Page 72 of The Truth-Teller's Bargain

He didn’t acknowledge what she’d said. Instead, he stood, stretching his neck and his shoulders. “We should update the others soon. Myron sent over a small tray of food and a note saying they’re preparing for the festivities and won’t be able to join us for breakfast. Eat up, and dress for a cold day. I think it’s snowing.”

Alethea gasped, rushing toward the balcony windows in her shift dress. Just as he’d said, the entire city was coated in a feather-white dusting of powdery snow. It never snowed in Hyelea, and Alethea had only ever seen it a few times in her life. It was beautiful beyond words, and she couldn’t help but stare, open-mouthed, out the window at the city below.

“Hurry up and eat so we can go outside and see it for ourselves,” Nakir suggested, picking a few pear slices for himself before sipping a steaming cup of black tea.

Alethea jumped into action, rushing to the bags of clothing they’d acquired yesterday and dressing herself with everything she needed not to freeze: leggings, heavy socks, a long-sleeved, snug-fitting wool dress that nearly matched the exact shade of pale blue as her eyes, and sturdy boots. She ate as much off the breakfast tray as she could manage before rushing to pull on her gloves and coat.

The crisp winter air embraced her as Alethea stepped into the courtyard. The people of Aegea were bustling about their morning despite the weather. She couldn’t resist the allure of the untouched snow, its pristine surface calling out to her. She threw herself onto her back in the undisturbed snow, moving her arms and her legs to make a snow-deva in the fresh powder. The cold seeped through her gloves, but she paid it no mind, lost in the joy of the moment.

Nakir watched her, his laughter ringing out, and Alethearealized she hadn’t heard a more beautiful sound. He helped her out of the snow when she found herself stuck there, pulling her upright against him. She thought he might say something, perhaps tease her about her snow-deva, but he just brushed the unruly hair out of her face and behind her shoulder.

They gathered their horses and rode through the fresh powder back to the encampment, where several fires blazed to keep the soldiers of Nakir’s rebellion warm.

It didn’t take long before Nakir and his Dark Court were huddled inside his large tent, bent over a map of the Kingdom of Lenorea with a fire warming their backs.

Nakir relayed the events of the evening, including Alethea’s speech that had won Lady Yara over. Emi’s proud smile was infectious, and Alethea couldn’t help but return it as her friend wrapped her in a tight hug.

Dawes, ever focused on the logistics of their forces, rubbed his dark, gray-flecked beard in contemplation. “That brings our seventeen thousand to... a healthy thirty. We estimate Zenobia has a little over fifteen thousand at her disposal. But she’s undoubtedly appealing for and will receive reinforcements from the Empress. It’s in the Empress’s best interest to keep rebellions contained,” he explained at Alethea’s curious look. “She didn’t openly support Aikat’s coup, and she’s not going to back ours. She’s going to do what’s best to keep everything appearing stable.”

“How many will the Empress send?” Kerrigan asked, her arms crossed and her eyes narrowed at the map of Lenorea.

Dawes’s expression was grim as he offered a single-shoulder shrug. “She could send ten thousand. She could send a hundred thousand. It depends on how threatening she finds our army.” He glanced over at Alethea meaningfully. “You know?—”

“No.” Nakir cut in with a force she wasn’t expecting. “We’ve been over this. Alethea’s prophecy is not a resource we get to borrow from when it is convenient. If she receives a vision andshares it with us, we’ll take it under advisement. If she wasn’t here, we’d be in the same predicament. Besides, if we get Lord Emre Volkan on our side, there is very little in the entire Realm that could stop us.”

Alethea knit her brows. She didn’t know much about Emre Volkan. He was something of a recluse, and she understood his relationship to her mother was strained.

“What do we have to bargain with?” Emi asked, her hands braced against the desk. “What will he want?”

Nakir shook his head, his expression troubled. “The last time Goran and I discussed Emre, he said we would talk about it later. If he had a plan, he didn’t tell me.”

All eyes were on Balthasar, who only sighed. “He didn’t tell me either. The Great Lord of Edysos is a mystery. His late wife died a little over five years ago. He keeps to himself. I hate to say it, but we might have to wing it.”

Dawes’s scowl broadcast clearly how he felt about the lack of a plan.

“And how many soldiers does he have?” Alethea asked, as if she had any understanding of the logistics of battle.

Nakir stroked his chin thoughtfully. “Uncertain. Likely not very many. Maybe a few thousand. Cerulea is a small city and well-defended by his magic capabilities. But we’re not after his bannermen. He has control of the only teleportation circle in the entire kingdom, and he is an incredibly skilled Runecaster. With it, we could send any number of us anywhere in the Realm, among hundreds of other possibilities.”

“Runecaster?” Alethea asked, cheeks reddening.

“They’re a special type of mage who use the language of the gods to cast magic,” Emi explained patiently. “It takes longer, but it’s incredibly powerful. They can do all kinds of complex magic like summoning, binding, teleportation, and banishment.”

“It’s long-form. And time-consuming,” Kerrigan added. “Terrible in a bar fight.”

“Not to mention dangerous,” Emi added. “One wrong word can change an entire spell. Many mages have burned out from accidentally using the wrong syntax on an incantation and ended up drawing more power than they meant to. But Emre Volkan is one of the most skilled practitioners of his age, and he has quite a number of other mages at his disposal. He has strong ties to the Crystalline Academy.”

Nakir added, “Lord Volkan’s teleportation circle could allow us an incredible advantage in the coming months. We probably couldn’t use it to teleport our entire army—it’s contained in a large tower that wouldn’t fit more than a dozen people. But with enough time, we might be able to create a one-time circle that could movethousands. The maneuvers we could pull...”

Dawes’s eyes lit up with the possibilities, and Alethea could almost see the machinations spinning in his head.

Nakir shifted topics. “We have something slightly more pressing... The Great Lord and Lady Imanras are hosting a Revel in two days’ time, and at the very least, Alethea and I are expected to attend. Whether or not the rest of you go is your choice.”

“I haven’t been to a Revel in years,” Dawes admitted after a few beats, glancing at Emi.

“I wouldloveto go!” The petite brunette lit up as she spoke, her eyes sparkling with excitement. The prospect of attending such an event seemed to invigorate her, and her energy was infectious.

“There are no weapons allowed at a Revel,” Balthasar reminded them, stern and practical. “And there are many mind-altering substances available. We will need to keep our wits about us. But we have the Imanrases’ protection. Dawes, Nakir, you should stay by a mage no matter what. These festivals are chaos incarnate.”