Chapter Sixty-Three
Decompress
Varic grabs my hands and pulls me to stand before the fireplace immediately after the latch clicks on the door behind us.
“Are you okay?” he asks, and I almost laugh, though the level of fear thrumming from his chest to mine is so charged, I suppress the reaction.
“Are you?”
He shakes his head and releases my hands. His eyes shift erratically, and he turns to stomp in the opposite direction. I hazard a few steps to follow him when his fingers aggressively tear through his hair, and the tightness in my chest robs me of breath.
“You know what this means, don’t you?” Terror flickers across his features as he spins around to face me. “Fuck!” He braces his hands behind his head as his whole body folds, bending his knees to balance over the balls of his feet.
His spine curves while his head droops low between his shoulders, and I close the distance to drop down beside him. His body trembles as I wrap my arms around him to pull him closer. I glance up at Malin, and he nods in confirmation that he will alert me should anyone arrive at the door.
Varic’s arm curves behind my back until he fits his hand around my waist, bracing me, communicating his need as we hold one other, and I shift to lovingly cradle his face to my chest. He leans back to make eye contact with each of my Guards before pinning me with a look of fear while his arms tighten around me.
“You don’t need to do this,” he whispers.
“I’m going to, regardless.”
His stomach tenses with a laugh. “We should stand.”
He flexes his fingers over my side four times before releasing me. We rise and hesitate then step apart, with the small space between us feeling much more vast, tugging on my heart with the lack of contact.
“You attend every meeting with the Emperor, correct?” Varic asks.
“As far as I know, aside from those here in Annovia.”
“Do you recall hearing any whispers of an uprising?”
“Not in so many words. Only the general discord around the rising cost of our resources.”
“There were Generals speaking their concerns at the last General’s dinner before—” Lars’ voice cuts off, allowing us to fill in the rest as he clears his throat, and Malin gives him a look. “What? This superior hearing is good for something.”
“I’m mostly surprised you remembered,” Malin admits, and Lars lets out a scoff.
“I might forget conversations I overhear about military strategy, but this seemed connected to the attacks on Tasch, so I took it into consideration.”
“Thank you, Lars,” Varic sighs. “The bordering lands have been trying to claim what was once theirs for longer than I can remember; however, there have been more rumors that the leaders of each are working together to overthrow the Emperor.”
My brow furrows. “But do they not care that the Dragons would reign with his failure to name an heir?”
“I do not think they fear it the same way we do,” Varic says.
“Since it would only occur within our borders, and they may believe they have more of a chance to negotiate for access to the shores. Or perhaps their intention is to find a way for a different leader to take his place, since from what Minea says, the Dragons generally do not enjoy ruling. They much prefer a magical being to do so in their stead, but they have a hard time coming to a consensus.”
Lars raises his hand to draw our attention.
“Historically, the Dragons who ruled after the dwarves were run from the area, negotiated with the other lands just fine, because even though Dragons are known to be greedy, they do not seem to relish in responsibility. I wish we could let the bordering lands remove the Emperor and work with the Dragons to appoint someone.”
Fray shakes his head. “Sutrea has explained how the Elder Dragons seem to know something they refuse to let on to when it comes to the Emperor’s demise, and she does not seem confident about whether they would appoint someone or not.”
Cirrin looks from Fray and over to me. “Then the other leaders must be willing to take a calculated risk, hoping they can negotiate with the Dragons, because they know they cannot with the Emperor.”
My gaze drifts downward as I try to find the words.
“I have been a target ever since he began boasting of my power decades ago, while his referring to me as ‘the Empire’s greatest asset’ could not have helped.
So, if all of this is true, and they are working together to try to get to me in order to access him, then they must despise our Empire enough to move past the issues they have with each other to try to settle this. ”
“They despise our Emperor, not our Empire,” Varic corrects. “They despise the colonizer of the western coast who charges them too much to access the ports and resources he stole.”
“Which matches Prince Auden’s claim,” I say, and something crosses Varic’s expression.
“But why now? He has used my power to manipulate rulers and diplomats for years. Why would they be more aggressive in their assassination attempts more recently? Do they have any more reason to kill me because he increased the cost of goods?”
Varic’s eyes rise to pin mine. “No. I do not think they mean to kill you, Tasch. I think they mean to keep you very much alive.”
My stomach twists as logic sets in. Of course no ruler would dispose of my supposed power. Of course they would exploit me, as I have to assume Annovia would were I to accept their offer of ‘refuge’.
Cirrin braces his chin over his fist. “If they mean to keep her alive, why set off a firebomb on the balcony? Why use such lethal means if their intent is to take her instead?”
“I have wondered the same,” Varic says. “Especially since whoever planned the attack would know Lars or Fray could have escaped with her by the time they set off the largest bomb after setting off the smaller ones first. And as the rest of us have discussed at length, the tin bombs were so small, they couldn’t have been intended to cause any damage, making the most likely scenario one where they expected one of you take her somewhere, leaving them only one Guard to contend with while the rest of us caught up.
They most likely expected Fray to fly off with her toward the Dragon dens, where they could have taken her before the rest of you arrived.
Or for Lars to speed off with her through the halls where they could capture her anywhere along the path to her bedchamber. ”
Lars’ face falls. “If you hadn't been shielding her—if you hadn’t prevented me from grabbing her when I first tried—it’s possible a group of them could have been waiting inside to disarm me and steal her from my arms.”
Malin walks to Lars and places a hand on his shoulder, and my heart constricts when his blue eyes cast up to meet Malin’s hazel. They share a small smile with each other, and I can’t help but mirror them, despite the seriousness of the topic.
