Page 61 of Kingdom of Dance

“You can’t be serious!” Zinnia protested.

Basil nodded. “In spite of his own injuries, the display of power from Obsidian only served to increase Lleuad’s enthusiasm for acquiring his grandson. When it became clear he wasn’t going to leave them alone, Obsidian’s parents appealed to the Enchanters’ Guild, and they stepped in. In addition to reprimanding Lleuad, and removing him from leadership for the misdemeanor, they placed magical protections around the family’s dwelling to ensure he couldn’t approach it again.”

“Well, I’m glad they were willing to protect the family,” said Zinnia, indignant. “But removing his formal position and then just allowing him to basically go on as before is just a slap on the wrist!”

Basil shrugged. “I agree, but the guild values magic above all else. And Lleuad’s power is strong.”

Zinnia shook her head. “No wonder Obsidian hates his grandfather, and no wonder he has a poor view of magic. Why didn’t we do something?”

“Father was aware of it,” said Basil. “He supported the guild’s action against Lleuad. But he considered it an internal guild matter, and to be honest, I would have taken the same view. Things get ticklish very quickly if the crown tries to intervene in guild affairs.”

Zinnia thought it over, not entirely satisfied. She remembered what the enchanter had said to Obsidian, and a flash of anger went over her. How dared he talk about the death of Obsidian’s father in the war as if it should have brought relief, not devastating grief?

“He’s a snake,” she said darkly.

“I agree,” Basil said, speaking unemotionally. “And I don’t want him coming here trying to manipulate Lieutenant Obsidian. If you get wind of him doing it again, come to me straight away, all right?”

Zinnia nodded, but a frown lingered on her brow as she looked her brother over. “You can’t carry everyone’s burdens, Bas,” she told him seriously. “You’re already shouldering far too much. I feel useless around here. Surely there are any number of things I could help you with.”

“I’m managing fine,” said Basil lightly. “You’re still settling in after your trip, no need to push yourself.”

Zinnia said nothing, staring him down. They both knew she’d been back from Albury for plenty long enough to reenter normal life.

Basil’s lips curled into a rueful smile, although his eyes remained sad. “You’re right,” he said, responding to her unspoken challenge. “Dishonesty doesn’t suit me. The truth is there are lots of things you could help me with. And I always pictured you’d be one of my key helpers in this role. But I don’t know what to trust you with when you’re clearly hiding things—big things—from me.”

Zinnia looked down quickly, trying to fight the grief that surged up within her. She understood his position completely, and she didn’t blame him. She was even glad he was open enough with her to say it. But that didn’t stop it from feeling like a dagger straight to her heart.

“I’m sorry, Basil,” she said, hoping he could read her sincerity even though her eyes remained on her lap. “I hope you know I’ll always do everything I can to have your back.”

Not waiting to be dismissed, she left the room, determination coursing through her. The secrecy Idric had enforced upon her might prevent her from helping Basil with matters of state. But there were other ways she could serve her brother and her kingdom.

Chapter Fourteen

Zinnia pulled her boots on, moving quietly in the darkness of her un-illuminated room. A quick walkthrough had shown that the girls in the nursery were all asleep, and the older ones settled for the night in their own suites. No one was likely to hear her activities, but it didn’t hurt to be careful.

“Are you sure about this, Your Highness?” Elizabeth looked anxious as she helped Zinnia into one of Basil’s old tunics.

“Of course I am,” said Zinnia quietly. “You should go now, Beth, so I can lock the door behind you.”

Elizabeth bit her lip. “But it was such a close call last time, and we didn’t even know it! Imagine if they’d changed their system from letters to passcodes one week earlier. You would have been caught for sure.”

“But I wasn’t,” said Zinnia impatiently, slipping some emergency coins into her bodice. “And now I know the passcode.”

The maid clearly wasn’t happy, but she made no further argument. As soon as she’d let herself out, speaking to the guards in the hushed tones that suggested her mistress was sleeping, Zinnia secured the door.

Thanks to Obsidian’s hovering, she’d begun to think of herself as always being watched, and she was particularly alert as she slid from her window. She’d felt the soldier’s eyes boring into her at dinner, when she’d mendaciously announced that she was going to bed early. He had an unnerving way of looking at her, as if he could read her mind.

She even crept to the edge of the cliff, looking down and across it, making sure no one was in the vicinity. Seeing no sign of Obsidian, or any other observer, she dropped to all fours. It would be as well to travel under the line of the windows tonight, just in case one of her sisters pulled her curtains back at the wrong moment.

Thanks to the passcode provided by Elizabeth’s brother, Zinnia’s passage into the city was uneventful. The easy part was done. She didn’t relish the necessity of heading toward the docks—the city’s most dangerous area—but it couldn’t be helped. That was where Alonse had said the informants were. And if they were an established link between the city’s enchanters and the seedy underworld of Tola, they would surely be aware of whatever unsavory connections the missing enchanter might have made before his disappearance. They might even know more than anyone else about the whispers regarding how a mischief-minded enchanter could access additional power.

The fugitive seemed to think so, since he’d sought directions to their base. The question was, had he found what he was looking for?

Zinnia moved in an entirely different direction from where she’d gone on her previous excursion. Skirting around the city wall, she headed west, the road sloping downward beneath her feet. She wasn’t as familiar with this area, and she did her best to stick to the shadows and out of sight. Alonse was unlikely to come to her rescue if she ran into trouble tonight.

Her disreputable friend had mentioned the Belna markets, and she reached them within the hour. By day, the mushrooming growth of permanent canvas stalls hosted a reasonably respectable market, albeit not one of the more affluent ones. By night, the rumor was that it was the site of very different types of trading. She knew the smugglers frequented the area, and there was no doubt in her mind that information was bought and sold in the back alleys of Belna.

Tonight, she was buying. She just hoped what she’d brought would be enough. And that she wasn’t in so far over her head that she wouldn’t be able to find the surface again.

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