Chapter 57

The barge was tethered near the palace, still and serene. Only the gentle night breeze and the creaking of wood interrupted the quiet. Within its sumptuous walls, where the noise was muffled, serenity was in short supply. Mereruka, Taisiya and Nofret arrived to raised, bitter voices and a distinct lack of calm and decorum. Mereruka stifled a sigh.

“You’ll sleep where I tell you, with my soldiers at your doors. You think I’ll trust either of you with your own pocket realms?” Qar snorted with derision.

Qar stood a head taller—and half a man broader—than either of Mereruka’s siblings. His hippo ears twitched in anger, flicking his black braids. When he punctuated his words with a feral grin, it was to display overlong incisors.

“But a pocket realm is safest for us!” Serfka whined. “If anyone sees us, your master’s whole plan will be for naught!”

Radjedef grunted in agreement, keeping a warrior’s stance in Qar’s presence. Probably the only sign of respect he would ever give someone of a lower rank than himself.

“No one here will fetch you the requisite sacrifice,” Qar replied, not budging an inch.

“What seems to be the problem? Are your quarters not to your liking? Is my hospitality lacking?” Mereruka asked, intentionally letting a hard edge colour his words.

“Your servant’s certainly is! All we’re asking for is to be able to create pocket realms of our own, for safety!” Serfka replied in a huff.

“Qar is not a servant. He is my overseer of the soldiers, and a man I place a great deal of trust in. And I agree with him on this matter. Though we have your oaths of loyalty, you have not yet earned our trust. You will sleep in your assigned rooms, or Vasilisa will find somewhere in the void for you. After all, since only she can access it, you would be safest of all in there.”

Vasilisa helpfully waggled her fingers at his brothers with a sly grin on her face. Colour leached from both their faces.

“What will it be?”

Grudgingly, his brothers followed the soldiers to their rooms. When they were out of sight, Mereruka clapped Qar on the back.

“I’m glad you’ve returned.”

“As am I. No troubles on our way. The three little creatures have been safely stowed in Rhacotis. When we heard you’d been sent to collect dragon scales, we rushed here as quickly as we could.”

Mereruka nodded. It was only a shame they hadn’t arrived sooner.

“And Bas?” he asked, heart in his throat.

Qar’s expression was grim.

“He was in bad shape, but I managed to walk him through the shift. He has his fingers and toes back, same with his tail, and his wounds have healed, but he had a harder time with his ears.” Qar flicked his own ears, “I suspect he’ll tell you himself.”

Just then, Bas came around the corner, bracing himself on the wall, skin pallid and expression drawn. Mereruka rushed to him and gathered him up in his arms. Bas wrapped his arms around Mereruka in turn. Never again. Never again.

“I’m sorry.” Bas choked on the sob in his throat.

“Hush! The fault is mine.”

Mereruka’s eyes stung as he peered down at his son. Bas’ ragged ears were like an arrow to his heart. Mereruka kissed his head. He would make this right somehow. He would protect his son better, give him the carefree, safe life he deserved. Nofret would simply have to train another to fulfil the role of spy. Bas would never place himself in danger like that again.

“I’ll never be a proper spymaster. I broke when she…”

Guilt was a feral beast in his gut. He should never have encouraged Bas in this ambition. My fault. It’s my fault.

“Nonsense,” Taisiya said, touching the small of Mereruka’s back. She brushed a few stands of hair on Bas’ head. Bas turned watery hazel eyes on her. “Failure is only final if you allow it to be. Do you truly want to be a spymaster, Bas?”

Bas nodded, lip trembling.

Mereruka stiffened, ready to protest. Taisiya’s censorious glare might as well have cut off his tongue. She turned her eyes back to Bas, eyes softening.

“Then you will learn from this experience and become the greatest of spymasters. Nofret?”

“Yes, Your Harmoniousness?”

“Do you believe Bas has the ability to take on a role like yours?”

Nofret hesitated when she saw Mereruka’s glare but straightened her spine and turned away from him.

“Yes.”

Damn her. He would have words for his first scribe come morning.

“Then you and Vasilisa both will teach him. And you Bas, will become the best of spymasters.”

Vasilisa hugged Bas from behind, her head leaning on his.

