The Order of Masks

Chapter Twenty-Six

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

Mira

‘There will be three tasks,’ General Tiran told us when he entered the Order of Warriors barracks. ‘Each is designed to test traits valued by the empire. Regardless of which Order you are competing for, you must prove you have these capabilities in order to be initiated. Specific abilities can be developed later, if Emperor Kalias decides you’re worthy.’

Including magic.

A thrill went through me at the thought. After Initiation, Warriors were granted enhanced speed and reflexes, while Artisans were trained to glimpse the future. I wasn’t sure what magical abilities Masks developed, but if I learnt to harness that magic, I would be one step closer to achieving my revenge.

‘The first Trial,’ General Tiran continued, ‘will test your cunning, intelligence and ability to think under pressure. The second will involve modified hand-to-hand combat, and out of fairness to the Mask candidates, some training will be provided beforehand. Due to the mental nature of Artisan abilities, they will be exempt from this task. Now, before anyone tries to tell me this is unfair—’ the general shot a quelling look at a group of mutinous-looking Warrior candidates—‘the Artisan candidates will have to prove their intuitive abilities to Emperor Kalias before the third Trial. This test will be a private one, and by all accounts, the emperor is quite exacting.’

A dark-haired girl shifted next to me, but I didn’t have it in me to feel sorry for her or the other Artisan candidates. I doubted Emperor Kalias would kill any of them for failing the Trials.

But he would certainly kill me .

‘As for the final Trial . . .’ The general paused, and I had the sense he was pleased that we were hanging on his every word. ‘The third Trial is the simplest and the hardest – a test of loyalty, with fatal consequences for speaking even a single mistruth.’

A few whispers broke out amongst the assembled candidates, but no one seemed too concerned – though the third Trial was the one that worried me the most. I exchanged a glance with Aric, and I knew he was thinking the same. If Emperor Kalias had a way of ensuring we spoke the truth, then I was done for. And so was Aric, if the emperor asked him a question that exposed his hatred for Roran.

When the general dismissed the group, I squeezed Aric’s arm in farewell and crossed the training courtyard to stand with the five other Mask contenders. There were far more Warrior candidates, reflecting the larger number of inducted Warriors – famously kept at a constant five hundred. Masks and Artisans were rarer, and from what I’d overheard this afternoon, their numbers never exceeded fifty each.

I had been introduced to the Mask candidates a few hours earlier. None of them had spoken to me – taking their cues from Odessa Tiran, who seemed to despise me on principle. I didn’t understand why she was competing at all. As General Tiran’s daughter and fiancée to the youngest prince, she already had a privileged life. What could she possibly gain by becoming a Mask?

Odessa’s voice was a mocking purr as she murmured something to the girl standing next to her. Danica, a noble with honey-blonde hair and a permanent sneer, turned away from me.

Fine. I didn’t want to interact with Danica, either. These girls were my competition – and any one of them would stab me in the back without hesitation. Besides, I was far more interested in the Warrior candidates, who had taken General Tiran’s comment about hand-tohand combat seriously.

In the ring, Brutus circled his opponent like a wolf around its prey. The comparison was unnervingly accurate, because there was hunger in his eyes as he studied the smaller boy – like he’d scented blood.

‘Stop playing around, Brutus!’ Nikolas shouted from the sidelines. ‘Finish it!’

The other candidate didn’t have a chance as Brutus descended on him, throwing him effortlessly to the ground. He ignored the arms the other boy put up to defend himself, kicking him heavily in the ribs.

Even I winced.

‘Exactly what I’m after,’ General Tiran said with an approving smile. ‘You have your father’s killer instinct.’

In comparison, the look General Tiran gave Aric was downright hostile. But he nodded in acknowledgement when Aric pinned his larger, burlier opponent to the sand.

At the general’s nod, Aric released the other boy and stood, his bare chest glistening with a faint sheen of sweat. Another candidate threw him a towel, which Aric caught with an easy smile. He strode past Nikolas and Brutus without a word, but I frowned as I noticed the way Brutus’s gaze sharpened.

‘Impressive,’ a low, sultry voice said. I turned to see Odessa watching Aric, her stare far more disconcerting than Brutus’s. Like Brutus, she was looking at Aric like he was a meal – but a very different kind. ‘I don’t suppose you can introduce me?’

My jaw clenched. Every time I looked at Odessa, I was reminded of her mocking laughter at my mother’s execution. It was a pity we weren’t Warrior candidates. If we were, I could pummel her in the ring.

