Exile (33 page)

“I assure you, I am very much here.” She wanted to ask him how he could possibly sense ascard without connecting to it in any way, but she knew enough about the Kudaness to know that such a question would enrage him. Since his full attention was on her and she wanted nothing more than to be elsewhere, she skipped to the point. “We come to seek your aid.”

The suac scowled and she reminded herself again of the power she could wield as she held his dark eyes.

“You seek the Blood Prince,” he hissed, stepping closer to her. His lip raised in a silent snarl, revealing teeth filed to a slight point.

Ian took a step back. Indigo held her ground, though she hoped Cadmar would step in and offer his support, but the dark warrior was silent, his pale eyes watching her with open curiosity. Would he tell her if she did something wrong?

“Yes.” She forced the word out past the knot in her throat. “You knew this would happen. It stands to reason that you might know where Emperor Yiloch is now.”

“Where you put him?” The suac smirked at her surprise. “You are the one who stranded him in the desert. You are the love who betrayed him.” The dark man looked quite pleased when she flinched at his accusations. “You are the one he hates,” he added this in a whisper meant for her alone.

Those last words were a knife blade through her chest. She could only stare at him for a time, fighting the agonizing ache that threatened to tear her apart. His satisfied grin hurt and infuriated her. Anger burst through the pain and she stepped closer to him, looking up into his eyes with courage born of fury.

“Whatever you may know,” she hissed, her chest tight with pent up rage, “you know nothing of love. I love him and I will make right this wrong with or without your help.”

Cadmar, she noticed, smiled now and nodded approval.

The suac took three steps back from her, his odd eyes filming over with a milky whiteness. Indigo stepped back in turn, alarmed. When he spoke again, his voice took on a rhythmic dreamy cadence.

“The Blood Prince will walk a path of death. Many trials stand before him and many losses. If the half-breed and the creator come for him, he may survive. If not, he will be lost.” His eyes turned normal again, if that strange copper color could be called normal, and he looked at her. “You are not here.”

She ignored his last words. “Where is he?”

“I see him in southern Murak. He lives, but his companion is lost.”

Ferin?
There was silence among the three as they absorbed the meaning of that statement. She felt the sorrow and anger from both Cadmar and Ian. It was enough to feel their pain, so she walled off her own.

“Can you give us anything more specific?” She asked, a little startled by the grudging respect he regarded her with now. Apparently, her bold approach had been the right choice.

He gazed at her for a long moment in silence, searching her face for something, perhaps searching beyond anything the naked eye could see.

“Travel due south from here and your paths will cross. Ilikah will test your spirit if you persist, Silent One.”

He was warning her against continuing. She could see that in his eyes, feel it in the blend of emotions coming from him. Her heart gave her no choice. With everything Yiloch had gone through, he deserved an explanation from her, whether he chose to forgive her or not. She had to try to help him. The unexpected sympathy that came from the suac now unnerved her and she finally looked away.

“It’ll be evening soon,” Cadmar commented. “We should get some rest.”

Indigo scowled at him and Suac Chozai mirrored her expression. He didn’t want them there and she wanted to get moving now that they knew Yiloch was close. Both worked to the same end. Cadmar regarded them each in turn, his jaw tightening while he considered the value of disagreeing and she searched her mind for a counter to any argument he might put forth.

Eventually, he shrugged his muscle-bound shoulders. “Very well, we go on.”

The suac nodded. “Let them water their horses,” he directed one of the warriors who still stood off to the side.

Cadmar gripped his arm again. “Ilikah watch over you.”

“You need him more than I,” the suac replied, his eyes drifting once more to Indigo.

She hesitated, not sure how to say farewell appropriately, but Suac Chozai turned away from them then, so she followed his example and left the tent with the other two to go water their horses and continue on.

