“Then let’s get right back to business,” Drake said. “Has Lucien made any progress on our letters?”
Sky took a breath. “Since you have informed me you trust your steward with all your affairs, I will also trust that I can do so... at least in regards to what we have already discussed. Lucien feels confident he will soon grasp the cipher and has begun experimental translations. Unfortunately, there is no way to know which letter directed Captain Ro to abduct you since they are in code.”
“So what has he translated?”
“Only a few sentences so far, but he will gain speed as he gains confidence. According to Lucien, the code is, itself, more code. That is, even were it written without being coded in a cipher, even the plain language would be difficult to understand.”
“Confusing,” Drake agreed. “Just like your dates.”
“We tentatively believe the first contract he deciphered was for the assassination of a minor nobleman in Blackmane territory. My spies were able to verify the man was assassinated, so if our translation is accurate, it seems this Captain Ro was at least marginally competent.”
Just not competent enough to not get mauled by a wererat, Drake added silently. “So how’s your travel going? How many assassination attempts are you up to now?”
“Three.”
Drake whistled. “In two days? You’ve got me beat. Still, I bet I can impress you.”
Sky leaned closer to the mirror. “How?”
“I took care of your assassin. The blood sucker guy. The one who killed your rangers and tried to gas us in your guest house. He tried to kill me yesterday night, but I killed him.”
Sky went very still as she stared at him through the mirror. Even looking right into her light blue eyes, he couldn’t tell what she was thinking. Given what little she knew about the assassin and how much damage he’d done, her estimation of him might have increased.
“Who was he?” she asked finally.
“He didn’t give his name before he died, but his rarity was literally sucking the blood out of people. He could also do it through silverweave. Val called it a targeted rarity?”
“Gods,” Sky whispered. “Targeted how?”
“He sucked blood right out of my eyes and nose, which was gross. He was also a Gilded Blade. I assume you’re familiar?”
“I am. That rules out both Mistvale and Frostlight. My spies are up to date on their finances and investments, and they could not afford a Gilded Blade.”
“That’s good to know, because I actually know who our enemy is now.”
Across the carriage, Lydia frowned and eyed him. “Are you sure?” she mouthed.
Drake’s enemies were getting more aggressive with every passing day. If he lost Sky, the only real manor lord ally he had on his side, on the way to the cabal, he might not have any allies left in Korhaurbauten. Plus, he actually liked her.
He nodded to Lydia, then raised the mirror to look Sky dead in the face. “The man who sent the assassin to kill me was Lord Proudglade himself.”
“Do you have proof we can present in the noble court?” Sky asked.
He was a little disappointed she just accepted his magnificent revelation as if he’d told her the time of day and moved on. Still... she also hadn’t asked how he had learned this truth, and moreover, she now appeared even more impressed. Maybe. He hoped.
“Unfortunately no,” Drake said. “Other than Lydia and Samuel, my spymaster, no one knows what I’ve told you. We also have no way to prove it.”
“I’m glad to hear Samuel is on the mend. Yet you cannot testify to this yourself?”
“Not without causing more complications that would outweigh any benefit.”
“I see.” Sky considered him cautiously. “The assassin murdered three of mine and, no doubt, many others, so you have my gratitude. Also, while it is good to know the man who murdered my rangers is dead, we still cannot know if he was behind Rodney’s assassination.”
“Or my abduction.” Drake sighed. “Because I have so many enemies that any number of them could have come at me from any number of angles.”
“Yet is it nice to know you have allies as well, isn’t it?”
He smiled at her through the mirror. “It is.”
“I will forward what you’ve told me to my spies. Armed with this knowledge, they may be able to uncover more about Lord Proudglade’s recent dealings with the Gilded Blades. If we find anything, I will of course let you know. Information for information.”
“I’d appreciate that. Now if I can ask you a question, do you have any idea why we’ve been summoned for a cabal?”
“I am as in the dark as I suspect you to be. I assume your steward explained to you just how unusual it is to have a cabal called with so little notice?”
“Someone did,” Drake agreed, remembering Valentia. “But you really have no idea?”
“All we know for certain is that it relates to something the noble court wants to immediately address and that event happened this month. That, unfortunately, does not narrow it down. Given how high tensions have been with Lord Brightwater on the verge of tilting the table, almost every manor’s territory has been more tumultuous than usual.”
“Any examples?”
