The Traitor Queen (34 page)

“You’ll do,” came the reply she expected.

She felt an unexpected admiration.
Oh, he’s not stupid. He’s thought this through. Far better than I have. It never occurred to me
he’d demand this. If I do it, he’ll see everything. My plan will never work
.

“I haven’t tried to teach it that way before.” It was not hard to sound uncertain and honest. She
hadn’t
taught mind-reading before. To anyone.

“Then you don’t know it won’t work.” He took a step toward her, then another.
It’s time to decide. Give him everything he wants, try to kill him with Healing, or try my plan
. She flinched as he reached out, but made herself stand still. Looking over his shoulder, she met Anyi’s frightened, angry
gaze and hoped she did not look as uncertain as she felt.

This had better work
…

B
eing dressed all in black had been an advantage when Sonea had slipped out of the mansion in the early hours of the morning,
but now that the sun was up she was all too visible against the pale walls of the Sachakan capital.

At least I’m closer to the centre of the city
.

As dawn had arrived, she’d chosen another mansion with a tower to hide in. The side door she’d slipped through hadn’t been
locked, but she’d discovered the building wasn’t completely empty when she’d heard voices from somewhere inside. When she’d
tried to leave, a quick check of the outside revealed a group of men hurrying along the street, so she’d crept back through
the house as silently as she could. She’d found the stairs and ascended to the tower, telling herself that if she heard anyone
coming up she would climb out of one of the tower windows and escape across the rooftop outside.

Hours had passed and the only sound she’d heard below had been distant and muffled. The tower windows were open, perhaps to
let in the cool morning breeze. From the street below she’d heard footsteps and more voices, but the city was mostly quiet.

The windows looked onto the furthest side of the street
below and a sea of rooftops.
It’s tempting to slip out and find a better vantage point. But the risk of being seen isn’t worth it. I don’t know where the
fight is going to be
. Once it started there should be noises and lights to tell her where it was located.
I’ll be able to move closer then. Perhaps go across the rooftops, like Cery and I used to do, back when we were children of
the slums
…

“The view’s no better here,” a voice said behind her.

She jumped and spun around. Regin stood near the top of the stairs, arms crossed. Embarrassment at being found, then a selfish
relief that he was here, was followed by a flash of concern and annoyance.

“Regin!” she hissed. “What are you doing here?”

He shrugged and uncrossed his arms. “I followed you, of course, though I got stuck downstairs for the last few hours, hiding
from the people down there. They just left, by the way.”

“You told me you wouldn’t come with me. We had an agreement.”

“I lied.” He shrugged again and continued up the stairs. “I knew you wouldn’t take my power if I didn’t agree to stay behind.
Besides, you lied too. You told the Traitors you would stay put.”

“That’s different. I should be able to trust another Guild magician to keep his word. And they left without telling us.”

“I think the Guild would disapprove more of you risking making the Traitors an enemy than of me ignoring you. I’m only trying
to protect you.”

She placed her hands on her hips. “You can’t. If we’re attacked,
I
will have to protect
you
. All you are is another person I have to worry about. You could get us both killed.”

He smiled, not bothered by her brutal honesty and she found herself wondering if she was attracted to him because he wasn’t
the least bit intimidated by her. “Protecting one person won’t take more power than protecting two.” His gaze moved to the
window, and she could not help following it. “Is Dannyl in place yet?”

Sonea reached into her robe for Osen’s ring. “I don’t know.”

“You haven’t contacted Osen yet?”

“I did earlier. Nothing was happening. I didn’t want to keep the ring on in case someone came up the stairs and I was too
distracted to notice.”

“No need to worry about that now. I can keep watch.” He chuckled. “See? You do need me.”

Biting back a retort, she felt her fingers close on the ring. She drew it out, slipped it on her finger and sought Osen and
Dannyl’s minds.

Peering around the corner of the building, Dannyl searched the street and was relieved to see it was empty. Beckoning to Tayend
and Merria, he stepped out and hurried forward. Their footsteps and breathing told him they followed close behind.

So far the only people they’d seen roaming the city were slaves and a carriage driven by a man too well dressed to be a slave.
All had been in a hurry. All had been moving away from the centre of the city, whereas Dannyl and his companions were moving
inward.

