TWENTY-SIX
Caelan Talos
Leave the kid. We need to get to Nyx.
Kaes’s gruff command had Caelan biting back a growl. Tula echoed the sentiment as she tried to mentally shove him toward the only exit from the windowless room.
I’m not leaving them, Caelan silently snarled at the gods while stepping over the pillow, picking his way to the High Luminance.
You’re here for the godstone, Tula pointed out.
And the High Luminance is Nyx’s representative as much as I am yours. Do you care so little about each other and your chosen ones?
Silence.
He should have known.
The child startled when Caelan lightly touched their elbow. He went still for a heartbeat and then resumed the motion, adding more pressure as he tried to get them to their feet. “We need to get you somewhere safe. Somewhere more hidden until your guards can get the city under their control again.”
“They won’t be able to. There are too many Empire soldiers—”
“Then we need to secrete you out of the city,” Caelan interrupted, finally getting the kid on their feet and slowly edging away from the tapestry frame and around the low, circular table in the center of the room. “There’s got to be another exit from Mrtyu, right? A way down the mountain the Empire doesn’t know about?”
“No, there is only one other route from Mrtyu, and that is up through the caves to the godstone.”
Caelan clenched his teeth and internally debated. If the entrance to the godstone was a secret, it represented a decent hiding place for the High Luminance. But it was the one place New Rosanthe would be searching for. They’d be trapped with the godstone until the Empire discovered them.
Heavy footsteps ran down the hall, growing louder as they approached the High Luminance’s private chamber. Caelan pulled the child behind him and lifted his sword, ready to defend the leader of Zastrad, regardless of what the gods in his head wanted. He was not going to leave a blind child to be slaughtered by the Empire.
“If it’s my fate to die here, King Caelan,” the High Luminance started softly.
“Then it will be because I failed to protect you,” Caelan snapped. “I know you believe that death is a thing that honors your god, but I don’t believe in rushing to your death. You fight for your every last breath, and you fight so others can keep on breathing as long as possible.”
The child grunted behind Caelan, almost like they were amused by his words. “You make the Dead God fight for your soul. I think he appreciates that. Even the gods can get bored, I bet.”
Caelan would have been more than happy to enlighten the High Luminance on exactly how bored the gods got and how much they seemed to be enjoying criticizing how he lived his life, but they were out of time.
A figure in white robes edged boldly in purple and gold appeared in the open doorway. He was a tall, slender man with thick black hair and a black circle beard around his thin-lipped mouth. His expression had been one of desperation and rage until his eyes landed on Caelan and his drawn sword. The priest took an unsteady step backward and licked his lips as he dragged his dark eyes up to Caelan’s face.
“Who are you? What are you doing with the High Luminance?” the man demanded, thankfully not in Zastari otherwise Caelan wouldn’t have understood a word of it.
“I am King Caelan Talos of Erya. I was meeting with the High Luminance when we heard the explosions. What’s happening?”
“New Rosanthe has attacked the gate and is trying to enter the city. We need to protect the High Luminance.”
Caelan was about to agree when a small hand landed on his waist and squeezed. A tremor ran through those small fingers as they clung to him. It wasn’t hard to guess that they were currently faced with the High Arcanist, Kamal Giri. Despite all their brave talk, the child really didn’t want to rush off to their death. For some reason he couldn’t explain, Caelan found that reassuring.
“Kamal Giri, I presume,” Caelan murmured. He reached behind him with his free hand and touched the child’s shoulder, making sure they were fully behind him while still giving him enough room to move should Giri attack.
Something flashed across Kamal’s lean, hard face before Caelan could read it, replaced with a slow grin. “Correct. Yash told me how you sought to rise to Mrtyu and even the unfortunate death of that little Caspagir troublemaker. I appreciate you saving me the trouble of killing her. Now you just need to keep your promise in regard to the annoyance behind you.”
Caelan’s heart stumbled in his chest at the mention of Vale. What was Kamal talking about? Did Rayne know Kamal had plans to kill her and not mention it to him? Had Vale known? A hundred questions raced through his brain, but now was not the time to start asking them.