‘I’m surprised you have time for boys,’ I replied, saccharine-sweet. ‘Or are you that confident about succeeding in the first Trial?’

Odessa’s amber eyes fixed on me. With her white-blonde hair and delicate features, she was easy to underestimate – at least until she opened her mouth. ‘I always have time for boys,’ she drawled. ‘That’s what we’re here for, isn’t it? To learn how to trap, entice, infiltrate .’ She tilted her head, flashing me a hateful little smirk. ‘Then again, some of us are better at that than others.’

‘Maybe I’ll surprise you,’ I retorted, but I was no longer looking at Odessa. I was looking past her, at Empress Ivalene.

She entered the courtyard flanked by her personal guard, gliding forward as though she didn’t realise – or didn’t care – that she had kept everyone waiting. Her presence instantly halted the sparring matches, candidates bowing their heads and stiffening at her approach. Since the royal heirs weren’t supposed to have direct influence over the Trials, it fell to the empress to decide the form they took. And I doubted she would play fair.

‘As General Tiran has no doubt explained,’ Ivalene said in a cutglass voice, ‘the first Trial will test your cunning, intelligence, and ability to think under pressure. But it will also test your ability to work within a team.’

No one looked particularly pleased by this, and I understood why. My gaze flicked towards Nikolas and then Odessa. I didn’t like my chances if I was partnered with one of them.

‘I will leave you to sort yourselves into groups of three.’ At a flick of the empress’s hand, a servant hurried to her side, raising a parasol to shade her pale skin from the sun. I noticed that a few stray strands of her blonde hair were already sticking to her shiny forehead. ‘Select your teammates carefully. Each group will be given a specific object to steal, and you must work together in order to succeed.’

Odessa, Danica and Rae immediately formed a group, leaving myself and Elodie. The other Mask candidate didn’t even glance at me before making a beeline for the Warriors. I almost followed, but I stopped myself at the last moment. Somewhere amongst them, I knew Aric would be making his way to me. But even as he did, his fellow candidates were forming into groups. I needed to find our third teammate.

And there were four Artisans.

I cast my mind back, but I could only remember seeing three of them this morning. Had the fourth been missing for a while?

But she was here now. I locked eyes with her, bracing myself for her to drop my gaze and turn away like everyone else.

Instead, she strode up to me, wearing an impish smile. Her waist-length brown hair bounced with every step, and there was an infectious energy about her.

‘I’m Sabine,’ she introduced. ‘Of course, there’s no need to ask who you are.’

Her friendliness was a little unnerving, though not unwelcome. But before I could reply, a warm voice remarked, ‘It seems we have our team.’

Relief surged through me as I looked at Aric – though it quickly darkened into something else. My hand rose, hovering above his bruised cheekbone and split lip.

‘It looks worse than it is,’ Aric said, catching my hand with his and entwining our fingers together. ‘A healer fixed my black eye after my fight with Roran. Didn’t want me to be at a disadvantage for the first Trial.’

He smiled dryly, but I couldn’t bring myself to smile back. Not as I inhaled the scent of lilies and rose oil.

Empress Ivalene drifted away from the Warriors she’d been speaking to and returned to General Tiran’s side, flanked by half a dozen servants and a page. Her gaze swept over Aric and Sabine before settling on me. She motioned her page forward, whispering instructions as he scrawled three notes that were quickly folded and handed to a servant.

My chest tightened as the servant slipped them inside the folds of her dress. Beside me, I felt Aric stiffen. He knew what those notes were, too.

‘I have dispatched instructions to each of your chambers,’ the empress announced. ‘They contain the name and location of the object I want each group to steal. I suggest that you return to your chambers and prepare as best you can. The first Trial will begin at dusk and conclude at midnight. Each group has until then to complete their task and return to the throne room.’ She paused. ‘If you do not arrive before midnight, or if your group fails to steal the object I assigned you, then you will be cut from the Trials.’

Aric’s eyes found mine, and he smiled reassuringly. In that smile, I saw my nerves reflected back at me – but also the same thirst to prove ourselves. Unfortunately, in our case, I doubted it would be so simple. And as Ivalene’s cold stare lingered on me, I knew my suspicions were correct.

This task wasn’t one that I was supposed to pass. It was one designed to make me fail.

‘Did you have to hit her so hard?’ I whispered to Aric as we dragged the unconscious dancer into an alcove and out of sight. I couldn’t see much in the darkness, but I knew she was going to have one hell of a bruise tomorrow.