Unfortunately, what made Ashaki’s home attractive also made it dangerous: its proximity to the wide parade leading to the
palace. Getting close enough to see the battle also meant getting close to the very people he’d been warned to stay away from.

But we should be fine, once we get there. Once we’re inside and out of sight
.

He’d always been aware of the prestigious location of Achati’s house, but had never been in any rooms on the parade side.
Master’s Rooms and private suites were usually central, and did not have windows. Sachakans preferred privacy and to be away
from the heat of the summer sun over nice views.

He reached a larger thoroughfare – one that joined to the parade. Achati’s house was on the corner. After checking that the
street was empty, he led the others around the corner. Keeping close to the wall on one side, he tried to walk softly and
quickly. Even so, the rap of his and Merria’s boots echoed in the street.

Tayend’s shoes made little more than a soft tap, he noted. As if to make up for that, the buttons and clasps of his elaborate
courtier garb clinked and chimed as he moved. The noise would normally be unnoticeable, but in the eerie quiet it sounded
like … He frowned as he tried to think of a comparable racket.
Like the rattle of roughly handled cutlery
.

A door across the street opened and he froze. He heard Merria stop and out of the corner of his eye he saw Tayend casting
about for somewhere to hide, but it was too late. A man emerged, looked up and, as he saw them, he stopped.

Ashaki
. Dannyl’s heart pounded. The man stared at them, then he straightened and started toward them.

“Run?” Merria asked quietly.

Dannyl shook his head. To run would make them look guilty. To show fear would make it obvious they had reason to. Warrior
lessons from long ago repeated in his mind.
You can’t tell how strong another magician is, nor he you. A confident attitude will give your adversary reason to doubt he
is stronger, even if all evidence points to him being so
. Following the other man’s lead, he straightened his back and walked forward to meet him.

The man was about sixty, Dannyl estimated. Grey streaked his hair and the typical Sachakan broadness was well softened by
fat.

“You are the Ambassadors from the Guild House?” the man asked briskly. He was tense, Dannyl noticed.
In a hurry. Perhaps I can use that to my advantage
.

“We are,” Dannyl said slowly and with formality. “I am Guild Ambassador Dannyl.” He gestured to Tayend. “This is Elyne Ambassador
Tayend. And this—” he turned to Merria.

The man cut him off. “Why are you not at the Guild House? You do know what is about to occur? You may be heading toward a
magical battle.”

“I have been appraised of the situation,” Dannyl assured him. “I assure you, we do not intend to get in the—”

“Then why are you here?”

“We were offered a safer alternative to the Guild House.” That much was true. Achati had told him there was a ship waiting.

The man frowned. “Here? Close to the palace. How can here be safer?”

Dannyl shrugged. “The Traitors are unlikely to get this far.”

That had the desired effect. The man’s chin lifted. “Yes. Of course. Well, then. It is not far to the palace and I am heading
that way. I will escort you there.”

Uh, oh
. The last place Dannyl wanted to be was among the Ashaki, if they started to lose and were desperate for more power. He ducked
his head in apology.

“I’m afraid we aren’t going to the palace. Both of our rulers are keen to avoid any impression of interference by the Guild.”
Then, knowing the man was not going to let them wander off without knowing their destination, especially after mentioning
the possibility of interference, he added: “We are going to Ashaki Achati’s house.”

The man’s eyebrows rose, then he nodded. “I will take you to the door.”

He strode away, his strides long and fast. Dannyl followed, relying on the sound of Merria’s footsteps and Tayend’s noisy
buttons to tell him they were keeping up. The temptation to look back and meet Tayend’s eyes was strong, but he resisted.
Looking confident meant also looking as though he was in charge.

Peering over the Ashaki’s shoulder, he saw movement. A crowd large enough to block the broad street had gathered, and probably
filled the parade beyond. Men in trousers and short coats stood watching something within the parade that Dannyl couldn’t
see. Precious stones glittered in the sunlight.
Ashaki. Many, many Ashaki. At any moment one is going to look up, see us and draw the attention of the others to us. What
will happen then?
He could not help imagining a horde of them coming at him, ready to harvest power from the three foreigners.

But none did. As the self-appointed escort neared the door of Achati’s house the crowd began to move. The Ashaki army was
leaving. Dannyl hoped this would persuade the escort to abandon them, but the man only scowled and stepped up to the door.
He rapped on it.

