Page 28 of Bloodwitch
“For the same reason she asked me to negotiate a treaty with Nubrevna in exchange for her peaceful surrender. Something, or perhapssomeone,connects her to your homeland.”
“Merik,” Vivia said, and with that name, Safi forgot all about her plan. All about her magic or her stone.
In the two weeks since she had learned of Merik’s death, there were moments—like right now—when his face would bubble to the surface. The way he’d looked at her on that moonlit cliff in Nubrevna, part longing, part awe… and even part regret, for their short time together had seen them pitted as enemies. It was only as they were parting ways that they seemed to realize they were better off as friends.
Or perhaps asmorethan friends.
But now Merik was gone, and Safi would never know what might have been.
“I have brought you here,” Vaness said, “to finish my bargain with the Truthwitch.”
“What’s in that for you?”
“Nothing is in it for me, but I made a promise to her, and I never break my promises.”
“I see.” Vivia spread her hands wide. “Originally, you would only treat with my brother. Now he is dead, so you are forced to treat with me—even though we both know that you and I will ultimately negotiate nothing. You will still come out with clean hands, because, after all, youtried.”
“Absolutely not.” Vaness bristled, a reaction so true it caught Safi by surprise. Never did the Empress let her mask slip.
And suddenly Safi remembered her plan once more. She focused on her magic; she focused on the quartz; she focused on the conversation.
“Surely Nubrevnans possess something,” Vaness said, “that is worth trading for.”
“You know my nation has nothing to offer.”
“No, I do not know that.” Vaness sucked in a long breath, examining the Queen-in-Waiting. “You are a fascinating case study,” she said. “It takes a great deal of audacity to make a move such as piracy.”
“More like desperation.”
A soft chuckle from Vaness—again, humming with truth in a way that threw Safi off guard. “I appreciate,” Vaness continued, “that you do not try to hide the reality of your circumstances from me. No attempts to inflate what you have.”
“What would be the point?” Vivia shrugged. “You know the true state of Nubrevna. You have spies.”
“Not as many as you might think,” Vaness countered. “Your house is difficult to infiltrate. You instill an incredible amount of loyalty among your people.”
“Perhaps. When they are willing to look past my gender.” Vivia glanced toward the door, beyond which her officers waited. Impatience shivered off her. She tugged at her coat collar and adjusted her cuffs.
Right as she directed her gaze once more to the Empress, though, Rokesh materialized from the cypress trees. He stalked into the sunlight.
Before Safi could even blink, two ropes of water had lashed from the carafe and were racing toward the Adder.
“Stop,” Vaness barked.
The water stopped. And Rokesh stopped too, dropping to one knee—though out of respect or to avoid the attacks, Safi could not say.
“What game are you playing?” Vivia snarled, her water whips steady.
“No game,” Vaness snapped. Then to Rokesh: “Why do you interrupt?”
“My apologies, Empress.” Rokesh bent his head to his knee. “There is an emergency that requires Safiya.”
Ah. Safi straightened inside the wall, fingers crushing around the quartz. It would seem she was needed elsewhere.Please don’t be the throne room. Please don’t be someone corrupted.
“We have a guest,” Rokesh explained, “and I presume you will want to assess him for untruths.”
“Who is it?” Impatience steamed off the Empress. “No family was meant to arrive today.”
“This man is not family. He is a former Firewitch general, and it seems he has decided to end his retirement.” Rokesh glanced in Safi’s direction, his eyes briefly catching hers through the spyhole. “Habim Fashayit awaits you in the library, Your Imperial Majesty, and he claims he is here to help us win the war.”
