“I know,” Soren said, fiddling with the wire that connected the handset to the cradle of the telephone. “But the Houses have called for a Conclave, and everyvezirof a House or their designated representative is present in the city, including Joelle. Her House andvasilyetare still a problem we need to address.”
Delani’s sigh came through as a rough burst of noise. “I’m aware of that and the issues at hand.”
Soren allowed himself a wince, knowing she couldn’t see it. His report about therionetkashad been ill received—both because of the threat they represented and the lateness of his report. He’d weighed the risk of telling the wardens’ governor the truth of that problem without knowing if she herself was arionetka, but if he didn’t, he quite possibly risked the lives of his fellow wardens.
By the engineer overseeing the death-defying machine in the quarry’s own admission, they’d killed wardens who had passed through and turned them intorevenants. Soren could not, in good faith, keep the warning about therionetkasto himself. He just had to hope that Delani had full control of her body and mind, considering she hadn’t left the Warden’s Island in at least three years.
“VezirJoelle has stonewalled our efforts to perform our duties within hervasilyet. It’s on me for not bringing it up with the emperor before now, but I’ve had my attention on Daijal more than Solaria recently,” Delani said.
“I’ve heard Eimarille is queen now and that she’s sent the Daijalan army across the Ashion border.”
“Under the guise of aid and the mistaken belief we wardens can’t do our job.”
“That’s a lie if ever I’ve heard one.”
“Enough people will believe it to consider it truth. People don’t understand the job we do and the risks we take to keep them safe. They tithe because they must and hate us for it. This civil war Eimarille seeks will double the revenant count, just like the last one. We’ll lose wardens, and we’ll need more to replace who the poison fields take.”
Soren knew his history well enough when it came to wardens. He knew the civil war that had cleaved Daijal out of Ashion over the right to enact debt bondage as they saw fit had spread revenants through four countries. Only the Tovan Isles and E’ridia had been spared by dint of an ocean and a mountain range barring an influx of the dead from their lands.
Soren shifted on his feet, feeling a twinge of discomfort in his lower back. His time spent riding Vanya on the Imperial throne had done his muscles no favors in the light of day. He couldn’t say he regretted it, though. “If the emperor loses support of the Houses during the Conclave, there is a strong chance the House of Kimathi will claim the Imperial throne.”
“I will not abide negligence when it comes to our duty. Solaria as a whole has made enough wrong decisions regarding the dead. I need answers, and we need a way into thatvasilyetthat won’t see any more of us dead. I’ll authorize you to bring up the issue with the emperor and the Houses.”
“And if they doubt my word?”
“Solaria is already under threat of sanctions. I’ll happily add to it if they like.”
Soren winced, thinking of the numbers already promised in tithes that Vanya had said would need to be given up in the future once this entire mess was over. If it ever was. “I’ll make them aware. I’ll report back with my findings.”
“Call when you do. You still have borders to guard, and I may need you to handle a few more. We’ve lost more wardens than I anticipated over spring.”
“Enough to be a problem?”
“With two countries on the brink of war, no matter how the Daijalan press is spinning this tale of neighborly aid? Yes. Tithes take time to train, and we can’t replace our ranks as easily as an army can through a draft or conscription.”
“I’ll keep watch over my assigned borders.”
“See that you do. I’ll expect an update on access to thevasilyetbefore the week is over.”
Delani hung up, the hum of an empty line singing in Soren’s ear. He placed the receiver on the metal hooks of the cradle with a sigh before leaving the office. The resupply station’s ground floor was empty this early in the morning, save for Soren and the warden whose job it was to run the place. He didn’t know if the rooms above the storefront were in use or not, but Soren wasn’t planning on sticking around to find out.
“Report what you need to?” the other warden said through a yawn before taking a sip of what smelled like strong black tea.
“Yes,” Soren grunted.
The warden nodded and raised his mug at Soren in a vague salute goodbye. “Safe travels.”
“You as well.”
Soren left the resupply station for his velocycle parked on the street. The rumble of its engine seemed overloud in the early morning light. He licked sweat off his upper lip before kicking up the stand and steering it into the street. The sun wasn’t fully up, but the heat of the summer day was a promise in the air.
He drove back to the Imperial palace, winding his way through the streets and inner-city walls of Calhames. His uniform got him through every single checkpoint, and the legionnaires on duty around the palace knew him on sight these days. No one stopped him when he drove back onto the palace grounds, leaving his velocycle with the servants to be brought to the garage. He’d know the way to the family wing blind these days and would have searched out Vanya and Raiah if he wasn’t waylaid by Taisiya.
“A moment, warden, if you will,” she called out from a parlor he passed, her raspy voice straining as it rose.
Soren slowed his walk before spinning on his feet to enter the parlor, mentally bracing himself for the conversation ahead.ValideTaisiya, he had learned over dinner, was a stubborn, politically astute woman.
She was already dressed for the day in a light summer gown the color of sunset orange, heavily embroidered and beaded over her narrow shoulders. Her hair was braided back and twisted high off her neck, held in place by jeweled metal combs. She wore her wealth as befitted a major House andvalideto the emperor. Despite her absence from Vanya’s life, though, she seemed well-informed of the games the Houses played. It spoke to a network of spies she must have who brought information back to the coast.
