admitted to me?”
“Of course,” Adela said. “With the duke dead and your mother soon to follow, you are next in line for the throne. If you die here, the succession will be broken completely.”
“What do you care about the succession?” Josef wheezed. It was getting hard to sit straight now. “I’m not about to make you queen, if that’s what you’re after.”
Adela’s lips peeled up in a sneer. “Why would I want to be queen of this pit? Osera is a savage place, even by the standards of this savage, backward continent. To be honest, I don’t think this island is worthy of the Empress’s conquest, but my lady is more forgiving than I am.”
Adela lowered her sword and leaned down, bringing her head to Josef’s level. “The people of Osera are stubborn brutes,” she whispered. “Even without a king, they will throw themselves at the Empress’s soldiers, breaking like waves on the wall of her palace ships until the sea is red with Oseran blood. But there’s no reason the Empress’s coming has to be a massacre. Think, Thereson. If you live, you will become king of Osera with the power to make your people surrender. Since you came home when your mother raised the bounty, I can’t believe you’re as indifferent to your homeland as you pretend. It’s true that nothing you do can save Osera now, but there’s still a chance you can save your people. Pledge your loyalty to the Empress, and she may be merciful.”
Josef stared at her for a moment, and then he started to laugh. Each seize of his chest sent a wave of pain that nearly knocked him out, but he couldn’t stop. “You actually think…” He gasped. “You actually believe Osera would listen to me?”
Adela scowled. “If you don’t like the terms, I can always stand here and watch you die.” She straightened up again, flicking her sword until the point was level with Josef’s throat. “What will it be, Josef Liechten Thereson Eisenlowe? Life for you and your people at my Empress’s mercy, or certain death for every soul on this island? Choose quickly, we’re drawing a crowd.”
Josef glanced down. Sure enough, the square in front of the castle was packed with people. Some were pointing up at the prince and princess; others were simply staring dumbstruck at the cratered roof and shattered buildings. The crowd was entirely citizens, no guards or military, and Josef turned away to focus on the more important matters of Adela’s sword and his bleeding shoulder. But, just before his eyes left the crowd, he caught a pair of familiar faces.
A second later, a cool breeze ruffled Josef’s hair.
“Can’t we go faster?” Nico said, leaning out the carriage window.
Eli clung to his seat for dear life. He’d been making the most of his first nonthieving-related arrest when Nico had come charging out of the shadows by the door and told everyone Adela was their traitor, that she’d killed her own guards and broken the queen’s Relay point, and that Josef was fighting her as they spoke. That was five minutes ago. Now, thanks to a few well-placed scares from Nico and Eli’s quick hand with knots, they were in a requisitioned military cart hurtling over the rutted streets of east Osera toward the palace.
“Any faster and we’d end up flat against a building,” Tesset answered from his perch on the driver’s seat, holding the horses straight as the road veered and dipped. Tesset had come along without being asked, but Eli hadn’t complained, as the Council man had offered to drive. He was starting to regret that decision. Tesset made him nervous. Despite the plunging horses, the man’s expression never changed from interestedly neutral, as though this was all nothing more than a play he hadn’t quite decided he liked yet.
Of course, if this was a play, Eli didn’t like the way the plot was going one bit. Clinging to the vibrating carriage, he glanced up at the rapidly approaching palace. It looked fine from this angle, but they’d heard the enormous crash a few minutes ago. From here, Eli couldn’t see what had caused it, but whatever it was, it couldn’t be good. Nothing good ever came of noises that loud.
“We’re turning,” Tesset said. “Hold on.”
The carriage careened sideways, nearly sending Eli and Nico tumbling into the street. Nico was back in her seat a second later. Eli took significantly longer to pull himself upright.
“What was that about?” Eli groaned, clutching his bruised shoulders as he watched the palace fly by on his left. “Stop! The palace is right there.”
“The fight’s on the western wing,” Tesset said. “We’re on the wrong side. If we stop here we’d have to walk through the palace. Better to drive around.”
Eli grimaced. “Just don’t take us into the front square. That’s where every—”
He cut off as Tesset careened the cart again. “Would you stop that?” Eli shouted, holding on for dear life.
If Tesset heard him, he gave no sign. They were darting through the rich neighborhood just below the palace now, weaving in and out of the growing traffic. But as they turned down a street that led to the palace square, Tesset reined the horse to a skidding halt, forcing Nico and Eli to hold on or be thrown.
“Didn’t I tell you?” Eli cried. “Not the square!”
Tesset ignored him and hopped down. Shaking and cursing, Eli followed, leaving the cart and the panting horses standing in the middle of the street. As Eli had predicted, the entrance to the palace square was blocked by a mass of people crawling over each other to see what was happening.
“I told you,” Eli said again, pointing disgustedly at the wall of backs. “We’ll never get through now.”
“What’s the matter, thief?” Tesset said. “Afraid of a little crowd?”
Eli started to tell him exactly what was wrong with that question, but before he could get a word in, Nico and Tesset stepped up to the edge of the crowd and began pushing people out of the way. Fortunately for all involved, the crowd in the square was too preoccupied to care about a little pushing. They were all staring up at the palace roof. Some were pushing toward it, but more were trying to get away. Eli didn’t blame them. The western side of the palace was a wreck. The palace watchtower was half gone, its northern side blown out completely, which explained the boom from earlier. Fallen hunks of stone littered the square and the buildings around it, especially the elegant building at the castle’s northwest corner, which seemed to have lost a large chunk of its roof. Eli was still wondering what could have caused such massive destruction when Nico grabbed his arm and pointed up at the palace roof.
Of course, Eli sighed. Who else?
Josef was on his back on one of the castle gutters with Adela standing over him. Even at this distance, Eli could see it was bad. The stone beneath Josef was dark with blood, and the Heart was nowhere to be seen. Adela’s mouth was moving, but this far away her words were lost in the noise of the crowd and the endless wind.
“It’s a bad position.”
Eli glanced at Tesset, who had stopped pushing the crowd and was now eyeing the battle with professional interest.
“Liechten should be able to take a girl like that,” he continued. “She must have a gimmick, and he must have fallen for it hard if he’s on his back, especially considering how he took Sted. Still, won’t be long if he keeps bleeding like that.”
“Josef will win,” Nico hissed.
“I’m with Nico,” Eli said. “I would be an old man by now if I let myself panic every time I saw Josef at death’s door. He’ll win, I’m sure. Our problem is what comes after.”
Nico shot Eli a furious look. “What do you mean?”
“Listen,” Eli said, dropping his voice.
Nico and Tesset obeyed, falling silent as the noise of the crowd rolled over them.
“Go on, princess!” an old man shouted. “Kill the traitor!”
“Thereson is a murderer!” someone else shouted behind them. “He killed the duke! Avenge Finley!”
“He’s no prince of ours!” a woman cried. “Kill him! Kill the traitor!”
And on and on and on.
“I see what you mean,” Tesset said at last.
“They’re all idiots,” Nico said at the same time. “How dare they—”
“Nico,” Eli’s voice held a sharp warning. Nico glared at him, but shut her mouth. Eli smiled apologetically at Tesset and grabbed Nico’s shoulder, turning her around and leaning down so that their heads were together.
“Listen,” he whispered. “Josef’s going to win this fight, but it’s our duty to make it count.”
Nico nodded. “What have you got in mind?”
