The temple on the hill had been painted black, and next to it a giant palace was being constructed.
Coralie pushed herself harder. She should have left earlier, she shouldn’t be cutting it this close to the curfew, but she hadn’t found work until late afternoon, and she had to finish if she wanted to eat. She cringed. If she wanted to eat without Aron’s help.
The windows of the inn were dark as she pushed inside the door. The crowd was subdued, a tense silence descended as she opened the door, and every eye glanced her way. They quickly looked away again, and quiet talk resumed, but it was not at all like it had been the first night they had arrived here.
She made her way to the back, over to their usual table. Lilianna and Aron were sitting next to each other, their heads leaning together. Gird sat leaning into a dark corner, a full plate of food untouched in front of him, eyeing the crowd with narrowed eyes. Paric was, yet again, up at the bar flirting with the proprietor.
“Hey,” Coralie said, sitting on Lilianna’s other side.
Lilianna immediately turned, grinned, and hugged her.
“Hey! How did it go?” Her cheeks were warm and red, the flagon in front of her half empty.
Coralie forced a smile. “It went all right.” She pulled the coin from her pocket and set it on the table with a click.
“Dinner!” Lilianna said.
For one of them.
Aron leaned forward. “Evening.”
Coralie nodded. “Evening.”
“You really don’t need to do that,” Aron said.
“Thanks,” Coralie said. “I’d rather—”
The door banged open again, and the room went silent. This time, the silence deepened as two soldiers came in, accompanied by a cold gust of wind. Coralie looked down at the table.
“Everyone up against that wall,” one of them said, and immediately there was a mad rush accompanied the the scraping of chairs. A plate clattered to the floor.
Coralie, her head bent, rushed to follow, feeling the waves of anger radiating off Lilianna as she stood next to her.
The men went down the line, looking into the eyes of each person one by one. Paric’s arms were crossed in front of his chest. He stared back cooly at the man who examined him. He was a good six inches shorter than Paric. The man moved on quickly, but when he came to Lilianna he leaned in close, cupping her chin in his hand.
She shoved him back angrily, and Coralie’s breath froze in her chest, but the man only laughed and shoved her back before moving on.
They came to the end of the row.
“Praise Yqtos,” the taller of the two soldiers said, scanning the group one last time.
“Praise Yqtos,” the group intoned, eyes on the ground.
The men left, one of them grabbing a pastry off a plate as he passed.
When the door had banged shut again, no one moved for several seconds. Slowly, people began returning to their seats. The plate was picked up off the floor.
Coralie returned to their table, shaking, and sat down. Her coin was gone.
“Don’t worry about it, I’ll get it,” Aron said.
She tried to smile. “Thank you.”
Lilianna picked up her flagon only to bang it back down on the table. “This is stupid. Why isn’t anyone standing up to them?”
“They tried,” Coralie said. “You saw what happened.”
“Yeah, but…”
“I agree…” Gird said, speaking for the first time. “Something must be done.”
Lilianna sat up straighter, staring down into her drink. She placed her hands flat on the surface of the table.
“Yes.” She downed the last of her drink and banged the empty flagon onto the table. “You know what? I’m going to do something about this.”
Coralie’s eyebrows raised and she leaned back. Lilianna glanced at her.
“I mean it. I’ve been sitting around doing nothing while you’re out there working all day. I’m sick of it. I’m going to kill him.”
“What?” Coralie said. That was crazy. How many drinks had Lilianna had today?
Lilianna was glaring around the table now, looking at Paric, Gird and Aron.
“I don’t care if you think this is stupid.”
Aron was leaning his elbows on the table, looking thoughtfully up at the ceiling. “No… I… I think it’s a good idea actually.”
“Except it’s insane,” Coralie exploded, then immediately wished she hadn’t. Lilianna turned furiously to her.
“Oh, what, you think I can’t?”
“No… no… I mean, I…” Of course she couldn’t. What did she want her to say? This was completely insane. If twenty-one boatloads of soldiers couldn’t kill this monster, there was no way Lilianna was going to.
“Something must be done,” Gird said. “I agree. Perhaps it is… foolhardy, but if we do nothing…”
Paric shrugged, glancing back at the bar. “I’m in. That’s what I’m here for anyway.”
“I wasn’t asking for your help,” Lilianna said, her tone icy. She wasn’t looking at Coralie.
“No, but of course you have it,” Aron said.
Coralie’s stomach twisted. She picked at a knot in the table. She glanced up, but even the side of Lilianna’s head looked angry.
Coralie swallowed, surprised by the sudden urge to cry.
She pushed clumsily back from the table. “I’m sorry, I’m—I’m really tired.”
Aron looked concerned. “Oh of course, I’ll pay for your room tonight. And I’ll have some food sent up to you.”
Coralie only nodded; it would take too much time to protest, and she had to get out of there. As quickly as she could, she pushed away, hurrying through the crowd, wishing Lilianna would follow, but knowing she wouldn’t.
43
Lilianna
“Why can’t we just shoot him?” Lilianna muttered for the fifth time, kicking her dangling bare feet in the water.
