Kasira swept past him to the Kalish door. “He would be a fool to test her.”
“Still.” Allaster paused with his hand on the door. “The plan here is to get in, be seen, and get out. The less time May has to spend dealing with him alone, the better, and I have no interest in drinking fancy wine and making small talk with the Kalish elite.”
She eyed him. “And here I thought you had a taste for mylak.”
“It’s people I have no taste for.” He pulled open the door and strode through, leaving Kasira to grin at his back.
The door exited into a courtyard void of anything but green. Thebushes were neatly trimmed into identical shapes in identically sized stone beds, the walkways laid in an equilateral grid, and beyond them rose the castle. Square and rigid, it was largely uninteresting to the eye save for the delicate filigree designs around the windows made of vylor that glinted iridescent in the sunlight.
How much of the precious resource had been wasted on decoration, she wondered, and how much would be again if May truly discovered a connection between beasts and natural artifacts like vylor? That knowledge could prevent a war, stop Kalthos from coveting Jacara’s makhet, but it also meant returning a weapon to Kalish hands. A weapon used to kill beasts.
They would just find another one without it, she thought.
Before he could protest, Kasira linked her arm with Allaster’s. She felt the muscles of his arm stiffen but swept him onward through the tide of conversing guests, not allowing her thoughts to dip below the surface. She had only to make it through this night, and tomorrow, Vera would call the Conclave.
“Lord Allaster St. Archer and Lady Kasira Vitalis,” announced a voice above the gentle rush of string music.
Heads turned with their every step as they made their way to the center of the courtyard. Octagonal in shape, it had paths splitting out from each side and a raised platform in the center. King Carthur sat upon it on a throne, light glinting off his golden crown forged in the shape of rising flames. Allaster led them up the steps, releasing her arm to bow deeply, Kasira following suit.
“Your Majesty,” Allaster greeted. “Thank you for your invitation.”
“Librarian.” The King nodded. “Assistant. You’ve been causing quite a stir in my court. My cousin is calling for your head.”
Kasira rose from her bow. “Hopefully not too loudly, Your Majesty.”
Allaster flashed her a warning look, but the King only laughed. Kasira had never met him, but she had been around enough of his court as part of various cons to glean what sort of man he was. The capital nobles dismissed him as a figurehead, bordering on foolish, who was easily swayed by the whims of his courtiers. He enjoyed being treated like anyone else—to an extent—and he had no greatlove for his cousin, whose strong political stances had always made him look weak.
“Is Ambassador Vera about?” Kasira surveyed the gathering.
The King flicked a dismissive hand. “Engaged by other matters, I’m afraid.”
More like she refused to attend. Vera was sending a very direct message by boycotting the engagement party: She did not support this union, and anyone who did was no ally of hers. It was no coincidence that tomorrow she intended to call for the Conclave to be held.
“Perhaps we can talk later, Assistant.” The King’s voice boomed as another arrival queued at their backs. “I would like to hear more about how you came to be at Amorlin.” She and Allaster bowed again and descended the platform from a staircase on the left.
Allaster seized two glasses of wine from a passing tray and handed one to her. “Do me a favor and don’t open yourself to interrogation by someone who could petition to have you removed from your position.”
Kasira sipped her wine. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were worried about losing me.”
“Then it’s a good thing you do know better.” The words lacked any bite now that she understood their source, and she only smiled at him. He frowned back at her. “Why were you asking after Vera?”
“To prepare myself should we run into her.”
Allaster’s grip tightened on his glass. “Do you have something to discuss with her?”
This time, Kasira didn’t miss the edge in his voice. It was a good thing Allaster was such a terrible liar; it made it impossible for him to subtly gather information.
“What are you accusing me of now?” she asked wearily.
He studied his drink as he spoke. “You worked for Thane, and Vera was at your Malik camp the day you deserted.”
Kasira took the surprise that threatened to unravel her and repurposed it into indignation, letting her affront buy her time. “Have you been looking into me?”
He eyed her over his glass. “Is there a reason I shouldn’t be?”
“I thought we were past this.”
He snorted, taking a large draught of his wine. “I don’t know if we ever will be.”