“Lord Frostlight and several of her sworn banners barely stopped a splinter cult of apocalyptic cultists from opening a portal to the underside in a half-buried kromian temple. Lord Mistvale’s forces put down an unexplained wave of extremely aggressive giant spiders some rumors suggest were actually bred and released by Lord Ashwind. And Lord Blackmane has been dealing with a manor in chaos after he was caught cheating on his blood thrall.”
Drake remembered the spy report he read with Nicole just before they left for the cabal. “Hold on a sec. Lord Blackmane was cheating on his blood thrall... with another blood thrall?”
“It would be a salacious and amusing event were he not one of the only manor lords we might count as an ally, and were his manor not now in an uproar as his thralls take sides with one spurned paramour or the other. If it comes to war, Lord Blackmane will be little help.”
Drake glanced at Lydia again. She looked empathetically pained by the news of Blackmane Manor in chaos. It was now all the more clear to him why he should never think about getting involved with someone who served him.
He turned his attention back to Sky. “So this cabal could be about any of those things and more.”
“It could be.” Sky did not sound convinced.
“But ten to one odds says it’s going to fuck me, specifically, in some new way.”
“I have no interest in a wager. But given your luck since you arrived, I would not bet against you.”
“I appreciate your faith in me.”
“Then let me show a bit more. My caravan is traveling light, primarily to counter any attempts to waylay us with speed, but as I said, we have endured three ambush attempts. I haven’t had much sleep. My spies tell me you are traveling with a considerably larger host.”
“Lord Skybreak, do you have someone watching me right now?”
“Not you,” she assured him. “I’m the only one keeping an eye on you.”
She was flirting with him. That was definitely flirting. And whether it was intended to soften him up for her upcoming offer or not, he already knew what she was going to suggest.
“Are you suggesting we join forces for the journey to the capital?”
“You did say we should formalize our alliance. Step out of the dark. The announcement of our official alliance could, on its own, be cause for a cabal, so we could save ourselves an extra trip if we announce our alliance shortly before we arrive at Korhaurbauten.”
“I need to put the mirror down a second,” Drake said. “Do you mind waiting?”
“Not at all. But you do realize I can still hear you?”
Drake chuckled. “We’re going to step outside a moment. I hope you’re not offended I want to speak to my advisors before agreeing to your proposal.”
“I would think less of you if you did not. I recognize this is a significant step forward in the relationship between our manors. With luck, I will still be awake when you return.”
“I’ll try not to take all night.” He set down the mirror and motioned for Lydia to follow.
They exited the carriage, and the Drake closed the door. Lydia was now watching him with an expression he wasn’t sure he could quite read. Was she impressed? Or anxious?
“You and Lord Skybreak grew closer than even I hoped,” Lydia said calmly.
Drake grinned. “Jealous?”
“Pleased.” Lydia smiled back. “May I reveal something somewhat personal... Clint?”
She’d called him Clint. She’d only rarely called him Clint. What had gotten into her tonight? “If you’re comfortable with that.”
“I have followed Lord Skybreak’s rise since before she took over for her mother, whom I also followed with equal interest. There is only one other manor lord at the table whom I would wish to serve. She has just asked to formalize an alliance with you.”
“So you’d be in favor.”
“Yet as much as I have long wished we could ally with her... we cannot.”
He frowned in surprise. “Why not?”
“As much as I would love to ally with Lord Skybreak, her blood pact remains unchanged. I do not know how she would react were she to learn that you have altered our blood pact to remove all compulsions. She could see this as a sign of weakness, or worse—”
“Hold up,” Drake interrupted.
“But lord, I think—”
“You don’t have to worry about that,” Drake said. “She already knows.”
Lydia stared. “You told her?”
“I did. Also, she did the same thing. Before me. She nullified her blood pact years ago, like right after she first took over as manor lord.”
Lydia stared in wide-eyed shock.
“It came up in one of our earlier conversations,” Drake said. “So... think about what this means. Sky has been running her manor without bullshit magic slavery for years, but the other manor lords could still say those are unique circumstances. But now, there’s two of us.”
“Two manor lords who have replicated this new method of organization,” Lydia said quietly. “Two who have proven it does work. That is powerful evidence that changing our procedures would work for everyone. Your success is not a fluke.”
“So as a bonus objective, Sky and I talked about, down the line, seeing if we can talk the other manor lords into doing things our way. We want to tilt the table against slavery.”
“If that is the case, then I must empathically suggest we ally with Lord Skybreak, and not simply because I now admire her even more.” When Lydia smiled, it almost looked like she was proud of him. “I had no idea you had already charmed her!”
