Now, the nameless man’s brow furrows the longer I hesitate, but his focus turns to the Rose Room. “This is where Sineria died, isn’t it?”
Whatever cold strategy I was devising vanishes.
A shot of fury fills my head. So sudden, so burning that I fight the surge of my frost power, battling to keep it under control. “Do not speak my mother’s name.”
I fight to control my anger. Then I fight to control my fear because I shouldn’t be able to feel this rage.
Fury shouldn’t flow through me like this.
I shouldn’t be able to feel it!
Mentally, I rage at myself.
Chaos will not control me.
Fear will not?—
Thyra’s quiet breathing breaks through my stormy emotions.
Her deep, peaceful breaths are suddenly loud in my hearing, her quiet strength a soothing balm on my anger.
My shoulders relax. My mind settles.
“I’m letting you live,” I say, shutting offmy frost power.
The man’s eyes widen and his muscles are visibly tense. “Why?”
“I want you to deliver a message to Iker.”
The nameless man narrows his eyes at me. “What message?”
“Tell him that if he wants the Oracle, he must come for her himself. For every assassin he sends in his place after tonight, I will kill one of his heirs. To be clear, I don’t consider you one of them.”
“You’ll…what?”
I give the nameless man another cold smile. “I’ll start with his older children to be fair to the younger ones, but I won’t care if eventually, there are none of them left. After which, I’ll come for Iker.”
I’m playing a dangerous game. Iker could retaliate against my threat, but no matter what, I’m certain he’ll take it seriously.
Every assassin he has sent so far has ended up dead. Yesterday, his personal guards died out in the open. He will have to consider his next move even more carefully and because of that, I will have bought myself time. Maybe a week. Maybe the full ten days until his youngest son’s birthday.
I wrench the nameless man upright, putting him back on his feet and releasing him. “Will you deliver my message?”
A wash of snow fills the air between us. Now free, the man quickly backs into the flurry and away from me. A smart move.
I’ve let him go without demanding his promise first, but I’m not worried.
Strategy tells me that those who are caged by one tyrant will seize any small freedom, even if it comes from another tyrant.
Of course, it helps that I’ve made it clear I’ll only target Iker’s official heirs, which doesn’t include this man. Rather, I would end those who would endhim.
He has every reason to agree.
The snowstorm has nearly swallowed him before he says, “I will tell Iker.”
When the wash of ice clears, the man is gone.
His distant footfalls confirm his quick path north out of the palace. Once he clears all three walls, I anticipate he’ll turn farther eastward in the direction of Iker’s compound.
