I nodded, adjusting the broken wolf mask he used to cover his scar, holding in a feeling of unease. ‘Rey,’ I whispered when he leaned down to kiss me. ‘Whatever happens, will you trust me?’
‘Always, my light,’ came his answer before his lips closed on mine. ‘But have mercy on my heart and don’t test it.’
It was too brief a goodbye, with so many words unsaid, I felt a tightness in my chest that refused to fade. I had to remind myself he’d know what I planned when he received the letter. I wasn’t keeping secrets, just postponing the revelation to protect him.
Still, it left a bitter taste in my mouth and made our last moments taste like betrayal. I watched him climb onto the dragon, smiling as they leapt into the sky. Unable to leave, even after the beast’s silhouette became a black dot against the clouds, I stood there, shivering. Another shadow suddenly appeared from the clouds, huge and intimidating, and I fell back, blinking as it disappeared.
‘Another dragon?’ I whispered, my rigid posture finally sagging from the tension.
Whether it was Reynard’s escort or something else, there was nothing I could do about it, so, after a moment’s hesitation, I returned to the city, more determined to fight my enemies than I’d ever been.
Even if it meant breaking the Brotherhood’s code and interrogating a Chapter Master.
I could only hope Tymon would break because I needed safe passage into Tivalaran if I ever wished to return.
Chapter 19
Roksana
Boyan’s office was designed to intimidate. Exotic weapons decorated the bare marble walls, while the dark stone highlighted the polished crimson striations that almost pulsed like veins. The room left many Brotherhood members trembling in their boots.
On my first visit, I’d been a novice waiting for the Grand Master’s judgment, standing there, head low and heart beating faster than a sparrow’s. Now I got to experience a side of his personality that few knew existed. A side that furnished his private suite with a subtle, cosy opulence, filling the space with velvet curtains, soft furnishings, and a collection of glass figurines. Boyan was a man who lived life to the fullest, but ruled this group of murderers, thieves, and smugglers with an iron fist.
Despite knowing his softer side, or perhaps because of it, I was once again the scared child who’d stood here all those years ago, hoping to survive my first encounter with the ruthless killer. Boyan leant back in his leather chair, fingers tapping restlessly on the oak surface of his desk. He looked ghastly, and hisservants told me he was using stimulants, no longer caring about the toll they took on his body.
After I’d spoken about Tivalaran and detailed all I knew about the void cubes and the Tangra invasion, he hadn’t said a word. I shuffled uncomfortably in my seat. In the past, I would’ve broken down, rattling off excuses and explanations. Today, I simply waited, cursing the uncomfortable, cushionless chair I was sitting on.
‘Are you sure this is the only way? Tymon will be dangerous if cornered,’ Boyan finally said after I’d spent the time thinking up ways to persuade him to support me.
‘Yes. While you planned to get rid of him quietly, I think that would be a waste.’ The drumming of Boyan’s fingers intensified, and I braced myself for rejection.
‘If I keep him alive, he’ll threaten Irsha’s position and split the Brotherhood into warring factions,’ he finally said.
‘Not after I’m done with him. Please, I need Tymon’s help. We both know he’s as stubborn as the Mules he leads, but he’s not stupid.’ I swallowed hard, thinking about the risky plan I’d concocted. ‘Let me push him into the corner, question him… then offer him a way out, for a price.’
‘And you think your offer will outweigh Jagon’s? Even if Tymon tells you how to get into Tivala’s castle, what guarantee do you have that you won’t be walking into a trap?’ Boyan’s reasonable objection made me clench my teeth.
‘If I am, then I’ll deal with it. Look, Jagon won’t hurt me. Don’t ask me how I know this, but his obsession with me… He asked me to come with him; if he catches me, I’ll use his offer as my excuse. He isn’t the only one who can manipulate the truth,’ I said, earning a flash of pride in Boyan’s eyes.
‘You are very sure of yourself, Daughter, but there’s a lot we don’t know. Jagon’s schemes are never simple; even I didn’t know about his involvement with the fanatics of Tangra. I’mafraid you’ll overestimate your value.’ Boyan’s gentle reprimand was a stark reminder that while I dabbled in politics, Jagon lived for them.
‘Do I?’ I asked, tilting my head. ‘He always wanted two things: to lead the Brotherhood, and me. He can’t have me if I’m dead or in Tivala’s hands.’
My father shifted uncomfortably in his chair, his knuckles whitening when his fingers tightened into a fist. ‘Roksana…’ The warning in that one word was difficult to ignore, but I forced myself to stay still.
‘I’m not easy to kill. I’ve thought this through, and I’m going to do it, but my chances are lower if I can’t get to Tivala’s castle.’ I finished with a smile, shifting on the gods bedamned chair until my bones popped. ‘Just give me Tymon, and I’ll handle the rest.’
‘And you’ll let him live?’ Boyan said in resignation. ‘The first lesson I learned in the Brotherhood was that the best enemy is a dead enemy. Think about Irsha. His transition to becoming the new Grand Master will be difficult enough without men who wish him dead lurking in the shadows.’
‘Irsha will handle anyone who comes, and he has me to fix anything else,’ I said, playing my last card. ‘We can ask him, if it makes your decision easier.’
‘No, I’m Grand Master, and will be the one making this call.’ Boyan huffed, offended by my suggestion. ‘Fine. Interrogate Tymon. See what he says, how he behaves, then I’ll decide on his fate.’ The decisiveness in his voice tightened my throat. I’d gotten what I wanted, but this victory felt flat when I noticed how tired our verbal sparring left him.
I have so much to learn from you, yet we have so little time left,I thought when he tried to hide the red stain on his handkerchief after a coughing fit. Boyan reached for a bottle hidden under the desk, and I sighed with frustration. He was killing himself to ensure a smooth transition of power, and Iworried that the time to say goodbye was coming sooner rather than later.
My father smiled at me, unaware of my morose musings, and reached for the bell. I calmed my thoughts, exhaling slowly, hand patting my leather vambrace with its hidden needles, Tova’s latest invention, as if I wasn’t already a walking arsenal of poisons.
Boyan straightened in his seat, unwilling to show weakness to anyone but me. A servant opened the door and bowed. ‘Call for Tymon. Tell him I want to talk,’ he said, his voice weary. When the attendant left to fulfil his order, I used the only phrase I knew would bring a smile to his face.
