The Spirit War

CHAPTER 16

Josef woke with a snort, hands going instantly to his blades. He looked around a moment in groggy confusion, grinding his teeth as the world came together. It had happened again. He was still on the couch where he’d sat down to wait for Adela, only now it was morning. But the sunlight streaming through the window was still more white than yellow. Early morning, then. That was better than yesterday.

He looked around for Nico and found her sitting behind the couch, wrapped in her coat with her back resting against his through the wooden frame, sound asleep. Josef smiled. Catching Nico asleep was rare. Then his smile fell. Rare, and a sign of something very wrong.

A knock sounded at the door, and Nico’s eyes popped open. She saw him at once and rolled to her feet, a confused and slightly alarmed look on her pale face. Josef put up his hand, motioning her to keep out of sight. She nodded and shrank back behind the couch. The knock sounded again, soft but urgent. Josef pulled his shirt straight and started for the door, but whoever was knocking must have grown impatient. Before Josef had gone two steps, the lock rattled. The door opened with a click and Eli stepped in, palming his lock pick with a hurried glance over his shoulder.

“Good,” he said, closing the door behind him. “You’re up. We have a problem.”

“We have several,” Josef said as Nico stood up from behind the couch. “What’s going on?”

“I’m not sure,” Eli said. “But word is the queen’s up and on the warpath. I’m surprised she hasn’t—”

A banging on the door cut him off, and the three of them froze. Josef was the first to recover. He caught Nico’s eyes and glanced at the corner. She nodded and slid sideways, fading into the small shadow behind the fireplace. When she was gone, Josef walked to the door. He motioned for Eli to get behind him before lifting the latch.

A page stood in the hallway, his hand raised to knock again. He was flanked on both sides by stern, armored guardsmen and looking decidedly unhappy about it.

“My lord prince,” the page said, recovering from his aborted knock with impressive speed. “Your royal mother requests your presence.”

Josef frowned. “Now?”

“Now would be good,” the man said.

Josef shook his head and turned back to the room, leaving the door open. He walked to the corner and grabbed the Heart. When it was securely on his back, he walked back to the door. Eli stepped into place beside him, ready to go.

The servant glanced nervously from Josef to Eli. “My lord,” he started. “Your mother specifically asked—”

“My adviser comes with me,” Josef said, stalking into the hall.

Eli gave the servant a winning smile as he followed Josef out the door. The guards fell in around them, setting the pace as they walked up the stairs toward the royal suite.

A larger than usual squad of guards lined the gallery leading up to his mother’s door, all of them at full attention. Josef pushed his way through, opening his mother’s door with a rough jerk.

The queen was waiting for them. She was dressed and sitting on her chair at the center of the raised platform at the far end of the room, Lenette at her side, as always. There were several nobles in the room as well, all of whom Josef knew he should probably recognize. But he’d never been good with remembering court officials, even back when he was actually trying, so he dismissed them and focused on his mother. Queen Theresa looked more tired than ever. Her papery skin was almost gray against the harsh black of her dress and veil, but her eyes were as sharp as knives, and they pinned Josef to the floor.

“Where were you last night?” she asked the second the door closed behind Eli.

“Asleep,” Josef said.

The queen arched her eyebrow. “Asleep? All night?”

Josef crossed his arms. “All night. Why?”

For a split second the queen looked relieved, and then the scowl was back. “Finley is dead.”

“Dead?” Josef said. “How?”

“Stabbed,” the queen answered. “Someone, or several someones, broke into his mansion last night. His honor guard is dead, as are most of his servants, his son, and, of course, the duke himself.”

Josef frowned. “Was there a fight?”

“Adela is investigating as we speak,” the queen said. “In the meantime, why don’t you tell me.”

The room filled with whispers as the nobles began to talk. Josef ignored them.

“How should I know?” he said.

“You were with the duke a few hours before he died,” the queen said. “You had an argument, a loud one, after which you left. What did you talk about?”

“Nothing of consequence,” Josef said. “He told me he was going to be king, and I said go ahead.”