‘My main concern was stopping her from screaming,’ Aric retorted, looking away while I stripped off my plain clothes.

Thankfully, the girl – Cassandra – was close to my height and build, and her dancer’s outfit marked her as one of the hired performers. It was an opportunity too good to pass up.

I draped my cloak over her before leaving the alcove. The slitted skirt I’d stolen swished as I moved, reminding me of my mother.

‘Do you know who lives here?’ I asked Aric, peering up at the austere castle perched high on the hill. In the moonlight, its alabaster walls shone with an unearthly glow. ‘Who we’re supposed to steal the crown from?’

‘No idea.’ The frown on his face said that he didn’t like going in blind. I didn’t either, but we didn’t have time to waste. Empress Ivalene’s note had specified the location and time – Caleah Fortress, ten p.m. – which only gave us two hours to infiltrate this party, steal the crown and make it back to the throne room.

And there was still no sign of Sabine. Gods, where was she?

I studied the line of beautifully dressed men and women ahead of us. They progressed slowly, trickling into the castle as Warriors checked the list and let them through. Each wore a mask with an ornate design that complimented their elaborate gowns or tunics, and a spasm of panic went through me as I realised we didn’t have one. Would that give us away?

‘Relax,’ Aric murmured from my side. ‘It’ll be fine.’

Some of the tension melted from my shoulders. Selfishly, I was glad that Aric was doing this with me – but I suspected the empress had set us up to fail. And I couldn’t bear to see Aric punished because of me.

Then again, he already had a target on his back.

‘You shouldn’t have tried to protect me in the arena.’ I’d wanted to say something all day, but I hadn’t found the right time. Or the right words. ‘You should have—’

‘What? Stood by and watched Roran kill you?’ Aric raised a brow. ‘Mira, I thought you understood by now. I’ll always try to protect you.’

At his words, I felt a faint spark of hope.

‘Does that mean you’ve decided not to investigate Kain’s death?’

‘Of course not,’ he said, and the hope guttered out. ‘I have a much better approach in mind, from inside the royal court.’

I glanced at him warily. ‘What approach?’

‘Let’s not worry about that now. First, we need to make it through this Trial.’ His expression was determined, but his gaze lingered a moment too long as he took in the beaded top and skirt I wore, cut to expose a daring amount of my midriff. ‘You certainly look the part,’ he said, and I thought he sounded a little breathless.

My heart beat faster, remembering our kiss in the arena. It had been brief – a desperate crashing of his mouth against mine – but the emotion in it had been heady. Powerful.

I felt that same emotion surging between us now. I saw it reflected in his eyes, and I knew he saw it in mine.

‘I wanted to tell you.’ The words slipped out, soft and heartfelt. ‘Every day on Aldara, I thought about telling you and Lillian the truth – that my mother and I were on the run.’

‘Why didn’t you?’ Aric’s voice wasn’t accusatory. It was gentle, inviting.

‘It wasn’t my secret to tell.’

Aric studied me, and I wondered if he was thinking of my other secret – the one even I hadn’t known. We hadn’t discussed it except in passing – my new identity as a princess. A Kalurian princess.

I wondered if he saw me differently now. Everyone else seemed to.

But no – Aric looked at me the same way he always had. I would always be Mira to him. Just Mira.

‘I wish you’d told me, but I understand why you didn’t.’ The flickering torchlight played across his features, illuminating the strong lines of his face and the dusting of stubble on his jaw. ‘Just . . . no more secrets, okay? From here on out, we need to trust each other.’

I swallowed. I had told Aric everything that had happened since leaving Aldara, including my mother’s links to the fractured resistance. Everything except what I’d discovered about Roran sacrificing Darius’s Warrior recruits. It was too close to what Aric suspected about his brother’s death, and I didn’t want to add fuel to that fire.

‘No more secrets,’ I echoed. Kain’s name was like a lodestone around my neck.

I threaded my arm through Aric’s as we joined the line of nobles progressing quickly towards the castle entrance. All too soon, we were facing the four black-garbed Warriors blocking the route inside. Whoever lived here must be important to merit having Warriors as guards, rather than regular soldiers.

‘Names,’ one said, sounding bored.

‘Nikolas Atwood,’ Aric said. It was a gamble; we didn’t know if Nikolas had been invited, but as the son of the Aldarian governor, it seemed likely his name would be on the list. And Nikolas and his group had their own mission, hopefully taking them far from here.

The Warrior waved Aric through. I started to follow, but he blocked my way. ‘And you are?’