Paric sat leaning against a pillar, one bare foot hanging off the edge of the dock, a hat pulled low over his eyes.
“Too easy to go wrong. Plus he’ll be expecting that.”
Lilianna turned to Aron, who was lying on his back, squinting up at the clouds. Gird was unpacking their lunch nearby. “Come on, Aron, it’s a good idea, right?”
“Sorry, I think Paric’s right. It doesn’t feel like it would work to me.”
Lilianna frowned, staring down into the murky depths.
“All right, what about… we burn down his castle.”
“He will certainly be warned in time and evacuated, miss,” Gird said.
“Let’s poison him, then.”
“See, the thing with poison,” Paric said, “and I’m not saying this is a bad option, is that you risk poisoning the wrong person. You do that, your target is immediately on guard.” As an afterthought, he added. “Plus you’ve killed someone you didn’t mean to.”
Lilianna glowered. She wondered where Coralie was. Out making tons of money and being useful and successful, probably. Coralie would have thought of a workable plan by now. “So, let’s poison all of them.”
“What, everyone?” Paric asked lazily. “In the whole castle?”
“Yeah.”
“And kill all the servants and soldiers and innocent people?”
“Yeah.”
Paric whistled. “Look, I’m not saying I’m totally against mass carnage but…”
Lilianna sat up. “Wait, no, that’s a good idea.”
Paric lifted his hat and eyed her. “Really, I mean, I admire your commitment, but—”
Lilianna waved a hand. “No, no, not the poisoning everyone thing.” She swept her gaze up the city streets, up and up to the castle on the hill, still in the midst of construction. There had to be tons of servants. “I’ll get a job there.”
Paric lifted an eyebrow, and Gird choked and coughed up a scone.
“No, really,” Lilianna said. A fire had lit in her stomach. This was it. This was how she was going to help
. “All of these plans are stupid.”
“Look, I’m not arguing with you, but—”
“We need more information.”
“Sure, but—”
“They must need more servants.”
“So… you’ll what, walk up there, knock on the castle gates, and just, totally unsuspiciously ask for employment? Preferably somewhere you can overhear the most?”
Lilianna glanced at Aron. “Aron, how should I go get a job there?”
Aron pushed up onto his elbows and looked at them with a faraway glint in his eyes.
“It doesn’t feel like a bad idea, at least.”
“So… a good idea?”
“Um, no, not quite that.”
“Well, that’s good enough for me.” Lilianna started to stand.
Paric made a suppressive gesture with his hands. “Whoa, whoa, whoa. Slow down, girl. Let’s think this through.”
“I’m tired of thinking things through. We’ve been thinking things through.”
“And now let’s just spend two minutes finishing that process, yeah?”
Lilianna sat back down. “Fine. OK.”
Paric sighed and rubbed his hand across his forehead. “Yqtos, girl.”
“Could you perhaps swear to some other diety?” Gird asked. “I’ve had quite enough of that one.”
“Fair point. Sweet Numenos’ tits, girl.” He turned to Aron. “You must know plenty of fancy rich people in this city, right?”
“Some, but I doubt they’re connected with Jedren’s people.”
“Naw,” Paric waved him off. “Rich people are rich people. If Jedren wants to consolidate his power the quickest, he’ll have won them over, or cowed them, or some combination of the two. But I guarantee you there’s some channel there. How about you ask around, see if you can find someone who can get the girl a job? Preferably something where she’s not likely to be killed.”
“Don’t put me somewhere totally out of the way, though,” Lilianna snapped. “I need to be somewhere I can hear things.”
“You can hear things from the other servants.”
“I’d rather hear them straight from Jedren.”
“Yqt—Zastros’ balls.” Paric shook his head. “Just don’t tell them about us when they execute you, all right?”
“Sure.”
“And don’t like, lunge at him with a knife the first time you see him.”
Lilianna rolled her eyes. “I’m not going to.”
“You chased after that bandit as soon as he let you go.”
“Yeah, well, I don’t like it when people threaten me.” She glanced up at the castle again, all her anxiety burning away. Yes. She was going to do this. Her mind flashed back to that night, standing over her father in the dark. She had failed then, but she wouldn’t fail now.
44
Coralie
A few days later, Coralie made her way up the back staircase to her room, still not ready to face Lilianna. She collapsed on the bed, closed her eyes and massaged her aching arm muscles. Her fingers ached, and her palms were red and blistered. The door creaked open, and she heard Lilianna’s soft, sure footsteps approach. Her heart leapt. She was about to apologize when Lilianna spoke.
“How’d it go today?”
Coralie sighed. “They said they’d pay me at the end of the week.”
Lilianna paused. Coralie could hear her indecision. “They’re lying to you.”
Probably. “No, they’re not.” At least she was working. At least she had a chance to be making money this way.
Lilianna sat down next to her. Hesitantly, she took her hand, examining the blisters. Then she started rubbing her arm. Coralie lay completely still, afraid if she moved it would turn out to never have been real.
“Aron found me a job,” Lilianna said, her tone nonchalant.
Coralie’s stomach sank, but she didn’t move.
“Oh? That’s… great… doing what?”
“At the castle.”