The queen’s eyes narrowed. “Really? That’s all?”

“That’s all,” Josef repeated firmly. “I didn’t kill him, if that’s what you’re implying.”

The queen’s fingers tightened on the arms of her chair. “The report said the guards died with swords in scabbard, killed by a blow to the back of the neck from a long blade. Finley was heir to the throne of Osera, guarded by the best the country can offer. So either his guards were killed treacherously by someone with enough rank to avoid a challenge, or they were taken out by a master swordsman before they could draw. You are both, so you can see how suspicions could rise.”

Josef rolled his eyes and reached over his shoulder. He drew the Heart with a flourish, slamming the point into the wooden floor at his feet. All around the room, people began to shout. The guards drew their swords and encircled the queen. Even Lenette shrank back against her mistress, but Queen Theresa just watched, her eyes hard as iron as she glared at the large chunk that was now missing from her floor.

“Blow to the back of the neck?” Josef said, turning the Heart so everyone could see the size of the blade. “This is the only blade I keep that could be considered long. If I struck someone across the back of the neck with this, I would take their head off.”

The queen sniffed. “Are you saying you’re not clever enough to hide a murder weapon?”

“I’m saying I had no reason to kill Finley other than he’s an ass,” Josef answered. “And if I was going to kill him for that, I would have challenged him openly and had the pleasure of thrashing him in front of everyone.”

“That, at least, I agree with,” the queen said with a long sigh. “You can put away your iron bat, Thereson. I don’t think you killed Finley, but the fact remains that the heir to the throne of Osera is murdered, and I have to determine how, by whom, and why.”

Josef slid the Heart back into place on his back. “Easy enough,” he said. “We’ll go investigate.”

“You will do no such thing,” the queen snapped. “I said I don’t think you did it, but that does not remove you from these matters. You are still under suspicion, and until my people get to the bottom of this, you will remain in your rooms where I can keep an eye on you.”

“What?” Josef shouted.

“I don’t see why you’re surprised,” the queen said, her voice rasping. “You were the one who chose to pursue a life of violence. You cannot now turn and condemn us for judging you by it. Our country is on the brink of war, and the people have just lost the man they thought would be their king. Now more than ever, Osera must be united. Lawful. Its throne without reproach.”

“But I didn’t do anything!” Josef cried.

“I believe you,” the queen said earnestly. “And I have no doubt our inquiry will absolve you of all guilt, but I cannot shield a known murderer from investigation just because he is my son.”

“I never murdered anyone,” Josef said hotly. “I killed swordsmen in battle. There’s a difference.”

“A subtle one,” the queen said. “Countries on the brink of war that’ve just seen their duke murdered don’t appreciate subtlety.”

“I don’t care what they appreciate,” Josef sneered. “I’m not going to let you lock me up for something I didn’t do.”

“You don’t have a choice,” Theresa said. She turned to her guard. “Take his swords. The prince is under arrest.”

“Are you out of your mind?” Josef roared. “You’re not taking my swords!”

“I am queen!” Theresa roared back. “I take whatever I—”

The queen’s words dissolved into a coughing fit as she doubled over, heaving into her handkerchief. Several of the nobles started to run forward, but Lenette was there first, waving the rest away.

“The queen’s medicine!” she yelled. “Hurry!”

A servant grabbed a kettle, a cup, and a folded paper sachet from the tray in the corner and ran to Lenette, pouring the steaming water into the cup as she went. Lenette grabbed the sachet and the cup. She shook the folded paper open, dumping green powder into the hot water. She stirred it once with the spoon the servant offered and then, grabbing the queen’s convulsing shoulders, pushed the cup to her lips.

The queen drank, choked, and drank again with Lenette’s help. Her coughing subsided, and she slumped back into the chair. For several minutes she did nothing but sit with her eyes closed, breathing as though taking in air were the hardest task she’d ever attempted. When she did finally open her eyes, they looked immediately at Josef.

“My order is final,” she said in a strained, husky whisper.

Josef stared at her, helpless, and then looked plaintively at Eli, but the thief was already a step ahead of him.

