ARC: Assassin Queen (14 page)

“
If you use this paper to send your message, Aghat Mai, anyone on the western side of the Forestlands, from here to Bengaw, will follow your bidding.
”

Mai reached over and took the parchment.

“
I accept your generous offer, Lord Garet,
”
he said,
“
only because of the dire need to defeat the Kaddim as soon as we possibly can. I hope, when this is all over, we can repay you.
”

The lord waved his hand in dismissal.
“No need, Aghat Mai. I
’
m sure you
’
ve been hearing this a lot, but seeing you in charge of the Majat Guild for the first time in years puts my mind at ease. I cannot imagine a better man for the job.
”

Mai
’
s lips twitched.
“
I hope I won
’
t disappoint anybody by the end of the campaign.
”

He did not look at Kara this time, but his words sent her heart racing nonetheless. She was his weakness. Her predicament made him vulnerable and threatened their entire army.
Dear Shal Addim, how did I get myself into such a mess?

“
I have another piece of information to share with you,
”
Lord Garet said.
“
The southeastern border of my lands neighbors the Forestlands. For days now, my men have been speaking of unrest in the area.
”

“Unrest?”
Mai lifted his chin, his tense look making Kara wonder. Did he know something she didn
’
t about the Forestlands? Was this rural area part of his plans?

The answer came too easily, making her skin creep.
The spiders.
She felt a surge of panic, and then hope. If their path was going to take them near the Forestlands, the local spiders would surely detect the Kaddim
’
s magic on her, even if Alder
’
s spiders had somehow become desensitized. They would finish the job, even if she couldn
’
t do it herself. Won
’
t they?

“
The trees are restless. Moving, if you know what I mean.
”
Lord Garet ran his eyes around the gathering, and Kara noticed how everyone sprang to alertness, confirming her guesses. They must have stakes on the Forestlands, part of the plans that were never shared with her before departure.

“
My land
’
s borders,
”
Lord Garet went on,
“
have become much more densely overgrown in the last few days. Some of the trees look ancient, as if planted centuries ago, but we all know it not to be the case. So far they haven
’
t crossed any boundaries, but I know for a fact that if you ride south from here for about a day, you may find yourselves in some of the thickest woods you
’
ve ever imagined. I
’
m not sure how avoidable it is, but I hope this information may help you choose your best route.
”

“
Any suggestions, Lord Garet?
” Mai asked.

“
Depending on where you
’
re headed.
”

“
South.
”
Mai threw a tense glance at Kara.

I’m not supposed to hear any of this.
She moved to rise, but he stopped her with a short gesture.

“
I assume, further south than the Forestlands,
”
Lord Garet said.

“Yes.”

“
I can offer you passage through my lands. Along with my hospitality, if you
’
re in need of it. But if my guesses about your destination are correct, this may take you too much out of your way.
”

Mai chuckled.
“
You do seem to know a lot about our plans, my lord.
”

“
Only privately, Aghat Mai. I assure you, no enemies will learn of your plans from me.
”

“
What about your sources?
”

“
They
’
re loyal to House von Eyvern.
”

Mai smiled, his eyes meeting Lord Garet
’
s with affection that spoke of the true friendship these men shared.
“
Good enough for me.
”

Lord Garet rose to his feet.
“
Now that it
’
s all settled, I
’
m afraid I must take my leave. It has been a true pleasure, Guildmaster.
”

“Likewise.”
Mai rose too, exchanging a hearty handshake with the older man.
“
I hope some day I can find a way to repay your generosity.
”

The lord patted him on the shoulder.
“
You will repay it by defeating the Kaddim, Aghat Mai. If they win, I stand to lose all my wealth. I cannot possibly afford it.
”

“We
’
ll do our best,
”
Mai assured.

Kara kept her place between Lance and Raishan as she watched the lord mount his horse, with his suite gathering around him.

“
I wonder what Aghat Mai
’
s assignment for Lord Garet was like, to merit all this,
”
Lance said quietly as he watched the guests depart.

He wasn
’
t looking at anyone in particular as he said this. Even though the same question was probably on everyone
’
s mind, no one should have felt obliged to answer. Yet, to Kara
’
s surprise, Seldon cleared his throat and spoke, equally matter-of-factly.

“I
’
m certain, Aghat Lance, you remember Aghat Mai
’
s signature blow, the viper
’
s sting.”
He glanced at Kara. She felt an unpleasant tingle at her neck and forcibly kept herself from touching the spot. That fatal blow at the base of the throat resembled a very similar but harmless one, enabling Mai to fool the Guild into believing she was dead and averting her execution on orders of their previous Guildmaster. Like everyone in the Guild, she heard that inventing those blows made Mai instantly famous, right at the time he had received his Diamond ranking.

