42. Danai

Chapter 42

Danai

“ S it down, Thorn. All that pacing is giving me a headache.”

Bril was clearly in a foul mood.

There was no escaping the constant thrumming of the catapults. The siege would likely last weeks, yet activity within our massive encampment had multiplied since the artillery engaged.

Irina was everywhere—her voice permeated even the crash of the stones.

And nothing was good enough to suit her.

She cared little that we moved hundreds of thousands of men and arms over mountains and across the countryside in the dead of winter with little damage to equipment or personnel. That feat alone was worthy of song.

But that didn’t matter.

Her only desire was to begin the attack as quickly as possible.

To her men, she was Isabel, a grieving widow and mother, driven by rage and revenge, but the blasted woman had to understand that men could only be pushed so far before they broke. The same could be said of armies, too.

I knew Isabel was no more . . . that Irina lurked beneath her skin.

I knew her hatred and lust for vengeance had nothing to do with crimes of the present. She only had eyes for those of the distant past.

Murder and mayhem were her justice.

I turned and sat opposite Bril, leaning back in a folding chair and steepling my fingers. My scowl was so deep one might have thought me pondering some dead animal I wanted to dissect.

Bril glared, his disgust with me palpable. We had ever been at odds.

After a moment’s silence, I pulled an object out of my pocket and muttered a few words.

“I need to speak freely with you, Stephan. No games. No politics. I am going to do something I never do, even with Her Majesty. I am going to trust you.”

Bril eyed me skeptically and chuckled. “Good to know you never gave me your trust before. Here I thought we were so close .”

I managed a tight smile. “Stephan, I am serious. Can I trust you? With my life?”

Bril gaped.

This was unlike any conversation we had ever had, not in twenty years of joint service to the Crown.

“Go on,” was all the Minister said.

I sucked in a breath and shuffled my hands. “Something is wrong with the Queen-Regent.”

Bril coughed another laugh. “You’re just noticing? Something’s been wrong with that woman for years.” Then he added, “Don’t you dare quote me on that.”

“Never.” I raised my palms in submission as my lips pursed in a line. “I mean . . . something is magically wrong with her.”

That brought Bril’s reverie to an abrupt halt. Despite my protection to keep us from being overheard, he leaned forward and whispered, “What do you mean? Should we be speaking of this here? You of all people know she has ears everywhere .”

I waved a hand dismissively. “I have sealed this tent. No one can hear us, no matter how loudly we speak.”

I went on. “Stephan, I have been her closest advisor and confidante since Alfred took the throne. He never cared for spies or my methods, so he gave those responsibilities to her. I watched her grow into a woman and a queen. I am telling you, she is not the same Isabel I have known. She is different now. She has been since . . . since Cradle.”

I walked a thin line, shrouding my fears in half truths, but there was no way I could tell anyone how much I truly knew. None would accept my role—my thousand-year role—in bringing Irina back. No amount of penance could free me from scorn or the loathing of the people, should they ever learn what truly happened.

Bril leaned back. “I’ll admit, she’s acted differently since . . . well . . . everything that happened, but who among us wouldn’t change in the face of what she endured? Think about it. Her daughter ran away, then her husband and son were killed, then her daughter returned and was kidnapped. That’d be enough to break anyone. Give her a little room to grieve, Danai.”

I was stunned by the burly man’s defense. He had never born much love for Isabel. Now that she was near rabid, he showed even less affinity for her rule. His sympathy was rare—and oddly placed.

“That is precisely the point, Stephan. She is not grieving—and has not shed a tear since Alfred died. You and I both know better than to believe some Melucian broke into the King’s room and poisoned him. That story is ridiculous.”

“What are you saying, Danai? We don’t have time to relive the past. There’s a war starting, in case you missed all the swords and arrows outside.” Bril shuffled in his seat, ready to be done with this conversation.

“I will skip the magical implications. You would not believe me anyway. What I fear— what I know —is that she wants vengeance. She is not talking about ruling anymore or uniting the nations. She wants to kill , Stephan, all of them.

“She talks about burning cities and towns, and seems almost gleeful at the prospect of hearing the people’s screams. I helped her obtain immense magical power when I thought she wanted to unite the continent under the Kingdom’s banner. I still believe we should conquer this land, but she now plans to use her power to destroy everyone in her path. Think Grove’s Pass but on a continental scale.”

I wiped a bead of sweat away before it could attack my eye.

“I have helped her more than you will ever know, supported her against impossible odds, but I refuse to be party to the death of millions of innocents. What is to say she will not turn toward our people after she finishes with Melucia? We have to stop her, Stephan, or at least get word to the Triad to evacuate their civilians.”

Bril shot to his feet. “You’re insane. That’s treason . She’ll boil us both if she even thinks we talked like this.”

“I know. Believe me, I know.” I rose and locked eyes with Bril. “But would you have a million people’s deaths on your conscience? Probably more when this is done? You have always lived by a code, a belief in fighting honorably, in standing up for people who could not stand for themselves. Would you truly accept killing children by the thousands?”

Fire plumed in Bril’s glare.

It quelled as he fell back into his chair.

His voice was resigned. “No. Of course not.”

“We cannot stop the siege—or the massacre to come. Their magical advantage will not be enough to defeat Isabel, not with her new powers. Anyone still in that city when we attack will die, be they man, woman, or child.”

“I know you, Thorn. You’d never approach me without a plan. What are you thinking?”

I sat opposite Bril and leaned forward. “You order our men on the eastern front away from the perimeter to search for some ‘incoming supply trains we gained knowledge of.’ That will allow civilians through. There is only a small force over there, and I am sure you can come up with a plausible reason to reposition them.”

Bril shook his head. “Even if I could get those men to stand aside, we’ll never convince the Triad to go along. They’ll assume this is a trap, a trick to capture or kill their people.”

I grinned. “That’s where you are wrong. Think about it. In a siege, what is the most important thing to those inside the wall? Food, medicine, water? They would have a much harder time outlasting our siege with a half million mouths to feed. Any rational leader would welcome the opportunity to save their people and reduce the burden on their army. I have known Quin a very long time. I have a robust network to ensure our message reaches him. He will listen.”

Bril glared.

This was open rebellion.

It was treason.

It was insanity .

And it was the right thing to do.

“All right, but we have little time. Marks and I’ve been counseling the Regent that this siege may take weeks or longer, but she’s not the most patient person. I’m afraid she’ll only wait a few days before she grows tired of failed siege tactics and decides to do something rash.”

“I can have a message delivered tonight. Can your men in the east be ready to move by tomorrow?”

“I think so, but we best make it late to give them cover of darkness. They’ll need every advantage we can give them to avoid her. I don’t know how far her eyes extend.” Bril scratched the bald spot on the crown of his head, then stood and extended a hand. “I’ve never liked you, Danai. I need intelligence as much as the next officer, but I don’t care for magic, and I like your methods even less.”

“But?” I said, clasping the Minister’s hand.

“You’re risking everything to save innocents.” He paused and held my eye. “You might be a weasel, but you’re a good weasel.”

I barked a laugh. How many times had I been called a weasel in the past month?

“I’m not sure what to say. Thank you, I think.”

Bril glanced over his shoulder as he exited the tent. “Thank me when those people are safe and we’ve both survived the wrath of Her Majesty.”

I released the spell protecting from eavesdroppers and practically leaped the two strides to reach the table holding the decanter of wine. I poured with a shaking hand and downed the cup in one long pull, then poured another.