Kingsbane (Empirium 2)

With each word he uttered, he had helped illuminate her choice.

You’re the monster Aryava foretold.

A traitor and a liar.

Then Ludivine released him, and he fell to the ground, hard, on his hands and knees, and gasped out a sob.

Ludivine crawled to him, took his face in her hands. “Listen to me.”

“No,” he muttered, shaking his head. “No, no, no…”

“Audric, we cannot linger.”

“We’ll ride out after her. The bells are ringing. They’ll have shut the city gates.” He tried to push himself up, away from her, and couldn’t find the strength. His chest was cleaving itself in two.

“It won’t work.”

“I’ll find her. I’ll bring her back to us.”

“She won’t listen. She’s made her choice.”

“You can’t know that, Lu,” he said stupidly, knowing even as he said it that it wasn’t true. He fumbled for her hands. She folded his into her own, pressed them all to her heart. “I love her. It was a mistake. I hadn’t had time to think. I was out of my mind, I didn’t know what I was saying.”

“I know.” Her face was worn thin, as if the night had diminished her. “I know, darling.”

“We have to do something. We’ll send her a message. I’ll ride out. I’ll follow them wherever they go.”

“And the moment he can do so without angering her, he’ll kill you.”

At last, Audric found the strength to stand. He only half noticed Evyline and the rest of the Sun Guard, looking to him for instructions, but they looked as lost as he felt. He didn’t know what to say, how to proceed. He could barely hold himself upright.

“The saints’ castings?” he murmured, barely managing it.

“Gone,” Ludivine said flatly. “While we were…occupied, Corien’s operatives stole them. They’re with him now—with Corien, and with Rielle.”

Audric nodded, his head heavy and slowly spinning. “I see.”

Ludivine touched his arm. “You must prepare yourself to leave. I know it won’t be easy. It will feel like defeat.”

A trio of figures was hurrying toward them through the shadows. Audric watched them, his hand hovering over Illumenor’s hilt. A feeling of dread was beginning to creep over him. The bells, chiming madly, a silver-toned clamor. Ludivine’s insistence that they must leave.

And a whole castle, a whole city, full of people who had seen the terrible truth that he had seen.

Don’t worry. Ludivine’s presence in his mind rattled, unsteady, and then vanished.

“It’s Tal,” she whispered. “Sloane, and Miren. I can’t speak to you again like that, Audric. It will take me some time to recover.”

He relaxed as Tal’s face came into view—until he saw the expression he wore, and that all of their ceremonial robes were spattered with blood.

Tal was breathless. “They’re taking the castle. Hundreds of our own city guard have joined them, and many who stood against them have already fallen. The Archon has been taken into custody. The rest of the council are under close supervision. We barely managed to get out to warn you.” Then he paused, looked around through the trees. “Where is Rielle?”

“It happened so quickly,” Sloane muttered, her choppy dark hair cutting harsh lines across her pale skin. Her blue eyes, twins of Tal’s, were hard with rage. “It was well-planned. They must have been preparing this for months.”

Realization settled upon Audric like silt. “Merovec.”

Miren nodded. “All his bannermen from the north. There must be thousands of them, all told. Scattered throughout the city, forming a perimeter along the bridges.”

Evyline approached, her face grim. “If this is true, my king, then Lady Ludivine is right. We must leave, now.”

“My mother,” he said, struggling to gather his thoughts. “Is she all right?”

“Merovec won’t harm her,” Ludivine murmured. “She’ll be safer in Baingarde than anywhere else, once word gets out of what’s happened.”

Sloane cut furious eyes to her. “Did you know about this, angel?”

“No, she didn’t,” Audric answered for her, “and I won’t hear another word on that subject.”

Then he turned away from them. Looking out over the seeing pools, his mind conjured up child ghosts—Rielle, dashing fast across the slick stones; Ludivine, meticulously picking her way across after her; and the echo of his own self, bringing up the rear. Urging Rielle to be careful. Pleading with her to slow down.

He squeezed his eyes shut against the memory of her earlier that evening, standing in despair before him, begging him to look at her.

“Audric, you must leave.” Miren’s voice was urgent. “He’s searching for you, and when he finds you, especially after what happened tonight, what they saw, he will kill you.”

“In his eyes, the crown has been corrupted,” Ludivine added. “He will not spare you.”

“You know of the tunnels under the mountain,” said Sloane. “They’ll turn you out on the far side of Mount Cibelline.”

“My father made sure I could navigate them with my eyes closed,” Audric said, and then he drew a deep breath and turned to face them.

He was a son of kings and queens. His family descended from Saint Katell. He was the Lightbringer, the heir of House Courverie. And his kingdom was falling into a state of chaos.

He could not let his grief defeat him. Not yet.

“Miren, I’ll need eyes here in the city,” he said. “Ostensibly loyal to Merovec, but truly loyal to me. Will you do this?”

Miren glanced at Tal, only a small flicker of unhappiness crossing her face. “Of course, my king.”

“And Sloane, if you would join me and Ludivine and the Sun Guard.”

Sloane nodded, her jaw set. “Where will we go?”

“To Mazabat. The queens will offer us asylum.”

Miren raised her eyebrows. “Even after the incident with the Obex?”

“If Rielle were with us, they might object,” Audric said tightly. “But considering the circumstances, I’m confident they’ll welcome us.”

Tal took two steps toward him, his eyes cold as stone. “Where is she, Audric?”

“She’s gone. She’s left to join Corien. And I need you to go after her and bring her home. Ludivine will tell you what you need to know.” Audric moved away before he could see Tal’s reaction. He felt as though he were moving through a terrible fog, each cloudy tendril tugging him closer to the ground. “Meanwhile, Evyline, we’ll need horses. The tunnels are large enough for them.” each word he uttered, he had helped illuminate her choice.

