things implied he wouldn’t be sharing a lot of details. Not yet anyway. He must see her and her team as tools, not as allies. She would have to change his mind about that.
Amaranthe moved a pack off the top of the coal box and extended a hand toward it. “Sire, would you like to sit down? Perhaps you can let us know what, now that we’ve kidnapped you, you’d like us to do with you.”
Sespian moved toward the box, but, after a wary glance at the men all around him, chose to lean against the wall beside it instead of sitting down.
It was a tad crowded, and he might not feel comfortable with mercenaries looming on all sides. Amaranthe had to remind herself that the men she regarded as friends- family — were strangers to him, and even Maldynado, affable and smiling as he shoveled coal, was an intimidating figure. Shaven-headed Basilard, with more scars than most chopping blocks, looked like a bouncer who relished his work, and Sicarius… well, Amaranthe already had a good idea how Sespian felt about him. She didn’t know if he’d exchanged any words with Sergeant Yara, but doubted her presence alone was enough to put him at ease.
“Would you mind telling me where this train, what’s left of it, is going now?” Sespian asked.
He hadn’t answered Amaranthe’s question. Maybe he wouldn’t with such a large audience.
“The Scarlet Pass,” she said. “We have comrades meeting us at the top. From there… that’s up to you.”
“There aren’t many roads up there,” Sespian said.
Maldynado snickered. “Roads.”
Amaranthe quelled him with a glance. “Should our arrangements prove fruitful, we’ll have a flying machine of some sort picking us up.”
Sespian’s eyebrows jumped for his hairline. “A flying machine?” His face lost its guardedness, and he grinned. “I read a book when I was a boy about people’s attempts at building them. I had my sketchpad out, drawing various models for weeks. I even tried to build one myself out behind the kitchens. In case you were wondering, a dirigible with a balloon made from bed sheets won’t fly.”
Amaranthe smiled and nodded, encouraging him to open up to them, but Sespian seemed to feel he’d slipped up-it might not help that Maldynado was staring at him, slack-jawed-for he clamped his mouth shut. “Sorry,” he murmured. “Your men are probably concerned with more important things, such as when they’ll be paid. I have the money in Sunders City. If you could take me there, I’ll see to your fee and leave you to your next job.”
For the first time, Sicarius stirred. He gave Amaranthe a look that she doubted anyone else could read, but she saw the concern in it. Yes, Sunders City was only a day away by rail and probably less if they could fly over the mountainous terrain. That wasn’t much time for someone to build up to making an important announcement like, “Sespian, I am your father.”
Amaranthe acknowledged his look with a hand wiggle, though Sespian caught it and grew noticeably concerned by the exchange.
“We know you’re in trouble, Sire,” Amaranthe said, hoping to distract him from whatever suspicious thoughts must be going through his head. “We’d like to help. We’re not mercenaries simply in this for the money. I don’t know what led you to choose us, but if you’ve been following the papers at all-” she raised her eyebrows, hoping he’d nod or otherwise indicate he knew what she was talking about, “-you might know that we’ve been trying to work for the good of the empire.”
The concern in Sespian’s eyes deepened, though this time it looked like the embarrassed concern of someone realizing he hadn’t kept up with events the way he should have. “I’m sorry, no. I wanted to meet with you primarily because of your counterfeiting scheme last winter.”
Amaranthe blinked. “My, what? I mean, that was only for coercing Hollowcrest and that Forge duo into negotiating. We didn’t-we aren’t actively… We destroyed everything related to that.” Dear ancestors, he hadn’t chosen them because he thought they were pecuniary villains, had he?
“That’s the truth,” Maldynado said. “Much to Akstyr’s horror, the boss burned all of those fake bills.”
Sespian lifted a hand. “That’s fine, but surely you must have done research before embarking on that… scheme. And you have a history professor on your team, don’t you? Economics would be better, but perhaps he’s versed in that as well. My movements are tracked, so I haven’t been able to get out of the Barracks and do the type of research I need to do.”
Amaranthe struggled to guess the intent behind his words. He wasn’t thinking of starting a counterfeiting scheme himself, was he? That didn’t make any sense. As emperor, he controlled the Imperial Mint. The Imperial Mint that was in Sunders City. He’d mentioned a new Forge scheme. Were they doing something to the money supply?
Basilard’s fingers twitched. Tracking? Will someone be able to follow him to us?
Good question. “How are you being tracked, Sire?” Amaranthe asked.
“I’d… rather not share that information, as it’s tied to something… sensitive.” His hand strayed to his neck before he caught himself and dropped it into his lap.
The implant. Amaranthe stifled a groan. It made sense that the owners could use it for tracking too. One would want to monitor one’s victims if they were left to roam freely. She thought about telling Sespian about Books and Akstyr’s side trip, but she didn’t want to get his hopes up in case her men failed to find anything.
“I’d be open to discussing more with you in private.” Sespian’s gaze skimmed across the men, lingering on Sicarius before returning to Amaranthe. “Perhaps with you and your professor.”
Amaranthe opened her mouth, intending to agree to the private meeting, but Sicarius spoke first.
“From how far away can they track you and trigger the artifact in your neck? Can it kill you if you think or speak of matters Forge considers inappropriate?”
Sespian gaped at Sicarius, his face growing ashen. He recovered his composure quickly, but not before Amaranthe glimpsed a new fear darting through his eyes. Sicarius himself was as unreadable as ever. She knew his concern for Sespian had prompted the questions, but Sespian would simply be alarmed that an assassin knew about his vulnerability.
“We’ve encountered the devices before,” Amaranthe explained.
“I see,” Sespian said, and she had a feeling that was all he’d say if she didn’t get rid of some of the men.
“Maldynado and Basilard,” she said, “you two look tired. Would you mind taking a nap in the coal car?”
“A nap?” Maldynado said.
Meanwhile, Amaranthe met Basilard’s eyes, and signed, We’ll find time to talk to the emperor about your people later. I promise. What he’s dealing with has to be the priority.
Sespian noticed her signing, and his eyes narrowed. Amaranthe hoped he didn’t think they were scheming something. Basilard merely nodded and walked out.
“Maldynado.” Amaranthe pointed toward the door.
“A nap,” he muttered. “Do I look like a toddler?”
“You look like an overgrown-”
“You can do whatever you want,” Amaranthe hurried to say, before an argument could break out, “so long as it’s back there and not up here. Sergeant Yara? Can I prevail upon you to join them?”
“She can stay,” Sespian said.
Amaranthe didn’t wince, not outwardly anyway, but having Yara there would keep Sicarius from speaking freely. Still, if Sespian felt more comfortable because of her presence, that might be a good thing. Maybe they had exchanged a few words when they’d been alone, and he knew Yara was on his side. If only Amaranthe could make him believe she was on his side too.
“I’d rather he wasn’t here.” Sespian nodded toward Sicarius without making eye contact with him.
“He stays,” Amaranthe said.
Sespian grimaced. “I suppose it’s understandable. You must not feel comfortable enough around me to be without your bodyguard?”
Amaranthe almost blurted that that was ridiculous-even if she thought Sespian well trained enough to be a physical threat, she wouldn’t believe him capable of harming a woman who was trying to help him-but she caught herself in time. Erroneous assumptions or not, he was agreeing to Sicarius’s presence.
Amaranthe perched on the top of the coal box, clasped her hands between her knees, and gazed into Sespian’s eyes with all the guilelessness she could muster. “Sire, I understand that you have reasons to be
