Page 22 of The Alien's Cruel Starfrost Domain

“So tell me, Ivrael,” the Baron says with a sidelong glance at me, the corner of his mouth twitching upward. “Have you been offworld lately?”

The question is a trap, of course. He wouldn’t ask if he didn’t already know.

“I have.” I offer nothing else. Better to make him dig for the information he wants.

He makes an interested noise. “And you don’t find these off-planet jaunts of yours draining?”

That isn’t truly his question. What he really wants to know is if I find my interplanetary travels less tiring than average for a noble Caix or if I am somehow immune to the magic-dampening effects of the technology I use to complete that travel.

“A little.” I pause and lean down in my saddle to check the ground as if I am examining animal tracks. Shaking my head as if disappointed, I straighten. “No more than most Caix would.”

We ride along in silence for a while—a silence I hope he finds companionable, as I’m working hard to keep it from becoming tense.

“You have an artificial pilot, do you not?”

“I prefer to captain my ship myself,” I say, avoiding answering his question.

“I’m certain you do,” Svalkat murmurs.

If I’m going to keep him from snooping, I should probably give him some small nugget to chew over. “But yes, I do have an artificial intelligence aboard the ship. That’s why I keep her docked at oursouthern pole.” I flash him a practiced smile. “I wouldn’t want to exacerbate our troubles.”

“Indeed.” He draws the word out. “And you dock your ship there in order to help keep the magical magnetics in order?”

“Exactly. All technology must be maintained, its magnetics shielded and contained,” I say, “technological intelligences more so than most.” That’s the common wisdom, anyway. “And of course,” I add piously, “I follow all Caix laws regarding tech.”

“And yet, I don’t believe our neighbors to the east have such difficulties with their magics, do they?”

We both glance at the mountains rising directly east of my realm, where the firelord king’s keep sits overlooking both his kingdom and my domain.

Whatever the baron is fishing for, I’m tired of his games. “Is there a particular reason you’re asking for confirmation of facts any Caix schoolchild already knows?”

The baron throws his head back and laughs. “Not at all. Simply making conversation.”

Right. As if Baron Svalkat has eversimplymade conversation in his entire life.

As long as we’re having this conversation, I might as well see if I can tease out why the baron is here, along with what—if anything—he knows about the firelord king having left his kingdom recently. I’ve heard nothing from my firelord contacts suggesting King Kavan has traveled since Cyan and I caught sight of his vessel outside the shipping lanes, but perhaps there are rumors in the Ice Court that I’ve missed, having spent most of this year away.

“You’ve been in Prince Jonyk’s court recently, correct?” I ask the baron.

“I have,” he says in rapturous tones, even going so far as to hold a hand to his heart. “And what a wonderful season it was—all that amazing dancing and feasting.” He tosses me a sly glance. “And the prince has acquired some of the most delightful servants recently.” His expression takes on a cruel cast. “A few of them were even willing.”

My mind flashes to Lara. But I don’t allowmyself to pause, to think over my words or choose them too carefully. I don’t want to give him any more reason than he already has to search out more information about her.

Besides, this gives me the opening I’ve been waiting for.

“How lovely,” I reply, though I know I don’t come close to matching his tone. “I assume some of them were off-worlders?”

I can practically see the baron’s pointed ears perking up. “Indeed they were. A few humans from Earth mixed in with a couple of firelord females.” He gives a dramatic, if overly delicate, shudder. “So vile. The firelords, I mean. Did you know that Prince Jonyk has had to have the fire glands removed from several of his new servants? Cruel, I’ve heard some courtiers say, but of course it was necessary—they would insist on spitting flames at everyone who came near.”

“Is the prince not concerned that the firelord king might discover what he’s done?”

The baron gives a dismissive wave of his hand, and a shaft of sunlight breaks through the clouds, flashing on the baronial ring he wears on his pinky finger, the stone of which is a dark, glittering blue. I assume the ring was designed to mimic the twisted Starfire crown crafted by the original Caix King and rumored to hold great power.

The same crown I currently have hidden away in my bedchamber.

The one Lara led me to.

I drag my attention back to the conversation. Luckily, I don’t seem to have missed anything crucial. The baron is still explaining why Prince Jonyk doesn’t care if the firelord king learns he has tortured firelord subjects.

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