait for Ashovar and Evandir,” he said to Atinna.
That tug must have been the echo of his summons of Ash.
Impatiently, Celebrach gestured Atinna into the room and shut the door behind her. I backed up, hoping to snatch Ni’ishasana from its stand, but Celebrach’s magic wrapped me in invisible chains before I could move my hand, and he force-marched me around the desk to stand by the bookshelves. He seated himself behind the desk and folded his hands on top of it, and then we waited.
The room was so silent I could hear Atinna breathing. She eyed me with naked hostility, her arms folded across her chest, as the seconds ticked by. It felt like eternity, but it was probably only five minutes before there was a sharp rap on the door and Ash entered, followed by Evandir.
His gaze landed on me first, a wariness in his eyes, before he turned to his father. “You summoned me, lord?”
“Yes.” Celebrach sat back in his chair, apparently relaxed, though he watched Ash carefully as he spoke. “Apparently, your apprentice is the daughter of Fallon Domani, the necromancer, as well as best friend and confidante of the heir of Spring.”
Ash’s expression didn’t change, though I caught a flicker of surprise on Evandir’s face before he smoothed it away.
“Yes,” Ash said calmly. “I’m aware.”
“You told me her name was Sage Forester.”
Celebrach was smiling, but icy rage was in his words. As they faced each other, I was struck by the family resemblance. Their profiles were almost identical. A shiver of déjà vu ran through my veins. I’d compared them in the dream, too, and reached the same conclusions: they had the same nose and face shape. It was unnerving to be playing it out again in real life.
“I’m sure you have an excellent reason for keeping
this information to yourself.”
“I do,” Ash said.
I marvelled at his calm, but it helped me relax a little. I’d been certain I was about to die when Atinna revealed my true identity, but Ash acted as if nothing was amiss. I was curious about his reason myself. Why had he tried to conceal the truth from Celebrach?
“I didn’t think you would give her a chance if you knew who she really was,” he said.
Evandir had moved to stand beside his apprentice, and a sneer curled his lip. He’d certainly never been interested in giving me a chance, though I couldn’t understand what I’d done to piss him off so comprehensively.
Ash ignored him, holding Celebrach’s gaze as he spoke. “But she has already proven herself a worthy candidate to become a Viper. It would be a shame if we lost such a capable apprentice because of some nervousness about her background.”
“Nervousness? Are you mad?” Atinna burst out. “I’ve seen her with the new Lady of Illusion, with the Hawk himself. She has the king’s ear.”
“Atinna, be silent,” Evandir said curtly, as if he were telling his dog to stop barking.
She jerked as if he’d poked her, and I wondered if he’d put some power into that command through their bond. She closed her mouth with a sullen bow of the head, and I was suddenly immensely grateful that it was Ash I had followed into the sith that night and not one of the other assassins.
He was still staring coolly at his father, as if my whole future—and perhaps his, too—wasn’t at risk. If Celebrach didn’t believe him …
Why was Ash doing this? He’d said I reminded him of Hattah—was this all some kind of cosmic payback? As if saving me would make up for not being able to save her? Obviously, his conscience was alive and kicking, whatever he claimed. But to risk everything for a stranger? He was crazy.
“But that’s a good thing, Atinna,” he continued. “Never before have we had someone placed so close to the king.”
“Why, has someone ordered his assassination?” Evandir asked, with obvious interest. A chill lanced through me. Would they use me to get to Rothbold? “I thought those lily-livered Lords were all too frightened of the curse of the Brenfells.”
Celebrach waved him to silence. “There are other advantages in such access to Whitehaven.” He turned his gaze on his son, and it was still icy. “But that doesn’t explain why you kept this piece of information from me. Such insubordination will have to be punished. Did you think me senile, that I couldn’t see the advantages the Lady has dropped in our lap? Or do your thoughts wander in another direction entirely? The daughter of Fallon Domani—are you contemplating treason?”
“Of course not, my lord,” Ash said mildly, ignoring his father’s threatening tone. “But I know you are zealous in your protection of the Nest’s security. I hoped to have Sage prove herself first, to set your mind at ease.”
How long had he thought Atinna would stay away? With everything that had happened, I’d forgotten about her and the threat she represented. But he didn’t have that excuse. Surely, he must have realised she would squeal like a pig the minute she saw me. Or didn’t he know that she’d been sent to kill Allegra a few weeks ago and could identify me?
“Well, I won’t be too hard on you, as it turns out I have the perfect assignment for that.” Celebrach smiled, and my heart nearly stopped at the venom in that smile. Clearly, whatever he was about to say was bad news for us. “We have a new contract, and I believe Sage is acquainted with the target. If she truly can be trusted”—and here he shot me a look of such loathing I was convinced he wanted me dead—“her past loyalties will not affect her performance.”
“You’re sending Sage on a mission already?” Now, Ash looked unsettled. “But she’s barely started her apprenticeship.”
“You will be the mission leader, of course. But Sage must make the hit. I will send Evandir and Atinna to observe. They will know what to do if she proves herself false.”
