Page 27 of Conspirators' Kingdom

Bas’ eyes watered and his voice cracked.

“Youcould have died, you stupid old goat!”

Mereruka’s heart clenched in his chest. He pulled Bas into a crushing hug.

“Don’t ever scare me like that again,” Mereruka hissed.

Bas’ arms encircled him.

“S-stupid old goat.”

“Dumb cat,” Mereruka said as he petted Bas’ head.

“My cover is blown,” Bas whispered dejectedly.

“Only for now. If we make it back to the ship alive, I’ll take care of it,” Mereruka whispered.

Bas’ arms fell away and Mereruka pulled back to see the anger in the shifter’s hazel eyes. Good. It was better than the look of the lost.

“Djadty needs to die.”

“He will,” Mereruka assured him as he stood. He held out his hand and helped Bas to his feet, dispelling the glamour he’d cast to give them a moment of privacy.

“Prince Mereruka, please forgive me!”

Mereruka turned to see Marduk kneeling before him.

“Did you curse the blade, Strategos?”

“No, I did not,” Marduk replied.

“Then you are not at fault. Find the one who gave you the blade, and we’ll begin the investigation there.”

Mereruka knew who would be found culpable. The only question was if he would be able to use this as a means to kill three birds with one stone, or if he would have to content himself with Djadty’s death alone.

Chapter 15

“Idon’tbelievewe’vebeen introduced.”

Taisiya eyed the young man who had saved the prince. Red-brown skin, black-brown hair and bright hazel eyes accompanied triangular cat’s ears atop his head and a matching tail in the same shade as his hair. When he extended his hand, his claws were retracted but obvious. He took her hand and kissed it perfunctorily.

“Bas.”

“Illustra Taisiya Spark, Ambassador for Lethe, the Empire of Mages.” He had obviously come along with the rest of the delegation from Maat, based on his clothes, but he was not fae, if his complexion and transformation in the ring were any indication. “You seem close with Prince Mereruka.”

“Mmm,” he replied.

His ears flattened on his head before flicking back up again. He refused to meet her gaze. How very feline of him. She pressed him further.

“So close, in fact, I’m having a hard time understanding why we were not introduced sooner. His concern for you was genuine. The kind one reserves for family or the closest of friends. Which would you consider yourself, Bas?”

“Bas. Come,” Mereruka called as he stood in close conference with the strategos.

“Excuse me, Ambassador,” Bas said with a noticeable measure of relief.

Taisiya nodded politely and watched the young man beat a hasty retreat. Most of the spectators had left the ring, escorted by mage soldiers when they were deemed unnecessary to the investigation. The royal couple, the fae delegation, the strategos, his men, and a few others remained. Taisiya had been asked to stay, as she was nominally responsible for the care of the fae delegation. It was a tenuous reason, especially when Nobilissimus Procopius, the logothete in charge of internal diplomacy and intelligence, was already present. Still, she was grateful. Better to see with her own eyes how this would be resolved than to be forced to beg for scraps of information later.

In the training grounds, fae and mages alike were brought before the prince and strategos to be questioned in the open. The mage who had presented the fae blade to Marduk swore he’d been given it by a fae servant. That fae servant pointed the finger at another, then another, and so it went until it seemed almost every fae servant had touched the blade. The prince looked as though he was losing patience. Taisiya shared the sentiment as the summer sun burned ever hotter overhead.

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