Scimitar War (38 page)

“We have come at Count Norris’ suggestion…to request your help.”

“My help?” she asked, unable to resist a note of irony. “Whatever could you need
my
help for?”

The emperor steepled his fingers and stared at her for a moment. “The legacy of your expedition to rescue your child has followed you north, Mrs. Flaxal Brelak.”

“The legacy of my…” Her mind stumbled. What could have followed her? “If you’re concerned about the mer, Your Majesty, you needn’t worry about them. Once they realize that I’m not going anywhere, they’ll tire of waiting and return to their home.”

The emperor smiled wryly, but his eyes remained grave. “We wish it were so simple a matter. No, this is significantly more important than a few merfolk.” He turned to Norris and raised a hand. “Count Norris?”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” the count replied with a short bow before turning to Cynthia. “Akrotia has come north. It has already destroyed one warship and erupted at least two volcanoes in the Shattered Isles.”

“Volcanoes?” A cold hand clenched Cynthia’s heart. “Which islands?”

“Vulture and Plume Isles were destroyed. We believe that it drew power from the fire of the volcanoes. It was last sighted a week ago, heading north from Plume Isle. We fear it will eventually reach us here.”

“Destroyed? The islands were
destroyed
?” Her chest tightened with horror. “What happened to the people living there?”

“Some were evacuated from Vulture Isle aboard an imperial frigate. The rest fled in their small boats. Plume Isle was evacuated before Akrotia arrived.”

Relief melted the chill fingers of dread, but even as her heart steadied and she drew a deep breath, the significance of his words pierced her mind.

“Edan,” she murmured, questions whirling through her mind. Why would he come north? And why would he destroy her home?
Perhaps
, she considered,
he’s just questing for fire
. Fire was his life as much as the sea was hers.

“What about Fire Isle?” she asked. “Did he erupt that volcano, too?”

“There was no sign of that,” Emil replied.

“Then why Plume?” she wondered aloud. “Edan told me once that Plume was a dormant volcano. It would take a lot of power to cause it to erupt, much more than it would for Fire Isle.”

“Perhaps to settle a grudge?” suggested the emperor.

Cynthia considered that, then shook her head. “Despite our differences, our last moments together were the best we’d had. He helped us save Kloe, and he was happy to be getting out of Akrotia to someplace dry.” She half-smiled when she remembered his wide grin and blush as they praised his skills. Then…Samantha had arrived. Now
there
was someone with a grudge. She glanced to Count Norris, wondering how much the emperor knew about his daughter’s role in this. She could see the pain in his face. There was no need for her to add to it.

Cynthia shrugged. “Your Majesty, I’m afraid I can’t tell you anything about Akrotia other than what I’ve already reported.”

She waited, expecting him to order the guards to take her back to her cell. He didn’t. Instead, he sat and watched her. His regard wore on her as nearly a minute passed in silence. Then she realized what this was all about.

“You want me to destroy Akrotia!”

“We want Akrotia stopped. Whether that is accomplished through its destruction or by some other means, We do not particularly care.” The emperor pursed his lips. “We are willing to…negotiate for your aid.”

“Release Feldrin,” she said, her heart fluttering like the wings of a captive bird. She had no idea if she could destroy Akrotia, but that didn’t matter. For once, she had the upper hand. The emperor
needed
her help.

“We will commute his death sentence,” the emperor countered, “but he will remain in prison.”

“For how long?”

“For his entire life. He is guilty of treason against the empire.”

“No deal.” She crossed her arms. “If I’m killed fighting Akrotia, I want my son to at least have a father.”

The emperor glowered at her. “If you die in Our service, we will release your husband in ten years. Until then, your son will remain in the capable hands of Count Norris and the lady Camilla.”

“Wait a minute!” Cynthia’s mind spun. She turned to the count. “Camilla’s
alive
? She’s here in Tsing? She’s…all right?”

“Yes, she’s fine,” he said with a significant glance. “We managed to get her away from the cannibals before any lasting harm was done.”

Cynthia heaved a sigh. She’d felt sick at having left Camilla to her fate with the cannibals. She hardened her resolve as she turned back to the emperor.

“Feldrin is out in five years if I die fighting Akrotia, regardless of whether I succeed or not. And I want that in a contract, ratified by a magistrate.” Cynthia ignored the daggers that leapt from Lady von Camwynn’s eyes as she bartered with the emperor. She knew she was breaking every rule of royal etiquette in the book, but so far he had not called her on it, and frankly, she didn’t care. She would
not
be intimidated.

“If you do not succeed, the deal is void and Feldrin Brelak dies on the guillotine.”