“
It was during Lord Garet
’
s assignment that Aghat Mai first demonstrated it in action,
”
Seldon said.
“
Before that, no one believed it would actually work. Afterwards
…”
He spread his hands in a wordless gesture.

Many heads nodded. However, Kara still couldn
’
t quite understand it. Such things mattered only to the Majat. It was hard to imagine how Lord Garet
’
s friendship with Mai could have been sealed by something like this.

“
I am not privy to all the details of that assignment,
”
Seldon went on,
“
but as I heard it, that blow enabled Aghat Mai to dispose of the man who kept these lands in terror and had a claim on Lord Garet
’
s entire estate, without losing any other lives. Von Eyverns do owe everything to this assignment, even if their gratitude should really be directed not at Aghat Mai personally, but at our whole Guild.
”

Kara understood what he meant. The Majat Guild was the one who planned the assignments and selected the best warriors to match each job. Yet, in Lord Garet
’
s place, it was probably hard not to feel grateful personally to Mai for performing his assignment so well.

“
Is it true that Aghat Mai was only eighteen at the time?
”
Lance asked.

“
He was,
”
Seldon said.
“
One of the most troublesome young trainees we ever had at the Guild. The fact not known to many was that due to the unique nature of Lord Garet
’
s assignment, Aghat Mai was sent to fulfill it before he was officially ranked.
”

“
Before
?”
Lance stared, his surprise reflected in every face nearby.

“Yes. Aghat Mai
’
s youthful looks
–
as well as his, um, attractiveness
–
made him uniquely suited for the job. From what I heard, the warlord had a weakness for young boys, which proved to be the only way to gain access to his private chambers. I
’
m not privy to all the details, of course.
”

Kara looked at him thoughtfully. It now made sense why Lord Garet referred to Mai
’
s looks when they first met. Mai was her senior by five years or so, and she still remembered him in his teens, the iconic boy all women swooned over, too slender and innocent-looking to fit the image of the ruthless killer the Majat were training him to be. She could see how encountering Mai at that time could have been deceiving to an outsider who didn
’
t see him on the practice range every day and didn
’
t witness the brutal strength Mai was capable of.

She wondered why Seldon felt it necessary just now to divulge the details of an assignment not normally shared among the Majat. Was he trying to paint Mai differently from the way his men saw him?

Was this part of Seldon
’
s plan to discredit Mai
’s command?

She needed to have a conversation with Seldon
–
and soon.

14

Under Guard

The Diamonds dissipated after Lord Garet
’
s departure, but Raishan stayed behind, stepping up to Kara with decisive finality. She guessed his discomfort by the way he averted his gaze, as if his presence here wasn
’
t entirely voluntary.

“
Are you tasked with guarding me again, Aghat Raishan?
”
she asked.

Raishan nodded.
“I
’
m afraid so, yes. By Aghat Mai
’
s orders it has to be a Diamond from now on, at all times. We all received a dire warning. Apparently, when they found you this morning, you put up a fight?
”

She rubbed her sore arm, grateful for the long sleeves that hid the bruises.
“
I temporarily lost control of my actions, I
’
m afraid.
”

“
Apparently it took considerable effort to apprehend you.
”

Two Diamonds.
She swallowed.
“
When I woke up, they
’
d already subdued me. I don
’
t remember any of it.
”
Except the smell.
She wrinkled her nose, the scent of milk of thorn lodged there seemingly permanently. The plant it came from looked so innocent. Who would know that its juice, when extracted in a correct way, would be so potent?

Raishan
’
s lips twitched.
“Let
’
s hope nothing like this would be necessary again. My only intention is to stay out of your way as much as possible. Unless, of course, you
’
d rather I kept you company.
”

She watched Seldon
’
s retreating back as he headed to a small campfire at the edge of the camp. He was alone, affording an excellent opportunity for a conversation.

“
Your company is always welcome, Aghat Raishan,
”
she said.
“
But I do have some business I
’
d like to see to first. Do you think you could, um, stay out of the way while Aghat Seldon and I have a word?
”

Raishan lifted his eyebrows.
“
Are you planning to reprimand him for insubordination?
”

“
That too, yes. He had no business divulging excessive details about Mai
’
s early assignments, even if Lance was the one who started the conversation.
”

Raishan
’
s eyes trailed after Seldon too.
“
He hasn
’
t crossed the line yet, but a couple of times he has treaded dangerously close to it. Keeping him around is putting Aghat Mai into a precarious position.
”

Kara shrugged.
“
At least, Aghat Seldon and I share this quality, if nothing else. But we can
’
t have him do anything to jeopardize Mai
’s command.
”

“
He will not.
”

“
I certainly hope so, if only for his own sake.
”

“
Are you planning to threaten him?
”

“
If I have to.
”

“But–”

“
Look, I already have a reputation of being so unstable that I need a Diamond guard with me at all times. At the very least, this gives me an excuse.
”

A quick smile slid over Raishan
’s lips.
“
Very well. I
’
ll stay beside that tree over there. I will rejoin you as soon as your conversation is over. If you need me at any point, just wave.
”

She smiled.
“
Thank you, Aghat Raishan.
”

Seldon sat up straight, watching her approach. He didn
’
t seem surprised. In fact, his guarded look told her he was expecting a confrontation. Against reason, she felt relieved. No point in wasting any time on pleasantries.

