Sworn To Defiance (2 page)

Thinking back on Vana, Ciardis knew she’d know what to do with this mysterious bastard son of the Algardis line. Thanar would as well. The daemoni prince wouldn’t hesitate to question the old man in front of them. By fair or foul means, Thanar would get his answer. If he didn’t Thanar could and
would
leave Jason a broken, brittle mess huddled on the ground after he poured through the man’s mind, unlocking its secrets and forcing him to obey his every will.

Ciardis, for her part, refused to admit that she wanted to see Vana and Thanar for more than their skills in torture and witness tampering. She knew instinctually that she considered them allies. No, more than that—they were friends. Manipulative bastards of friends, but friends all the same. She was in short supply of those, especially ones who had the power to protect themselves while she fought battles against creatures she had only heard about in legends.

The clear gray eyes of the man in front of her turned from the prince heir. Jason SaAlgardis’s gaze turned to her. She saw him assessing her. She wondered if he found her wanting. But she realized soon enough that she didn’t care. It wasn’t what she could do for
him
that mattered. It was what he could do for
her.

A shiver of cold went down her spine as she remembered one of the first things that Stephanie, the companion with the unique skill of transferring personal talents from one to the other, had said to her, “Nothing is free... What can you give me in return?”

This week Stephanie had given her life to save Ciardis’s own. Narrowing her eyes, Ciardis wondered what she could possibly give to make up for the loss of the woman’s life. What could Jason SaAlgardis want from them in exchange for his help in winning back the throne?

The knot in her stomach tightened in unease.

We really need to find Thanar and Vana, preferably before I have an ulcer.

She refused to believe that it was worry that knotted in her gut. It couldn’t be. It had to be practicality. They had useful talents. She wanted to put them to use. End of story.

I am not worried about an assassin and a mass murderer,
she grouched in her head.
I’m just not.

You keep thinking that,
was the prince heir’s dry commentary in her mind. Even when they managed to find themselves stuck on a rooftop and facing a man with a claim that could, probably
would
, have everyone involved executed for treason, she felt the worry in her mind ease. Because Sebastian was by her side. Sometimes she felt that she could do without his irreverent wit but in this case it was saving her from her own constant sense of impending doom. At least one of them should feel optimistic and it might as well be him. Because come hell or high water, it would be Sebastian leading the charge against the man who he claimed was his uncle, the imperial family member who was supposed to be long-dead but they had recently found out was in fact still very much alive, Prince Maradian Athanos Algardis.

Sometimes you have to laugh at yourself, Ciardis
, Sebastian spoke to her softly.
If you don’t you’ll go insane
.

How can I laugh at myself when everything is going so very, very wrong? Everything I do only seems to backfire. We can’t escape it.

B
eside her the prince heir was silent. Then he opened up his mind. Not just to his thoughts but to his emotions.

When you disappeared from the battlefield near the Ameles Forest, do you know what I felt?

Ciardis was trying to read his emotions at the moment. It was hard. He wasn’t feeling one clear thing. Anger, despair, hope, passion, and even wry humor were like an intermixed ball in his thoughts.

No
, she finally admitted.

Horror
, he said.
Horror because I thought you were gone forever. I didn’t love you then. I didn’t even
like
you that much.

Her eyes widened but she didn’t protest. She would have three months ago. But she’d learned something along the way: Sebastian had a tendency of unintentionally insulting a person before he got to the point.

Or perhaps not so unintentionally,
she thought.
I’ve never seen a single person with such a gift for it before.

To Sebastian she asked reluctantly,
Then why horror?

Because,
Sebastian said quietly,
even then I could tell you were going to be a change this court hasn’t seen in dozens of years. I didn’t know if it would be good or bad just based on our history with the Land Wight, but I had hope. Hope that it would be good. Hope that was extinguished the moment you disappeared. And then—

He paused.

And then...?
she prodded.

And then determination filled that gap. Determination to find you. Alive or dead. I found you because of that. So whatever we’re going through now, I have hope. Because we’re both alive. Besides I have humor. Because it can’t possibly be that much worse than the realization that we’re going to have to face down a god, can it?

