Hona stopped beside Tahki and glanced at Pooka. “That’s something you don’t see everyday.”
“She won’t hurt you,” Sornjia said.
Hona looked at Sornjia. “So, we have a monster cat and two Tahkis. Got to hand it to you, kid. You’re one surprise after another.”
Sornjia rose and extended his hand. “I’m Sornjia.”
Hona shook. “That’s a mouthful of a name. I’m going to call you S.”
A little of Sornjia’s old self seemed to creep back, but he still didn’t smile.
“You knew about all this,” Rye said to Hona. “You knew what Dyraien planned to do.”
“It’s more complicated than that,” Hona said. “Dyraien blackmailed me.” She glanced down at the prince’s body, gave him a small kick.
“You helped him,” Rye said between clenched teeth.
“To keep you safe.” Hona set her jaw in the same stubborn manner Tahki had seen Rye do. She glanced at Pooka again. The cat licked her wounds and ignored them all. “I left Mom and you to find work, and when I returned, Dyraien had you. He said so long as I worked for him and never told you the truth, he’d keep you well looked after.”
Rye folded his arms. “I don’t believe that.”
“Believe what you want,” Hona said. “But you need me now. I’m the only one who knows the full extent of Dyraien’s plans. I’m the only one who has evidence of his crimes.”
Gale marched back to them. “She’s right. If she wasn’t, I would have thrown her in the river myself. We can’t show up with news of the queen’s death and a beaten prince without proof.”
“What will you do?” Tahki asked.
“Hona and I will go to the capital,” Gale said. “We’ll tell them what happened.” She eyed Pooka. “Maybe leave out a few details. As for you, I think it’s best you leave Vatolokít.”
Tahki felt on the verge of collapsing. He never thought he’d crave his home as badly as he did then.
THEY FOUND three gingoats in the stables. The animals pranced restlessly, agitated from the commotion. Tahki shared one with Rye, Sornjia doubled with Hona, and Gale took one for herself. Rye fashioned a makeshift cart out of a wheel barrel to haul Dyraien’s body behind them, after properly tying the prince’s arms and legs in case he woke.
Tahki sat behind Rye, leaned his head against him, and shut his eyes.
They rode together for a time. Hona explained Dyraien had planned to open the Dim, that he’d been obsessed since he was a child. She confirmed what Nii had told Tahki about the Királye history. She knew Dyraien sent people to Dhaulen’aii to find a mystic, that they’d been searching for years. Tahki shuddered to think he might have seen some of Dyraien’s spies back home. He might have spoken to them. Might have bought curry from one of them.
Hona said Dyraien had planned to frame Gale for the queen’s death in a careful setup. She was supposed to be scammed by Zinc, and, having a history of alcoholism, Dyraien would see to it that she relapsed after he blamed her for losing their money and materials. He planned on getting her drunk one night and killing the queen. He would place a blacked-out Gale in the room with the queen’s corpse. Not only was he going to frame Gale, he planned to convince her she’d done it. The council would have no trouble believing it, either, since Gale’s reputation as an honorable judge had been soiled already. Tahki saw Gale strangle her reins at that part.
But, Hona said, Tahki had interfered with Dyraien’s plans, and when the opportunity presented itself, Dyraien decided to frame Tahki, a foreigner, instead. And then it would have played out like Dyraien wanted: his people, shocked and disgusted by the queen’s death, would rally behind him for justice.
“He said after his people saw what he’d brought from the Dim, they would never question his leadership again,” Hona said.
“But he never said what that thing was?” Rye asked, more to everyone than to Hona.
“He never told me, but whatever it was, he was convinced it would advance his country years ahead of its time. He only referred to it as his age of enlightenment.”
Tahki glanced back at Dyraien’s body rattling around in the cart. Dyraien had been willing to risk everything, even his own life, to achieve his goal. There had been a time not so long ago Tahki might have been able to empathize with him, but now, he couldn’t imagine giving up his friends and family for his own conquest.
When they reached a fork in the road, Hona told Rye they needed to talk privately, but Rye said he wasn’t ready. Hona said she would find them one day, and that she would make things right between them.
“You two have caused me a hell of a lot of trouble,” Gale said. “I guess you expect me to say thank you for all you did.”
“We’ll meet again, won’t we?” Sornjia asked. He hadn’t said anything since the castle.
Gale clicked her tongue. “I doubt I’d like to see any of your faces again.”
Tahki smiled and thought he might miss Gale.
And then they parted ways. Hona walked, giving Sornjia the goat, while Gale dragged Dyraien’s body toward the capital. Tahki, Rye, and Sornjia headed east.
Rye glanced over his shoulder a few times, and Tahki knew he was saying his goodbyes to Dyraien. Despite everything, Rye still loved the prince, and Tahki wasn’t sure how to feel about that. He supposed there was no crime Sornjia could commit that would totally alienate Tahki from him, but that was different, wasn’t it?
Chapter 17
TAHKI INHALED the sweet scent of rosewater in Rye’s hair. Both their bodies dripped from the bath they’d taken. Rye only had a few coins left, the rest of his money had been in his room when the castle collapsed, but he had insisted they spend a little extra to properly clean themselves.
Tahki could
