For the first time in so many years, it felt as though anything was possible. His plans were coming to fruition, his dreams were about to be realised, and although he knew there would be more obstacles to overcome, he would be doing so with near limitless power—as soon as he worked out how to make the Cup’s effect permanent. The people would come to accept what he had brought them as the great gift that it was, and would share in Mirabaya’s glory when she took her place as the greatest power in the world.
“You wished to see me, your Grace?” Solène said, joining him a few minutes later.
“You recall the Cup we spoke about before?”
He watched her carefully, knowing that he was becoming a little paranoid. When had he come to think that everyone might be lying to him?
“I, yes, I remember it. The ceremony involved drinking from something they called the Amatus Cup.”
“Precisely,” Amaury said. He paused for a moment, wondering how best to proceed. How much did he want to tell her? How much could he trust her with? It could take him a lifetime to unlock the Cup’s secrets. It might take her only an afternoon.
“My agents have located the Cup and delivered it to me,” he said.
Solène looked shocked. The colour in her face drained away, and she seemed to wobble on her feet.
“Are you all right, Solène?” he said.
“Yes, yes, I’m fine,” she said. “I’m just stunned that you were able to find something that’s been missing for so long.”
Amaury beamed with pride, then frowned. “How did you know it was lost?”
“Well, it must have been, or you wouldn’t have had to send agents out to find it. The only mention of it that I found is from centuries ago.”
He relaxed a little. He was becoming too suspicious. “True,” he said. “Before I send you off to look for the temple, I need you to help me with the Cup. I believe it can confer advantages to our fighting men and women. With the arrival of these new dragons, we have to assume there are more still to come, that they are a new terror that we have to deal with on an ongoing basis. To successfully do that, we need to work out how to use the Cup to create a new generation of men and women who can deal with these creatures.”
“I, I’ll have to focus my study on that,” she said.
Amaury studied her for a moment, then decided to change his approach. He needed her to help willingly, not under protest like dal Drezony. He would never get the best out of her otherwise, and would end up having to deal with her when she finally refused one of his commands.
“It’s very important,” Amaury said. “We now have the tool to defend ourselves, but not the knowledge to use it. Enough brothers and sisters of the Order have died trying to slay these beasts. I owe it to each and every one of you I send out to give you the best possible chance.” He pursed his lips and collected his thoughts. “When I created the Order, it was with the betterment of all the people of Mirabaya in mind. Think of all the things that magic can do to make people’s lives easier. Think of the safe haven it provides for young people like you, who would likely face the pyre if others learn they are mages.
“This is the most dangerous moment in the Order’s existence. It could founder at any moment. Or it can become strong, vibrant, and integral to Mirabayan society. If we can slay these dragons, we can show the people that we are their saviours and they’ll love us. Right now, a thousand years of that hatred and fear is threatening to boil over. Not only do we need this victory, we need it quickly.”
She nodded slowly, as though digesting what he had said.
“I know I’ve been asking a lot of you, but with a little luck, that will all pay off soon, and you’ll be able to take a well-deserved rest. Spend the evening searching for anything you can find. Learn whatever you can about the Cup. We have to leave in the morning, to do the best we can for our brothers and sisters.”
“I’ll do my best to find something.”
“That’s all I ask.”
CHAPTER 37
Solène trudged back to the Priory that night, no closer to finding an answer to her predicament. The city was still busy even at that hour, with animated groups moving about the place with menacing countenances. They had lit fires on street corners to stay warm. It was obvious that some people were looking for trouble, and she could only hope that they wouldn’t choose her to find it. She had long since adapted to living under threat, so her fear now almost felt like slipping back into a comfortable old pair of shoes—bearing a secret that could get her killed, but going about her life as she needed to regardless.
When she got back to the Priory, the place was abuzz. She had no idea what was causing the flurry of activity, but she didn’t really care. There was too much on her mind. The people around her seemed full of fearful energy. She barely recognised anyone. Most of those who had been there when she had first arrived, weeks earlier, had been sent on the dragon-hunting expedition, leaving only those too junior and the new hires who’d been left behind to protect the Priory. Some of the younger ones, who had been brought into the Order shortly after their talent for magic had manifested itself, had never known what it was like to live with the terror that she and the other older members had known. She couldn’t help but feel a measure of contempt for them, wondering how they would have coped with her life if this was the effect of a day or two of danger.
Then she heard dal Drezony’s name and stopped dead in her tracks. Spotting a young woman she recognised from the refectory, Solène approached her and said, “I heard people talking about Seneschal dal Drezony. Is something wrong?”
The young woman, a novice mage, gave a grim smile. “She was identified while out in the city. They murdered her.”
Without a word, Solène stumbled away in utter shock, retreating to her room without conscious thought. She sat on the edge of her bed and burst into tears. Dal Drezony was the best the Order had to offer. She was its voice of conscience, its moral compass. Without her, the Order would be dominated by men like Vachon. These were not the type of men who staffed hospitals or cared for the poor. They conquered and destroyed. Who was left to guide the Order in the right direction?
Only Solène. She had something the Prince Bishop wanted and she possessed enough power that he had to take her seriously. She might not agree with the Prince Bishop, might not like the direction the Order was being taken in, but that didn’t mean she had to stand by while it all fell apart. If he wanted her continued cooperation, the Prince Bishop would have to listen to her opinions. If he wanted her help, then she was going to need something in return. Her tears stopped and her resolve strengthened. She would see that the Order became what dal Drezony had intended—a force for good, something loved by the people rather than feared or hated. If not, the Prince Bishop could spend the rest of his days scrabbling in the dirt looking for his temple and trying to make the Cup work.
Decision made, Solène slipped out of the Priory and walked quickly toward the palace, determination outweighing fear. Within a few streets of the Priory, she relaxed a little, knowing that she could blend into the crowd. No one would realise where she had come from. That didn’t change the fact that she would have preferred to be pretty much anywhere else, doing pretty much anything else. The tension on the streets was so great now that it was not just the members of the Order who had to worry. She had heard that the City Watch had come under attack, as had some royal officials. Soon enough, she feared, disagreements between ordinary citizens would turn to violence.