Drake frowned at her implication. “Hey, I didn’t just charm her. I pulled off some legitimately impressive feats using all my unique skills and tactical prowess. I impressed her with my stratagems!”
“That seems... certainly possible,” Lydia agreed. “But if you wish my counsel in regards to formalizing our alliance with Lord Skybreak, knowing this, my answer is yes.”
“All right. Should we go wake up Samuel for his opinion?”
“There is no need. He was the strongest voice in favor of allying with Lord Skybreak before Lord Crow forbade him from ever bringing up the topic again. The alliance Lord Proudglade started and has strengthened each year has been Samuel’s most vexing concern. We could wake Samuel, but only if you want to see a grown man struggle to contain his glee.”
“I really would,” Drake said ruefully. “But our new ally has dealt with three assassination attempts in two days, so how about we give her an answer and let her get some sleep?”
Lydia opened the door to the carriage. “That would be very kind of us.”
Drake stepped up after her. “Though we probably should have drawn this out a bit longer. When she sees how quickly we agreed to this, she’s going to get a big head.”
Once the carriage was closed again, Drake raised the mirror to find Sky peering into it, idly dabbing at her cheek with a handkerchief. She visibly startled at his return and banished the offending handkerchief from sight. “Did you need to ask me something else?”
“No. We’ve all made our decision, and it’s a yes.”
“That was faster than I expected. Did you already intend to ask me?”
“Please don’t let it go to your head. We all think your idea is a good one. With your rangers and my zarovians, I don’t think anything will be able to sneak up on or crush us. And now that I think about it, having us formalize right before the cabal could throw the others off.”
“It will,” Sky said firmly. “I was prepared to make that argument if you seemed hesitant, along with a number of others I carefully prepared between my second and third assassination attempts. Now, you have made a mockery of my preparations.”
“I do that with other manor lords. How soon can you meet us?”
“If you continue at your current pace along the Noble Road, we should be able to meet up with you by mid-afternoon tomorrow. With your permission, I’ll send a few rangers ahead of the main vanguard to inform you when we’re close. Expect them shortly past midday.”
“That’s fine. I look forward to joining forces with you tomorrow afternoon. Oh, and just wait until you see my new crossbow.”
She perked up. “You have a new crossbow?”
“Then let’s get right back to business,” Drake said. “Has Lucien made any progress on our letters?”
Sky took a breath. “Since you have informed me you trust your steward with all your affairs, I will also trust that I can do so... at least in regards to what we have already discussed. Lucien feels confident he will soon grasp the cipher and has begun experimental translations. Unfortunately, there is no way to know which letter directed Captain Ro to abduct you since they are in code.”
“So what has he translated?”
“Only a few sentences so far, but he will gain speed as he gains confidence. According to Lucien, the code is, itself, more code. That is, even were it written without being coded in a cipher, even the plain language would be difficult to understand.”
“Confusing,” Drake agreed. “Just like your dates.”
“We tentatively believe the first contract he deciphered was for the assassination of a minor nobleman in Blackmane territory. My spies were able to verify the man was assassinated, so if our translation is accurate, it seems this Captain Ro was at least marginally competent.”
Just not competent enough to not get mauled by a wererat, Drake added silently. “So how’s your travel going? How many assassination attempts are you up to now?”
“Three.”
Drake whistled. “In two days? You’ve got me beat. Still, I bet I can impress you.”
Sky leaned closer to the mirror. “How?”
“I took care of your assassin. The blood sucker guy. The one who killed your rangers and tried to gas us in your guest house. He tried to kill me yesterday night, but I killed him.”
Sky went very still as she stared at him through the mirror. Even looking right into her light blue eyes, he couldn’t tell what she was thinking. Given what little she knew about the assassin and how much damage he’d done, her estimation of him might have increased.
“Who was he?” she asked finally.
“He didn’t give his name before he died, but his rarity was literally sucking the blood out of people. He could also do it through silverweave. Val called it a targeted rarity?”
“Gods,” Sky whispered. “Targeted how?”
“He sucked blood right out of my eyes and nose, which was gross. He was also a Gilded Blade. I assume you’re familiar?”
“I am. That rules out both Mistvale and Frostlight. My spies are up to date on their finances and investments, and they could not afford a Gilded Blade.”
“That’s good to know, because I actually know who our enemy is now.”
Across the carriage, Lydia frowned and eyed him. “Are you sure?” she mouthed.