Lilianna’s hands continued, moving higher up her arm. Coralie bit her lip. She could tell Lilianna wanted her to be happy about this. But she couldn’t. This was a terrible plan. It was stupid. Ridiculous. Lilianna was going to get herself killed for nothing. But she didn’t want to say that. She didn’t want to argue with her. But if she didn’t, Lilianna was going to go and get herself killed.
Coralie sat up. Lilianna’s hands withdrew.
Coralie opened her mouth and shut it again. Lilianna’s face was hard.
“Look, I… I know you want to help, but—”
“But what? I’m no good for anything? I can’t do this? I should just sit around while you do everything?” Lilianna exploded.
Coralie rubbed her hands on her thighs, and immediately her blisters sent searing pain shooting through her. “No, no, of course not. But… I mean, you don’t even know how to use a weapon. You’re talking about… trying to kill a…”
“It doesn’t matter. I’m going to do it.” Lilianna’s fists were clenched in her lap.
Coralie licked her lips, frowning down at the bedspread. She didn’t want to hurt Lilianna. She wanted to reach over and wrap her arms around her and tell her how amazing and perfect and beautiful she was. But she couldn’t tell her that this was a good plan. She took a shaky breath and forced herself to meet Lilianna’s furious green eyes.
“Please don’t do this. Let’s… let’s talk about it and try to find something else you—”
“Don’t patronize me,” Lilianna said, standing. “Why don’t you go back to working yourself to death for no pay? That seems like it’s working great.”
She stormed out.
Coralie slumped.
45
Lilianna
Lilianna left early that morning, without saying goodbye to Coralie. Her anger, still hot from the night before, carried her up the streets, and before she had even realized where she was, she was standing outside the newly constructed castle gates.
A soldier met her, his eyes sweeping down the length of her body before darting back up to her eyes. He looked bored.
“All right. This way.”
They passed through the gates, through an open bare-stone courtyard, and into a great hall lit by torches. There, at the far end, was an enormous man, sprawled across a throne.
There was something dark and unsettling about him. A strange, shadowy substance seemed to hang around him, and Lilianna felt her hands and feet go cold. Maybe this was a bad idea. Coralie’s contemptuous face flashed across her mind and she grit her teeth. No. I’m doing this. She followed the soldier, taking deep breaths to keep from shaking, until they stood in front of him.
“Sir, this is the girl.”
The warlord’s eyes made the same journey the soldier’s had before. Then he gave a quick nod. “All right.”
The soldier motioned for her to follow and led her through a side door. The air felt immediately warmer, and something in her chest unhitched now that she wasn’t standing in front of that creature.
They turned up a large, winding stair. At the top, he produced a key and unlocked a door.
Lilianna was expecting to see a cell, or something equally as horrifying as the man on the throne, but it was only a hallway. She followed the soldier in, then stopped, staring at what was on the walls.
Tapestries. Rich, expensive tapestries. Of the gods. All of them except Yqtos. Lilianna’s mind reeled. Hadn’t he just destroyed every temple to all these gods?
The soldier reached the far wall and turned to stare at her. “Come on.” His tone was harsh, but his eyes followed hers to the tapestries, and he suddenly frowned. Striding forward, he grabbed her arm and yanked her down the hall.
“Ow, stop,” Lilianna said, jerking her arm out of his grasp. “I’m coming.”
They stopped in front of the far door. The soldier placed a hand on the knob, then dropped it. He turned to her. “My lady Kallia has requested an assistant. This is her area of the castle.”
Does Jedren not know
about this?
The soldier continued. “You will not be allowed to leave this area. If you do, you will be executed immediately.”
How are you going to execute me if I’ve left?
“If you say a word to anyone about what you see here, you will be executed.”
Not very creative in your punishments.
“All right.” This was better than she had hoped for. She already had a secret.
They passed through the door, up a staircase, and when they reached a landing, the soldier knocked on a heavy oak door.
After almost a minute the door opened a crack and a slim, pale face looked out.
“Lady Kallia, Lord Jedren sends you the serving girl you requested.”
They locked eyes, and Kallia watched her shrewdly for several seconds. Lilianna’s stomach turned over, but she didn’t break eye contact.
Kallia opened the door wider and stepped over the threshold. The woman was several inches taller than she was. She was incredibly beautiful, her face framed by long dark braids, contrasting sharply with her pure white silk gown. She looked Lilianna up and down, lifted a lank strand of her Lilianna’s brown hair and dropped it again. She took Lilianna’s chin in her hand, bent down and looked her straight in the eyes. She smelled like cedar.
“All right, thank you,” she said over Lilianna’s shoulder.
She turned in the doorway, reached up and touched the topmost stone three times, and then went inside, motioning Lilianna to follow.
Lilianna’s eyes adjusted to the dark quickly. She was in a circular stone room with a high, vaulted ceiling. Around the edges of the room were twelve shrines, each carved from a different color of stone, and each lit by a large candle. Oil lamps hung about the room, illuminating the tiled floor. Lilianna’s footsteps echoed as she followed Kallia, and she looked down and saw that the colored tiles formed an intricate mosaic.
Death of the Immortal King Page 24
