Idris could not help thinking of all the times men had approached him in sympathy for his association with Elira, putting him in the position of agreeing she was manipulative and disagreeable, thereby making her even more unsuitable for marriage, or complimenting her in public. He could not help but admire her cunning.

  ‘I’m afraid you will never be able to find a suitor for me I will not be able to dispose of. That leaves me either becoming an old maid or marrying you. I have a large enough family to pull it off, being in the middle of so many other girls, I am often overlooked.’

  Idris knew Elira hated being ignored. At the same time, Idris thought her prediction wasn’t too far-fetched. She was already well into her twenties, most young women would be seriously worried about finding a husband at her age. Her father had been quite lax.

  ‘Now, you can fight me as long as you like. Really, avoiding marriage all together suits me as well, but I’m afraid I will need something to do with my time and so I will use my time to inconvenience you. Those are your options. And really Idris, thirty-two is still an acceptable age for a man to be unmarried, but if you leave it much longer people will start to ask questions.’

  ‘It seems either way I will be inconvenienced. You would be a horrendously difficult wife, there are plenty of other suitable young women around.’

  ‘Really? Then why haven’t you married one of them? And I do not care if you keep secrets.’

  Idris frowned. He wasn’t sure whether he disliked lying to her, or if she was just very perceptive. Either way, his secrets never stayed secret for long.

  ‘I certainly have no objection to... whatever it is you do.’

  ‘I don’t do anything,’ he replied, narrowing his eyes. ‘And if I did have any sort of work I certainly wouldn’t want you poking around in it.’

  ‘Oh, how very possessive you are, my dear. Like a child with a toy. I don’t mind, I don’t like sharing either.’

  Idris crossed his arms over his chest.

  Elira chuckled. ‘Well,’ and she stood, ‘that is all. I will leave you to think your options over. By the way, I have been hearing such interesting rumours.’

  ‘What rumours?’ he asked, sitting up straight.

  ‘Oh, it seems someone left their candle in a certain establishment... Everyone is busy guessing which particular gentleman it was! It is quite amusing.’

  ‘The people I deal with...’ he said coldly. ‘There is only so much I can do to guard against stupidity.’

  ‘Why he thought he needed to take the candle off while...’ she shrugged delicately. ‘Who can say?’

  ‘Excuse me,’ he smiled thinly, ‘there is something I need to take care of.’ and he brushed past her. He couldn’t just burn the home of a noble down, no, this would require something else...

  Idris’ quick eyes flicked around the hall filled with the nobility of Lakasha. Soaring pillars supported a painted ceiling high above. The great windows, that reached almost as high as the ceiling were shut against the cold night air. Chandeliers cast bouncing light across the polished floor. Men and women in glittering jewels, and heavy, embroidered fabric danced and twirled across the floor, their laughter filling the hall. Not everyone was dancing though, around the edges of the hall men clumped together, while women formed their own groups.

  Idris’ eyes locked onto one particular woman. A middle-aged woman, still attractive despite her age. A glass of wine was held in her trembling fingers, her cheeks flushed. Idris’ lips quirked up in a smile. Good.

  A young woman, very pretty and much younger than her, approached and spoke to her. She laughed and handed something to her. The older woman coloured. She drained her wine glass and then turned and stalked towards a group of men.

  A portly man with a heavy beard, turned around at her approach. ‘Ah, darling, have you come to collect me?’

  The woman thrust out what was in her hand, a candle shaped amulet. ‘Did you lose your amulet, dear?’ she said, her voice high and forced. Silence rolled out like a wave. Those nearest fell immediately silent, while those a little further away continued talking, then realizing what had been said, trailed off, until even those on the opposite side of the room knew something was happening. Whether it was the high, angry voice of the woman, or the sight of the candle amulet everyone knew had gone missing...

  ‘Where-’

  ‘Is this your amulet?!’

  ‘W-well,’

  ‘Are you wearing your amulet, husband?’

  ‘No, my dear, thank you for finding it for me, where did I-’

  ‘In that place! With those women! A-a-a whore just returned it to me!’

  The man’s face drained of colour.