Reluctantly a smile cracked her face.
No, no it can’t.

That’s my girl.

I’m a woman, you snot-nosed brat.

That’s Prince Heir Snot-Nosed Brat to you.

Ciardis sometimes felt that Sebastian knew her better than herself. This was one of those times. This was also one of the few times that she didn’t want to snap at him for invading her thoughts. He liked to disconnect their mind link on a whim. Particularly when it most suited him. When he was mad at her, it didn’t suit him to speak to her. That didn’t sit well with her. A relationship was give and take, but communication was essential at all times.

It wasn’t that she was upset with him. How could she be after that pep talk? Well that, and the fact that they had just declared their love. She just didn’t like a fickle relationship. When she declared her love she meant it. She loved Sebastian Athanos Algardis. Despite being unsure of what she could do to face down the coming of a god or how they were going to persuade the man in front of them that leading a rebellion against their emperor was bad, she was sure of this one thing. Love. It was a funny thing. It made her feel determined, passionate, and optimistic in a world that was rapidly descending into a daemoni-controlled hell.

So understand when Ciardis knew she was fed up with imperial games, she was
truly
fed up. She wanted to take some time with Sebastian. Maybe even arrest a duchess. Yes, that would be fun. But she wasn’t crazy. Taking on a god and her emperor at the same time wouldn’t be fun. It would be suicidal.

Ciardis sighed and breathed out slowly as she recalled the conversation which had started this whole mess.

The man had told them, “We intend to put the rightful emperor on the throne.” It wasn’t often that you heard someone outright declare their intentions to overthrow an emperor. Much less someone who said so directly to the future emperor’s face.

So about the man in front of us,
she said as she turned her head to look over at him
.

Sebastian’s face was empty with mirror-like eyes and stiffness.

I’ll handle him
, he responded.

By?
she demanded.

By not admitting my father has been replaced by his bloodthirsty brother right away. Let’s see what he really knows.

Retrieving his sword, the prince heir said, “What makes you think I know what you’re talking about?”

Jason lifted a stiff eyebrow of salt and pepper hair as he lowered his own sword. Gruffly he said, “The night is waning. This be no time for games.”

“Games?” Ciardis cackled. She startled even herself at the viciousness held in that one word. But that didn’t stop her.

Distantly she heard Sebastian say,
Wait a second, let me
—

But she didn’t stop. She was tired, sore, and heartsick over friends and family. Taking this man down a notch would make her feel a lot better for a few minutes.

“You want to talk about games?” she hissed as she kept her glaive at a wary stance. “We came to the imperial court to warn everyone. Nobles, merchants, mages, and militia alike. There is a god coming. A god of death and destruction that wants nothing more than to erase our society and make Algardis a mere note in history.”

Jason held up a cautious hand. “Regardless of your assumptions—”

“They’re not
assumptions
, they’re facts,” Ciardis interrupted. “If the denizens of this entire city weren’t so enamored with staring up their own asses to figure out how they can be the most devious and insipid beings in the land at any point in time, we wouldn’t be in this mess.”

Well
— Sebastian said in her head.

What
? she groused.

Technically, if you hadn’t helped Thanar and his cohort bring down the shielding on the Sanctuary we wouldn’t be in this mess
.

She felt some mild regret and annoyance. Mostly annoyance, because he was right. But they were facing an unknown threat. The least he could do was support her.

Don’t start with me,
she snapped back.
You’re either on my side or you’re not.

I’m on it
.

Jason SaAlgardis and Sebastian Algardis exchanged almost identical male glances. Glances that said the female that stood between them had gone insane and neither was going to say a word about it.

Ciardis snorted.

Carefully she said to Jason, “I’ve been back to court less than a week. In that time I’ve been threatened, blackmailed, beaten up, and had my mother imprisoned for a crime she didn’t commit. On top of that, I’ve been instructed to fight a god who can’t be killed and tried to unravel the swirl of plots within the capital without being dragged down myself. Therefore, there’s no way in hell I trust you. I don’t know who you are or how you found us, but you need to leave.”

