Chapter 16
Aserving girl, wearing scant red leather across her torso and a matching feather mask slides three short glasses of amber rum across the polished table.
Jasper puts his forearms on the table, waiting for the server to leave through the red curtains separating our table from the dancing bodies and strobing lights, before sliding his dark gaze to Helina again, brushing his pinky finger against hers.
She takes a sip of her drink.
I lean back in my chair, taking in the scent of leather, cologne, and cigar smoke. “So, you two have been smuggling people to the rebel camps?”
Helina makes a face as if the drink is stronger than what she’d expected, but swallows and shakes her head. “I don’t think helping two or three strangers get in contact with the camps counts as ‘smuggling.’ We helped Red get supplies to the rebels. Red had sway with donations, but he needed us for certain shipments.”
Jasper leans forward. “Your Majesty—”
I wave my hand. “Just Dagen, or I guess Red, if others are around.”
Jasper nods. “I have not smuggled anyone into the camps . . . but I have smuggled rebels into Mazzar’s infantry.”
“Do explain,” I say, lifting my glass to my lips. Realms, it tastes good.
His lips curl. “Last year, a small unit of Mazzar’s infantry intercepted a rebel supply train in the Barrens led by my cousin and me.” He takes a gulp of his rum. “We killed the Zarr infantry soldiers, cut off their vesseled fingers, and stole their uniforms. Now, my cousin and two of his men are infantry soldiers—our eyes and ears—near Mazzar.”
“Mazzar controls anyone with a Military Vessel,” I say. “And infantry do not set foot in the castle near Mazzar often. Only the general does. The rest of the infantry are housed in the barracks, a mile east of the castle.”
Jasper’s jaw flexes. “Yes, I know. But we’ve been able to gather invaluable information.” He points his finger at me. “The Military Vessels only bow to explicit commands. Since my cousin and his men were never properly inducted by Mazzar, they never received the direct order of complete, unwavering loyalty to Mazzar.”
“Wouldn’t someone recognize them as infiltrators?” I say.
His eyes light with untamed mischief. “That is where my expertise came into play.”
“Which is?”
Helina looks over her shoulders, toward the thin slice of opening in the curtain, as if to make sure no one lingers outside.
A devilish smile spreads on Jasper’s lips, “I can read minds and shape thoughts.”
“Wouldn’t someone notice you in their mind?”
He shrugs. “You didn’t notice the other night.”
My empty glass makes a tap as I set it down, and Helina flinches under my gaze. “Explain.”
“You looked like King Dagen, and your story was convincing, but I had to be sure,” Jasper says, twirling his now empty cup. It’s so mesmerizing to watch as he rolls it over and around his fingers that I don’t realize his other hand is on my arm until he squeezes it.
In my own head, in my own voice, I hear, “I am a half-witch, or half-soul, depending on what circle you run in. I reached into all of their minds and touched each one, convincing them that my cousin and his men were familiar comrades. Just like I got into your mind, after you disposed of Red, to be sure you were who you claimed.”
He lets go of my arm and shrugs. “I had to know for certain. You can’t trust anyone these days.”
“A half-witch?” I lean forward. “I thought you lot only make nasty potions that are often mislabeled. I believe that’s why my father banned them.” I raise a brow.
The menacing smile returns as his hand continues to perform rolling tricks with his glass. “Oh, yes. Some of us are talented with potions, but those are half-souls from Zathina’s line.”
“Who?”
“Zathina, the lesser goddess of enchantments.” He waves his hand. “I have a friend who could tell you all about it.”
He must see the confusion on my face because he elaborates, “Half-souls that come from Zathina”s hand are usually talented with potions, hoaxes, curses, or things of that nature.”
“And what line are you from?”
His dark eyes twinkle. “Scientia,” he says, “Goddess of—”
“Knowledge,” I finish for him.
He shakes his head, his eyes flicking upwards. Not quite an eye roll. “No. You’re confused with Wala. She is the goddess of life and knowledge. Scientia is the goddess of consciousness and prophecy.”
“There are too many realms-damned gods,” I mumble.
He dips his chin with a smile and wraps an arm around the back of Helina’s chair.
“Why reveal such powers to me?” I ask. “My father would’ve locked you up on sight.”
Jasper stops twirling the glass, balancing it on the precipice of his knuckle. He glances to Helina then back at the glass. “Because times are different.” He sets the glass down. “I’ve seen your mind and have chosen to serve you.”
Helina straightens. “As do I.”
I nod to them both, a stiff, unpracticed motion. “If you have this power, then how did you get under Red’s thumb?”
Jasper’s grip tightens around his glass before he slides it away. “Red learned to block my talent.” He looks pointedly at Helina. “A very hard skill to learn, but anyone can do it if they have the resolve to commit to it.” He returns his brown gaze to me. “Some minds are just naturally harder to mess with. Like yours, which is cold and rigid. I can see your memories and thoughts, learn from them, but I can’t shape them like I can others.”
