Page 24 of The Empty Throne

Oskia…The voice whispered in her ear,through her mind, plea and summon.

Walking quickly but quietly through the room,Oskia picked the lock on the door to the kitchen and slippedthrough it. Going to the largest clear space she could find, sheslit her wrist just enough to make a tiny pool of blood on thefloor, then wrapped the wound with a kerchief.

She'd barely done so when the room filledwith soft, whispery rainbow light. She'd been told everyone elsesaw Sobeki's spirit form as blue light, but to her such thingsalways came in a rainbow of colors, pale and delicate, shimmeringin and out of brightness.

"Oskia, finally,"Sobeki said."I've been so worried about you. What are you doing all the wayin Terek?"

"Searching for the heir."

Sobeki scowled."You couldn't send usword? Stop to say goodbye? First Cohea went missing, and then you,and now Kite has run off to Kuluris—you could have saidsomething!"

"I don't report to you," Oskia repliedcurtly.

Hurt filled Sobeki's face for a moment, andthen was replaced by a stern, even commanding, look that she'dnever seen before."You answer to Kite as long as he's Regent,and you answer to me while I am Acting Regent in his absence. Whyare you in Terek, Lady Oskia?"

Oskia would die before she admitted how muchit hurt to be treated so formally, so coldly, by a man who mostoften looked at her with love in his eyes. She'd just done the samething to him for crying out loud, of course he'd do the same,stupid to be upset about it. Yet here she was upset anyway, becauseSobeki turned her into a hopeless halfwit every time. "I receivedan urgent letter from my mother that she was dying. Hours after myarrival she passed away."

Sobeki's eyes snapped wide."Oskia—"

"I learned in the aftermath of her death of amatter that was left unresolved, and which I intend tocomplete."

"What matter?"Sobeki asked.

"That is not your concern, Your Grace," Oskiareplied. "I am in Terek, headed west on a personal matter that alsoinvolves locating the heir."

Sobeki's mouth tightened, but he said,"Have it your way then, Your Grace. I hope you know what you'redoing."

"I am serving Cremisio, as I always have,"Oskia hissed. "You of all people I'd think would trust that."

"I trusted you'd never just vanish without aword and leave us worried sick. I cannot locate Cohea, I barelyfound Bittersea—"

"Oh, well thank Shatar you foundthatlittle cretin. We can all rest easy knowing he's still aroundslicing and dicing." She reached reflexively to the scar across herabdomen, where a long, nasty knife had sliced her open. She'dbarely kept her guts from spilling from her body. Every now andthen she still woke from a nightmare filled with terror and pain.Worse still was the memory of Bittersea—

She broke the thought off with a snarl anddropped her hand.

Sobeki gave her an admonishing look.

Ignoring it, Oskia said, "What do you meanyou can't locate Cohea?"

"According to Bittersea, he was captured byLaird Fazekas and is being held somewhere by them. Fazekas noticedhis ring and ordered Bittersea to find his Bonded."

Oskia laughed. She had no idea whoLindquist's Bonded was, only the king seemed to know that, but sheknew just enough about His Majesty's bizarre arrangement withBittersea to know he wouldn't do something to endanger Lindquist'slife. "What is Bittersea really doing?"

"Seeking out the heir."

"How interesting, I wonder which of us willfigure it out first. I hope I beat him; he could do with a taste ofdefeat and humiliation." And when she found them, she was going tokill them, but Sobeki didn't need to know that. Not until too late."What about Kite? Why has he dumped regent duties on you?"

"That is a longer story. Suffice to say, ifhis mission doesn't succeed, we are most definitely going to war,heir or no heir. Where are you headed? I'll leave a letter foryou."

"Don't bother. Now go, you're starting tosway, which means you've overtaxed yourself."

"I love everyone thinks they need to tell mewhen I've overtaxed myself, like I'm not the one in screaming painand on the verge of throwing up. Don't do anything stupid, Oskia.Whatever worm your mother slipped in your ear, yank it out, don'tlisten to it."

"Goodbye, Bek," Oskia said, turning away fromthe hurt, angry look on his face, until he'd faded away. Searchingout a rag, she cleaned up the blood as best she could and thenreturned to her bedroll.

Try as she might, though, sleep wouldn'tcome, her mind unable to calm.

Find the heir. Kill the heir. Return home,likely to be executed for treason. At least Cremisio wouldn't besold out to fucking Kenten.

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