“And I will kill anyone who hurts you,” Vasilisa assured him. “Just as I did to Itet.”

Seeing he wasn’t going to win this battle, Mereruka grudgingly relented. There would be other times to change Bas’ mind.

“Nofret, if you will see to the preparations and inform Qar of our plans? Qar, I would like your detailed report in the morning. For now, I’ll retire to my pocket realm with my family.”

Qar and Nofret bowed as Mereruka escorted his little family into the safest place he knew of.

Taisiya woke in the night to find Mereruka’s warmth was no longer beside her. Vasilisa slept to her left and Bas was curled up to the right of where her husband should be. She slipped from the overlarge bed, created to accommodate them all, and sought out her husband as he stared out at the scene of Rhacotis that his magic had woven. Sitting on the edge of the room, his legs dangling off the ledge of the illusory cliff, he sipped wine from a silver chalice, his posture stiff with anger. Undeterred, she sat down beside him.

“Do you need another minute to brood alone?”

“Your humour is grating in this moment.”

She waited a few heartbeats.

“How about now?”

His glare was impressive, but the depths of his citrine eyes held no fire.

“You should not have encouraged Bas. He is my son. I will—”

“Our son, Meri. Bas is our son. And if you discourage him after this experience, you will only be telling him that you think he is weak and that he doesn’t have what it takes to attain his dreams or face his fears.”

“Speaking from experience?” he hissed, a finger caressing her neck as his eyes took on a stony cruelty.

Taisiya did her best not to flinch.

“Yes. Even this.” She took his hand and placed it around her throat, forcing herself not to squirm, even though her heart thundered in her chest. “I will overcome it, as I have overcome every nightmare. I know my strength. No matter what, I will endure. As will Bas. You must let him discover his own strength and resolve.”

Mereruka snatched his hand away, guilt twisting his features.

“I’m sorry, Taisiya, please forgive me. That was a monstrous thing to do.” Setting aside his wine, he buried his head in his hands. “I feel like I’m not fit to be either a father or a husband of late. I’ve only failed in my duty to you both. When you needed it most, I was powerless to save either of you.”

“I knew the risks, Meri. We both did. You’ll learn and grow from this. It’s the best any of us can do,” Taisiya said as she stroked his thigh.

His laugh was as bitter as his expression.

“Speaking from your many, accumulated years of wisdom?”

It hadn’t taken her long to learn what her husband feared most was not death—indeed, he was uncommonly brash and reckless. No, her wily husband feared he would have to watch another he loved die, powerless to stop it. She understood it, and him. It was why she could shrug off his foul anger. He didn’t need someone to scold him, he needed her to be at his side so he could feel her heartbeat, to know she hadn’t left him. He needed someone to make him smile, to turn his thoughts away from death and to remember that those he loved were still here, waiting for him.

Taisiya shrugged and tweaked his nose.

“Some of us are faster learners. Try to keep up.”

He chuckled and pulled her close. She wrapped her arm around him, savouring the scent and feel of him. Mereruka was alive and whole, and so was she.

“My wise little wife.”

“One of us should be.”

“Oh?” She could hear the grin in his voice. “Then what does that make me?”

“Hmmm. The pretty one?” She trailed a finger down his chest. “Best keep in shape, husband. You wouldn’t want my eyes to wander.”

He shook from repressed laughter. Taisiya grinned into his chest and kissed the spot over his heart. When he could finally speak without snorting, he whispered in her ear.

“You’re lucky they’re sleeping in the bed. If we were alone, you wouldn’t get a single moment of rest.”

“Promise?” she taunted him.

He dipped his head down and kissed her, a gentle caress of his lips. When he pulled away, his eyes were sombre.

“I will help you overcome your fears, Taisiya. You won’t do this alone.”

She reached up and cradled his cheek in her palm.

“Neither will Bas. Neither will you, Meri. I will walk through fire by your side.”

His lips quirked.

“Even if I’m a cruel, unreasonable bastard?”

“Because you’re a cruel, unreasonable bastard.” She smiled. “If you were anything but the man you are, I would have done away with you on the ship to Maat.”

“Was that the plan?”

“One of many.”

“Guess I got lucky.”

Taisiya nodded. “Very. But then, so did I.”