67: THE KING’S THREAT

(Teraeth’s story)

Valathea had been right.

It didn’t take King Kelanis long at all.

The vané monarch marched through the parliament doors and then stopped, looking backward with annoyance.

King Kelanis’s soldiers hadn’t come with him. Teraeth schooled his expression away from the smirk he so badly wanted to indulge; King Kelanis’s soldiers couldn’t come with him. This was the most enchanted spot in the entire Manol. The Founders controlled who was allowed here. He strongly suspected Janel had been given access because her appearance was so exotic she didn’t immediately strike anyone as Quuros. He’d been allowed in because of his father.¹

None of them had been allowed to keep their weapons.

King Kelanis recovered quickly. “Founders, we demand an explanation. You are harboring wanted criminals.”

Valathea turned from the group she had been addressing. “We are not. There’s no one present not involved with legal proceedings involving their status. But it’s fortunate that you’re here, Your Majesty, since those legal proceedings involve you as well.”

Kelanis laughed lightly. “We wondered why our sister would go through all the effort to return to the Well of Spirals. We had thought she was showing family loyalty, but it seems she just wanted to hire a lawyer.” His eyes slid to the side, where the sister in question sat still and quiet, drinking a glass of wine with an expression on her face a statue might envy.

“You left before we could be introduced, nephew,” Valathea said, smiling. “It’s such a pleasure to finally meet you. I must say you remind me of your father.”

Teraeth raised his eyebrows. That last bit had not been a compliment.

But Kelanis took it that way. “Thank you. And what legal proceeding do you think should have our attention? Khaeriel died. Even if she stands here now, it changes nothing.”

A tall razor blade of a vané dressed in silver, white, and soft gray answered. “Valathea has requested permission to argue for the overturning of the Law of Daynos. We’ve agreed to hear her arguments. If the state wishes to prepare a defense, we will naturally allow for that.”

“Who’s that?” Janel leaned over and whispered.

“Daynos,” Teraeth replied.

“Oh.”

King Kelanis looked like he’d tasted something poisonous. “We will require time.”

“You have two weeks,” Daynos said. “We will meet back here and hear arguments from both sides before the Founders make a ruling.”

Kelanis looked like he wanted to protest. Instead, he turned and looked at everyone in the room. His gaze swept over Teraeth and Janel, paused momentarily, then continued on to Doc.

The flicker of confusion on Kelanis’s face was so fast, Teraeth might have missed it if he hadn’t been watching for the king’s reaction. The brief glance back to Teraeth, whose name he knew, then back again to Doc.

Of course, if Teraeth had any doubt Kelanis had made the connection, it vanished as the king said to Khaeriel, “Terindel? Are you out of your mind? If you throw out the Law of Daynos, he becomes king.”

“Your Majesty—” Daynos’s voice was heavy with warning.

“If he had any interest in becoming king, yes. He does not. And if he changes his mind? He becomes king of the Kirpis vané, while I remain queen of the Manol vané. But as I have developed a renewed respect for the importance of righting old family wrongs, I would not begrudge him that.” Khaeriel saluted her brother with her wineglass in a clearly mocking gesture. “Thank you for the lesson, little brother.”

Daynos sighed, eyeing them like a parent prepared to step in to break up a fight.

“We have your son,” Kelanis said.

Next to Teraeth, Janel straightened. Teraeth put a hand on her arm. “Wait.”

Teraeth knew Kelanis was bluffing. There was zero chance Kelanis had somehow managed to send agents to Kishna-Farriga and capture Kihrin since they’d parted. Kelanis did not have Kihrin.

But was it possible Talon had somehow changed places with Kihrin at the prison? Teraeth thought back to the last day. How Kihrin had kissed him. How Kihrin had destroyed the dragon. No. That hadn’t been a mimic.

It probably said something about Teraeth that the first event had seemed the more unreal.

Still, that Kelanis thought the threat would work seemed curious. Even if Kelanis had a mimic impersonating Kihrin, the Quarry warden would have informed him of their escape. And since two of those escapees stood present in the room … why would Kelanis think Khaeriel would ever believe her son remained in custody?

Khaeriel narrowed her eyes. “I do not believe you.”

“Then we look forward to presenting our evidence,” Kelanis growled, “but most especially our nephew’s head.”

He seemed … sincere. Kelanis was a good liar. A common trait in the family—arguably a required trait for rulers—but still, the venom, the anger, the repressed fury in his voice …

Kelanis wasn’t lying. Or rather, Kelanis didn’t think he was lying.

And Kihrin had encountered Talon at the Quarry. So what if Kelanis honestly thought he had Kihrin in custody?

“Oh, Talon,” he whispered, “you crafty little bitch.”

Janel leaned against Teraeth. “Do you think she did that on orders or improvisation? I don’t know mimics except by reputation.”

Teraeth blinked at her in surprise. He hadn’t expected her to follow his train of thought. “Could be either, to be honest.”

“Your Majesty,” Valathea said, “even if she withdraws her request, this case will still be heard.”

The king glared at her. “And nothing would please you more, we are sure. But the Law of Daynos exists for a reason. You are not going to convince the Founders to overturn it. Not in two weeks, not in two hundred years.” He gestured toward Daynos. “We will return with our defense.”

With that, he swept out of the room.

Teraeth sighed and settled back in his chair. “Well, that’s done with, at least for now.”

“So what happens next?” Janel looked over at him. “I’m not going to lie: I’d feel a lot more comfortable if we just had to kill something.” She fidgeted. “I feel like leaving this building would be … unhealthy.”

“And yet we’ll have to. The Founders aren’t going to let us camp out in the main hall. One assumes we’ll have to retreat to that safe house. Let’s hope it’s secure.”

Janel looked over to where Valathea, Khaeriel, and Doc clustered together, talking.

“Do you think there’ll be assassins?”

“Oh yes,” Teraeth said. “If I were Kelanis? I’d definitely send assassins. Although they won’t be his best. Somehow, I suspect the Black Brotherhood won’t be available.”