I caught myself biting my lip and forced myself to stillness. A terrible dread weighed on my heart. Who was the target? All I could think of was Willow. Don’t be ridiculous, I told myself. Why would anyone want to take out Willow? But still my heart thundered in my chest. Maybe it was Allegra. That would be just as bad. And the new Lady of Illusion had certainly managed to make a few enemies.
“And the target?” Ash asked.
“Lord Nox of Night.”
26
Raven’s father. My initial relief at not hearing either of my friends’ names quickly turned to horror. The meeting broke up, but I was barely paying attention. All I could think of was warning Raven. His father was a target—they had to do something to protect him. I had to get a message to him.
But how? I was trapped here in the sith.
Ash had been quiet as we walked back to our cottage after the meeting, refusing to answer any questions. When we entered the firelit living room, he went straight to the sideboard and poured himself a drink from one of the decanters there.
“You drink too much,” I said, watching him swallow half the glass in one gulp.
“And you talk too much. I should silence you, the way Evandir silences his apprentice.”
“I’m not buying this tough act anymore, so you may as well give it up.” He shot me a glare, but I forged on. “Why did you lie to your father to protect me? Why didn’t you tell him my real name the night I came here? You knew who I was, and you deliberately gave him a false name.”
“If I wanted to save your life, it seemed like the only option.” He emptied the glass, but it didn’t appear to help his mood. “Lord Celebrach is a careful man. The Vipers have flourished as long as they have because of his caution. Your real name would have been a death sentence.”
“Because of my connection with Willow? With the king? But he seems pleased about that.”
He threw me a withering look. “Because of your father, Sage.”
I stared at him, non-plussed. “My father? What’s he got to do with anything? I haven’t even seen him in years.”
Nor did I want to. A chill shuddered over my bare arms and trickled down my spine at the thought of the last time I’d seen him—the knife, the blood, the blazing madness in his eyes. Willow, ensnared in vines, a sacrificial lamb to his dark ambitions.
Ash didn’t know what he was talking about. His dad and mine had so much in common, they’d probably be best buddies if they met.
“Lord Celebrach knows what your father wants. Fallon Domani’s been searching for that dagger, or something like it, for years. And Lord Celebrach sees conspiracies everywhere he looks. He would never have believed you weren’t here under your father’s instructions.”
He gazed into the fire, his grey eyes shadowed, face solemn. A muscle jumped in his jaw as he clamped down on some emotion. The room was still, and we were alone in our firelit bubble. I moved closer, watching the strong pulse beat in his neck. I wanted to reach out and touch that patch of skin, feel his heartbeat at my fingertips.
He glanced up as I approached, his gaze lancing through me. I almost forgot to breathe.
“How did you know I wasn’t? Why did you care?” Why had he gone so far out of his way to save the life of a perfect stranger? Because I somehow reminded him of his dead love?
Surely that wasn’t the only reason. After what I’d seen in that vision, I was convinced there was more to Ash than the hard assassin surface. He’d never wanted to be one, after all. Maybe there was still a decent man lurking underneath, struggling to get out. All of a sudden, it seemed hugely important to find that man.
He shook his head and turned back to the fire, and the spell was broken.
“Tell me about this new mission, then,” I said, struggling to make sense of it all. Now, more than ever, I needed an ally among the Vipers. “When do we move against Lord Nox?”
“Still keen to get out of the sith, Sage? I hope, for both our sakes, you remember what I told you: you’re a Viper for life. Evandir and Atinna aren’t just coming along to
watch us, you realise. Lord Celebrach is wary, now—my little bit of rebellion has caught him by surprise. At the first hint of disobedience or betrayal, their job will be to take us both out.”
I shrugged as if unconcerned, though inside my heart was pounding. “They—and you—have nothing to worry about. I’m just eager to see some action outside the training grounds.”
“And it doesn’t bother you in the slightest that we’ll be killing your boyfriend’s father?”
“Raven’s not my boyfriend!”
“Maybe not yet.” His grey eyes watched me closely. “But you’ve been seeing a lot of each other lately, and his intentions, at least, are clear.”
Really? Nothing about Raven was clear to me. And how the hell did Ash know this, anyway? Atinna was supposed to be the one who’d been watching me and my friends.
“Have you got nothing better to do than spy on my personal life?”
He slammed his glass down on the mantelpiece, sudden fury in his eyes.
“At the moment, I seem to be fully occupied with keeping you alive. Sage, Sage.” He grabbed my upper arms and dragged me closer, forcing me to look at him. The room fell away, and all I could see was those eyes and the frustration boiling in them. “Have you no sense of self-preservation at all? This is serious!”
It was as if all the emotions that he usually held back had all come storming out at once, and the room didn’t feel big enough to contain him.
“You’re hurting me,” I said coldly.
He let go on a sudden indrawn breath, as if my words had scalded him, then looked down at his hands for a long moment.
“That was not my intention. That is never my intention.” He took a deep breath. When he looked up, that iron control was back in place. “But Evandir will probably seize this opportunity to try taking you out again, regardless of whether or not you follow orders. Lady knows enough can go wrong on a mission even when everyone is on the same side, and he is not on our side. It’s a perfect chance for him to remove you without any repercussions.”
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