“
I need a word with you, Aghat Seldon,
”
she said.

The Diamond gestured to the campfire and sat down in a smooth, fluid move, not to be expected from a man of his age. Inadvertently, Kara remembered Lord Garet wincing just recently as he settled by the fire. He was probably younger than Seldon, yet not nearly as fit. Still, even with this prowess, at his age Seldon could never possibly measure up to her if it ever came to a fight. The same thought reflected in Seldon
’
s eyes as he watched her apprehensively.

She sat across the fire from him.

“
What you said about Aghat Mai just now,
”
she said,
“
was out of line. With your seniority, you should know better.
”

Seldon frowned
.
“
I wasn
’
t aware that our Guild
’
s affairs are any of your business.
”

“
Anything that concerns Mai is very much my business, Aghat, whether you like it or not. As to our Guild
’
s affairs, whether or not they are my business, I know enough about them to spot a problem when I see it. I am aware that your presence here was not part of Mai
’
s plans. Why are you really here, Aghat?
”

Seldon crossed his arms on his chest, and she imagined she saw just a touch of smugness behind his outward impassiveness.
“
Last time I heard, Kara, you were not supposed to be privy to any plans.
”

Kara.
He didn
’
t use her rank, which told her where he believed he stood with her. She tried to tell herself that it didn
’
t matter, but his contempt as he looked at her reached deeper than she liked to admit, even to herself.

“
You are correct,
”
she said.
“
If you noticed, I haven
’
t
asked
you anything about plans. This conversation is meant as a warning. For now.
”

“
A warning?
”

“Yes.”

“
Are you threatening me?
”

“
You have nothing to fear from me, Aghat Seldon, as long as it remains clear to me you are not Mai
’
s enemy.”

Seldon lifted his chin.
“
You speak of enemies, but if you noticed, I
’
m not the one under guard.
”
He glanced at Raishan leaning against a tree trunk at a distance, watching them.

“
Point taken,
”
she said.
“
And yes, I may not be always acting as myself. I am now, however, and while this is true, I wanted to make sure to tell you one more thing. If you as much as step the wrong way, you will have me to deal with. Please bear this in mind.
”

She rose to her feet before he could respond, rewarded by his hunted look. He was afraid of her, that was clear. And, he was possibly up to no good. Kara regretted not having thought of bringing Ellah along, so that she could know for sure when Seldon was telling the truth.

She was turning to go when Seldon
’
s words stopped her in her tracks.

“Aghat Kara?”

She froze, then slowly turned to face him. Questions raced through her mind. Was he referring to her by her rank as a form of peace offering? Or did he have something else in mind?

“
I know Aghat Mai quite well, ever since his training days,
”
Seldon said.
“
And despite everything you have been thinking about my plotting against him, I do consider him to be a capable and talented commander. As such, I
’
m sure you realize that if he is ever faced with a choice, he would give you up without a flinch. It
’
s a price we all pay for being the Majat.
”

She forced her face into a calm mask as she met his gaze, unwilling to show how much these words affected her. Seldon was right. Mai always did the right thing, and he put his responsibility to his men above all else. If she ever turned against him, she had no doubt where his loyalties would be. It was a good thing, she told herself firmly. She wouldn
’
t want it any other way.

Seldon nodded knowingly as he watched her expression.
“Aghat Mai
’
s relationships with women were troublesome when he was still a trainee. We all hoped he
’
d overcome it after he achieved his ranking. He did, for the most part. I know he has encountered a challenge in you, due mostly to the fact you share the same training. But in the end it
’
s still the same.
”

“It
’
s not,
”
she said.
“
But more importantly, this is not a topic I am ever going to discuss with you again, Aghat Seldon. Just remember everything I said.
”

She turned and strode away.

“
How did it go?
”
Raishan asked, stepping up to her.

She shrugged, angry at herself for feeling so flustered.
“
I think he got the message. We
’
ll see if it changes anything.
”

“
Where to now?
”
Raishan asked.

She pointed to another small campfire, where Magister Egey Bashi was sitting by himself, deeply submerged in a scroll rolled out over his lap.

