“Eventually,” I finished, already knowing my grandfather had been repeating whispers of truth, not just tales, “you will bleed out.”
She appeared unconcerned. “’Tis an exceeding rare occurrence.”
“But has happened?” I guessed.
“Only twice.”
That was two times too many. The thought of Lyra lying on the palace floor, blood oozing from her nose, her mouth…
“If there are more than two, I will handle them.”
Her chin raised.
“I will have your acquiescence on this.”
“You’ll find I don’t take orders well. Especially from a Gyorian.”
The moment the words left her lips, she wanted to recall them. I could see from her expression Lyra had remembered the bathing-chamber incident too late.
“That,” she insisted, “was different.”
“Was it?”
“Aye.”
I moved the torch to the side, enabling me to lean closer.
“And when the deed is done, and you’re back in my bedchamber, what then? Lyra of Aetheria? Will you cede control once again?”
I could feel her breath. Almost tasted her lips. The desire to consume her was nearly too great a weight to bear. Eyes wide, lips parted… Lyra treaded well outside her place of comfort now.
“We are far from a successful mission.”
A non-answer. So “Lyra” of her. I tried a different tactic.
The truth.
“I would not see you killed today.”
It surprised and, hopefully, disarmed her.
“Why?”
One simple word. One simple question.
The answer was neither.
16
LYRA
One of the most basic tenets of my training was clearing the mind. Ensuring it rested not on past failures, or successes. Not on future possibilities or anything but the present since naught else mattered. Allow the body to rely on training and instinct, remain focused on the mission, and the rest would follow.
It had been years since I had any problem following these tenets. There had been some difficult missions, of course, but I’d never had this much difficulty as a fully trained Shadow Diplomat remaining focused.
We were about to face at least two well-trained Gyorian guards who, if I didn’t perform the Sovaen Whisper correctly, could ruin the most important mission of my lifetime.
Voren vel’kora.