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

As soon as he arrived in Yiroth, Myac went to the palace and requested an audience with Emperor Yiloch, knowing already that the loathsome man wouldn’t be there to see him. He followed an usher into a sitting room near the main entrance hall and waited. The room, decorated with a tasteful selection of ornate wood chairs and a large, pale blue couch accented with embroidery in silver and white, hadn’t changed since Emperor Rylan’s death. It was somehow disconcerting to see that Yiloch had changed nothing in this room or any of the others the usher led him past along the way. The palace looked just as it had when he had been Emperor Rylan’s personal adept. Odd how the things that dramatically changed a person’s life could leave no impression on the world around them.

He reclined in one of the chairs, gazing into a fire that blazed warm in the marble lined fireplace. At least with his disguise, he didn’t need to worry about anyone recognizing him. Unless Indigo was in the palace, no one here had the strength to break down the illusions and he had a feeling she wasn’t there. Until the throne was secure in his father’s hands, he couldn’t risk going undisguised here. Yiloch wanted him dead and too many of his most loyal followers in the palace might recognize him on sight. Once Terral was crowned emperor, they could deal with those individuals.

The door opened and he rose, clamping down on a defensive reaction when Lord Captain Adran entered. The last time he’d seen the captain had been the night Emperor Rylan died. Adran shot him in the side with a crossbow bolt, helping to save Indigo from his counterassault. It was hard to hide the hatred that flared to life with the memory of that pain. Adran regarded him with an air of mistrust, but, given that Caithin had taken Yiloch prisoner, the reaction came as no surprise.

“Lord Edan,” Adran greeted with a civil tone that didn’t reflect in his curt nod or narrowed eyes. “I’m Lord Captain Adran. I’m afraid Emperor Yiloch is unavailable at this time. How can I assist you?”

Unavailable? How long did they expect to get by with that kind of ambiguity?

Myac forced a smile. “I appreciate your time, Lord Captain. I thought that Emperor Yiloch might have returned from his absence by now and was hoping to speak with him.”

Adran’s eyes narrowed more and the cutting resentment that came from him was stunning in its force. The captain remained outwardly cautious though, not willing to assume Myac knew everything that had occurred. The fact that he said nothing to confirm or deny Yiloch’s absence convinced Myac that he also knew they no longer had the emperor in their custody. That meant one of two things. Either he had spoken with Indigo or he had spoken with Emperor Yiloch himself. Either was good news.

“Lord Terral is handling affairs on the Emperor’s behalf and will be joining us momentarily. Please, have a seat.” His voice wavered ever so slightly under the strain of the chaos of emotions he was harboring.

Myac offered a gracious smile, enjoying the way the expression aggravated the man even further, and sank back into his seat, relieved that Terral was coming.

“Are things settling in the aftermath of the assassination?” Adran asked with a convincing show of casual curiosity.

Myac managed a look of sorrow, matching deception with deception. “The loss of King Jerrin and his family is felt deeply throughout Caithin, but his brother, King Gavin, has already been raised to the throne. The quick transition seems to have comforted the populace.”

The door opened and Terral entered the room. Myac stood and allowed his father to see through the illusion for a few seconds, hoping he wouldn’t react too strongly to the disclosure. To his relief and moderate surprise, Terral showed no outward response.

“Lord Edan,” he acknowledged with a nod to Myac. “Captain Adran. I believe I can handle this from here. You’re welcome to go.”

It was a gentle dismissal, but it was a dismissal and Adran recognized it as such. His jaw tightened and he hesitated, meeting Terral’s eyes in silent defiance.

“I’m sure Lord Edan is no threat and there are two guards outside the door if I need them. You may as well attend to other affairs.”

Adran gave Myac a look of warning before exiting the room and shut the door with a hint of extra force behind him. Myac erected ascard barriers around the room to prevent eavesdropping before turning his attention to his father. Terral was a fine example of untainted Lyran blood. Not quite so perfect as Yiloch and Emperor Rylan, but his long, pale gold hair and matching gold eyes gave him a surreal beauty. His nose was a touch too narrow and his brow a little too bold, but these flaws were slight enough to go unnoticed by all but the most discerning observers. Myac appreciated that purity almost as much as he resented it.

“I thought you had everything under control,” Terral commented mockingly, pacing over to gaze into the fire and putting his back to Myac.

Myac bristled. Who did the man think he was talking too? Terral knew he could crush him in his own skin with little effort.

