Page 106 of A Reign of Embers

A growl escapes Raul. Marc’s jaw works, but he mostly looks resigned.

In some ways, my first husband is more familiar with my capacity for stubbornness than my princes are.

I shove myself toward the edge of the bed, doing my best to leave the weight dragging at my gut behind. “If we can’t rely too heavily on that strategy, then we’d better movequickly on our other possible tactics. I have a bunch of governors to order around today.”

The logistics I worked out in bits and pieces come back to me, and my innards knot up all over again.

I glance at Raul with a wrench in my heart. “And I’m going to need to ask something else of you.”

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Aurelia

By the end of the next afternoon, my reserves of peace have dwindled to zilch.

The Darium governor of Goric peers at me through the mirror with a furrow digging deep between his bushy eyebrows. “You want me to bring this mirror to the Gorician royal family fortheiruse?”

I keep my voice prim and steady. “Yes. Given the current atmosphere, I’d like to be able to communicate directly with Queen Dafina—and judge her responses directly—as needed. We can’t be too careful when the empire’s security is being threatened. If you have any urgent messages for me, they’ll be obliged to give you and your representatives access, of course.”

“Of course,” he says, looking somewhat mollified. Framing the exchange as something I’m doing because Idon’ttrust the local royals rather than because I do has made therequest go down easier with all of the governors I’ve spoken to. “And once the present… uncertainty has been resolved, it can easily be returned.”

“Indeed.” Not if everything goes as I’ve planned, but I won’t be mentioning that part to him. “I’m sure you can understand, the matter feels rather urgent…”

He jumps in before I need to finish that sentence. “Yes, Your Imperial Highness. I’ll have the mirror transported to the royal palace right away and confirm with you once it’s in place.”

When the glass surface wavers back to my reflection, I step back, a breath rushing out of me. That’s four of the conquered countries handled. I’ve already gotten confirmation of the move from Rione and Cotea, and the Accasian governor promised to carry out the task by the end of the day.

Now all that’s left is the part that requires the least from me… yet is also the hardest.

I flick my hand through the gesture of the divinities. “This is only the start, Jurnus. I’ll see these lines of communication permanently open between the kingdoms of the empire in your honor. Please watch over my allies who’ll help make it so.”

Particularly the one I’m about to send back into hostile territory.

When I reach my apartment, all four of the foster princes are waiting for me. They emerge from the hidden passage as soon as the door has shut with only Marc in the room with me.

I speak before they have to ask. “Goric and Accasy are done as well. All that’s left…”

Raul moves to my side before I can find the heart to keep speaking. He hugs me to his massive frame even tighter than he did in my bed last night.

“I know what I need to do, Shepherdess. I made it into Rodrige and back once already with all my limbs intact. It’ll be a piece of cake.”

I press my face against his solid chest, inhaling his musky amber scent. “When you went in before, there wasn’t half an army camped out near the Lavirian border. Before, you didn’t have to steal a blessed imperial tool.”

He manages to shrug. “Who better than a man who can work with the shadows? I won’t let the pricks catch me.”

Despite the breeziness of his tone, his stance tenses slightly. He kisses the top of my hair, his embrace firming again as if he’s considering never letting me go.

I wishIdidn’t have to let him go another time. But there’s no way I can openly ask the governor overseeing Lavira to give up her mirror without Valerisse finding out about the request. I’ve gathered the tribune has at least a few loyal soldiers stationed at the governor’s estate.

Soldiers Raul will have to get past along with the governor’s own guards to retrieve that mirror.

But he’s right—no one has a gift better suited to carrying out this mission. There’s no one else his family would trust to bring them what’s really a gift from me.

I haven’t fulfilled my gesture honoring the godlen of communication until every conquered country has a direct line of access to the imperial palace. I can’t hope to sway the Lavirian royals into trusting me if I can’t speak to them face to face.

It has to be done. I just can’t make myself like it.

“Stay for as little time as possible,” I tell him. “I’ll need you back here. We don’t know how much longer Valerisse will hold off on attacking.”

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