  Idris saw movement out of the corner of an eye. Amiri, a colourfully dressed man in tow, was making his way through the crowd. The man accompanying Amiri was dressed in a robe of red, orange and white. On his head he wore a high, pointed red cap. The effect was to make it look like flames were dancing around his robes. The outfit, though colourful and gaudy, suited him perfectly. He was a candle, a mage with the rare ability to resist shadow magic.

  ‘Lord Sarkis, is this your candle amulet?’ Prince Amiri demanded, his voice cold.

  ‘Why, yes, your highness-’

  ‘You took your amulet off?’

  ‘Well-’

  ‘He took it off and left it with a prostitute!’ his wife screeched. She threw the wine glass at her husbands face and stormed away, not caring what a wonderful, perfect scene she was making. Idris so loved getting people drunk.

  ‘I’m afraid there is little I can do, your highness, if your people will not wear their amulets.’ The candle said smoothly to Amiri.

  ‘I can see that. Lord Sarkis, you will be confined to your room in the palace. You are not to leave under any circumstances. I will place guards at the doors.’

  ‘W-what?!’

  ‘Lord Sarkis, we are at war with shadow mages. You were given an amulet to keep your knowledge safe from the enemy shadow mages. As you cannot be trusted to wear it, you will be confined to the palace while your treasonous actions are investigated.’

  ‘T-treason?!’

  ‘Treason.’ Amiri turned on his heel and stalked away, his face like a thundercloud. The candle trailed after him.

  Idris let out a satisfied sigh. The lords of Lakasha would not stand to see a man executed for forgetting to wear a necklace, no, the best Amiri would be able to manage was keeping him confined to the palace for the duration of the war. But I have had the man publically shamed by his wife and threatened by a prince. At best, Sarkis can hope to be a social pariah for the next several years. Amiri really does have the bearing of a prince when I am not undermining him... He couldn’t help a chuckle. His eyes flicked around the room, pausing for a moment on the ashen face of Lord Sarkis, and the silent lords around. He paid particular attention to the ones with pale, sweaty faces. He doubted Sarkis was the only one who’d taken his candle off for a moment. If this lesson did not teach them, well... he’d have to be more creative.

  CHAPTER 31

  12 Avril, 1353

  The days trickled by. Julietta was only allowed out of her room with an escort. She was watched constantly. Inquisitor Dusont visited her most days, asking questions about her, the mission and Bo. Mostly he asked about Bo. He was a tall, thin, grey-haired old man who did not look in the least bit threatening. Little round spectacles sat on his nose, his skin had a papery quality to it that made him look fragile, and he had a habit of smiling thinly at everything she said. He was not warm or friendly, but he did not seem like a man trained in the arts of an inquisitor. Still, knowing he was one made Julietta uneasy around him. The thought of what he might be doing to Bo made her feel ill.

  As the days passed with no news and no sign of Bo, Julietta began to wait impatiently, hopefully, for Asmara and Dorian’s arrival. She did not seriously consider using her magic to escape the castle - these people worked for her Kingdom, and there was a war on- and so the only solution she could see was if Asmara demanded Jacques see reason.

  Over a week after arriving in Manus Jacques came to visit Julietta as she was moodily sitting in her window seat, glaring out at the palace gardens.

  Upon his arrival Julietta tensed and stood to her feet, smoothing down her dress. She didn’t say anything, too afraid of the answers she might receive.

  ‘Asmara and Dorian have yet to arrive. Do you know what route they took?’

  ‘Why?’ she demanded, her voice suddenly loud and strained.

  ‘We have questions for them. Amjerbo may be our primary concern, but Dorian Cabo could have been the source of the leak as well.’ Jacques shrugged. ‘Since you keep telling Inquisitor Dusont it could not have been Amjerbo, perhaps it was Dorian.’

  ‘N-no,’ Julietta replied weakly, her eyes wide. ‘No, not Dorian!’ The thought of Dorian betraying them (her) was unbearable, but even worse was the idea of what they would do to him if he had. Quietly, helplessly, a little voice in the back of her mind whispered it would be better Bo be the betrayer than Dorian, better he be the one punished than Dorian.