A hot knife of anger slashed through her thin patience at the emperor’s proclamation. “That’s blackmail!” she claimed, unable to pull her punches any longer. “Forget it.” She turned on her heel, fully aware of the mortal insult of her action. The guards blocked her way with crossed halberds but she refused to turn back.

“Cynthia, please!” Count Norris pleaded. She tensed as she heard his steps close behind her. “Don’t do this! You’re being offered a chance to save Feldrin’s life.”

“No, I’m
not
,” she said, biting her words short as she turned to face him. “I’m being coerced,” she glared out of the corner of her eye at the emperor. “If the emperor wants my help, then I need some assurance that if I fight this thing and die, Feldrin will survive to be a father to Kloe. If I don’t get that assurance, there’s no deal.”

“Let me speak with him and see what I can do, but please, don’t anger him.” His voice lowered. “He will
not
offer you this opportunity again.”

“Fine.” She turned back to the emperor, whose face was tight with cold anger, but did not step forward.

Count Norris approached the table, bowing low. He spoke quietly, and she could neither see nor hear the emperor’s reply. Their hushed voices continued for what seemed hours, but was actually only a minute or so. When Norris turned back to her and stepped aside, the emperor’s face was once again calm and unreadable.

“His Majesty has agreed to commute Feldrin’s sentence from death to imprisonment if you agree to help fight Akrotia, regardless of your survival or success in the attempt. If you succeed in stopping Akrotia, then Feldrin’s sentence will be reduced to five years. If you fail, he will serve twenty years.”

“Twenty years…” She imagined a much older Feldrin limping out of prison to meet his adult son. Unfortunately, this would probably be the best deal she could wring from the emperor. It certainly was incentive for her to succeed. Then, one more notion occurred to her. “And my sentence?”

Count Norris turned to the emperor, who shook his head minutely. They obviously had discussed this issue. “I’m sorry, Cynthia, but that’s not negotiable.”

Cynthia took a deep breath; at least she had saved Feldrin’s life.

“Very well. Draw up a contract and I’ll sign it,” she said to Norris, then turned and curtsied to the emperor. “Your Majesty.”

“The high magistrate will draft a contract for your service to the Empire of Tsing, Mrs. Flaxal Brelak. That service begins as of this moment, and will end with either victory against Akrotia, or your death.”

“Fine.” She heaved a sigh, satisfied, if not elated, with the outcome. “What next?”

“We will convene a council to hear what you consider to be the strengths and weaknesses of Akrotia, and your thoughts on a strategy to fight it.” The emperor placed his hands against the table and rose.

“Let me save some time, Your Majesty,” Cynthia offered. “I don’t know much about Akrotia other than what I saw from inside before it was…animated. That’s all in my report to Admiral Joslan. My advice is to consult the elves. They might not want to admit it, but they built the thing, elves and mer together. I’d suggest consulting the mer, too, but they’re too far to summon in time.”

“Actually, several mer have been making themselves a nuisance in the harbor for two days,” the emperor said, frowning.

“They have?” This surprised her. She had assumed that the mer following the ship to Tsing had already departed, their curiosity satisfied. If indeed these were the same mer, then Broadtail must want something. The mer only did what benefited the mer. “If I can speak with them, they may be able to help.”

“You trust them?” the emperor asked, cocking an eyebrow. “We find that difficult to believe after what Count Norris told Us of their betrayal.”

“Your Majesty, those who betrayed me also betrayed their own school, and they are dead. Even so, I don’t trust the mer implicitly, but if they’re here, they’re here for me. And they probably know more about Akrotia than I do.”

“Very well, We will summon the elvish ambassador, and you will…speak to the merfolk. How long do you require?”

“Not long, Your Majesty.”

“We will arrange council for this afternoon, then.” The emperor turned, Lady von Camwynn at his elbow and two of the guards behind. He turned back to add, “Count Norris, please see that the seamage is supplied with clothing more appropriate to her upcoming duties.” He departed without another word. Cynthia drew another deep, cleansing breath and turned to Count Norris.

“I’d like to see my son.”

“I’ve already arranged it,” he said, smiling tightly. “Kloe is with Camilla and Tim at my townhouse, and I have a clothier meeting us there for lunch.”

“You were pretty sure I’d agree,” she said.

“I was pretty sure that
he
would agree,” he replied in a low voice.

The two remaining guards flanked Cynthia as Norris turned toward the door, but she grasped his arm before he could take a step. He turned back, a question in his eyes.

“Thank you,” she said in a voice husky with tears. The enormity of what she had just accomplished hit her hard, and she fought to keep her tumultuous emotions in check. Feldrin would live, and she would soon see Kloe. That was enough for now.

