The Magician’s Apprentice

Kachiro looked thoughtful. “So . . . once they’re defeated there’ll be nobody left in Kyralia to stop Sachaka taking over.”

Vikaro’s eyebrows rose. “I hadn’t thought of that.”

The magicians fell silent as they considered this, so Stara took advantage of the pause.

“Has there been any news of the Sachakans who went into Kyralia?” she asked.

“All killed,” Rikacha said, waving a hand dismissively. “Fools for going in the first place.”

Stara felt something inside her recoil, as if a fist had just struck her in the chest. Ikaro. Surely he can’t be dead. We only just came to know and like each other.

“I heard some survived,” Chavori told her, his expression both hopeful and sympathetic.

She managed to smile at him briefly in gratitude. Kachiro patted her arm gently. “I’ll see what I can find out,” he murmured. “Why don’t you see if the women know any more? They have their own sources of information.”

“Gossip?” Vikaro rolled his eyes. “As reliable as rumour.” He smiled at Stara. “Aranira’s slave will take you to them.”

He gestured to one side, and she saw that a female slave had prostrated herself a few paces away. As she took a step towards the woman, the slave leapt up, beckoned and headed towards a nearby doorway. Stara found Vora waiting in the corridor. The old woman’s lips had thinned, and there was worry in her eyes.

She’s even more anxious for news of Ikaro than I am, Stara thought.

Several corridors later Stara found herself in a garden shaded by a large wooden framework covered in vines. Chairs had been arranged underneath for her four new friends, and a slave brought another for Stara.

There were several slave women standing around the garden. More than was necessary, Stara noted. The one standing closest to Tashana was familiar.

“How is your ear healing up, Stara?” Tavara asked.

Stara touched the earring. “Well, I think.”

“She whined about it every night for a week,” Vora added.

“Vora!” Stara protested. “You don’t have to tell them everything about me!”

“No, but it is so much fun,” Vora replied, smiling slyly.

“You’ve heard about the Kyralians?” Chiara asked.

“Yes,” Stara replied. “Is it...?”

“Serious? Yes.” Chiara sighed. “According to our messenger slaves, they are halfway to Arvice.”

A shock of cold went through Stara. “Why hasn’t the emperor stopped them yet?”

Chiara’s expression was grave. “Because our army was wiped out in Kyralia.”

“All? Everyone?” Stara felt her heart constrict with dread.

“There is a rumour circulating that Takado returned to Sachaka a few days ago and was captured by the emperor. Perhaps if he’s only just managed to return, others are still to come.”

“But it’s not likely,” Stara said, looking down. I should harden myself to the likely truth. Ikaro is dead. Father is, too. She felt a little regret at the thought of her father’s death. Regret that he had proved to be so different from the loving father she had worshipped for most of her life. But Ikaro had turned out to be far kinder than she had always believed. It was unfair to lose him now. It hurt in a way that she had never felt before, a pain so strong it took her breath away.

I suppose I’ll inherit Father’s estate now. The thought came unexpectedly, and she was surprised to feel a mild excitement. Could I take over the trade? Would it be as impossible as Father said for a woman to run it?

But then she remembered Kachiro. As her husband, he would control anything she inherited. If he didn’t want her running the trade, she couldn’t be able to.

“Stara.”

She looked up at Tavara. “Yes?”

“We need you to do something for us.”

Stara blinked in surprise. “What is it?”

“The Sanctuary was attacked by the Kyralians. While most of the slaves died, a few survived, along with the women we are protecting. They had no choice but to flee. They are heading to Arvice and will be here tomorrow. We need a place for them to stay. Do you think Kachiro would allow you to have them as guests?”

Stara considered. “Perhaps. I’ve never asked anything of him before, but I can’t think of any reason he would refuse.”

Tavara moved out of the shadows and stopped behind Tashana’s chair. Her expression was serious as she held Stara’s gaze. “There is something you need to know about your husband.”

Stara felt a chill run down her spine. Of course there is, she thought. He is too nice. People that nice can’t exist in Sachaka. They have to have some terrible flaw. Some dark secret that only their wives know about, and suffer for.

She sighed. “I knew there had to be some bad news eventually. What is it?”

The women exchanged glances, then Chiara grimaced and leaned forward.

“Kachiro prefers the company of men over women,” she said. “And I don’t mean conversation. I mean he takes them to bed.”

Stara stared back at Chiara and found herself smiling. That’s it? That’s all? It certainly made sense. His “inability” wasn’t some physical flaw at all. He just didn’t find women exciting. Relief swept over her. She watched the women exchanging glances, frowning and shaking their heads.

“You knew this already?” Tavara asked.

“No.” Stara stifled a laugh. “I was expecting something, well, bad.”

“This doesn’t bother you?” Chiara asked, her eyebrows raised. “He beds men. It’s . . .” She shuddered.

“Maybe in Sachaka,” Stara told her. “But in Elyne men like that are neither mocked nor despised.” Most of the time, she added silently. There are some people who do plenty of mocking and despising, but they’re generally unpleasant people and it’s not just lads they hate.

“Well... this is Sachaka,” Tavara said. “Such things are considered wrong and unnatural. He will not want it publicly known.”

“So you’re suggesting I blackmail him?”

“Yes.”

Stara nodded. “How about I try using my charming nature to appeal to his good character first? And save the blackmail for desperate situations.”

Tavara looked taken aback. “Of course, if you think you can persuade him, then try that first. Elyne or not, it is still surprising that you are not angry with him. It was not fair of him to marry you, knowing he would not give you children.”

Stara nodded. “It wasn’t. And that will be far better leverage with him. He’ll do what I ask out of gratitude for my staying silent, rather than resentfully obliging out of fear of exposure.”

But she has a point. Even in Elyne, it is considered a low act for a man of his inclinations to deceive a woman into marrying him. I had no choice whom I married, but Kachiro did. Though...I do wonder how secret his secret is. Did Father know? Was that how he knew Kachiro would not produce an heir?

She might never know, now that her father was dead. And now he was and Nachira was safe, it didn’t matter any more.

Plonking her father’s bag on the ground, Tessia sat down beside Mikken. She looked at the bag and sighed. “What’s wrong?” Mikken asked.

She shrugged. “Nothing. Everything. The fact that I haven’t needed this bag once other than to bandage a cut hand, brace a twisted ankle and treat one of the servants’ headaches.”

“You want people to injure themselves, or for the Sachakans to fight us, so you have someone to heal?” he asked, smiling crookedly.

“Of course not.” She smiled briefly to let him know she understood he had been joking. “I just thought that healing would be my part in us helping the slaves of Sachaka.”

Mikken nodded. “I know. At least all the houses are abandoned now. Nobody left to kill, slave or other.” He frowned. “But I have to admit it’s making me a bit scared. The Sachakans have got to be taking their slaves’