The Traitor Queen

The trouble was, she was no closer to seeing Lorkin than she had been earlier. She was going to have to rely on Dannyl to show her what was happening. And he wouldn’t be able to, if the Ashaki didn’t fall back. If they didn’t it would mean they were winning.

Not for the first time that morning, she felt anxiety rising up like a suffocating wave. Taking a deep breath, she pushed it away and weighed up her options. Could she get a little closer, without putting Regin in danger or the future relationship between the Allied Lands and Sachaka?

* * *

From the roof of Achati’s house Dannyl could see the city spread around him, but mostly it was a view of rooftops. He could guess at where the battle was, however. The rumble and crack of strikes impacting on shields or stone echoed across the city. Smoke billowed up from a building at least a thousand paces away, flashes of magic constantly brightening the cloud’s underbelly.

“Do you think Achati’s slaves will be all right, if the Traitors win?” Merria asked. “Or will they be killed for remaining loyal?”

“I fear the latter is more likely,” Tayend replied.

“Could we protect them?”

“You will have to ask the Guild. Dannyl?”

“Soon,” Dannyl replied, not taking his eyes from the distant signs of battle. “Osen will be with King Merin and the Higher Magicians. I don’t want to distract him again until there’s something to report.”

But that wasn’t the only reason Dannyl was hesitating. Once he put Osen’s blood ring on he would have to push aside all thought of Achati, and he wasn’t sure how long he could keep that up. Especially when Merria and Tayend are talking as if the Traitors will win.

“They’re getting closer,” Merria said.

No, Dannyl thought, looking at the cloud of smoke. It’s no nearer. Achati is safe. But was Lorkin? He felt a pang of anxiety, then a bitterness. As Tayend said, no matter which way this goes, something bad will come of it.

“I think you’re right,” Tayend replied. “The flashes were lighting the underside of the pillar of smoke before. Now they’re lighting this side of it.”

Dannyl’s stomach sank as he saw Tayend was correct. Maybe the Ashaki will gather their strength and regain ground again. Maybe the Traitors will run out of magic.

His companions were silent for a long time as nothing else happened to indicate any change in the battle. Then a building halfway between the parade and the distant smoke cloud sank out of sight. The boom and rumble followed a heartbeat later, then dust billowed up. Merria gasped. Tayend muttered a curse.

“Maybe this isn’t the safest place to be,” Tayend said in a thin voice. “If they get this far.”

“We’ll be fine,” Merria said, the waver in her voice betraying her lie. “We’ll just levitate away.”

“I guess I should stay close, then.”

“We should all stay close together,” Merria agreed.

As the pair moved to stand on either side of him, Dannyl glanced at them, amused that they should be drawn to him for protection. It made sense that Tayend would. Though Merria was a magician, Dannyl had been close to Tayend for a long time. But Merria should have the confidence of knowing she could protect herself.

Dannyl looked out towards where the collapsed building had been. Unlike me, being caught up in the fight is the last thing Merria wants. But me... I wish I had some excuse to help Achati. Even if just to ensure he survives should the Ashaki lose...

“They’re here!” Merria exclaimed.

Dannyl’s heart plunged as he saw people running out of a nearby side street. All men, all wearing Ashaki garb, some coated in dust. They stopped when they reached the parade, forming a line one, then two, then three deep across the street entrance as more Ashaki emerged to join them. He estimated there were about a hundred of them.

“Is that King Amakira?” Tayend asked.

Dannyl narrowed his eyes. An older man stood at the centre, but many other grey-haired Ashaki were in the line and it was impossible to identify which was the king. From streets on either side spilled more Ashaki. Perhaps they had tried to circle around and attack the Traitors from behind. Whatever they had done had not weakened their enemy enough, though. The edge of the Traitor front line was moving into sight. Their strikes were driving the Ashaki back. Men at one edge of the line stumbled back and fell. They did not rise again.

The Ashaki in the line struck in unison, and the Traitors retaliated. At once, holes began to form in the defensive wall of Ashaki. The line thinned as men stepped into gaps to replace the fallen. At a distant shout the defenders began to retreat rapidly, no longer striking, concentrating all their efforts in shielding.

They’re losing. They’ve lost. Unless they’ve put something in place at the palace...

“Dannyl,” Merria said.

“What?” he asked, then felt a flash of guilt at the sharpness of his tone.

“Osen’s ring?”

Dannyl cursed, then apologised, as he fumbled in his robe for the blood ring. Taking a deep breath, he slipped it on his finger.

—Dannyl?

—Yes, Osen. It’s me. The conflict has moved into sight. The Ashaki formed a line at the entrance to the parade, but they’re now in retreat.

—Sonea, can you see?

—Yes, came Sonea’s reply. Her mental voice was clear, but he could sense nothing of her presence or thoughts. Below, the retreating Ashaki were fifty paces from Achati’s house and getting closer. Soon Dannyl would be able to see more than the back of their heads. See if Achati was still among them. A strike slammed two of them back into the men behind. Dannyl caught a glimpse of crushed, bloodied faces.

—The Ashaki are losing, Osen noted.

—They may have another force waiting at the palace, Dannyl replied.

—Can you see Lorkin? Sonea asked.

Dannyl dragged his eyes away from the Ashaki to the Traitors. He caught his breath. Hundreds of them were moving into the parade. They walked in columns, their orderly formation a telling contrast to the crowd of retreating Ashaki. As he watched, a few of the foremost Traitors stepped aside and let those behind take their places.

He had assumed it would be easy to pick Lorkin out as the one man among many women, but there appeared to be as many male Traitor magicians as women and they were all dressed the same. Male or female, they were dipping into the pockets of the vests they wore, then holding out whatever it was they’d removed. He caught a glint of light, then another, and realised what they were doing.

Stones. They’re using stones.

Then his eyes found a familiar face and he felt recognition and relief rush through him. Lorkin was standing at the centre of the Traitor line, behind and a step to the side of a shorter, older woman. Tyvara? No. None of the personal slaves at the Guild House had been that woman’s age. So who was the older woman?

—The queen, Sonea sent.

Looking at the older woman again, Dannyl noted her position at the centre and the determination in her face. Queen Savara, he thought. Who, unless the Ashaki come up with some last-moment winning manoeuvre, will be the woman I will soon have to kneel before and negotiate with.

The Ashaki... were drawing level with Achati’s house. They were a much smaller group now. He steeled himself as he looked down and sought a familiar face. A head turned to look up toward him, and all the fear and affection he’d meant to hide from Osen and Sonea surged up and paralysed him. Achati smiled as if he had known Dannyl would be watching from atop his home all along, then turned his attention back to the Traitors.

Dannyl couldn’t move. His heart hammered in his chest as the Ashaki continued backing towards the palace.