Treason Keep

message means that R’shiel failed. Their demon meld didn’t work.”

Damin glanced at the Medalonian captain sympathetically. “I’m sure she’s fine, Tarja. Perhaps they didn’t arrive in time.”

“If they hadn’t arrived in time, then things would have simply gone on as they have for months. Something went wrong.” He stood up and squared his shoulders determinedly. “I’m going to the Citadel.”

“No you’re not, Captain. I need you here.”

“R’shiel needs me.”

“There is nothing you can do for her, Tarja,” Jenga reminded him with cold practicality. “It would take you weeks to reach the Citadel and for all you know she’s already dead.”

Tarja’s eyes blazed defiantly, but he could not deny Jenga’s logic. “That’s it then? We just roll over and die? Shall we send an emissary to the Kariens with our surrender, or were you planning to do the honours yourself, my Lord?”

“I don’t think we should do anything just yet,” Damin advised. “Who else knows about this?”

“Just the three of us at present.”

“Then let’s keep it that way for a little bit longer. I want to have a word with Her Serene Highness, first.”

“What can she tell you that we don’t already know?” Jenga asked. He did not baulk at holding off carrying out his orders, Damin noticed with relief.

“I’m not sure. I just have a funny feeling about this. I’ll tell you after I’ve spoken with her. Can you have her brought to my tent?”

“She’s right up those stairs, Damin,” Tarja pointed out. “Why not just go up and ask her now?”

“I want this discussion to take place on my territory, not hers.”

It was a measure of his distress that Tarja didn’t even smile.

An hour or so later, two Defenders arrived in the Hythrun camp escorting Adrina. Damin had spent the intervening time mentally rehearsing what he was going to say.

He had not quite recovered from their last encounter. Adrina had caught him unawares, and that irked him no end. What really annoyed him was that he had been expecting her to try something like that ever since he first laid eyes on her and had steeled himself against it. He knew her background too well. Knew that if she couldn’t get her own way by demanding it, she would eventually resort to using her body. But she took him by surprise and he’d reacted exactly as she’d wanted him to. His only comfort was that she seemed to have been as unnerved by the incident as he was.

When she arrived, Adrina was dressed for warmth, rather than effect, wrapped in the woollen shirt he had given her and a warm Defender’s cloak. Her skin was flushed from the walk, her dark hair piled loosely on top of her head. Gods, she was stunning. He wondered why he’d never noticed how green her eyes were. Dark lashes almost too long to be real framed eyes the colour of cut emeralds. Damin mentally berated himself for a fool as she shook off the cloak and stepped up to the brazier to warm her outstretched hands.

“You wanted to see me, my Lord?”

“I thought we might continue our discussion from the other night.”

“Which one?” she asked calmly. “The one about Cratyn’s intentions, or the one about us?”

“There is no us, your Highness, so I guess that leaves Cratyn.”

“I’ve told you everything I know.”

“Then tell me again.”

“I don’t see the point.”

“You don’t have to.”

Adrina’s eyes narrowed cannily. “Something’s happened, hasn’t it?”

“I’m sorry, I’m being very remiss as a host. Can I offer you some wine?” He turned his back, reaching for the jug on his writing desk.

“Don’t avoid the question, Damin. What’s happened?”

He poured the wine and turned back to her. “The Medalonians have been ordered to surrender.”

Now why had he told her that?

Her face was a portrait of shock. He doubted even Adrina could fake such a genuine reaction. “In the name of Zegarnald, why? They’re winning!”

“I don’t know if I’d go so far as to call this stalemate winning,” he said as he handed her the wine. “But they certainly aren’t in danger of imminent defeat.”

“I don’t understand it.”

“Neither do I. That’s what I wanted to see you about. Could this have anything to do with Setenton’s absence from the front?”

“It might,” she nodded thoughtfully. “I thought it a little odd that Jasnoff sent Cratyn to the border without Terbolt. But the Kariens are very big on honour and distinguishing themselves in battle. I always supposed he wanted to give Cratyn a chance to prove himself to the Dukes.”

“If he’s behind this sudden turnabout, that would explain it. What about the treaty with your father?”

Adrina hesitated for a moment, then sighed. “What I told you before was the truth, or most of it. Father agreed to invade Medalon from the south come summer, and to supply the Kariens with cannon.”

“Cannon? Are they really as devastating as they claim?”

She nodded grimly. “The truth? They’re proving more trouble than they’re worth. They blow up when you least expect it, only work sometimes and we still haven’t found the right sort of alloy that won’t split after a few shots and kill the men manning the guns. My father’s cannon are as much the result of clever rumours as they are fact.”

“I see. And what does Hablet get in return for all this?”

“Gold and timber. Lots and lots of it.”

“I know your father’s greedy, Adrina, but there has to be more to it than that.”

“The prize is Hythria, Damin,” she said softly. “I thought you’d already worked that out for yourself.”

He stared at her for a moment, wondering why she had chosen this moment to reveal Hablet’s plans. “Hablet doesn’t need the Kariens to invade Hythria.”

“No, but he needs the Defenders occupied. You know as well as I do how futile it’s been, trying to attack Hythria over the Sunrise Mountains. There are only a few navigable passes and they can be defended by a handful of men against the entire Fardohnyan army. A naval invasion would be just as futile. Your ports are too well defended. Hythria’s only vulnerable point is the border with Medalon. If the Medalonians had territorial ambitions, you’d have been overrun a century ago.”

“So Hablet plans to turn south, once he reaches Medalon.”

“And you’ve made the job even easier for him. Your province borders Medalon. You’re supposed to be Hythria’s first line of defence.”

Damin really didn’t need Adrina pointing out his tactical error at that point. He was more than capable of punishing himself for being so arrogant.

“Did your father know anything about the Karien plans for Medalon?”

“If you mean, was he expecting them to surrender, of course not. His entire strategy is based on the Kariens keeping the Defenders off his back. Hablet doubts the Defenders would care if he invaded Hythria, one way or the other, but they’re likely to take a very dim view of him marching through Medalon to do it, particularly since they allied themselves with you, Damin.”

That was the second time today she had called him by name. He wondered if she realised that she was doing it.

“And if Medalon surrenders?”

“Jasnoff will have time to wonder what my father is up to. The Kariens are religious fanatics. It’s bad enough the entire southern half of the continent is devoted to pagan worship. They certainly don’t want it united under one crown. Hablet will invade Hythria and Karien will follow to stop him. Either way, Hythria will lose. Your only hope is to keep me safe from the Kariens.”

Damin smiled. It was amazing the way she could twist any situation to her advantage. “Exactly how would that make a difference?”

“Any child of mine by Cratyn would have a claim on Hablet’s throne. With Medalon defeated, if Hablet ruled