Drake’s enemies were getting more aggressive with every passing day. If he lost Sky, the only real manor lord ally he had on his side, on the way to the cabal, he might not have any allies left in Korhaurbauten. Plus, he actually liked her.
He nodded to Lydia, then raised the mirror to look Sky dead in the face. “The man who sent the assassin to kill me was Lord Proudglade himself.”
“Do you have proof we can present in the noble court?” Sky asked.
He was a little disappointed she just accepted his magnificent revelation as if he’d told her the time of day and moved on. Still... she also hadn’t asked how he had learned this truth, and moreover, she now appeared even more impressed. Maybe. He hoped.
“Unfortunately no,” Drake said. “Other than Lydia and Samuel, my spymaster, no one knows what I’ve told you. We also have no way to prove it.”
“I’m glad to hear Samuel is on the mend. Yet you cannot testify to this yourself?”
“Not without causing more complications that would outweigh any benefit.”
“I see.” Sky considered him cautiously. “The assassin murdered three of mine and, no doubt, many others, so you have my gratitude. Also, while it is good to know the man who murdered my rangers is dead, we still cannot know if he was behind Rodney’s assassination.”
“Or my abduction.” Drake sighed. “Because I have so many enemies that any number of them could have come at me from any number of angles.”
“Yet is it nice to know you have allies as well, isn’t it?”
He smiled at her through the mirror. “It is.”
“I will forward what you’ve told me to my spies. Armed with this knowledge, they may be able to uncover more about Lord Proudglade’s recent dealings with the Gilded Blades. If we find anything, I will of course let you know. Information for information.”
“I’d appreciate that. Now if I can ask you a question, do you have any idea why we’ve been summoned for a cabal?”
“I am as in the dark as I suspect you to be. I assume your steward explained to you just how unusual it is to have a cabal called with so little notice?”
“Someone did,” Drake agreed, remembering Valentia. “But you really have no idea?”
“All we know for certain is that it relates to something the noble court wants to immediately address and that event happened this month. That, unfortunately, does not narrow it down. Given how high tensions have been with Lord Brightwater on the verge of tilting the table, almost every manor’s territory has been more tumultuous than usual.”
“Any examples?”
“Lord Frostlight and several of her sworn banners barely stopped a splinter cult of apocalyptic cultists from opening a portal to the underside in a half-buried kromian temple. Lord Mistvale’s forces put down an unexplained wave of extremely aggressive giant spiders some rumors suggest were actually bred and released by Lord Ashwind. And Lord Blackmane has been dealing with a manor in chaos after he was caught cheating on his blood thrall.”
Drake remembered the spy report he read with Nicole just before they left for the cabal. “Hold on a sec. Lord Blackmane was cheating on his blood thrall... with another blood thrall?”
“It would be a salacious and amusing event were he not one of the only manor lords we might count as an ally, and were his manor not now in an uproar as his thralls take sides with one spurned paramour or the other. If it comes to war, Lord Blackmane will be little help.”
Drake glanced at Lydia again. She looked empathetically pained by the news of Blackmane Manor in chaos. It was now all the more clear to him why he should never think about getting involved with someone who served him.
He turned his attention back to Sky. “So this cabal could be about any of those things and more.”
“It could be.” Sky did not sound convinced.
“But ten to one odds says it’s going to fuck me, specifically, in some new way.”
“I have no interest in a wager. But given your luck since you arrived, I would not bet against you.”
“I appreciate your faith in me.”
“Then let me show a bit more. My caravan is traveling light, primarily to counter any attempts to waylay us with speed, but as I said, we have endured three ambush attempts. I haven’t had much sleep. My spies tell me you are traveling with a considerably larger host.”
“Lord Skybreak, do you have someone watching me right now?”
“Not you,” she assured him. “I’m the only one keeping an eye on you.”
She was flirting with him. That was definitely flirting. And whether it was intended to soften him up for her upcoming offer or not, he already knew what she was going to suggest.
“Are you suggesting we join forces for the journey to the capital?”
“You did say we should formalize our alliance. Step out of the dark. The announcement of our official alliance could, on its own, be cause for a cabal, so we could save ourselves an extra trip if we announce our alliance shortly before we arrive at Korhaurbauten.”
“I need to put the mirror down a second,” Drake said. “Do you mind waiting?”
“Not at all. But you do realize I can still hear you?”
Drake chuckled. “We’re going to step outside a moment. I hope you’re not offended I want to speak to my advisors before agreeing to your proposal.”
“I would think less of you if you did not. I recognize this is a significant step forward in the relationship between our manors. With luck, I will still be awake when you return.”