“My lady,” Eli said gently, stepping forward. “Think a moment. Someone out there is knocking off members of the royal family. Do you really think disarming the prince at such a time is a wise—”

“I will not be disobeyed,” Theresa said, closing her eyes again. “This meeting is over. Take the prince to his chambers and make sure he stays there.”

The guards bowed and moved to Josef’s side. With a final glare at his mother, Josef raised his hands and let the guards guide him toward the door. Eli followed with his own escort. Looking back, Josef caught a final glimpse of his mother slumped between Lenette and the serving girl, and then the door closed and he saw no more.

The palace seemed empty as the guards marched Josef and Eli back to the prince’s suite. The usual bustle of nobles and servants rushing on Osera’s business had been replaced by grim-faced guards standing in knots wherever corridors connected.

When they reached Josef’s rooms, the entire squad circled round as Josef disarmed to make sure he surrendered every blade. It took a good thirty minutes, partially because Josef was taking his time about it, but mostly because he wore a lot of weapons. It took two men to hold Josef’s arsenal of daggers, throwing knives, and short swords, and Josef spent the entire time making it very clear what would happen if every one of those blades didn’t return to him.

When he finally announced he’d handed everything over, the guards stepped in to pat him down, just in case. This uncovered another two blades, one at the small of his back below his belt and one tucked into the heel of his shoe, both of which Josef claimed he’d forgotten. The guards gave him a sour look and added the blades to the pile. Then they came to the main bone of contention.

“The sword on your back,” the soldier said. “Hand it over.”

“This?” Josef lay his hand on the wrapped hilt of the Heart of War. “I don’t think so.”

The soldier crossed his arms. “The queen said every blade, Prince Thereson.”

Josef smiled at him. “Fine,” he said. “You want my sword?” He reached up to his shoulder and undid the strap that held the Heart on his back. “Take it.”

The Heart fell to the floor with a crash that rattled the windows. The soldier jumped back in surprise, and Josef, still grinning, stepped aside so the guard could retrieve the Heart. The soldier glowered and reached down, grabbing the Heart by the hilt to lift it onto his own back.

Nothing happened.

The soldier’s anger turned to confusion. He added another hand to the Heart’s hilt and pulled again, harder. The Heart didn’t budge. The soldier braced his legs against the wall. His face turned pink, then red. Sweat poured off his brow as he pulled with all his might, and nothing happened.

He let go at last, panting as he stared at Josef. “What is that thing?” he said, too out of sorts to remember the proper address for a prince. “It weighs more than a bloody mountain.”

“It’s my sword,” Josef said. “Everything else you can take. This one stays with me.”

The soldier shook his head. “Queen’s orders,” he panted. “I can’t leave you with a weapon.”

“Forget it,” Josef said. “I didn’t kill the duke. The queen knows that. Now, you cannot lift this sword. No one can, except me. You’ve done your job disarming me as best you could. Let it alone.”

The soldier glanced at his companions, rubbing his strained shoulders. The other guards eyed the Heart with trepidation and, one by one, shook their heads.

“Right,” the guard said at last. “Move out. You,” he said, looking Eli up and down. “Coming?”

“I’ll stay here, if it’s all the same to you,” Eli said, flopping into a chair by the hearth.

“Suit yourself,” the guard said. “But no one gets out of this room until the queen gives the order.”

“That’s fine,” Eli said. “I think our poor, maligned prince could use the company during his wrongful incarceration. But thank you for your diligence, officer.”

The soldier gave Eli a sideways look, like he wasn’t sure if that was sincerity or an insult, maybe both. In the end, he let it go, walking out with a shallow bow and locking the door behind him. As the lock clicked, Josef grabbed the Heart and returned it to his back.

“This is a fine mess,” he grumbled, walking over to the tiny window.

“Mmm,” Eli said, staring absently into the fireplace. “Josef, is your mother-in-law a card player?”

Josef blinked in confusion. “What?”

“Lenette,” Eli said. “Is it possible she used to be a cardsharp?”

