Page 27 of Queen Demon
Kai controlled the urge to growl and thought,Only the ones who murder me. He stopped, his back to Bashat. “I told you, don’t test me. I won’t expose you, but I won’t walk in at your side like nothing’s changed.” Bashat only wanted it as security against any possible rumors of his involvement with the conspiracy. If the Witch King was clearly still his ally, then any claims that he had known about the attack on Tahren Stargard must be baseless.
“Nothing has changed. You left.” Behind him, Bashat’s voice was flat. “He died, and you left.”
Kai’s muscles locked, trembling on the edge of the step that would take him out the door.
The silence hung in the air, then Bashat let out a breath that just sounded weary. “Kaiisteron, I—”
Kai took that step and walked away.
Kai left through the Old Palace’s front gate and didn’t bother with the veil, ignoring the ripples of consternation as he passed the other departing guests.
It was a relief to get outside into the cool night air. Retracing his path through the trees into the plaza, Kai found Dahin standing under a lamp near the pavilion that held the Hierarchs’ heads. He was eating something that looked like a lump of red-glazed sugar on a stick. As Kai reached him, he held out a second one. “Here. They have fruit inside.”
Kai took the treat and bit into it. There was indeed a slice ofplum in the center. He noticed some of the honor guards craning their necks to stare at them. One was hissing at the others to turn around and look.
There were paintings of Bashasa and the other wartime Prince-heirs on the inside walls and rotunda of the little pavilion, along with the Tescai-lin, various leaders of the coalition factions and other prominent figures, like Tahren, Ziede, Kai, and Dahin. Of course the painted version of Kai looked nothing like he did now, but Dahin hadn’t changed much. Physically, at least. Ignoring the guards, Kai asked, “Did you follow me because you thought I was going to start a war?”
“If you did, I wanted to be there for it.” Dahin looked over at the honor guards and raised his voice to say, “Yes, he’s a demon and I’m a Lesser Blessed, but we’re not who you think we are. Pay attention to your job, the heads might make a break for it.”
Kai looped his arm through Dahin’s and drew him away toward the shadow and noise of the market. “Let’s go.”
Dahin glanced back at the Old Palace. “Why are the lights coming up? Oh, is Bashat going to chase us? That’ll be interesting.”
Kai didn’t look back. Bashat wouldn’t come after them. “He was called to the council for something about Belith.” He couldn’t help adding, “He asked me to go with him.”
Dahin didn’t need the politics of that explained to him. He turned his back on the Old Palace with a derisive snort. “The little shit. I’ve still got the raft, if you want to leave immediately.”
Kai huffed out a breath. “You’re very confident that I have what you want.”
Dahin stopped, suddenly alarmed. “You do, don’t you? You did read my treatise?”
Kai considered teasing him but Dahin sounded genuinely worried. “Yes, I read it. And yes, I have Bashasa’s notes on the Enalin expedition to Sun-Ar.”
“That’s a relief. How soon will you and the others be leaving? I need a chance to read the documents.” Dahin gestured with hisfruit stick toward the fire performance in the market plaza. “Not that I don’t enjoy this city.”
That sounded like Dahin was possibly considering leaving with them. Kai didn’t want to push too hard on that point. He said, “Tahren will have to decide if she wants to stay and keep talking to the council or not.” The political maneuvering around Tahren was always intense when she came here, but the revelations about the conspiracy and her abduction would just make everything that much more agitated.
Chewing candied fruit, Dahin made a noise of reluctant agreement. He swallowed and added, “There’s a meeting called by Belith? Tonight?”
“Yes.” They had reached the edge of the market, and the opening of a street that led back toward the canal. Kai faced Dahin and said, “Why do you ask?”
Dahin visibly considered a lie, then sighed and said, only a little evasively, “Belith figures in my research. I might go and have a listen. Just in case.”
Dahin was more than capable of getting into the closed council meeting without anyone noticing. Kai pulled the folio from his coat pocket and held it out. “Come to the Cloisters when you can. There’s a bed there for you and we can talk about it in the morning, if you want.”
Dahin started to reach for the folio with the hand still clutching the syrupy stick. Kai held it out of reach, lifting his brows pointedly. “Sorry, sorry,” Dahin muttered, tossing the stick into a nearby Sweepers Guild bin. After he scrubbed his hands on his coat, Kai surrendered the folio.
Dahin tucked it away and turned to head back toward the plaza and the Rising World Assembly. He waved at Kai as he slipped through the crowd.
Kai hesitated, watching him go. Dahin’s treatise hadn’t said anything about Belith. He should follow along too, see what the meeting was about. But he was tired, an ache all throughhis back and shoulders, and the last thing he wanted to do was accidentally encounter Bashat again. Because he might say,You’re right, I left you. I shouldn’t have, but I did. He died and I wanted to go with him, leave the mortal world.Anything to not feel that loss like a gaping hole in his chest.
Kai turned back to the street that led toward the canal.
The Past: the Offer
The Hierarchs had not cared overmuch for Benais-arik’s civic workings when they ordered their palaces built, and the city’s canals, aqueducts, water wheels and drainage were in disarray, occasioning much tedious reconstruction and displaced persons needing shelter… the rumor that the Witches were stealing children was occasioned by the number of orphans temporarily housed in the Old Palace who would play in the surrounding streets and often attracted children who were not orphaned to join them, and who were swept up with the others in the evening. It became custom not to retrieve them until the morning, since they were assured of a good evening meal…
—Letters of Sargetha, Archive of the Artisans Guild of Benais-arik
