We crept toward the edge of the trees, and Auriel frowned, looking me over.
“You should keep your hood down,” he said. “With your hair like this, you blend in. It will invite less of them to look at you.”
“I hope,” I said. “Ka Kormac isn’t exactly known for sending women into their soturi.”
But I retrieved my stave, and pointed it at Auriel’s armor, then mine before training it on my hair. The spell I’d used before had faded quickly since I wasn’t trying to hold it. But now, it would need to remain undisturbed for as long as we were in public. I tried to focus on the Valalumir at my back, touching it again to let it fuel and strengthen my spell.
“Too bad Aiden isn’t here,” I said wistfully. I was pretty damned proud that I’d managed to change our armor believably, and my hair. But I didn’t think I could do much more. If I could have made myself a man, that would have been better.
“You’re doing a good job,” Auriel said. He peered back out through the trees. “Let’s go to a pub. We both need food, and it will be dark in there. People will be drinking. It’s a perfect place to disappear unnoticed. And listen.”
We did just that, sitting inside for about an hour, tucked into a wood table pushed into a shadowy corner. We’d both ordered several beers, just to blend in, but neither of us were drinking. We were more focused on the food—which wasn’t great. The stew was bland, and the bread stale. Most of the cuisine I was familiar with back home wasn’t available. But we were both starving, and anything was better than nothing. Especially when anything was what kept me strong, kept me ready to fight.
The evening set in, the sky changing color through the window beside us. Outside soturi were coming and going— most seemed to be off-duty, meeting friends for drinks.
A few were out with their families, walking into restaurants for an early dinner. In the nearby square, bets were being placed on fights inside a tiny make-shift arena. We watched several battles end, money being passed back and forth, all while trying to listen for any talk of akadim.
Another soturion entered the fight, but was knocked out almost instantly.
“What if it’s too late?” I asked quietly, my nerves jumping. I’d heard endless inane conversations, but nothing even related to akadim. Was that possible? Would the Queen have sent me on the mission to end Rhyan’s akadim state if it was already over?
Auriel shook his head. “No. It’s not.”
“How do you know?”
His jaw tensed. “Remember how I told you I could feel the void of where my soul once was. Feel the absence of it.”
I nodded nervously. “At your tomb.”
“I … I think I have that feeling again. But for him. For Rhyan.”
“His body,” I said. As an akadim it would be void of his soul. “You sense it?”
“I do. It’s not strong, but it’s the most I’ve felt since I— since I arrived. He’s not gone. In fact, I think we might be close. Or … closer than we were. Enough I can sense this much.”
“Do you think he’s in Korteria?”
Auriel frowned. “I don’t know. Let’s listen. We’ll track what we can—but this,” he placed a hand on his heart, “might help lead us to him.” His eyes swept down the table at my mostly finished plate of food, and empty drink glass, before sweeping over my hair. “The color’s fading,” he said quietly. “I’m going to get you dessert. See if you can add more glamour.”
Auriel headed to the bar, keeping his eyes trained on me as he waited for the server. I pulled my cloak over my lap, concealing my stave. Sweat beaded my brow. Keeping theglamour up was taking more energy than I realized, but a second later, the silver across my armor and Auriel’s was refreshed.
A sudden burst of applause exploded from the arena. But before I could see what had happened, the pub doors burst open, and a dozen soturi poured inside.
Auriel quickly grabbed the plate from the bar and rushed back to me. It was a slice of chocolate cake. My appetite was gone though as we watched the soturi swarm the room, lining up at the bar, slamming down glasses of beer, and occupying the remaining tables.
“Lady Lyriana,” said a soturion. I stilled, my stomach flipping. “She’s dead,” he continued. “She died on the beach a month ago. I don’t know why they’re wasting their time with these searches.”
Auriel’s eyes widened. I leaned across the table, meeting his gaze.
“She’s vanished before,” another soturion said. “Turned up later. She’s sneaky.”
“Maybe. But it’s been a fucking month now. And not one sighting. No girl’s smart enough to hide that long and not get caught. I don’t see the point. Who cares where she is now?”
“She ordered that soturion to murder the Emperor. Killed the Blade. You should care about that.”
The bartender placed two pitchers on the counter.
“They were old. Dying anyway.”
