Page 152 of Conspirators' Kingdom

Mereruka nodded. It was only a shame they hadn’t arrived sooner.

“And Bas?” he asked, heart in his throat.

Qar’s expression was grim.

“He was in bad shape, but I managed to walk him through the shift. He has his fingers and toes back, same with his tail, and his wounds have healed, but he had a harder time with his ears.” Qar flicked his own ears, “I suspect he’ll tell you himself.”

Just then, Bas came around the corner, bracing himself on the wall, skin pallid and expression drawn. Mereruka rushed to him and gathered him up in his arms. Bas wrapped his arms around Mereruka in turn.Never again. Never again.

“I’m sorry.” Bas choked on the sob in his throat.

“Hush! The fault is mine.”

Mereruka’s eyes stung as he peered down at his son. Bas’ ragged ears were like an arrow to his heart. Mereruka kissed his head. He would make this right somehow. He would protect his son better, give him the carefree, safe life he deserved. Nofret would simply have to train another to fulfil the role of spy. Bas would never place himself in danger like that again.

“I’ll never be a proper spymaster. I broke when she…”

Guilt was a feral beast in his gut. He should never have encouraged Bas in this ambition.My fault. It’s my fault.

“Nonsense,” Taisiya said, touching the small of Mereruka’s back. She brushed a few stands of hair on Bas’ head. Bas turned watery hazel eyes on her. “Failure is only final if you allow it to be. Do you truly want to be a spymaster, Bas?”

Bas nodded, lip trembling.

Mereruka stiffened, ready to protest. Taisiya’s censorious glare might as well have cut off his tongue. She turned her eyes back to Bas, eyes softening.

“Then you will learn from this experience and become the greatest of spymasters. Nofret?”

“Yes, Your Harmoniousness?”

“Do you believe Bas has the ability to take on a role like yours?”

Nofret hesitated when she saw Mereruka’s glare but straightened her spine and turned away from him.

“Yes.”

Damn her. He would have words for his first scribe come morning.

“Then you and Vasilisa both will teach him. And you Bas, will become the best of spymasters.”

Vasilisa hugged Bas from behind, her head leaning on his.

“And I will kill anyone who hurts you,” Vasilisa assured him. “Just as I did to Itet.”

Seeing he wasn’t going to win this battle, Mereruka grudgingly relented. There would be other times to change Bas’ mind.

“Nofret, if you will see to the preparations and inform Qar of our plans? Qar, I would like your detailed report in the morning. For now, I’ll retire to my pocket realm with my family.”

Qar and Nofret bowed as Mereruka escorted his little family into the safest place he knew of.

Taisiya woke in the night to find Mereruka’s warmth was no longer beside her. Vasilisa slept to her left and Bas was curled up to the right of where her husband should be. She slipped from the overlarge bed, created to accommodate them all, and sought out her husband as he stared out at the scene of Rhacotis that his magic had woven. Sitting on the edge of the room, his legs dangling off the ledge of the illusory cliff, he sipped wine from a silver chalice, his posture stiff with anger. Undeterred, she sat down beside him.

“Do you need another minute to brood alone?”

“Your humour is grating in this moment.”

She waited a few heartbeats.

“How about now?”

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