“
Mai may not approve of the conversation I must have with the Magister,
”
she said.
“
But there are things I really need to know. It
’
s up to your conscience, Aghat Raishan, if you want to join me on this one or stay away like before.
”

Raishan shook his head.
“
My charge did not involve controlling you or restricting your actions, Aghat Kara. I
’
m here to keep you safe. With this in mind, I
’
d rather stay close to you.
”

She didn
’
t say anything as she turned and led the way to the campfire.

Egey Bashi put down his scroll, watching their approach. He did not show surprise or apprehension. Rather, his expression as he looked at Kara was that of deep interest, as if he encountered a worthy object for his scholarly studies. In a way she was, Kara reflected as she followed the unspoken invitation and lowered to a log near the fire.

“
I have some questions for you, Magister,
”
she said.
“
Ones that will not necessarily meet with Mai
’
s approval.
”

Egey Bashi folded his arms over his lap, curling up into a more comfortable position.

“
I am not Aghat Mai
’
s subordinate,
”
he said, his eyes sliding over Raishan sitting on the other side of the fire. He did not comment on the Diamond
’
s presence, and Kara did not blame him. Of the three people present, Raishan was the only one who stood to lose if Mai had issues with her and the Magister having this conversation. Yet, she knew that Mai would probably appreciate Raishan listening to what they had to say, rather than being excluded with no knowledge of the topics discussed.

“
My link,
”
Kara said.
“
You mentioned once that death can sever it. Mai told me later that you have information to the contrary, but I
’
m afraid I didn
’
t take it seriously
–
a mistake which led to the recent ordeal. Mai said that he forbade you to speak to me about it, but I need to hear it from you, one way or the other.
”

Egey Bashi
’
s eyes briefly dropped to the scroll he had set aside.
“It
’
s not that simple, Aghat, and my research is taking more time than we have, mostly due to the need to decipher some of the languages I am really not that good at. It
’
s true that killing
–
either you, or the man who controls the link on the Kaddim side
–
would sever the bond. Yet, apparently, the killing has to be done in a proper way to work.
”

“
Proper way?
”

“I
’
m still researching this. From what I
’
ve learned, it
’
s a bit of a ritual, one where the death itself needs to be drawn out into a process, rather than an act. I
’
m not sure how it works, not yet.
”

Kara could have guessed things had to be more complicated than she believed, even if her mind still refused to enfold the information. Inadvertently, the image from her recent vision floated up in her mind.
Two men spread on the stone platform.
Did she have to do this too, to embrace a man rotting alive and share his agony?

“
What if it
’
s done improperly?
”

Egey Bashi sighed.
“
That
’
s where it becomes complicated.
”

“
Complicated, how?
”

“
A simple death, without the formalities observed, can release one
’
s entire soul, including all the special abilities and knowledge, into the other
’
s mind. If your Kaddim counterpart were to be killed in battle, you would acquire all his skills instantly
–
except that, of course, his resurrection would revert that and renew the link. But if you were the one to perish, your death would instantly empower our enemies with all your abilities. I don
’
t know the extent of it yet, not for sure, but if it
’
s true, this actually makes your life even more precious to us than we all knew before. We can
’
t possibly afford to risk it at all.
”

Kara let out a breath, feeling as if the ground was spinning from under her feet. To think that she nearly succeeded in killing herself today, just because of not taking Mai
’
s words seriously enough. Or was this, too, part of the Kaddim plan?

“
There
’
s more, Magister,
”
she said.
“
When I decided to take the matters into my own hands and kill myself, I
…”
she hesitated. How could she possibly say it out loud?
“I…
have reasons to believe the idea did not come from my own head. The fact that Mai told me about the danger of it and I did not believe him is only one illustration of it.
”

Egey Bashi shifted in his seat.
“
If my information is correct, the Kaddim stand a lot to gain by your death, don
’
t they?
”

“
They certainly do.
”
Why wouldn
’
t the hollow feeling in her stomach go away?
“
And, there
’
s something else.
”

“
Something else?
”

“
Thinking clearer now, I am aware that I could have easily slit my own throat, or stabbed myself in the heart, with everyone watching. With my training, I know of so many ways to kill a person without any possibility of a remedy that I shouldn
’
t have even given it a second thought. Yet, I consciously discounted such a method. I felt very driven to get as far away as possible before doing it. This was what enabled Mai to capture me.
”
This, and the fact that he had friends in unexpected places. She thought back to Lord Garet, to the way he looked at Mai like a long-lost son. Mai had a talent for leaving deep impressions in everyone. And he loved her. How could she ever think of acting behind his back?

Unbidden, Seldon
’
s words floated up in her mind.
He would give you up without a flinch.
In a twisted way, she hoped this was true. She was becoming a burden, one that apparently wasn
’
t even easy to get rid of. She would never allow herself to become Mai
’
s downfall.