A long silence followed. The Ashaki rapped again. As time stretched, Dannyl felt his heart beating fast. Achati would be with
the king. The slaves had probably gone. What would the escort do when it became clear nobody was going to answer? The man
knocked a third time, waited, sighed, then turned to face Dannyl.

Then, as his mouth opened to speak, the door swung inward. A slave peered out.

“Ambassador Dannyl.”

Tayend let out an in-held breath and Merria sighed. The Ashaki turned to look back at the slave, then at Dannyl, then towards
the parade. Following his gaze, Dannyl saw the last of the Ashaki stride out of sight behind the building opposite.

“Thank you, Ashaki …”

The man didn’t offer his name. He took a step back. “Stay out of sight,” he advised, then he turned and broke into a run.

Dannyl looked at Tayend and Merria. Their eyes were wide as they stared back at him. “Let’s get inside.”

The slave didn’t protest as they pushed through the door. Once all were in the Master’s Room he threw himself on the floor.
Hearing a movement, Dannyl saw another slave on the floor near another corridor. He looked from one to the other and frowned.
Why were these two still here?

“Stand up,” he ordered. The pair obeyed. “What are your names?”

“Lak.”

“Vata.”

“Why haven’t you left with the rest of the city’s slaves?”

Lak glanced at Vata. “He may need us,” he said.

“He” must be Achati. Dannyl felt a wry admiration for their loyalty.

“What’s the best place we can see the parade from?” Tayend asked.

Vata looked up. “The roof.”

Tayend’s eyebrows rose and he looked at Dannyl. “Well?”

Dannyl nodded. “Then take us there.”

*      *      *

Traitors filled the street, milling before the mansion’s gates. Lorkin and Tyvara had found their way out through a slave’s
entrance to a side street and hurried around to the front of the building where the Traitors were gathering. Looking around,
Lorkin noted that half of the fighters were women, half men. Magicians and sources. All wore vests like his.
For most of the men, the stones will be their only source of magic
, he realised.
Non-magicians participating in battle. That must be a first
.

Just before the crowd swelled to fill the space between the houses, Lorkin glimpsed the street stretching on towards the centre
of the city. It might have been his imagination, but in the distance the street appeared to be blocked by a shadow. And that
shadow seemed to be moving.

Calls for quiet settled the crowd and he realised a familiar voice was coming from somewhere in the centre.

“… protect all. We must all stay together. Our strength is in our unity and purpose. We are united. The Ashaki are not. We
have prepared ourselves for centuries. The Ashaki have not. We have the support of the slaves. The Ashaki do not.
And we have stones
.”

Taller than most Traitors, Lorkin looked over their heads in the direction of the voice and saw Savara standing higher than
the crowd, visible to all.

“Can you see her? We have to get to her,” Tyvara whispered in his ear.

“She’s over by the gates.”

Grabbing his hand, she pulled him around the crowd to the wall of the mansion. Savara’s voice grew louder as they neared,
filled with confidence and passion.

“Do not spare the stones. This is what they were made for.
Tools for breaking bonds, for making our future, for making everyone equal. To bring freedom to Sachaka.”

“Freedom!” the Traitors shouted.

Lorkin’s heart jumped at the unexpected noise. The second time it came, he was ready for it and this time his pulse quickened
at the building excitement. Once at the wall, Tyvara wove through people gazing at their queen with rapt expressions. Finally
they broke through the crowd to find the queen standing on a cart, surrounded by the Speakers, just as her speech ended.

“Today we bring Sachakans together, united in freedom!” she finished.

“Freedom!” everyone shouted again. It became a chant as Savara stepped down from the cart and strode forward, the crowd parting
to let her through. The Speakers hurried after, and Tyvara all but dove forward, dragging Lorkin after her so that they joined
the Speakers before the Traitors fell in behind them.

They reached Savara just as the queen left the crowd. The Speakers moved out to either side, forming a line across the street.
Chaos finally shifted into order as the Traitors moved to follow the Speakers who led their teams. Tyvara looked around, then
over each shoulder.

“I can’t see Kalia,” she hissed. “You?”

“No.” Lorkin shook his head as he sought the woman.

“Oh, she’s staying behind,” a voice said to his left. He looked over to see that Chari, the woman who had helped them escape
to Sanctuary, had appeared beside him. “Ready to treat the injured.”