Chapter Thirty #2
“Are they even safe to use?” Shadach looked at the map, half his mind in the war room and half his mind back in that bedroom with Aoife.
His stomach had been twisted since they’d parted ways that morning, him to the war room and Aoife to language lessons with his sister, Petra.
Aside from generally being useful, if they needed to communicate on the road without a nearby Selat or Xana understanding, using Halcin was the best way.
The reason for them separating today made perfect sense, and yet, Shadach couldn’t shake the feeling that it indicated something deeper.
Something darker. Aoife had said she trusted him.
That had been true, but she was also having doubts about their relationship.
He’d tried to reassure her even as the hesitation had been blatant in her eyes, in the falter of her smile.
“The tunnels are safer than running into our lovely friend, the General,” Hallus said. He was leaning against the wall, hands in his pockets. Mother sat at the head of the table in the centre, Kesra perched on the table beside Shadach. Was it his imagination or did she keep moving closer?
“What if Aristen knows about these tunnels?” Shadach traced the scribbled-in line of ancient tunnels on the map. They had apparently been used to smuggle Halcin out of the city back when they’d been rounded up like rabid dogs.
“Then we’re fucked,” Hallus answered.
“He doesn’t know about them,” Mother said. “I didn’t even know about them until this morning. Elder Brana remembers his father telling him about them.”
“His father.” Shadach looked at Mother, wondering if she was being sarcastic. “Elder Brana is half-senile. What if the tunnels aren’t even there? What if they’re only a myth?”
“Then we’re fucked,” Hallus said.
“The tunnels are there,” Mother said. “Elder Brana knows the truth behind the myths.”
The truth. Aoife had wanted the truth. Then tell her, echoed that voice again. But how could Shadach do that? How could he do that if she was having doubts about them? What if those doubts led to something more? What if they lead to betrayal? cackled a dark, devastating voice.
“What if he doesn’t remember accurately enough?” Shadach said.
“Then we’re—”
“Fucked, thank you, Hallus,” Mother snapped.
He smiled and nodded as if he had been helpful.
“It’s our only chance,” Mother said. “The tunnels are real. The map is correct. They have to be.”
Shadach certainly hoped she was right. She had never been a woman to act on faith and it concerned him more than a little that she was becoming one now.
Dismissing them, Shadach stared at the map, trying to come to grips with the plan.
It was a terrible plan, but he’d been surviving on worse ones.
They were to take little-used routes to the Emperor’s City, staying away from roads entirely as much as they could.
Once they were on the outskirts of the Emperor’s City, they would find the entrance to these ancient tunnels and use them to sneak into the God’s temple.
The temple had once served as a refuge for persecuted Halcin claiming protection in the name of the God’s Shadow form.
Some people had respected this. Some had not.
It was an overly simplistic plan Shadach was certain would fail. But if the Shadow God really did want him to be Emperor then perhaps it would not.
“Are you feeling ready?”
Kesra’s voice made him jump inwardly, but not outwardly. He had thought he was alone. It seemed Kesra could still move with the grace of a ghost.
“Not really.” Shadach pushed away from the map. Kesra was leaning into the table, popping out her hip to accentuate her small waist. He was honestly surprised she didn’t have a steady partner. She was the Halcin dream. If that Halcin’s name wasn’t Shadach.
Beautiful as she may have been, Kesra was ruthless.
Selling out friend and foe alike if it meant bettering her own position.
The only reason he was trusting her now was because him becoming Emperor would benefit her.
It would give her more chances to make money, more opportunities at status and power.
Not to mention the chance to save her brother.
In fact, Shadach wasn’t sure if the provocative way she was standing was because she’d never stopped wanting him or because she simply wanted his power when he became Emperor.
If he became Emperor. Shadach could have asked her for the truth, watched the Shadow, or lack of one, when she answered.
But quite frankly, he didn’t care enough about the reason. It would change nothing.
“I noticed she isn’t here.” Kesra flicked her long dark hair off her shoulder, her lips set in a pouting, seductive line.
“Who?”
“Your play thing. Aoife.”
“She’s not a play thing,” Shadach half-said, half-growled.
Kesra shrugged. “Whatever she is, she isn’t here. Why not?”
“She’s with Petra. Studying Halcin.”
“Oh.” Kesra laughed. “How cute.”
Shadach looked to the map, biting back a retort to her sarcasm. When Kesra didn’t leave, he looked to her again. “Is there something else?”
“Are you going to tell her the plan?” She examined the edges of her hair, checking for imperfections.
“Of course.” Shadach straightened. “Why wouldn’t I?”
“She’s a Selat, isn’t she?” Kesra shrugged. “Selats have always stabbed us in the back.”