“No,” Josef said, appalled. “Why in the world would you even ask that?”

“Because she pulled the best snake-in-the-sleeve I’ve ever seen,” Eli said. “And I’ve seen a lot.”

If possible, Josef grew even more confused. “Snake-in-the-where?”

“Snake-in-the-sleeve,” Eli said slowly. “It’s a gambling move. Watch.” He held out his empty hand, and then, very subtly, flicked his wrist. Out of nowhere, a Daggerback card appeared between his fingers. “See?” he said, turning the card over. “Looks easy, but it takes years of practice.”

“Wait a second,” Josef said. “That’s a Shepherdess.” His eyes widened. “How long have you had a trump up your sleeve?”

“A long time,” Eli said, grinning wide.

Josef crossed his arms over his chest. “I want my money back.”

“Josef,” Eli said, looking hurt as the card disappeared back up his sleeve. “I would never cheat you.”

Josef rolled his eyes.

“Anyway,” Eli said. “That’s hardly the point. What matters is that I saw Lenette do that exact move when the servant handed her the cup.”

Suddenly, Josef was paying very close attention. “Are you sure?”

“I wasn’t at first,” Eli said. “I caught it only by chance. But then I saw her do it a second time, while she was stirring. That time there was no mistaking it.”

“Right,” Josef said, rubbing his neck. “And what did she take out?”

“I don’t know,” Eli confessed. “As I said, she was really good. I couldn’t even see if she was taking something out of her sleeve or putting something in. But I saw her wrist move, and I’ve been in enough card games to know that when you see someone flick their hand that way, you either call your bets or start cheating better.”

Josef scowled. “What would Lenette be putting in the queen’s cup? She owes my mother everything. Her position, her wealth, her daughter’s place as princess, everything. The second the queen dies, Lenette goes right out the door. She knows that better than anyone. So why would she take the risk of doing something that could possibly be seen as treasonous?”

“I have no idea,” Eli said, standing up. “But the royal family’s luck is getting a little too bad for me to buy.”

Josef winced. He knew that look on Eli’s face. “What are you going to do about it?”

“First,” Eli said, walking over to the table beside the door, “I’m going to find out who’s been drugging you at night, and how. I’m guessing it happened again?”

“Yes,” Josef said. “And it got Nico too.”

“Really?” Eli said. “How curious.”

Josef frowned. “Why curious?”

“Because it didn’t get me,” Eli said. “Which rules out the food.”

“And you think the sleeping thing is related to the duke’s death?”

“I don’t know,” Eli said, running his hands along the wall. “But as I said, this is too much bad luck, even for you. Now keep your voice down.” He glanced pointedly at the door. “Bored soldiers have surprisingly sharp ears.”

Josef looked skeptically at the door, but he nodded and moved over to the couch, sitting down with the Heart between his legs.

“Where is Nico, anyway?” he said, trying to keep the annoyance out of his voice.

Eli ducked his head to examine the bookshelf. “Probably making herself useful. She’s not locked up, after all. No point in sticking around here.”

Josef had to give him that one. Still, it annoyed him that he didn’t know where Nico was. But complaining wasn’t going to get him anywhere, so he sat and stared at his sword, letting his mind go blank as he traced the Heart’s scarred surface. He could feel the battle coming, like a storm on the horizon. Good. Let it come. He would be ready.

Josef took a deep breath, letting the anger and frustration flow out of his mind. Then, in one smooth motion, he stood up and stepped into first position. Mindful of the small space, he raised the Heart and began to practice his swings. Eli shot him an annoyed look and stepped out of the way, continuing his investigation around Josef’s sword work.

Outside, dawn turned to morning as the sun peeked over the mountain.

Josef had just passed his one hundredth swing when Eli shouted, “Got it!”

Josef lowered his sword. Eli was standing in the corner looking unbearably smug and holding a candelabra.

“It’s the candles,” Eli said, wrenching a candlestick out of its holder. “Here, smell the wax.”

“No,” Josef said. “You just said it’s poison.”