  ‘Julietta, you are an intelligent girl, be realistic. No one in Mance-Jolune revealed the information to the Lakashans, therefore it had to be someone from your group. If it wasn’t you, it was Amjerbo, Dorian or Asmara. The other shadow mages assure us it would not have been Asmara, thus, it was you, Amjerbo or Dorian.’

  ‘How do you know it was one of us, not someone else?! W-why don’t you have the other shadow mages look- if you ask Bo I’m sure he would agree!’

  ‘The answer to your first question is that we have already conducted an investigation into that, ruling out the few people here who knew. As for your second, there is always more work for the shadow mages than they can do. If there’s work someone else can do, they do it instead. An inquisitor can get the information we need from Bo as well as a shadow mage, it will just take... longer.’

  ‘No!’ Julietta shook her head, refusing to understand. ‘No!’

  ‘Julietta, how long have you known Amjerbo?’

  ‘Over a year.’

  ‘Only a year. The man is in his forties, Julietta. It is touching how important he is to you, but you are but a brief moment in a long life. How do you know what he was doing before, how he really feels about his home? His parents were killed in the plagues here, Julietta. It is unfortunately likely he was not well treated, being a foreigner, in such frightening times. Besides, his family is all in Lakasha. Do you know what their situation is? Perhaps he truly views Mance-Jolune as his home, but his family is being threatened in some way. The idea of Amjerbo mer Shalla being a traitor is not as far-fetched as you would like.’

  Julietta fell silent, horrible thoughts rampaging through her mind. She remembered how Bo had talked about his childhood in Lakasha. But he said he doesn’t think of it much anymore, and he told me all about it! He wouldn’t have if he was sneaking off to meet his family. Julietta realized she didn’t even know where Bo’s family was. Were they in Eliach? Bo wasn’t from Port Eliach, but that didn’t mean he didn’t have family there. Bo hasn’t spoken to them in decades, he probably doesn’t even know where they are now! She hoped he didn’t know.

  ‘Now, do you know which route Asmara and Dorian were taking?’

  ‘I-I’m not sure, I think they were going to walk. I guess they’d be taking the main road from Collere...’

  ‘Well,’ Jacques said after digesting that vaguely useless information, ‘I suppose you’ll just have to wait here until they arrive. It is unfortunate, as someone of your skills would be useful in Dartham.’

  Julietta looked up sharply.

  ‘In case you had forgotten, there is a war on.’

  ‘Fighting hasn’t started yet, has it?’

  Jacques regarded her silently for what felt like a long time. Finally he said, ‘the fighting started on the 24th of Maurth, ten days after Lakasha marched into Dartham.’

  Julietta swallowed thickly. Slowly, she sat down.

  ‘Finally, you understand. Now, unless you have any more concerns, I’ll take my leave.’

  Julietta did not respond, and Jacques walked away. Suddenly she called out, ‘wait!’

  ‘Yes?’ he turned and looked back to her.

  ‘I’d like to see Bo.’

  Jacques held the door open with one hand. Through the half-open door, Julietta could see one of the guards standing watch.

  ‘Certainly.’ Jacques said. ‘I will accompany you.’

  Jacques escorted Julietta down into the bowels of the palace. The walked down steep flights of steps, past the brightly decorated halls and sitting rooms into dull, sparse corridors used by servants, and past those into damp, echoing corridors, guarded by men armed with wickedly curved swords.

  ‘Here,’ Jacques said, his voice bouncing off the walls.

  The corridor was cool and dim. Torches flared in wall brackets and cast fitful shadows across iron-barred cells and their occupants.

  ‘Down the end. He’s in the last cell.’

  As they walked the occupants of the other cells shuffled and called out quietly. Some scurried back into the corners, while others came out into the light, skeletal hands reaching from between the bars.

  A sudden scream shattered the air.

  Julietta froze, her heart hammering.

  ‘Come,’ Jacques said after the scream had faded, ‘the inquisitors are working.’

  Panic rising in her chest, her skin prickling, Julietta followed, her footsteps heavy.