The older man in front of them sheathed his sword. “What if I told you there was a way to amass your army while ensuring the true ruler would assume the throne to control it?”

“As long as you don’t mean me, then keep talking,” said Sebastian.

Ciardis stared at him. “I’m listening.”

Jason gruffly said, “Let’s get off this roof first.”

Thoughts flew through her head. Her primary concern was something she didn’t want to voice aloud.

Instead she sent a quick thought to Sebastian.
What about Thanar and Vana
?
We can’t leave them here.

We won’t. We need them at our backs,
Sebastian thought back.

She cracked a slight smile. For once this week, they were immediately in accordance.

Privately she thought to herself,
This relationship thing might not be so bad. He’s already agreeing with me.

The man in front of them cleared his throat. She and Sebastian hadn’t been looking at each other but she guessed they both had that far-off look pasted on their faces that said they weren’t focusing on him either.

“While you two make up your minds,” said Jason, “I’ll find us a way out.”

Ciardis lifted a curious eyebrow.

The older man half-turned away as he said, “You didn’t think you’d get out of here the same way you came in, did you? Those blasts were physical and magical. Triggered to shut down the inner tunnels all throughout the villa. You’re lucky you were already in one. Otherwise you’d be stuck where you were until the villa guards came for you.”

“I don’t know if I’d call that lucky,” Sebastian said darkly. “You nearly killed us.”

Jason shrugged. “It did its job. It will slow down Carne’s forces since its how they move from place to place in the interior walls. But this won’t stop the forces arrayed along the outer wall. Which is why we need to move. They’re probably on their way to target whatever auras of strangers are still left alive in the building.”

“Fantastic,” muttered Ciardis as she watched him walk away.

As soon as he was out of ear shot she whispered, “I don’t think he knows about Vana and Thanar. What if they’re trapped inside?”

Sebastian turned to her, his gaze dark. “We better hope they’re not.”

She frowned. “We need to do more than hope.”

“Any suggestions? We’d have to loop back around the entire villa to get to the chambers from here with the entrance we came through sealed.”

“I’ll think of something,” she said.

Her voice turned contemplative as she turned back to eye their lone rooftop companion. “Do you trust him?”

“Do you?”

Ciardis watched the older man walk to the edge of the parapet and throw a rope ladder over the side.

“No.”

“Why not?” Sebastian asked.

She narrowed her eyes. “I can’t put a finger on it. There’s just something...wrong.”

“I can.”

She turned to him in surprise. Sebastian’s face was tense. She’d never seen him so troubled. No, that wasn’t it. His mouth was twisted into a stiff line, like he’d bitten into a bitter lemon and didn’t like the taste. “You know something, don’t you?”

“Jason SaAlgardis isn’t who he seems to be.”

“What do you mean?”

Sebastian turned to her, his hand clenched tightly on the pommel of his sword. “He’s not a blood relative of the Algardis imperial family—bastard or otherwise.”

Shocked, she asked, “You’re sure?”

“Very.”

“Then how did he know the emperor is an imposter?”

“That’s what we need to find out.”

J
ason turned and looked at them. He beckoned. She walked forward with Sebastian by her side.

“Any bright ideas?” she whispered.

“A few.”

“Anything that we can deploy in the next five seconds?”

“None,” he acknowledged.

She almost cracked a smile. Almost.

Then they reached the edge of the parapet. She position herself next to Jason, then she looked down. She really wished she hadn’t. The height was almost dizzying. It was a lot like staring off the precipice of the tower ramparts of the north. Without the bitterly cold winds in her face that is. But it was a good vantage point. She was able to see that they had climbed up much further than she initially thought. They stood at the peak of a half-moon tower close to the edge of the embankment that encircled the Duke of Carne’s villa. Twenty feet below lay a verdant green garden and an abundant number of green trees with golden orbs on them. Orange trees perhaps. She’d heard of them. Ciardis knew that the emperor supposedly had a garden dedicated to them and other tropical island fruits, but had never seen them. So seeing them here made sense. Anything the emperor had, his nobles were likely to mimic in a fawning attempt to display their wealth and taste for opulence.