Chapter 24

Enemies and alliestest us in different ways, but they test us all the same.

~ Lord General Menok

Water dripped onto Kaylina’s head as she looked through the wreckage in the kitchen. None of the food would be salvageable, unfortunately, and she frowned at the thought of having to buy all Frayvar’s ingredients to start again. She hadn’t asked him how much money he had left, but she’d recently caught him looking into his ledger and scowling at the numbers.

Surprisingly, the fire in the hearth was still burning, happily gnawing at logs with red embers. A layer of soot floated in the pot of apple-cider stew that still hung above the flames. She put on mitts and removed it. Like everything else, it would have to be thrown out. Frustrating, but, if the firefighter was right, she couldn’t blame the curse.

Reminded of her earlier musings about the plant, Kaylina filled another pot with water and hung it lower over the flames so it would boil. Despite the fire that had burned in the pantry, the jars of honey hadn’t broken, and most were still sealed. She took one and grabbed a spoon, intending to make the fertilizer she’d been thinking of earlier. As far as she recalled, Grandpa had mixed a few tablespoons of honey in a gallon of water. She didn’t think there were any other ingredients.

While waiting for the pot to boil, she peered into the root cellar. Tiny shards of glass lay on the stone floor below. From the broken bottle of kerosene the fire sergeant had found?

She crouched by the ladder and debated whether to investigate further but decided to be wise—not, she told herself, obedient—and wait for whoever Vlerion sent to help her. She didn’t need to run into vengeful arsonists lurking in the catacombs.

After stirring her honey into the heated water, she grabbed a rag and debated how to clean up the kitchen. Everything was sooty, and the thought of tackling the chore was daunting. That niggling feeling that they should give up and go home returned. This was turning into so much more than she’d planned for.

Some instinct told her to check the window, to see if Jana had disappeared or was still watching. Yes, the older woman remained across the river, now standing in the shadows of a tree, twilight creeping over the city and helping to hide her. If Kaylina hadn’t spotted her earlier, she would have missed her.

Deciding to be cheeky, Kaylina lifted a hand and gave a hearty wave.

Jana didn’t react.

“Doesn’t that woman have her own inn to keep her busy?” Kaylina hadn’t verified Jana’s story by going to see if the establishment she’d mentioned existed. She made a mental note to do so.

“Hello?” came a young woman’s voice from the vestibule.

“We’re closed due to fire.” Kaylina assumed it was someone who’d planned to enjoy dinner here, but hadn’t Frayvar said that none of those people had been willing to come inside?

She abandoned the rag to check on the visitor and found the girl from the delivery wagon in the great hall. Milzy.

Vlerion’s concern about what Kaylina might tell Milzy filled her mind, and her first urge was to shoo the girl out. What if the ranger, or whoever Vlerion sent, showed up and found them chatting together? Milzy might be a known Virt spy.

“I heard about that,” she said. “I came to see if you’re okay. Is your brother…” Milzy looked around.

“Gone to see a doctor. Broken ribs. A heavy iron pot rack fell on him.”

“Oh, that’s awful.” Milzy lifted a hand to her mouth and appeared genuinely distressed.

“He would agree. It’ll be all right though. We’ll get the place cleaned up and do our opening another night.” Kaylina smiled and waved Milzy toward the front door, hoping she would take the hint and leave.

But Milzy looked around, from floor to ceiling, and didn’t notice the gesture. “I heard there was a ranger here. Lord Vlerion. He’s a scary bastard. Killed a lot of the righteous and virtuous.” Milzy touched her chest. “They say he doesn’t blink when he drives his sword through people. A real stone-cold killer.”

“He is… effective.”

“What was he doing? Is he gone?” Milzy lowered her voice to a whisper. “Is it safe?”

“As safe as it always was.” Kaylina glanced in the direction of the glowing tower. “I’m surprised you came in.”

“I wasn’t going to, but two other rangers on taybarri were riding down the street out front. I didn’t want them to think I was lurking or loitering. Whatever they call it. I’ve been arrested before, even though I wasn’t doing anything.”

“They like to throw people in jail.”

Milzy looked at her. “That’s right. You were there that night. When the ranger captain and Lord Vlerion were killing our people outside.”