‘Cassandra, sir,’ I replied. ‘I’m one of the dancers.’

The Warrior scanned the list and shook his head. ‘You’re not on here.’

‘That can’t be right,’ I protested, and I didn’t have to fake my surprise. ‘Could you please check again?’

This time when he shook his head, it was more forceful. ‘I’m sorry, but I can’t let you in. I’ll have to ask you step back—’

‘I wouldn’t do that, if I were you.’

Sabine’s timing was so perfect that I suspected she had foreseen this moment and arrived late for dramatic effect. She glided towards us from inside the castle grounds, dressed in a cropped top and billowing pants that matched her moss-green eyes. A dancer’s outfit very similar to mine.

The Warrior paused to take her in. Confidence radiated from her like an aura, and she rattled off her name with practised ease.

‘Lenore Wayland,’ she told the Warrior, who checked his list. ‘I must apologise for my friend; she’s filling in for Thalia, who was taken ill.’ Her eyes met mine, narrowing in convincing annoyance. ‘And she’s late.’

After a pause, the Warrior nodded. ‘Very well,’ he said to me. ‘You’d best hurry. It’s not wise to keep important people waiting.’

I hardly dared to breathe as I followed Sabine through the arched stone entrance and into the fire-lit garden beyond, filled with the soft buzz of cicadas and conversation.

‘I thought you lot were supposed to be good at this sort of thing.’ Sabine was staring at me, an eyebrow raised. ‘That was so easy, too! I could have gotten past those guards in my sleep.’

‘ “You lot”?’ I repeated.

‘Mask candidates,’ she said, with a pointed glance at me. ‘This Trial is practically designed for you, don’t you think? It’s all about trickery and deception. Infiltration .’

‘Maybe you should be competing for the Order of Masks, then,’ I replied. ‘It seems like you have those traits down to an art form.’

Sabine laughed. ‘Maybe I should.’

Eyes lingered on us as we walked through the gathering, and Sabine slipped her arm casually through mine.

Without looking at Aric, she said, ‘Two dancers don’t attract much attention, but it’s unusual for dancers to be accompanied by a Warrior. It might be best if you wait here. When Mira and I are done, we’re going to need a quick escape – perhaps you can deal with the guards before then.’

‘No.’ Aric’s voice was so firm that I shot him a surprised glance. ‘I stay with Mira.’

Sabine rolled her eyes at me, as if to say, Is he always this protective?

‘Try to keep your distance, then,’ she said with a sigh. And then: ‘Here.’

I took the glittering black mask that she offered me and tied it in place. I had to give Sabine credit: she certainly came prepared. Perhaps it was an Artisan trait.

‘I’ll enter the ballroom first,’ Aric murmured to me, ‘but I’ll be watching. If you need my help—’

‘I’ll find you,’ I promised. ‘Don’t worry about me.’

Aric gave me a look that made it clear that was easier said than done. But he strode inside, smoothly timing his entrance to coincide with another group of nobles. It looked as if they had come together; none of the Warriors gave him a second glance.

‘Do you know where it’ll be?’ I asked Sabine. ‘What we’ve been sent to steal?’

‘Oh yes.’ Sabine’s voice was low. ‘It’ll be in the most dangerous place possible. It’ll be with him .’

I followed her gaze across the ballroom, to where a young man lounged on a throne, dressed entirely in black: glossy knee-high boots, leather breeches, and a tailored jacket with glistening silver accents. He was at the centre of the celebration, but he appeared disinterested – almost apathetic, his fingers toying with his high collar. Then he shifted slightly, uncrossing his lean legs, and I saw his face properly for the first time.

‘You know the prince, do you?’

‘I suppose you could say that,’ I said, watching Cassius holding court in this strange castle. Then I glanced back at Sabine. ‘No other candidate would be tasked with stealing from a royal, would they?’

Sabine’s smile sharpened into something far more real.

‘I like you, Mira, so I’ll give you some advice.’ She leant in, her lips almost at my ear. ‘If you go through with this, then it’s not the emperor you should fear. The prince plays games with people, and they rarely end well.’

‘I think it’s too late to turn back now,’ I said with false bravado.

Sabine chuckled. ‘You’re right about that. Find a way to get him alone and take his crown – I’ll make sure he can’t come after us.’

Without further explanation, she turned and melted into the crowd. Though I’d watched her leave, it was impossible to pick out Sabine’s lithe form amongst the sea of colourful dancers.

The message was clear enough: she’d gotten me in. Now I was on my own.