Page 26 of Queen Demon
Kai said, “The leadership of Benais-arik isn’t my business anymore.” That was disingenuous too; Kai had fought for this city, he didn’t want to see it hurt. He added more truthfully, “I’ve always thought you were a good Prince-heir. You’ve kept Benais-arik not only prosperous, but happy.” Bashat had not only been wise enough to keep Bashasa’s innovations to the Arike way of governing, but he had refined some and added others. He was a good Prince-heir, who knew how to listen to wiser heads and the people’s wishes, when to embrace change, when to temper it with caution. It was why he probably thought he would make a good emperor for the Rising World. Not understanding there could never be any such thing as a good emperor.
Bashat’s brows lifted incredulously. “Are you mocking me?” It was a genuine question.
Kai wondered again what Bashat thought of him. He had known that their understanding and opinions differed. He had never thought they were enemies, but apparently he had been a complete fool. He let himself smile again. “I’ve never been called subtle before. If I thought you would lead Bashasa’s city to ruin, you would have known about it before now.”
“Then why not support me?” Bashat set his cup on the table with a clink and leaned forward, allowing a glimpse of his real passion to show. “If you think I’m a good leader? Give me a chance to show you what the Rising World could be.” His expression took on an edge. “If you were displeased, you could always destroy me later.”
Ramad had said Bashat wasn’t power mad, he just wanted the best for the Rising World. Just because that might be true didn’t make Bashat’s ambition any less dangerous. “It’s not me you have to worry about. Empires subjugate, Bashat, they aren’t coalitions of equals. Try to subjugate Enalin and they will rise up and sweep across the Arik like a wave. The other lands would take sides, you would tear us apart and leave us vulnerable.”
“Vulnerable to what?” Bashat snapped. “There are no more Hierarchs! Just expositors rooting for scraps like carrion birds, just the free cities, refuges for pirates and marauders. You, all of you long-lived ones, you are living in the past!”
“Oh, like the Immortal Blessed who plotted with Nient-arik against Benais-arik?” Kai retorted. “That past, what, three days ago?”
Bashat had the audacity to look offended. “I would never have let them succeed.”
Kai laid his hands on the wooden surface of the table, feeling the old nicks under the new polish, and let his fingers curl into claws. “You murdered me. You had Ziede buried alive. You walled up Tahren Stargard—” He forced himself to stop. He had a well of bitter anger inside him, and it was all so pointless. Bashat’s expression had turned conflicted, his control slipping a little. Kai made his voice cold and continued, “If not for us youwould never have been born. This city would be a mass grave in a wasteland, and this is how you repay us. Oppose us all you want, argue with us, fight everything we stand for, but you threw us away like vermin into a midden.”
Bashat pressed his lips together and looked away. His throat moved as he swallowed, then he said finally, “Our information said the conspirators did not mean to kill or harm you. Not you, not Ziede, not Tahren. I would never have let it happen if we had any hint an expositor was involved—”
It was like breaking through a wall, pulling a smothering hood off, to hear him actually admit it. Kai gestured sharply to his body. “I didn’t do this for my own amusement, Bashat. I was dead! If another idiot expositor hadn’t broken the seal on the tomb because he wanted me as a familiar, we would still be there. Do I have to tell you how bad it would have been for Benais-arik and the entire known world if he had succeeded? An expositor with my power at his command could make himself a new Hierarch.”
“That was not my intention.” Still not looking at Kai, Bashat winced as if at his own words. He must know that was a weak response. “I thought they meant to keep you away from the coalition renewal. I sent a vanguarder to make sure you were released—”
Kai made a derisive noise. “Your vanguarder Ramad?”
Bashat’s mouth hardened. He slid a look at Kai. “Is he still alive? Tahren did not mention him.”
Kai felt his jaw tighten. “I don’t kill allies.” It was infuriating that he had to say this. Except that sinking sensation in his gut wasn’t fury; when had everything gone so wrong with Bashat? “We left him behind on the way to the Kagala. Dahin even landed the ascension raft before we put him out.”
Bashat snorted an unamused laugh. “That was kind of Dahin. Under the circumstances.”
There is no point to this conversation,Kai realized. He stood abruptly, ignoring Bashat’s controlled flinch. “I’ll make my intentions clear. I’ll tell no one else, and I mean to leave this city soonand never return. But only on the condition that you leave me and mine alone.”
That, of all the things said tonight, seemed to cause Bashat the most consternation. He began, “I don’t—” He shook his head. “Of course, I wouldn’t—”
Someone stepped into the doorway with a soft throat-clearing noise. “Prince-heir?” It was one of the cadre soldiers.
“Meital, please, whatever it is can wait,” Bashat said tightly.
“I apologize for interrupting,” Meital said from the doorway. “Prince-heir, a messenger has come to call you back to the council chamber for a special meeting.”
Kai found himself exchanging a wary look with Bashat, who said, “Did they say who was calling the meeting?” Tahren wouldn’t have broken her word not to expose Bashat’s part in her own and Kai and Ziede’s disappearances. If the council had found out… Kai had an image of Dahin deliberately talking loudly about it near a window and the word somehow getting to someone who wouldn’t treat it as a wild rumor. Bashat added, “If it is not so urgent I would prefer to stay to finish speaking with Kaiisteron.”
That was news to Kai. He honestly had no idea what else Bashat wanted to say to him.
“The message came from Seeker Orai,” Meital said, persistent. That was the Rising World speaker for Belith.
Bashat didn’t look away from Kai. “I see. I’ll leave in a moment. You and Vitael wait for me downstairs.”
Bashat waited until Meital’s steps faded, then rubbed his face tiredly and muttered, “Fuck Belith.”
Kai forced himself not to kneejerk defend Belith. It was to the south across the straits, and had been brutally attacked by the Hierarchs and used as a staging area against Palm. It had fought as best it could, and even after more than sixty years, was still recovering.
Bashat looked up at Kai and said, “I can be confident this summons is not your doing?”
“Not everything that happens in the Rising World is about you, Bashat.” Kai started toward the door. He had been an optimist to think that he could leave without coming here. Bashat would not have let this go without a confrontation and some sort of assurance that Kai wouldn’t expose him.
Bashat stood and said hurriedly, “Then would you like to accompany me to the meeting? Surely you don’t really mean to leave and give up all political connections.”
