He clucked to himself, slowed down the vehicle, and stuck his head out the window. Sicarius never would have let the team be so easily spotted. Yara was waving, though, so maybe she’d spotted him first. In the shadows of the building, Basilard supported a groggy Books while Sespian stood with Akstyr’s arm slung around his shoulders. Maldynado’s lip twitched as he recalled an imperial law about commoners not touching emperors.
“Say,” Maldynado called, “do any of you gents, or ladies, need a ride?”
A boom sounded in the distance. Maldynado leaned out and craned his neck to look behind him. A plume of smoke rose from a street somewhere near the park.
“I guess they didn’t notice that safety issue,” he said blandly, then waved out the window. “You chaps coming? I don’t know that it’s wise to linger.”
“Sire,” Books said weakly.
Maldynado rolled his eyes. Barely conscious and Books was correcting him.
“You chaps and Sires coming?”
Books shook his head at this disgraceful use of language, but allowed Basilard to guide him into the vehicle. Akstyr, strung between Yara and Sespian, looked less cogent, though he did cast a longing glance back toward the park. He probably wished he’d had a better look at that magical gewgaw before passing out. Maldynado tossed them a couple of shopping bags.
“Don’t worry, I didn’t lose your new ensembles.”
“Joy,” Books said.
Sespian climbed into the cab beside Maldynado while the others piled into the cargo area in the back.
“Am I any closer to getting a statue?” Maldynado wriggled his eyebrows at the emperor. It was probably silly, given how the day had gone thus far, but he felt proud of his rescue.
Sespian stared at him as if a fine set of elk antlers had sprouted from his temples. Ah, well.
Maldynado, not certain they had completely eluded their pursuers yet, nudged the lorry into motion. “Enjoying your time with our group thus far, Sire?” he asked in an amiable way, wanting Sespian to know that he didn’t hold a grudge for that knife-to-neck moment. Maldynado wished he could think of a way to convince Sespian he’d had nothing to do with that trap. Maybe it was good that they’d have to spend time alone in the cab. Maldynado could work on endearing himself to the emperor, or at least being likable. Amaranthe had often pointed out that people tended to trust those they liked.
“I haven’t enjoyed much about the last five years,” Sespian said after a thoughtful moment. He pointed behind them. “I still need to get across the bridge.”
“Want to see if there’s a map in that lockbox? There must be other bridges along the river, and now that we have a ride, it doesn’t matter if it’s twenty, thirty miles out of our path. We can still get into the city tonight.”
Sespian unsuccessfully tried to open the lid of the indicated box. “I don’t suppose you’ve seen a key to this anywhere?”
“Nah,” Maldynado said. “Might have been in one of the men’s pockets that I was bash-, er, subduing, but I didn’t have a chance to search them.”
It seemed unlikely that an emperor would have come equipped for lock-picking endeavors, so Maldynado withdrew his sturdy utility knife, leaned over, and slammed the tip into the metal box’s thin lid. The blade punctured it and mutilated the lock. When he pulled the blade out, the lid lifted too, hinges squealing. Papers and envelopes fell out.
“You’re welcome,” Maldynado said when Sespian gave him a strange look.
Maldynado had a feeling the young emperor didn’t know what to think of him. It was making him feel self-conscious, but he had to be himself, or he’d seem more suspicious, wouldn’t he?
“Not that you needed my help,” Maldynado said. “I’m sure you would have come up with a similar solution.”
“Perhaps,” Sespian murmured and picked up the papers.
“You seem handy with a knife. I reckon emperors get a lot of good training from master duelists and the like.”
“Weaponsmaster Orik would be pleased that you found my knife skills adequate.” Sespian flipped through the papers. “He found me an inattentive pupil and often lamented that I devoted the majority of my energy to thinking of ways to get out of his practice sessions.”
“Huh.”
Sespian opened a sealed envelope and frowned.
“Problem?” Maldynado asked.
“These look like orders, but they’re encrypted.” Sespian patted through the boxes again and sighed. “Nothing. I suppose it wouldn’t make sense to ship the decryption key alongside the secret orders.”
“You should let Books have a look. Give him some time, and I bet he can figure out what it says. He likes puzzles like that.”
“Ah, good idea.”
Before Maldynado could slow down the lorry, so Sespian could get out, walk around, and hand the orders to Books in the cargo bed, Sespian crawled out the window.
“Uhm,” Maldynado said.
He couldn’t see out that window from his position, but, a moment later, thumps sounded in the back.
“Odd lad,” Maldynado mused and decided it was unlikely they’d get to spend that time alone together after all.
Chapter 5
“What,” Pike asked for the fiftieth time, “is the emperor to Sicarius?”
“I… dunno,” Amaranthe mumbled around cracked and swollen lips that hadn’t touched water in… she had no idea how much time had passed. Anyway, a lack of water was the least of her problems. Strange that it should even enter her thoughts. Pain. That was the foremost concern.
Darkness ringed her vision, throbbing and undulating, teasing her with the promise of unconsciousness. A part of her wanted to invite it in, to let it swallow her world and steal her pain, but a larger part of her feared it might signify the end. She’d made a point not to look at Pike’s work, when he hadn’t forced her to, and she wasn’t sure what all he’d done, but she knew she’d lost a lot of blood. Would he let her die? Before he received his answer?
Pike set down his knife, and a tiny flame of hope lit within Amaranthe. He leaned against the table and withdrew a pocket watch. Maybe he’d had enough for the day. Or maybe he had a sexy dinner date waiting him, some Forge woman who found a killer with blood on his hands attractive. “Like you?” she thought, an image of Sicarius flashing through her mind. No, Sicarius was different. He wouldn’t… enjoy his work. That mattered. Didn’t it? Either way, after her sanctimonious comments on loyalty, she wasn’t going to betray him. She thought of their stolen moment in the dirigible, his hug and promise of “later,” and that brief hint of a smile. She knew he hadn’t known much happiness in his life, and she wanted to be the person to give him that, not someone who put his son at risk. If Sicarius lost Sespian without Sespian ever knowing the truth…
“Hm.” Pike strolled out of sight, then returned again, this time with a fat book in his hands. “How’s the vision? Blurry? Or can you still read?”
Being lippy would only get her in trouble-he’d proven that a number of times already-but it seemed important to let him know he hadn’t cowed her, not yet. So Amaranthe summoned enough strength to say, “I’m always… up for a good book… Don’t suppose… you’ve got the… latest… Lady Dourcrest novel?”
“I don’t read that drivel.” Pike hefted the thick tome, slipping it into view between the claw pincers that pinned Amaranthe’s left wrist and shoulder to the table. The Imperial Army Torture and Interrogation Methods Technical Manual. Lovely.
“Should you be conscious when Ms. Worgavic returns, I’d like for you to verify that I’ve been operating by the book, as she requested, and not taking too many liberties. She specifically asked, for instance, that you not be raped.”
Gee. How thoughtful. Horrible maiming and permanent disfigurement were fine, but no cavity penetration, please. “And here I just thought you preferred boys.”