“Only if you burn it,” Eli said, shoving the candlestick in his face. “Smell.”

Josef sniffed, wrinkling his nose. “Smells like bitter greens.”

Eli nodded. “That’s incenteth. Doctors use it to knock patients out for amputation, usually by making them smoke it. I never even thought of putting it in candles.” He sounded deeply impressed. “Kind of brilliant, actually. The candles burn down, slowly filling the room with the drug. Servants and others can enter and leave with no ill effects except a little drowsiness, but anyone staying in the room would get the full dose and fall into a deep sleep until the candles burned out and the drug stopped.”

“Well, I’m glad you’re impressed,” Josef grumbled. “But unless someone signed their name on those candles, we still don’t know who did it.”

“Up to this point, I’d have said the duke,” Eli said, putting the candle back with a long sigh. “I still think it could be, but that’s a moot point now, isn’t it?”

Josef scowled at that comment, but before he could answer, he heard a familiar step on the carpet behind him. He turned just in time to see Nico step out of the deep shadows by the window.

He smiled, but his smile dropped when he saw the expression on her face. “What?”

“Something’s going on down at the storm wall watchtower,” she said. “Two guard squads have already been sent in.”

Josef caught his breath. That was where he’d had his argument with the duke the day before. “What have they got against me now?”

Nico shook her head. “I don’t think that’s it,” she said, her voice low. “They called in medics as well.”

Josef frowned. “How close did you get?”

“Close enough to smell the blood,” Nico answered.

Josef nodded and turned toward the door.

“Josef,” Eli said. “Hold on just a—”

Josef didn’t wait to hear the rest. He grabbed the door handle and turned it sharply, snapping the lock. He pushed the door open in time to see the two door guards turn and scramble to block his way.

Josef glowered. “Move.”

“I’m sorry, my lord,” the left guard said, shaking his head. “We can’t let you—”

Josef reached out with both hands and grabbed each guard by the helmet. Bracing his feet, he slammed their heads together as hard as he could. The helmets hit with a metal crash, and the two guards dropped.

Josef nodded and stepped over their prone bodies.

Eli poked his head out, his mouth forming an O when he saw the moaning guards. “Aren’t you Prince Charming?”

“Their fault,” Josef said, starting down the hall. “They didn’t move.”

The palace was surprisingly empty. The guard posts were abandoned, probably in answer to the new threat at the bay. That suited Josef just fine. He jogged through the empty halls, following the twist of the castle toward the kitchens. He trundled down the narrow servant’s stair and burst out into the paved yard where he’d met Finley’s carriage the day before, scaring the daylights out of a serving boy in the process.

“You,” he barked before the boy could bolt. “Two fast horses. Now.”

The boy stared at him wide-eyed. “This is the back stable, sire. We only got—”

“I don’t care about the quality,” Josef said. “If it’s fast, bring it. Now.”

The boy ran off, returning moments later with two long-legged bays already saddled and bearing the queen’s colors.

“Aren’t these reserved for messengers?” Eli said, scrambling onto the smaller of the two.

“Royal privilege,” Josef said, pulling himself onto the other. He held out his hand for Nico, but she stepped away.

“I’ll meet you there,” she said, wrinkling her nose. “Horses and I don’t get along.”

Josef nodded, but she was already gone, her body dissolving into shadows. Behind them, forgotten, the serving boy shrieked.

“He’ll get over it,” Josef said. “Come on.”

He kicked his horse and thundered out through the open gate. Eli shook his head and followed, bouncing in his saddle behind Josef as the prince forged a path through the crowded streets to the sea.

The queen supplied her messengers well. The horses made the trip down the mountain to the Rebuke in record time. Ahead of them, the flat walk of the storm wall was crawling with soldiers.

Eli stood up in his saddle, squinting at the horizon. “I don’t see any ships. No invasion yet, at least.”

Josef hopped off his horse and started pushing his way through the crowd. The soldiers looked at him sideways and whispered among themselves, but no one tried to stop him as he made his way to the heavy watchtower. Once they were inside, Nico was suddenly there.