You’re the monster Aryava foretold.

A traitor and a liar.

Then Ludivine released him, and he fell to the ground, hard, on his hands and knees, and gasped out a sob.

Ludivine crawled to him, took his face in her hands. “Listen to me.”

“No,” he muttered, shaking his head. “No, no, no…”

“Audric, we cannot linger.”

“We’ll ride out after her. The bells are ringing. They’ll have shut the city gates.” He tried to push himself up, away from her, and couldn’t find the strength. His chest was cleaving itself in two.

“It won’t work.”

“I’ll find her. I’ll bring her back to us.”

“She won’t listen. She’s made her choice.”

“You can’t know that, Lu,” he said stupidly, knowing even as he said it that it wasn’t true. He fumbled for her hands. She folded his into her own, pressed them all to her heart. “I love her. It was a mistake. I hadn’t had time to think. I was out of my mind, I didn’t know what I was saying.”

“I know.” Her face was worn thin, as if the night had diminished her. “I know, darling.”

“We have to do something. We’ll send her a message. I’ll ride out. I’ll follow them wherever they go.”

“And the moment he can do so without angering her, he’ll kill you.”

At last, Audric found the strength to stand. He only half noticed Evyline and the rest of the Sun Guard, looking to him for instructions, but they looked as lost as he felt. He didn’t know what to say, how to proceed. He could barely hold himself upright.

“The saints’ castings?” he murmured, barely managing it.

“Gone,” Ludivine said flatly. “While we were…occupied, Corien’s operatives stole them. They’re with him now—with Corien, and with Rielle.”

Audric nodded, his head heavy and slowly spinning. “I see.”

Ludivine touched his arm. “You must prepare yourself to leave. I know it won’t be easy. It will feel like defeat.”

A trio of figures was hurrying toward them through the shadows. Audric watched them, his hand hovering over Illumenor’s hilt. A feeling of dread was beginning to creep over him. The bells, chiming madly, a silver-toned clamor. Ludivine’s insistence that they must leave.

And a whole castle, a whole city, full of people who had seen the terrible truth that he had seen.

Don’t worry. Ludivine’s presence in his mind rattled, unsteady, and then vanished.

“It’s Tal,” she whispered. “Sloane, and Miren. I can’t speak to you again like that, Audric. It will take me some time to recover.”

He relaxed as Tal’s face came into view—until he saw the expression he wore, and that all of their ceremonial robes were spattered with blood.

Tal was breathless. “They’re taking the castle. Hundreds of our own city guard have joined them, and many who stood against them have already fallen. The Archon has been taken into custody. The rest of the council are under close supervision. We barely managed to get out to warn you.” Then he paused, looked around through the trees. “Where is Rielle?”

“It happened so quickly,” Sloane muttered, her choppy dark hair cutting harsh lines across her pale skin. Her blue eyes, twins of Tal’s, were hard with rage. “It was well-planned. They must have been preparing this for months.”

Realization settled upon Audric like silt. “Merovec.”

Miren nodded. “All his bannermen from the north. There must be thousands of them, all told. Scattered throughout the city, forming a perimeter along the bridges.”

Evyline approached, her face grim. “If this is true, my king, then Lady Ludivine is right. We must leave, now.”

“My mother,” he said, struggling to gather his thoughts. “Is she all right?”

“Merovec won’t harm her,” Ludivine murmured. “She’ll be safer in Baingarde than anywhere else, once word gets out of what’s happened.”

Sloane cut furious eyes to her. “Did you know about this, angel?”

“No, she didn’t,” Audric answered for her, “and I won’t hear another word on that subject.”

Then he turned away from them. Looking out over the seeing pools, his mind conjured up child ghosts—Rielle, dashing fast across the slick stones; Ludivine, meticulously picking her way across after her; and the echo of his own self, bringing up the rear. Urging Rielle to be careful. Pleading with her to slow down.

He squeezed his eyes shut against the memory of her earlier that evening, standing in despair before him, begging him to look at her.

“Audric, you must leave.” Miren’s voice was urgent. “He’s searching for you, and when he finds you, especially after what happened tonight, what they saw, he will kill you.”

“In his eyes, the crown has been corrupted,” Ludivine added. “He will not spare you.”

“You know of the tunnels under the mountain,” said Sloane. “They’ll turn you out on the far side of Mount Cibelline.”

“My father made sure I could navigate them with my eyes closed,” Audric said, and then he drew a deep breath and turned to face them.

He was a son of kings and queens. His family descended from Saint Katell. He was the Lightbringer, the heir of House Courverie. And his kingdom was falling into a state of chaos.

He could not let his grief defeat him. Not yet.

“Miren, I’ll need eyes here in the city,” he said. “Ostensibly loyal to Merovec, but truly loyal to me. Will you do this?”

Miren glanced at Tal, only a small flicker of unhappiness crossing her face. “Of course, my king.”

“And Sloane, if you would join me and Ludivine and the Sun Guard.”

Sloane nodded, her jaw set. “Where will we go?”

“To Mazabat. The queens will offer us asylum.”

Miren raised her eyebrows. “Even after the incident with the Obex?”

“If Rielle were with us, they might object,” Audric said tightly. “But considering the circumstances, I’m confident they’ll welcome us.”

Tal took two steps toward him, his eyes cold as stone. “Where is she, Audric?”

“She’s gone. She’s left to join Corien. And I need you to go after her and bring her home. Ludivine will tell you what you need to know.” Audric moved away before he could see Tal’s reaction. He felt as though he were moving through a terrible fog, each cloudy tendril tugging him closer to the ground. “Meanwhile, Evyline, we’ll need horses. The tunnels are large enough for them.”