  They came to the end of the corridor, and Julietta could not bring herself to look.

  ‘Amjerbo, you have a visitor.’ Jacques said, taking a torch from a wall bracket and shining it into the dim recesses of the cell.

  ‘Julietta?’ a thin voice came. It was weak, but clearly recognizable as Bo’s voice.

  Julietta turned and let out a sigh of relief. Bo looked tired and dirty, but he was unharmed.

  Feeling nearly dizzy at her relief, she said, ‘Bo, what’s happened? Are you alright?’

  ‘Yes… They have been asking me questions, that’s all... just questions.’

  Julietta’s relief quickly faded and she nodded sickly. She did not want to think about what it must be like down here, what threats they might have used, if the screams weren’t enough of a threat. Looking at his tired, scared face, the last of any hope she felt fled. Bo, their leader, so confident, didn’t know what to do.

  He’s helpless. And she would be too, she knew, if they decided to hurt him, if they decided she should join him in one of these cells.

  ‘I’m glad to see you are well.’

  Julietta nodded and managed a smile.

  ‘Julietta doesn’t believe you betrayed the mission.’ Jacques said. ‘I suppose that should be some comfort to you.’

  Julietta couldn’t help searching his face, trying to unearth a reaction that might put to rest those horrible doubts Jacques had instilled in her. Seeing the way he was looking at her, Julietta felt a rush of shame at doubting him, but could not help it all the same.

  ‘Well, you have both seen each other. I will escort you back to your room now, Julietta.’

  ‘G-goodbye!’ Julietta called helplessly as Jacques took her elbow and began striding back down the hall. ‘It’ll be ok, Bo!’ she added, at the same time knowing it to be a useless platitude. ‘I know you didn’t do it!’ she couldn’t help adding, a desperate note in her voice.

  She hoped he believed her.

  CHAPTER 32

  26 Avril, 1353

  It was two more weeks before Asmara and Dorian arrived in Manus. The days passed with Julietta worrying constantly about Bo, whether he was alright, whether he was a traitor. Then there was the horrible realization that her home was at war with the Lakashan Empire. Most of her information came from the maids. They told her the Manunian and Lakashan armies were fighting south of Dartham Spire, just west of the Lishar Ravine. She knew many of her colleagues from the MCW would be fighting with the army in Dartham. It was a surreal feeling, to know she was sitting in the Royal Palace, waiting, while people she knew so well fought and died so far away. Though she had no control over her current situation, she couldn’t help a growing feeling of shame.

  The information the maids gave her was spotty at best. When she demanded news from Jacques he was happy to provide it.

  ‘So you are hearing news of the war?’ he asked in response to her questions. ‘Good, there is no reason you shouldn’t know.’

  ‘What happened? I’ve been told we won.’

  ‘Won is not the word I would use. You are familiar with the geography of the Dartham Isthmus? From the Lakashan side you must go through the Lishar Ravine, it is the narrowest part of the isthmus. The Lakashans cannot move the army through it quickly, so our armies crossed the isthmus faster and met them east of Dartham Spire. We pushed them back to the mouth of the ravine and held them there for three days. I suppose some might have termed that winning. That is old news though, now they have pushed us further west, closer to Dartham Spire. There have been some battles at sea, but the focus of the war is Dartham.’

  Julietta swallowed. ‘That doesn’t sound like we’re winning.’

  ‘No. Already the death toll is in the thousands. We cannot let them cross Dartham. Now, do you know where Asmara and Dorian are?’

  Julietta shook her head. ‘If the war has begun, how will Asmara be useful?’

  ‘You’re a smart girl, Julietta, I’m sure you already know the answer to that.’

  Julietta was not the first to hear of Asmara and Dorian’s arrival. That honour went to the guards waiting at the city gates. The next to know was the carriage driver who immediately picked them up to bring them straight to the palace, then the servants, then Jacques, and then, hours later, Julietta.

  ‘Dorian!’ Julietta cried in relief upon spotting the red-haired sorcerer. ‘Asmara!’

  The two turned around to greet her, and Julietta could not contain her pleasure at Asmara actually smiling and saying hello.