“Give me one good reason for not having you killed?” Asea said.
Tamara knew how close to death she stood. Her dragon had been taken away to join the western flights. Both Rik and Karim had weapons drawn, and Asea was garbed in her full battle armour. Soldiers ringed the tent. Glowglobes burned so brightly that there were no shadows present for her to vanish into. She eyed Asea with cool insolence and said, “Because I have information you might find useful and a proposition that may save your life.”
“Go on,” said Asea.
Tamara shrugged. “I know what Rik is. You know what I am. That knowledge could get all of us placed upon a pyre.”
“All the more reason for silencing you forever,” said Asea. Her voice was softer now though and her manner more conciliatory. She was turning things over in her head, trying to work out all the angles. “Given who you are and what you have done, I cannot trust you within striking distance of myself or Rik.”
“No more than I can trust you. I think we will have to rely on the fact that we have shared interests and common enemies.”
“And who would those be?”
“The Princes of Shadow.”
The temperature in the tent seemed to dip. Karim raised himself up on his toes ready to strike. Tamara cocked her head to one side, and smiled winningly. “I see that comes as no surprise to you,” she said. “Oh dear, I was rather hoping for a more dramatic response. Gasps of amazement and horror, that sort of thing.”
“These are not matters for levity,” said Asea. “Your father served the Princes all of his long life. I have no reason to believe that you do not either.”
“You are right about my father. You are wrong about me. At least in part.”
“I don’t think that is possible. You are either serve the Princes or you don’t. They do not allow any other choice in the matter.”
“Perhaps not on Al’Terra but we are not on the homeworld now. For you and my father the Princes were real. Their deeds were something you experienced. Their power was something that you encountered. For me they were little more than a myth, a belief of my father’s that I humoured, the way I humour the humans who believe in the Prophets.”
“And something happened to change your mind?”
“I found out my father was right and I was wrong and I found out that I am not cut out to serve.”
“Die on your feet rather than live on your knees? Surprisingly noble sentiments for an assassin.”
“I would prefer living on my feet to dying on my knees which I think are my current options.”
“We shall see what happens,” said Asea. “For the moment, your life is in my hands. What is this information you have for me?”
“I tried to kill Xephan,” said Tamara.
“The Prime Minister? That was ambitious of you.”
“The Empress commanded me to do it. She is afraid of him.” Tamara swiftly explained the circumstances surrounding her precipitous departure from Sardea. She sensed Asea’s unwillingness to believe and deliberately kept her delivery as flat as possible. She did not seek to elicit sympathy, merely to convey the facts. She talked of the Black Mirror and the great spell being cast in the vaults of the Palace.
After she had finished there was silence. It was obvious that none of her listeners knew exactly what to say. At least they had not laughed at her or told her she was lying.
“It all fits,” said Rik. Tamara had to fight to stop herself from shooting him a grateful look. Asea nodded but then glared at Tamara. “That does not mean I trust you.”
“I do not ask you to do so. But believe me, I have no more love for Xephan and his cronies than you do. And they dislike me as much as you now.”
“That remains to be seen,” said Asea.
“I can help you,” she said. “And you can help me.”
“In what way?”
“I can train Rik,” she said. “I can turn him into what you want him to be.”
Asea’s stare became a fraction more arctic. Tamara could almost see the cogs turning in her brain as she made her calculations. “And what would you want in return?”
At least they were in a negotiating situation now. Tamara weighed out her own words carefully. “I want your protection. I want a place in the new order if you win. And I want another chance to kill Xephan. You will help me with your knowledge.”
Asea measured her, and came to a decision. “I will think about it but in the meantime you will accept truesilver chains.”
“And if I refuse?”
“I will kill you. You are too dangerous to let go free. Do you accept?”
Tamara felt trapped. When she was in the chains there was no way she could use her powers to escape. She would be entirely in Asea's hands. On the other hand, if she did not accept she might never leave this place alive. She doubted that she could overcome all three of them in combat.
There were other options. She could agree now and seek to escape later before she was put in chains. She could try and open a shadow path now and depart before they could stop her. Of course, that would leave her in the midst of an army of her foes, and with no more protection against Xephan and his ilk than she had before she came here, even assuming she could escape.
Asea’s gaze was fixed upon her. And she realised that the sorceress was simply waiting for her to try something. If she made any attempt to get away she would be confirming Asea’s suspicions.
And there was something else. She did not want Xephan to rule Sardea and she did not want the Princes of Shadow to rule this world. She had made her decision instinctively during that first assassination attempt. In her bones, she was his enemy. She would oppose him with her life if necessary. If it was a choice between serving him or Asea, she would choose Asea rather than that otherworldly horror. She straightened her shoulders. “Very well then, I agree to your terms."
“ Karim — bring the chains!” said Asea with a smile of triumph.
Karim produced fetters from one of the massive travelling chests and fixed her arms behind her back. He was not gentle. The chains went into place with a loud click.
Chapter Seventeen
“What do you think?” Rik asked.
“About what?” Asea replied. Tamara had been taken from the tent in chains, and was now under guard by the Foragers. Rik hoped they would not do anything stupid. The last time Tamara had encountered the Barbarian and Weasel, she had left the big man badly wounded. He was not normally the sort to be vindictive but you never knew. His pride had been hurt by being overcome by what he would describe as a slip of a girl.
“About Tamara.”
“I honestly have no idea, Rik. She seems sincere but she might have been sent here on some mission by the Empress or Xephan. She might have been sent to find out what we know or what we suspect. She could have been sent here to kill any one of us.”
“Do you think that’s likely?”
“If she had been sent on an assassination mission it would be much easier for her to simply wait in the shadows for an opportune moment then strike. No, it’s something deeper than that.”
“Or she’s telling the truth.”
“I do not entirely discount that possibility.”
“Can you probe her mind?”
“She is too good a sorceress for that. She will be protected. There’s no way of doing that without smashing her sanity. And if she is telling the truth I would rather not do it. I would prefer to have her on my side.”
“Do you think that she really will train me?”
“If she has not been sent to kill you, it’s possible she’s been sent to win you to her side. Or to corrupt you.”
“I doubt she could do that.”
“You do not know what she is capable of, or what powers she might possess.”
“I meant I doubt that she could make me any more corrupt than I already am.”
“She might surprise you.” A look of concern passed over Asea’s face. “Do not hate yourself, Rik. You are not responsible for what happened with the Quan.”