Page 19 of Ironhold, Trial Ten
“You’ve found something, out in the city?”Alaric guesses.
Thalia nods and comes to sit with us, snatching a goblet of wine from one of the resistance members on the way.He doesn’t complain, the way he might have with almost anyone else.
“I think I deserve this,” Thalia says.“To getthisinformation, I had to go all the way into a noble’s house and heal the weeping sores on her husband’s back.”
She makes a disgusted face and downs the wine quickly.Alaric pours her more.
“Was it worth it?”he asks.
Thalia nods.“I think so.We know Selene’s holding meetings with different groups of nobles?Well, I think I know where one of them is going to take place.”
“Where?”I ask.The last time we infiltrated one of Selene’s meetings, I was able to confront her directly, and came close to defeating her.
“A noble villa outside the city,” Thalia says.“The grand estate of the Salis family.”
“I know them,” Alaric says.“They made their money as slavers and panderers under the empire, then tried to pass themselves off as the oldest and most noble of all of us.It’s no surprise they’re siding with Selene.”
“But I assume we’re infiltrating this meeting?”I say.If there’s a chance Selene will be there, I want to go.
Alaric looks worried.“You could stay behind.We could just send spies.A couple of people disguised as servants would be able to learn plenty.”
“And is thatreallywhat you’re planning to do?”I ask.
Alaric hesitates, and then shakes his head.“This is going to be a raid to disrupt it.And if Selene’s there… we’ll kill her if we can.”
He sounds uncomfortable as he says the last part, looking at me as if he expects me to reprimand him for it.
But I can’t.Selene is the biggest threat this city has faced since the fall of the empire.She’s manipulating and controlling people, twisting the whole Republic into something worse, something that might cost thousands of lives.I can’t allow that.
“Your odds will be better with me there,” I say.“With my skills, I can slip in unnoticed, and if Selene is there, you’ll need my powers to stop her.”
Alaric doesn’t look comfortable, but he nods.He knows how powerful Selene is, just as I do.Stopping her will take all of us.
Thalia hesitates.“There’s one other thing you need to know, Lyra.”
“What?”
She hesitates briefly, and I can feel the tension in her.“When I was getting this information, the noble was talking about how he was looking forward to meeting his old friend the senator again.”She pauses once more, before pressing on.“Marcus Larius is going to be there.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
“Just remember, we’re meant to be a pair of carefree young nobles out for a ride in the countryside,” Alaric says, as the two of us ride on borrowed horses beyond the city.We’re dressed in wealthy garb and I’ve used ash to darken my hair, while Alaric has used illusion to turn his blond and slightly alter his features.
“I know the parts we’re playing,” I say, as we ride out through the lands beyond Aetheria.
“Really?”Alaric says, “Because you seem to be having some trouble with the ‘carefree’ part of all this, judging by your expression.Anyone who sees us will assume we’re in the middle of some deep quarrel.”
He’s right, of course.I can feel my face locked into a deep scowl, my anger and worry etched onto my features.
“It’s just… I can’t believe Marcus is going to this meeting.I can’t believe he’s involved in all this,” I say.
Alaric raises an eyebrow.“Can’t you?Or do you just not want to believe that the many you were engaged to marry would do this to you?Are youthatwilling to ignore his faults, Lyra?”
There’s a sharp edge to his question.Even now, I can hear the jealousy in Alaric’s tone.
“She’s connected to the empire that destroyed his family,” I say.“Marcus used to be the one calling for Selene’s death.”
“Well, maybe you don’t know him as well as you think,” Alaric says.“Maybe he was fooling you from the start.”
