Page 19 of Queen Demon
Bashasa seemed to shake off the memory and added, “The Hierarchs used Nibet as a corridor for invasion, and they captured the Tescai-lin there, which was how they got the Enalin by the throat.” Sighing, he took a flask out of his coat pocket and pulled the cork from it.
As soon as the distilled stink hit the air, Kai was furious. He leaned over and grabbed the flask out of Bashasa’s hand. He said, “No.” He had no plan for this, but he knew it needed to be done, and now was as good a time to start as any.
Bashasa’s expression flashed from incredulous to angry, his brows drawing together. “Kai, give that back.”
Kai didn’t move. “No.”
Bashasa huffed in frustration. He sat back and Kai watched him bring his temper under control. He was obviously marshaling his powers of persuasion. He said reasonably, “Kai, let’s not fight.”
Kai assured him, “No, we’re going to fight.”
Bashasa pressed his lips together in annoyance. Then he tried his flat death glare. It didn’t have anywhere near the impact when he didn’t mean it, when deep down he knew he was in the wrong. “Kai. I am a Prince-heir of Benais-arik. I am due respect.”
Kai tilted his head deliberately. “I’m a Prince of the Fourth House of the underearth. And both our titles are worth nothing until the Hierarchs are dead.”
“I realize that,” Bashasa snapped. Then he blew out a long breath and looked away. They sat in silence for a fraught moment. The fact that Bashasa had no real argument to make said more than Kai could. Bashasa finally said, “Who is the Third Prince?”
Wary, Kai frowned. “What?”
Bashasa clarified, “If you’re the Fourth Prince, who is the third Prince?”
“Tashiatieron of the Third House.” Kai knew Bashasa was de-escalating the situation like the master he was, but he had to add, “I never liked her.”
Bashasa met Kai’s gaze, letting some of his chagrin show. It might have been effective if Kai didn’t know he was just checking to see if Kai’s resolve had failed yet. Bashasa drew breath to speak and Kai said, “I know all your tricks. They don’t work on me.”
Bashasa slumped a little, pretending defeat to try to lure Kai into relaxing his guard. “I don’t use tricks,” he said, grumpy. “I am a reasonable person, I speak reason to others.”
The fact that that was true didn’t change the way Bashasa could wield candor like a weapon. He wasn’t ambitious, he didn’t seem to want anything from anyone that they weren’t willing to give, he had never had anything to conceal. Lahshar tried to stab at his hidden wounds, not realizing Bashasa was more than willing to expose them to the world if it got him closer to his goal. Fortunately for all of them, that goal was keeping as many people alive as he could while destroying the Hierarchs. Kai said, “Then as areasonable person you know there is no way you can reason me into giving this back to you.”
They stared at each other in silence. Kai saw the moment Bashasa gave in. Actually gave in, not just pretended to give in as a trick. Bashasa’s shoulders relaxed, and he shrugged. “It’s just a crutch. I admit this. Sometimes a person needs a crutch.”
“The wooden thing Hiranan uses to walk is a crutch.” Kai lifted the flask. “This is poison.”
Bashasa’s mouth twisted, but he didn’t try to argue. “I would say it is hard, but of course you know that. It’s hard for everyone.”
Kai snorted, half amused, half wry. “You knew it would be hard. It’s always been hard.”
“I did not expect to be alive for this long!” Bashasa flung his hands in the air. “Who knew this was going to work? That we would get even this far?” He ran a hand through his hair and said, serious this time, “A great many of our people are going to die in this fight, despite all our plans, all our efforts. Even before taking Renitl-arik into account, a disaster in the making I can’t lift a finger to prevent.”
And there were Arike who even now wondered if the fight was worth it, who thought it might be true that the Hierarchs would spare the rest of the Arik city-states, as they had promised. If they only submitted enough, if they gave the Hierarchs what they wanted, if they let the Hierarchs take everything the land had and grind its people into dust. Kai had heard his cadre talk about it. None of them believed the Hierarchs intended any mercy, the cynical veterans of the Hostage Courts that they were. Arsha had said sarcastically,Of course, just because they massacred everyone in Suneai-arik and the Arkai and the Sana-sarcofa and the Witchlands and all the way up the coasts to the north and east and south and west, I’m sure they’ll let us live.
Telare had added seriously,People say the Hierarchs left the far south alive, but those messengers from Palm, they say that’s only what the southern legionaries are made to believe. The coastaltraders haven’t seen a civilian southern ship since last summer storm season.
It made Kai’s blood cold. That mortals might huddle in their cities hoping to be safe until the Hierarchs decided to take the land to build another temple to themselves, and came to slaughter every living thing in the way.
Kai pulled the tent’s groundcloth aside and started to dig into the grass and roots. “You have to make them see what you and I and the others see. This isn’t a war like any story from history. This is not something any of us live through, unless we kill the Hierarchs first.” He was just a Saredi scout, when it came down to it, and he didn’t know how to convince anybody of anything without threatening to kill them. “You’re the only one who can do it for the Arike. Like we have to hope the Tescai-lin and the other hostages convince their own people.”
Bashasa’s expression was complicated as he watched Kai pour the contents of the flask into the hole, push the sod back in, and smooth the groundcloth over it again. He seemed to debate what to say, then reached forward and took Kai’s hand, absently brushing the dirt off. “Kai, I have meant to—”
The tent flap pulled aside and Ziede stepped in. Bashasa dropped Kai’s hand and said, “Ah! You’re here!”
Ziede lifted her brows at him. “Yes, you knew I was on my way. Trenal said Vrim’s shield-bearer has a question for you.”
“Yes, of course, of course.” Bashasa pushed briskly to his feet. “I’ll speak to you later. Tomorrow, I mean.” And he ducked out of the tent.
Taking a seat on her own bedroll, Ziede eyed Kai. “Did something happen?”
Kai admitted, “He was going to drink, I took it away from him.”