Our people. Kaylina had already known Milzy was allied with the Virts, but the words voiced out loud where anyone could hear them made her nervous. She glanced toward the kitchen, half expecting to spot Jankarr in the shadows listening.

“I’ve heard they’re interested in this place. And you.”

Milzy’s expression was curious rather than accusing, but it also made Kaylina nervous. She didn’t want to be known as being aligned with the rangers and not only because it might ruin Targon’s plans. For whatever reason, she and Frayvar—especially poor Frayvar—were already targets.

“Not so much interested in as mistrustful of,” Kaylina said. “Their taybarri have come here of their own accord for my honey and mead.”

Milzy blinked. “What?”

“Apparently, they like sweets, and the rangers only give them protein pellets.”

“Huh. That’s interesting. I wonder if you could intentionally lure their taybarri out of the stables with such things.”

Kaylina didn’t point out that Vlerion had brought up that very notion. He’d seemed certain that honey alone wouldn’t draw them.

“The rangers are dangerous all on their own, but they wouldn’t be quite as effective without their fearsome mounts. And they wouldn’t be able to get across the city so quickly.” Milzy’s eyes had grown speculative.

Kaylina wondered if Milzy was older than she’d originally believed. And higher up in the Virt organization than one would think?

“I don’t know.” Kaylina glanced toward the kitchen again. She didn’t see anyone but had the feeling of being watched.

“Would you be willing to try it? Luring the taybarri out of the city? On a particular night when it might be useful to those who want to change things and make it better for people like you and me?” Milzy pointed to Kaylina and herself.

“Look, I’m sympathetic, but I can’t get involved. My brother and I just suffered a financial blow, not to mention the blow to his ribs, and we need to focus on making the meadery work before we run out of money. We don’t have a backup plan.”

“You’re sure? If things changed and Port Jirador was less oppressive, and factory owners had to pay more, there’d be a lot more people who could afford to eat fancy food and mead.”

“Our food won’t be that expensive.”

“The menu looked fancy.”

Did that mean Milzy had been by earlier? How many people were keeping an eye on the castle?

“That’s only because Frayvar can’t write anything down without using big words.” Kaylina gently took the girl’s arm and walked her toward the exit. “I need to clean. Thanks for checking in. Come on by for the opening. I’ll give you a free cup of mead.”

If her mead was still palatable. She needed to check it more thoroughly.

At first, Milzy let herself be led, but a few steps from the door, she rooted her feet to the floor. “Are you sure you can’t help us? There’s going to be a night soon when we’ll really need some distractions. Having all the taybarri escape would help.”

Kaylina started to shake her head, but if she could get the date the Virts were planning something and give it to Vlerion, he might trust her more. Maybe she shouldn’t want his trust, especially since Milzy was right, and, logically, Kaylina should be on the side of the underdog workers.

But Vlerion deserved to have something go his way. Her desire to make that happen had nothing to do with his class. Just with him.

“What night do you need the distraction?” Kaylina asked quietly, hoping she’d been mistaken about someone watching her. Even though she planned to give the information to Vlerion, if she were heard asking, it might sound condemning.

The girl smiled. “I knew you were with us.”

“I’m not. I just… want to help.”

Help Vlerion, she added silently, but Kaylina wished she could somehow help the girl and the workers in general. Couldn’t both sides come together and negotiate for improvements without warring with each other? Without blowing things up and killing people?

“Tomorrow night,” Milzy said.

“That soon?”

Milzy nodded. “It’s long past time for a regime change. If you’re thrown in jail, we can get you out.”

“Thanks,” Kaylina murmured and opened the door, the fresh air that wafted in making her realize how smoky and stuffy it was inside. How would they ever get this place fit to serve people?

Milzy, in a far brighter mood, skipped as she left the property.

Kaylina closed the door and rested her forehead on it. Regime change. Maybe she should have tried to get more details, but that might have been suspicious. Less than an hour after an arson, Kaylina wasn’t inclined to raise anyone’s suspicions and inadvertently turn herself into an enemy. A target.

“You know they’re planning to assassinate the king, don’t you?” a male voice spoke from behind her.

Heart leaping into their throat, Kaylina whirled. It wasn’t Jankarr but Captain Targon.

His face was hard, his eyes icy, and she knew he’d heard everything.