Varic releases a breath. “It could also be different rebel groups performing each attack. Or a combination of lands and tactics, making it harder to surmise since they all have different approaches, along with access to spells, potions, and other forms of magic.”
Fray straightens. “But much to Cirrin’s point, if they want her alive, why would they send a bomb through her window?”
Varic shakes his head, and my fingers twitch as I hold back the urge to close the space between us again. But I cannot risk Drusilla finding us locked in an embrace, so I send him a tendril of calm, hoping it helps staunch his fears.
His eyes flick over to mine beneath the deep lines creasing his forehead until the magic I sent helps to soften his expression.
He nods to me before contributing, “They may have been prepared to take her from various locations should we retreat. You weren’t there, Fray, so you didn’t notice how delayed the activation had been set. ”
“We heard when it went off and were just as perplexed at how delayed it seemed,” Fray says.
“A bomb like that garners notice, and with the amount of flying and speed sorcerers in our Imperial Army and Guard, it would need to go off quickly if the intent is to maim. Do you think there were insiders meant to grab her in the halls had we tried to take her into the mountain?”
Varic nods. “Possibly. I don’t know why there weren’t other flying sorcerers waiting in the sky should you be the one to take her.”
“They probably never considered we’d allow her to only be protected by one Guard for such an extended period of time,” Cirrin says.
“That makes sense.” Fray nods at Cirrin. “Since she either has us or five interim Guards with her.”
“Fuck,” Varic says, dropping his head to brace it within his open palm.
“That’s it. Whoever planned the attack must have studied Hendry’s methods.
They would have had no way to anticipate me ordering you to take her to the sky and keep her there after we so publicly vowed to be with her at all times.
Had it been Hendry, he may have instructed you to take her to the dens.
Where the enemy may have been waiting in that Godsdamned forest, expecting Fray to drop down with her any second.
They could have easily ambushed us while we were all distracted.
Who knows how many of them could have been hiding in the forest.”
“But how would they survive when we know there are beings in there none of us ever want to encounter?” Lars asks.
Varic shakes his head. “I don’t know, but those initial firebombs we saw on the balcony had to have been launched from within the trees, meaning someone has figured out how to exist in there among the beasts.”
Malin raises a finger in the air for emphasis. “Temporarily, at least. We do not have evidence to suggest anyone survived past lighting the bombs.”
“And Fray can fly faster, higher, and farther than any average flying sorcerer,” Cirrin says. “Had they sent others, even if they took off the moment they saw Fray leave through her window, he could have easily lost them the second they broke through the heavy cloud cover.”
Lars scrubs his hand over the back of his neck. “I do not like the picture we’re painting. It is all precarious, and we cannot trust the Annovian government to be neutral—and especially not when our Emperor could be stirring up reasons for them to declare a war with us any second.”
Varic shifts his gaze from Lars to me. “I reported abnormalities in Minacia’s attack strategy. They’ve been pulling back longer than usual, only to return with more force than we’ve known them to possess.”
Tears well along my lash line. “Do you think they’re trying to infiltrate our land to capture me?”
“No.” Varic’s tone is grave. “Minacia is too far from the Palace. It wouldn’t be the point of entry they would use if the goal were to access you.”
Blood leaves my upper body as I stare back at him.
“I reported what we were noticing and spoke with other commanders to find patterns in what they’re experiencing—”
I nod and cut him off. “That was months ago.”
“I failed.” Varic sighs. “I had intelligence I thought credible—”
His distress draws me in, and he pauses when my chest meets his own.
Then I reach up and take his face in my hands.
“You spoke up then, and you are protecting me now. You are far more capable of keeping me safe here, by my side, than if you had convinced the Emperor of the threat you detected.” I do not add that I can do the same in return, now that he is no longer protecting the border where they may have been planning to abduct him for ransom. Or worse. He doesn’t need the guilt.
“And by being here, I have inadvertently brought one more reason for the increase in attacks. Because you and I, Tasch, we’re just two targets to them.”
“Hey!” Fray cries in mock offense.
“Six targets.” Malin lifts his chin for emphasis.
“Exactly, six targets.” Fray points around the room. “Each the strongest in their form of magic, and in Tasch’s case more than one form, probably.”
I scoff with a smile tugging at the corners of my lips, despite the gravity of the situation—including our lack of opportunity to learn if the ability I have been using most of my life is a form of force magic or not.
Varic gives in and folds his arms around me. Warmth spreads through my chest as he pulls in a deep breath, and his muscles settle into my own, breathing me in to help calm himself from the stress of the day. Then sparks scatter down my skin as he presses a kiss to the top of my head.
“We’re going to figure this out, Tasch.”
I nod, unable to speak past the tightness in my throat as he steps away, ensuring our proximity appears more appropriate.
“I trust you.” I meet Varic’s softened gaze, then turn to my Guards and give each one a meaningful look.
“I trust all of you. And anyone who tries to take any of us will quickly learn that they only think they understand the might of my power, for if they come for us, I will not allow it.” Varic expression turns grave, as if he’s only just considered that I might use my own magic to fight back and protect them.
“And unlike Varic’s ability to blast, I am well-practiced at determining whose hearts I force to stop beating, and I am more than willing to do whatever it takes to make sure we are never separated again.
” The sorcerers bound to protect me stare back with unearned reverence after I make the promise to do the same for them.
When, for the first time in memory, I did not offer to allow my magic to drain until my life is forfeit. I did not claim a willingness to sacrifice myself for them.
Because for the first time in my life, I want to live.
For them.