“They’re at the top,” she said. “The light’s too good for me to get in and the only door is guarded. Sneaking’s not an option.”

“Good thing we’re not sneaking,” Josef said, starting up the stairs. “Come on.”

They climbed the four flights of stairs without challenge, but the door to the watch room at the top of the tower was blocked by a man in the polished chain of the royal guard. The soldier gripped his short sword when he saw Josef’s face and pulled himself as tall as he could.

“Prince Thereson,” he said in a voice that failed to be as authoritative as he probably wanted it to be. “You’re supposed to be under arrest.”

“Change of plans,” Josef said. “Step aside.”

The guard tightened his grip and held his ground.

Josef reached for the Heart, but Eli’s hand on his shoulder stopped him. The thief leaned forward, fixing the guard with his sweetest smile.

“Listen, young man,” he said. “The prince has had a really bad morning. So either you step aside and let us take responsibility for what’s about to happen, or Thereson here lives up to his murderous reputation. We clear?”

The soldier looked from Josef to Eli and back again before he let go his sword and stepped aside in one shaky motion.

“Good choice,” Eli said as Josef slammed the door open and stepped inside. He stopped again almost immediately, eyes going wide. He felt Eli stop as well and then hastily turn away. Josef didn’t blame him. The sight was enough to turn even his stomach.

The watch room where he’d met with Finley was now slick with blood. Six dead guards lay on the floor below the windows, their necks slit at the back. Blood pooled on the wooden floor, reflecting the morning sunlight, and the smell of it was thick in the air. Around this gruesome scene stood a ring of royal guards, their faces pale and tight beneath their helmets. Medics waited at the edges, but there was very little for them to do when the patients were already dead. At the center of the room, two men stood over a wide table where a seventh dead man sat slumped over a blood-splattered pile of maps, his fine-tailored gray suit now a sickly reddish black thanks to the gaping wound at the back of his neck. Josef frowned and flicked his eyes to the men standing over the table. The one on the left in the fancy coat he recognized as his mother’s admiral, though he couldn’t remember the old man’s name. The other man also looked familiar, but Josef couldn’t place him either.

Eli, however, had a better memory. “Josef!” the thief hissed, grabbing his wrist. “That’s Tesset!”

“Who?” Josef said.

“Tesset!” Eli whispered again. “Council man from Izo’s, works for Sara. Powers, he’ll ruin everything.”

Josef stared at the man in question. He vaguely remembered that swarthy face and large figure standing outside the hut with Sted, the one who’d gone after Nico. He could already feel Nico fading into the shadows behind him. Eli was still tugging his arm, trying to pull Josef back down the stairs, but Josef shook his head and yanked his arm free. If this Tesset was good enough to subdue Nico, then he’d already seen them, and running would do no good. Besides, Josef had questions to answer.

The admiral looked up when he heard Josef enter, and his face went scarlet.

“Prince Thereson!” he shouted. “You are confined to quarters!”

Josef ignored him, focusing on Tesset as the Council man looked up with a knowing smile.

“Good morning, Josef Liechten,” he said. “Or Prince Thereson, I should say. I trust you’re well.”

“Well enough,” Josef growled. “What are you doing here? When did you arrive?”

“Last night,” Tesset said. “And I’m here as the Council’s forward agent to help Osera prepare for the war. Your mother welcomed me herself just before all this unpleasantness. Condolences, by the way, on the death of your cousin.”

“Keep ’em,” Josef grumbled, making his way over to the closest body. The guardsman was on his stomach with his arms splayed out in an instinctive attempt to catch himself from a fall he’d never get up from.

“Back of the neck, just like the duke’s men,” Josef said, kneeling to get a better look at the gash that severed the man’s spine. “Quick too. Poor bastard couldn’t even get his sword out.” He nodded down toward the guard’s belt where the short sword was still snugly in its scabbard.

“Prince Thereson,” the admiral said again. “Stop this at once! This tower is controlled by her majesty’s navy. Prince or not, I won’t hesitate to lock you up if you do not return to the palace at once.”