Helina clears her throat. “Red was also skilled in finding and using information.” She motions to the glo-gem chandeliers dangling above. “This establishment wasn’t paid for with smiles and good feelings, you know.” She shakes her head. “He gathered secrets to use whenever he needed it. He has blackmailing conniving scum everywhere.”
“Did he serve Mazzar?”
Helina chuffs. “The only person Red served was himself and the rebels, although he was technically from Zem, so he might’ve had some loyalty to King Rajim.”
I wave my finger between Jasper and Helina. “So, what did he have on you two to keep you here?”
Pain hits Helina’s eyes. “My daughter. I”—her eyes find Jasper then fall away—“I was his most profitable dancer, and he had a thing for me specifically, so he kept me on a tight leash.”
I look at Jasper, waiting.
He gazes down at his empty glass then back at me, “I stuck with him because his uses outweighed his annoyances. And he had her in a vice grip.”
Helina grimaces.
“This blocking technique”—I run my finger around the rim of my crystal glass—“is it why I cannot see your memories?”
“Yes.” Jasper shifts in his seat. “I’ve held my mind’s walls up for so long, it’s a habit now. I can let you in if you command it.”
There’s that word. Command. It reminds me of when my father executed a half-witch for selling a mislabeled enchantment to one of his noblemen. He commanded his vesseled guards to kill her slowly for it. My father executed many half-witches after that. This small favor can be my repayment to his kind. He’s shown his power to me. I can return in kind.
“I will not command that.”
He dips his chin.
My mind goes over the information. Lo was always better at scheming, but her number one rule was to have a backup plan.
“I might need your cousin”s help if he is willing.”
Jasper’s throat bobs. “To help you capture the pure witch.”
When my brows raise in question, he taps his temple. “I just read your thoughts, remember? And by the way, a pure soul and pure witch are the same thing. Honestly, if I hadn’t seen the god of death send you to fetch the princess in your mind, I’d tell you that you are mad for thinking one exists. He will, by the way.”
“Wha—”
“My cousin. He’ll do it.” He makes an exasperated sigh as he looks over to Helina. “But we will have to go through the proper channels for security reasons.” His clever eyes focus on me once more. “But I should warn you. Messages between my cousin and I are delayed. It takes up to a month for him to receive it.”
“As long as he can deliver.”
Jasper smiles, raising his pierced brow. “What exactly do you have in mind?”
I tap my finger against the table. “If I cannot gain access to Nizzara’s caster shield, I’ll need your cousin to get her out of the castle so I can do this the hard way.”
Jasper smirks. “I don’t mind the hard way.”
“What is the hard way?” Helina says, eyes narrowing.
“Her bonded spirit is protecting her soul. So, if I can’t get into her caster shield, I’ll have to get her bond spirit out of the way.” I draw a cutting line across my fingers. “Then, I’ll force her to give me her soul.”
Somehow. I make a mental note to find something to leverage her, something she cares about enough to persuade her.
Jasper wiggles his gloved fingers. “As you now know, I’m no stranger to chopping off fingers.” He nods toward the hilt of my shadow blade protruding above my shoulder. “But why not just materialize and chop it off inside the castle now?”
“If I can get into her shield, I would have the power to fight Mazzar.” That has to be what Nil meant when he said her power would supplement my own. He meant a bond. “And if it comes down to the hard way, kidnapping her will draw Mazzar out to look for her, which will give me an advantage when I inevitably end him.”
Jasper folds his arms and leans back in his chair. “Too bad you don’t have a soul gun for that part, huh?”
My fists curl. “They’ve been relocated.”
Jasper nods. “I know. My cousin has been trying to find them.”
Helina leans forward, frowning. “So, let me get this straight. You plan on getting close to the princess, possibly dismembering her, using her as bait to kill her own father, then damning her soul to Baratrum.”
My muscles tighten into stiff cords through my neck and back. “I know it’s cruel, but so are they,” I growl.
She slides her gaze to Jasper who just shrugs.
I smack a fist against the marble tabletop. “I don’t love the plan either, but I don’t have a choice. If I don’t do it, Nil will shatter my soul, and my people will continue to suffer at Mazzar’s hand.”
Helina slumps in her chair.
Jasper pats her hand, “I’ll arrange the capture with my cousin, but there’s a small matter of gaining access to the castle. He lives in the barracks and has informed me that all castle entrances are heavily guarded.”
I take a deep breath, trying to reel in the ice spreading through my chest.
“There’s an access tunnel,” I say. “Two miles past the gates, hidden in the barren rocks. It goes straight into the king’s chambers.”
Jasper perks as I give him explicit directions. “And it is unguarded?” he asks in disbelief.
I nod. “It is a tunnel reserved only for the king. My father told me of it on his deathbed. And I sure as hell didn’t tell Mazzar about it on my deathbed.”
The alcohol burns through my stomach, offering no sustenance other than taste as I drain the last bit. Rising from the table, I look at Helina, nodding toward the bracelet on her wrist. A silent question, asking if she’s learned anything about Lo.
She shakes her head a fraction.
“Well then, I better get close to the princess.”