≈

Keys rattled, and Feldrin turned his head lazily toward the cell door, the blanket rough against his cheek. The physical sensations penetrated the haze that clouded his mind, a self-imposed shield against thought…against despair. Not for himself; he had known the law, knew he was responsible for whatever occurred aboard his ship. No, he despaired for Cynthia, trapped in a prison cell for ten years, and for Kloe, parentless until his mother was released.

He sat up and watched as the jailor entered, followed by three guards carrying heavy billy clubs and eying him with measured expertise.

This is it
.

He stood, then shook his head as he realized,
It’s
too soon
. A month had not yet passed. He was not yet due for his one-way trek to the guillotine.
What’s changed
?

“Come along,” the jailor ordered as he motioned toward the open cell door.

“Where?” Feldrin asked suspiciously. This could be good, or it could be very bad.

“New cell,” the jailor said with a wry smile. “Seems you’ve been given a reprieve, old son. You’re not gonna die. Not on the guillotine, anyways.”

“A reprieve?” he said, trying to wrap his mind around the news. What could have caused the emperor to commute his sentence? “Cynthia!”

“Aye, that’s right enough, old son. Seems the sea witch has made a bargain with His Majesty to get yer neck out from under the blade.” The man chuckled as Feldrin stepped forward. “That’s what I call a good marriage, ay lads? I don’t think my old lady’d walk across the street to save my arse. Yer wife must be some kinda woman.”

“You have no idea,” Feldrin agreed. He stood tall and squared his shoulders, not even glancing back as he stepped out of the cell that was supposed to have been his last refuge before meeting the gods. His heart hammered in his chest, but it felt good. He was alive, thanks to Cynthia. “You have no idea at all.”

≈

Heart aglow with the recent embrace of her son, Cynthia stepped out of the carriage onto the quay. She closed her eyes and saw Kloe’s sweet face, smelled his precious baby smell, her arms already aching with longing to hold him again. Seeing Camilla alive and well had been nearly as overwhelming as her reunion with Kloe. Her friend’s ordeal had changed her—she had lost weight, and there was a haunted look in her eyes—but she seemed well enough. Time and love would heal Camilla, and with Tim and Emil, she had that in abundance.

Cynthia opened her eyes and took in Tsing Harbor. There were no stone-throwing crowds this time, which was good. The fewer eyes that saw what she was about to do, the better. Her new dress rustled as she kicked off her shoes, stepped to the edge of the pier and looked down into the murky water.

“No nonsense, now,” warned one of her guards. The two had stuck to her like barnacles to a rock. It had taken Norris several minutes to convince them to give her privacy even to change clothes. She knew they were only doing their jobs, but still…

She turned to the guard and smiled. “What’s your name?”

“Corporal Terwillaby, ma’am,” he answered stiffly.

“And yours?” she asked the other, her smile intact.

“Private Perceval, ma’am.” The younger guard refused to even meet her eyes.

“Thank you. Please call me Cynthia. We’re apparently going to be spending a lot of time together, so I see no reason to be formal.” She let her smile slip a trifle. “Just so we understand one another, let me explain a few things to you. You heard the emperor ask for my aid to fight Akrotia, and you saw me sign that contract at Count Norris’ home. My husband is in the imperial prison, and will likely be put to death if I violate that contract, which prevents me from any
nonsense
.”

“We understand that, ma’am,” the corporal said.

“If the emperor trusts me not to violate the contract, then you should, too. But if you get nervous and stick that sword through me, there’ll be no one to stop Akrotia from coming here and burning Tsing to the ground, which might just upset the emperor more than a little bit. So relax!”

“Yes, ma’am,” the corporal said, glancing at his companion and purposefully removing his hand from his weapon. Private Perceval followed suit.

“Thank you, Corporal Terwillaby.” Keeping her eye on them, she called up a tendril of the sea. The guards’ eyes widened and they took a step back, but neither reached for their swords. “See, nothing to worry about.” She smiled at them and turned her attention to her work.

The sea caressed her bare feet, and she felt renewed, realizing how she had missed that sensation. She sent out a gentle pulse of sound, and waited. The water in the center of the harbor roiled, and wavelets spread out from four parallel wakes as the mer shot toward the quay. When it seemed like they might hit the stone structure, they broke the surface, expressions of glee stretching their faces wide.

*Tailwalker! Chaser!* Cynthia signed, astonished that Broadtail would send his son on such a long journey, especially after what had happened at Akrotia. *What are you doing here?*

While the other mer flicked nervous glances between the soldiers and the nearby warships, Tailwalker flipped his tail vigorously, bringing his torso out of the water to sign clearly.