Page 94 of The Iron Dagger
At the top of the cliff, he made his way through the many corridors, almost sprinting, until he came to the hall where his father’s rooms were. The two guards opened the doors wordlessly at his approach, and he slowed his pace. Gideon fought to get his breathing under control and smoothed his clothing as he traversed the winding passages.
Finally he came to his father’s office and found the door ajar. Heart in his throat, he pushed it open and found his father sitting behind his desk. Surprisingly, his mother occupied the seat before him. She rarely came to these austere quarters, preferring the comfort of her own rooms.
Where was Hara?
“There he is,” said his father, gesturing for Gideon to take the seat beside his mother. Not knowing what this was about, and not wanting to implicate Hara, he remained silent as he took the seat. A small journal rested on his father’s desk.
“Apologies for not meeting you at the block-C factory. Tracking bullets are an interesting development, but I had a more tempting opportunity here,” said his father.
They had been expecting him. He had no reason to barge into his father’s office when he was supposed to be at the factory, yet they had both been sitting here waiting.
“You tried your best, my darling. But now there is no need. We have her,” said his mother, patting his knee. “I know you feel warmly towards her, and rightly so! Your father and I are also very grateful that she helped you. But she can help us so much more.”
“What?” said Gideon, keeping his face frozen and blank so as not to reveal the roaring chasm that had opened in his chest. He needed to hear them confirm his worst fear before he would respond.
“Geremy Flints reported her activities to me and all but confirmed that she is an alchemist. She is working on transforming a roomful of gold as we speak.”
They were looking at him triumphantly, and Gideon realized that they believed he was in on their scheme and that he should be pleased. He cleared his throat and trained his face into what he hoped was a glad expression. “Well, good. She did not fight?”
“Oh, she begged and denied it, but she will break,” said his father. “What concerns me is what she was reading.” He tapped his finger on the cover of the journal.
At least for this, Gideon did not have to playact. “What is that?”
“My personal accounts from the time of the coup. Now, answer me this Gideon: is she a spy?”
“No,” said Gideon. He tried to come up with a reason for Hara getting caught reading his father’s personal effects, but he could think of nothing but the truth. A version of the truth, anyway. “She knows very little of our history. I suspect that she was just curious.”
“Curious about her mother,” said his father, and Gideon’s mouth went dry. “She is the very image of the Seer who escaped.”
“She would attend the meetings in the throne room. Always quite striking,” said his mother.
“I . . . she did not tell me her mother was at court before,” said Gideon.
“I have no ill will towards Hara. She was only a child, after all. But if that child learned intimate state secrets and decided to open her mouth, I would be less forgiving. It’s not hard to imagine her having ideas of vengeance. The leadership of Norwen and Lenwen has changed, and the new blood might not have the same principles as their fathers.”
His father leaned forward, and his contented manner transformed. His eyes were like those of a reptile, flat and soulless. There were very few times in his life that Gideon felt frightened by his father, but his sudden change in expression made his skin crawl.
“I know you orchestrated this, ensuring I would be away so she would have access to my quarters. I don’t know what sort of spell she has worked over you to ensnare you so, but I will make you a promise right now.” His father stood from behind the desk, leaning forward on his fists. “If you do not convince her to cooperate, she will be executed come the dawn.”
His mother stood as well, and Gideon slowly gained his feet. His father turned to her. “Show him where she is, Eleanora.”
His mother firmly took his arm, and Gideon took a moment before turning his back on his father.
“Don’t think you are safe from the same fate because you are my son,” said the Commander. “If I find there is some conspiracy between you two, I will have you both executed publicly for treason. In the meantime, your quarters will be guarded and your movements followed.”
Gideon paused, his back still turned, then he allowed his mother to steer him out of the room and deeper into the Commander’s quarters.
It was all over.
What began as a personal mission to find Hara’s mother had resulted in her imprisonment and the threat of death for treason and spying hanging over their heads.
Even if by some miracle Hara was set free, he would never have a moment alone with her again. She was their lucky token now, a mine that never ran barren, and they would sooner execute Gideon than give her up.
Eventually, they came upon a thick wooden door with two guards stationed on either side. They stepped aside when they saw Gideon and his mother, and Eleanora knocked.
“Hara, dearest? I am so sorry for the way you have been treated. I promise it will not always be this way,” she said in a voice as warm and sweet as honey. “Gideon is here, and he wants to speak to you.”
His mother gave him a hard look and a nod.