“I’ll try not to take all night.” He set down the mirror and motioned for Lydia to follow.
They exited the carriage, and the Drake closed the door. Lydia was now watching him with an expression he wasn’t sure he could quite read. Was she impressed? Or anxious?
“You and Lord Skybreak grew closer than even I hoped,” Lydia said calmly.
Drake grinned. “Jealous?”
“Pleased.” Lydia smiled back. “May I reveal something somewhat personal... Clint?”
She’d called him Clint. She’d only rarely called him Clint. What had gotten into her tonight? “If you’re comfortable with that.”
“I have followed Lord Skybreak’s rise since before she took over for her mother, whom I also followed with equal interest. There is only one other manor lord at the table whom I would wish to serve. She has just asked to formalize an alliance with you.”
“So you’d be in favor.”
“Yet as much as I have long wished we could ally with her... we cannot.”
He frowned in surprise. “Why not?”
“As much as I would love to ally with Lord Skybreak, her blood pact remains unchanged. I do not know how she would react were she to learn that you have altered our blood pact to remove all compulsions. She could see this as a sign of weakness, or worse—”
“Hold up,” Drake interrupted.
“But lord, I think—”
“You don’t have to worry about that,” Drake said. “She already knows.”
Lydia stared. “You told her?”
“I did. Also, she did the same thing. Before me. She nullified her blood pact years ago, like right after she first took over as manor lord.”
Lydia stared in wide-eyed shock.
“It came up in one of our earlier conversations,” Drake said. “So... think about what this means. Sky has been running her manor without bullshit magic slavery for years, but the other manor lords could still say those are unique circumstances. But now, there’s two of us.”
“Two manor lords who have replicated this new method of organization,” Lydia said quietly. “Two who have proven it does work. That is powerful evidence that changing our procedures would work for everyone. Your success is not a fluke.”
“So as a bonus objective, Sky and I talked about, down the line, seeing if we can talk the other manor lords into doing things our way. We want to tilt the table against slavery.”
“If that is the case, then I must empathically suggest we ally with Lord Skybreak, and not simply because I now admire her even more.” When Lydia smiled, it almost looked like she was proud of him. “I had no idea you had already charmed her!”
Drake frowned at her implication. “Hey, I didn’t just charm her. I pulled off some legitimately impressive feats using all my unique skills and tactical prowess. I impressed her with my stratagems!”
“That seems... certainly possible,” Lydia agreed. “But if you wish my counsel in regards to formalizing our alliance with Lord Skybreak, knowing this, my answer is yes.”
“All right. Should we go wake up Samuel for his opinion?”
“There is no need. He was the strongest voice in favor of allying with Lord Skybreak before Lord Crow forbade him from ever bringing up the topic again. The alliance Lord Proudglade started and has strengthened each year has been Samuel’s most vexing concern. We could wake Samuel, but only if you want to see a grown man struggle to contain his glee.”
“I really would,” Drake said ruefully. “But our new ally has dealt with three assassination attempts in two days, so how about we give her an answer and let her get some sleep?”
Lydia opened the door to the carriage. “That would be very kind of us.”
Drake stepped up after her. “Though we probably should have drawn this out a bit longer. When she sees how quickly we agreed to this, she’s going to get a big head.”
Once the carriage was closed again, Drake raised the mirror to find Sky peering into it, idly dabbing at her cheek with a handkerchief. She visibly startled at his return and banished the offending handkerchief from sight. “Did you need to ask me something else?”
“No. We’ve all made our decision, and it’s a yes.”
“That was faster than I expected. Did you already intend to ask me?”
“Please don’t let it go to your head. We all think your idea is a good one. With your rangers and my zarovians, I don’t think anything will be able to sneak up on or crush us. And now that I think about it, having us formalize right before the cabal could throw the others off.”
“It will,” Sky said firmly. “I was prepared to make that argument if you seemed hesitant, along with a number of others I carefully prepared between my second and third assassination attempts. Now, you have made a mockery of my preparations.”
“I do that with other manor lords. How soon can you meet us?”
“If you continue at your current pace along the Noble Road, we should be able to meet up with you by mid-afternoon tomorrow. With your permission, I’ll send a few rangers ahead of the main vanguard to inform you when we’re close. Expect them shortly past midday.”
“That’s fine. I look forward to joining forces with you tomorrow afternoon. Oh, and just wait until you see my new crossbow.”
She perked up. “You have a new crossbow?”