“What?” Josef said, straightening up. “You can’t blame this one on me. Eli and I were stuck in my rooms since this morning, just like the queen ordered. Look at the blood. These men haven’t been dead more than half an hour. I was probably still being disarmed when it happened. And since it’s clear that whoever did the duke’s house did this as well, I’d say I’ve been exonerated. Isn’t that right, Eli?”

“Beyond a doubt,” Eli said.

The admiral stiffened. “When your mother hears—”

“So go tell her,” Josef said. “Later. Now, what was security like in this room?”

The old man clenched his teeth, his brow furrowing into a knot as he weighed his outrage against the presence of a prince, even a despicable one. Royalty must have won out, for the admiral’s shoulders slumped and he began his report.

“Security is as you see,” he said. “Six guards watching, two at the door, four in the room, and the Council’s wizard for the Relay so that we could notify Zarin the moment enemy ships were sighted.”

“Yet all are dead inside,” Eli said, silently counting the bodies. “Including the ones who were supposed to be in the hall. And they all died with their swords in their sheaths, correct?”

“Yes,” the admiral said, looking cautiously at Josef. “Sir.”

Eli grinned manically at his newfound authority. “I can see from the lack of blood trails that the bodies haven’t been moved. Combine that with the sheathed swords and we can safely assume that all the soldiers walked in here of their own volition. That means whoever did this was someone the guards knew, else they would have barred the entrance and died outside. Someone respected, for they escorted this person in and were subsequently too shocked to draw their swords when this known, respected person turned on them.”

“Impossible,” the admiral said. “Only officers and members of the royal family can enter this room without challenge.” He said this last bit with a pointed look at Josef, which Josef ignored.

Eli scratched his chin thoughtfully. “My real question is, why the watchtower? The duke I could understand, but why here?”

“I believe I can answer that one for you,” Tesset said.

They all turned to look. Tesset had been standing quietly beside the table. Now, though Josef had not seen or heard him move, he was several feet away, kneeling on the floor. The boards there were scuffed and dusty like any well-used surface, but one spot was darker than the rest. Josef frowned and walked over, kneeling for a closer look. It wasn’t blood, though there was certainly enough of that around. It almost looked as though someone had spilled a tiny bit of water and then tried to wipe it up.

“What’s that?” Josef said.

Tesset leaned down and pressed his finger delicately against the floor. When he lifted it, something was stuck there, glinting in the light. A tiny, curving splinter of glass.

“Question still stands,” Josef said, glancing at Tesset.

“It’s the Relay point,” Tesset said. “Or what’s left of it.”

“Powers,” the admiral whispered, staring at the wet sliver of glass. “I never knew they could be broken.”

“They’re quite delicate, actually,” Tesset said, standing up and placing the sliver of glass on the table. “Sara will be extremely distraught. Relay points are difficult to make, and we are very short at present.”

“I don’t understand,” Josef said. “Why would someone break a Relay point?”

“To cut Osera off from the Council,” Tesset said.

“But, why?” Josef asked again. “Osera has ships going to the mainland all the time. Any disruption in communication wouldn’t last past low tide. Six hours at most.”

“Six hours is plenty of time for many things,” Tesset said, pointedly not looking at Eli. “For example, if a thief were going to pull a heist, six hours would be amply sufficient to grab the goods and get away.”

“Nonsense.” Eli’s voice was equally disinterested. “No thief worth the name would break something as rare and valuable as a Relay point. Not when he can steal it, anyway. Honestly, what kind of idiot thieves do you chase?”

The admiral looked from Eli to Tesset, utterly confused. “Thieves? What are you talking about?”

“Nothing,” Tesset said. “An idle comment. Anyway, if the criminal’s objective was to isolate us, he failed.”

“How’s that?” Eli said. “Point looks pretty broken to me.”

“That it is,” Tesset said. “But Osera has two Relay points. This tower’s point was a first alert supplied by the Council specifically for this emergency. Osera’s official point is kept in the palace for the queen’s use.”