“Once again, I find that woman interfering with my plans,” he hissed, letting frustration with Indigo distract him from the petty irritation with his father.

“The Caithin healer? Lady Indigo?” Terral rested a hand on the mantle.

“Yes. Has she been here?”

“She was here. She went south with Creator Ian and Commander Hax’s pet, that dark warrior Cadmar.”

Myac took a deep breath, fighting not to lose his temper. That was always especially hard with his father. There were so many things that might have worked out differently—better—if not for the selfish decisions Terral had made. If he had allowed Myac’s mother to stay in the manor, she might still be alive, but he had been married to another woman then and was unwilling to bring his mistress into their home. His wife died less than a year after Prince Yiloch killed Myac’s mother, leaving Terral without wife or mistress in his home. He deserved the loneliness.

“You let Indigo leave?”

Terral turned, brow furrowing with frustration. “I am not trusted. We aren’t dealing with fools. Captain Adran didn’t inform me of her arrival until after she was gone. Apparently, she stayed the night in the palace. I am only a figurehead here unless Yiloch is officially declared dead. Captain Adran and the others won’t let me assume control.”

Myac shrugged. “Adran will need to meet with an accident before long regardless. The man complicates things.”

“It must be a convincing accident. His opinions have much influence over Commander Hax and I would like to keep her in her position. She’s very good at what she does.”

Myac nodded agreement. “She is. We have to be careful. We don’t want to lose all of Yiloch’s most diligent supporters. He always had a talent for searching out skilled people.”

“I’d also like to keep his fiancé,” Terral remarked with a whimsical smile.

“He’s engaged?”

Terral nodded. “The Lady Auryl Vyram. She and her parents are in the palace in anticipation of the coming wedding. Delayed unfortunately,” he added with a smirk.

Lady Auryl. She was a good choice. She had all the right breeding and was beautiful besides. It would be disappointing to see her on his father’s arm and could complicate his goals as well. He needed to ensure that Terral never sired a true heir, but he could deal with such trivialities later. For now, there were urgent issues to attend to.

“Do you know where Indigo was going?”

“They went to find Suac Chozai Galal of Murak un Ani.”

That was an unexpected answer. “A Kudaness high priest?”

“Yes. The man came seeking alliance with Lyra a few months back, but Emperor Yiloch turned him away. He tried to warn Yiloch that he was going to be betrayed. If Yiloch had listened to his prophecy, this whole plan might have failed, not that it has succeeded yet.” He scowled into the fire. “They thought the priest might know where he ended up when Indigo destroyed the prison, which was a peculiar turn of events. Why did she free him?”

“She’s apparently in love with him,” Myac answered through gritted teeth. That revelation still rankled, more so because he still desired her in spite of that knowledge and the things she had done. Yiloch was born to privilege. Everything he ever wanted became his, including this remarkable woman. No matter what happened, he would face her again, and this time no one else would get in the way. She would regret crossing him.

Terral rubbed his chin. “That comes as a surprise. Though they did seem rather comfortable together for having just met when the Caithin healers joined Yiloch’s army, but any romantic involvement was well hidden during the campaign.”

Myac watched his Father. The man was distracted, worried perhaps. He’d never been the aggressive type. If not for Myac’s pressing him, he would never make a move to obtain the throne. Terral was satisfied with his life of luxury as a landholder, languorously passing his days in the beautiful valley that wrapped around his manor. Now he wiped a finger along the mantle then lifted it and gazed at it for a few seconds, perhaps searching for traces of dust that would indicate a failing in the cleaning staff. He had always been particular about cleanliness.

“We have another problem,” he added after a long silence in which the crackling of the fire was the only sound. “There is an army moving towards Lyra.”

Myac’s heart skipped a beat. “An army. Whose army?”

“Well, if Suac Chozai is to be believed, they come from across the Rhuakine. Yiloch sent Cadmar to investigate raids at the border and he came back with more rumors of the army the suac prophesized. I’ve sent additional scouts south to see what they can learn. I assume we can expect no aid from Caithin this time,” he finished with a resigned sigh.