Page 6 of The Empty Throne

"It could be nothing; right now we don't haveenough information. Two days ago one of my agents spotted Bitterseacrossing the border into Cremisio. Per standing orders of HisMajesty, we did not intercept him. The agent followed him as far asYoor, where she lost him, I'm afraid."

"Well, that's how it always goes withBittersea. What is that bastard up to now? Knowing him, he'll showup right in the middle of this mess at the worst possible moment.Keep me apprised as best you can, and let me know the moment youhear anything about Cohea."

"Of course."

She left, and Kite dropped back into his seatwith a groan. "All this, and I have a meeting with the merchantcouncil first thing in the morning. I'm going to let the assassinshave me, I swear to the gods."

Sobeki laughed. "Then I'd get stuck with itall, and that's not a very nice thing to do to your littlebrother."

"Oh, shut up," Kite said, but smiled. "Isuppose we should go and get some sleep while we can, beforesomething else goes wrong and I have to work clear through the dayyet again."

Scowling, Sobeki said, "You shouldn't dothat. You can't help Cremisio if you pass out from exhaustion, orworse, fall over dead from it."

"Well, find the heir or at least some morepeople I can actually trust, and I'll gladly take more naps. Comeon, lets—" He stopped as a knock came at the door, groaning at theurgency of it. "Damn it. Come in!"

This time it was some frantic looking guards,a mishmash of palace and city. One of them had the marks of alieutenant and seemed to be the highest ranking in the bunch, soKite summoned her forward. "What's going on?"

"Your Highness, we were making patrols of thedocks when we came across a Terekian who didn't have theappropriate papers. We investigated further, and what papers he didhave were forged. We took him into custody and brought him to you,as we have good reason to believe he is actually Lord LysykenFazekas."

"Shit," Sobeki said behind him, the word lowbut explosive.

"Bring him to me at once," Kite said, heartflipping in his chest, stomach churning.

A hostage. They might very well have ahostage. That changed their negotiating power completely, if it wastrue. What in the world was the Fazekas heir doing trying to sneakaround a Cremision port?

The doors opened again a few minutes later,and the guards hauled in a figure who did not look remotely as Kitehad expected. He'd met Laird Fazekas on two previous occasions, onea royal banquet, and the other on a journey to attempt peace talksthat had failed miserably because gods forbid the Terekianscompromise on anything.

Kite jerked his head, and the guards left,leaving the three of them alone. Because of his status, he hadn'tbeen put in chains, but he had been stripped of his outer layersand shoes. He had his father's handsome features, but brown eyesrather than gray, and his stature was slight, almost as waifish asSobeki, the red hair trimmed unfashionably short.

In traditional clan fashion, each eyebrow hadtwo thin vertical lines shaved through them, and below his righteye were three dark blue vertical lines, a tattoo that denotedsomething, but Kite didn't know what. The only tattoos he'd everseen pertained to soldiering or travel, and this wasn't one ofthose.

Fazekas's clothes were out of place, the kindof cheap clothes he'd probably never be caught wearingordinarily.

What an interesting puzzle this was.

"Sit, Your Lordship," Kite said, and went toask that still more tea and food be brought. When it arrived, hefinally took his own seat, Sobeki to his left, Fazekas in the seatvacated by the soldier just an hour or so ago. "Let's be direct,shall we? What are you doing here, and why does it look like youwere trying to run away?"

"Because Iwas," Fazekas saidbitterly. "You should have just let me, because now everything isgoing to be an even bigger mess."

Kite's brows rose at that. "Perhaps youshould tell me your tale in full."

"I'm not telling you a damned thing. I maynot have wanted to be home, but I don't want to be here either. I'mdone being everyone's prisoner."

"Then cooperate and be my guest instead."

Fazekas's lips curled in a sneer that woulddo his father proud. "I'm young, not stupid. You're going to haveto try a hell of a lot harder than that if you want me to stab myfather, my homeland, in the back."

Kite lifted one brow. "Sounds like you werealready stabbing them in the back with the whole running away fromhome bit."

"You don't know anything about it."

"I would if you'd tell me."

That sneer again. Kite wanted to smack it offhis pretty face. "All you want is the same power that everyone elsewants. I'm done playing everyone's stupid games. Or at least Itried to be done with them. Here I am right back in the damnedmess. You want to take me as hostage and use me to get what youwant from my father and the rest? Fine. I can't stop you. But I'msure as hell not going to make iteasierfor you."

Kite sighed. What in the world had caused somuch anger and resentment to build up in a single person—and soyoung too. His details on the Fazekas ruling family were hazy atbest, but the man—boy, really—before him couldn't be more thantwenty at best. "How old are you?"

"Go fuck yourself, Your Highness."

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