Josef set his jaw, glancing from the dead solders to the dead wizard and back again. “Admiral,” he said quietly. “Who reported this?”

The admiral blinked. “Excuse me?”

“Who found these men dead?” Josef said, his voice annoyed. “You? A guard?”

“Oh.” The admiral wiped his sweating brow. He looked as though this was all getting to be a bit much for him. “It was Princess Adela.”

Josef stopped. “Adela?”

“Yes,” the admiral said. “She had me take over here so she could go secure the Relay point at the palace.”

“Adela went to the palace?” Josef shouted.

“Yes, your highness,” the admiral said, baffled by his sudden outburst. “She thought that would be the criminal’s next target. But don’t worry, sire, I’ve yet to meet a swordsman who could get the better of your—”

Josef didn’t have time to listen, he was already headed for the door. A hundred things were clicking together in his mind: the precision of the sword strokes, the speed with which they must have been laid down, Adela circling him in the throne room, holding back. The deep sleep that he felt and she didn’t, the drugged candles and the bowl of stimulant. He glanced out the window at the castle high above them on the mountain. Even with the horse, it would take him five minutes at least to get to the back gate and another three to run to the Relay room at the top. Josef shook his head. He had no time. He had to get there now.

He hit the door to the stairs with his shoulder, slamming the poor guard on the other side into the wall. Josef didn’t even notice. He stared into the dark and shouted.

“Nico!”

She appeared before he’d finished saying her name, and Josef took a relieved breath. For a moment he’d been afraid she wouldn’t come. “I need your help.”

Nico’s pale face broke into a thin smile. That was all the answer Josef needed.

“I have to get to the palace,” he said. “Can you take me?”

Her eyes widened. “Through the shadows?”

Josef nodded.

Nico bit her lip. “I can try.”

“Try is all I need,” Josef said. “Take me to the top, if you can. The queen’s point will be in the palace watchtower.”

Nico nodded and Josef stepped forward, snatching his hand away a second before Eli’s fingers grabbed his wrist.

“I’m going,” he said before the thief could speak.

“I realize that,” Eli whispered. “But think a second, Josef. Just because she’s been drugging you to sleep doesn’t mean she’s guilty of everything else. This could all be a setup.”

Josef moved to stand beside Nico. “We’ll see soon enough, won’t we?” He looked down. “Ready?”

Nico nodded and hesitantly slipped her arms around his waist. She didn’t look at him while she did this, keeping her face tilted down so that she was hidden in the deep folds of her hood. That was the last thing he saw before the world twisted and everything went black.

Eli jumped back with a curse as Josef vanished, tripping over the top stair and right into the point of the door guard’s sword. He raised his arms on instinct, letting the guard walk him back into the watch room. The admiral was still staring at the space where Josef had been, his wrinkled face as pale as chalk.

“Before you do anything rash,” Eli said, arching away from the sword in his back, “I’ll have you know that there’s a perfectly reasonable explanation for this.”

“Hang it all,” the admiral muttered. “I don’t care anymore. You’re all going in irons until we get this mess straightened out.”

“All is a bit much, don’t you think?” Eli said. “It’s just me at the moment.”

“Then we’ll start with you,” the admiral growled. “Tie him.”

Eli heaved an enormous sigh as two guards stepped forward to secure him. They were fastening the rope around his hands when the admiral turned to Tesset.

“I am so sorry you had to see this, Councilman Tesset,” he said. “Prince Thereson has always—”

His voice trailed off. Tesset wasn’t listening. He was standing at the window, staring out at the smooth sea. The admiral blinked and looked as well, squinting against the morning sun, and then what little blood was left in his face drained away.

“Powers help us,” he whispered.

No one answered. Everyone, even Eli, was staring at the line of tiny dots on the eastern horizon. Far below, the water on the beach began to churn against the rocky face of the storm wall. Out in the bay, the lines of docked Oseran runners rocked against their moorings as the sea swelled beneath them, the bay’s water pushed aside by the new, enormous current flowing from the east in a perfectly straight line.