Page 85 of Immortal Longings
Galipei’s instructions had been simple:Don’t kill anyone. None of us are in danger. It’s someone pretending to be one of those “rural intruders” targeting players of the games—just stall and make it look convincing until August gets back on scene.
Calla pulls her mask tighter, securing it around her nose and mouth. She doesn’t wait for August to dismiss her, nor does she make eye contact with Galipei as she passes.
“Hey!” August calls anyway. The first syllable of her name almost slips from his lips, but then he casts a look at the guards and visibly holds back. “Where are you going?”
Calla waves a salute. When she reaches Anton, she snags him by the elbow. It’s not her safety she is worried about. It’s Anton’s. Every moment they linger here in view of August is a moment their prince might pull one of a thousand plans from his sleeve without consulting the people involved in them first, manufacturing a false fight just so he can catch his culprit.
“You’re on your own for this one, Your Highness. You know how to reach me for other business.”
She slips her hand into Anton’s and pulls them both out of view, away from San-Er’s wall.
CHAPTER28
You set me up.”
August doesn’t bother denying it. He leans on the cell bars, arms folded across his chest. Beside him, Galipei hovers at the ready. No other guard has been allowed into the cells, not even another Weisanna, in case Leida tries jumping. They occupy unknown terrain with Leida Miliu now, watching her in the corner of the cell with her blindfold taken off, her legs propped up and her arms resting on her knees. After all that Leida has taught the Crescent Society members, who knows what else she’s learned to do? Perhaps she really can invade a Weisanna.
“You’re a fool,” August says. Since all the other cells are cleared out, he’s not afraid to continue: “I already had a plan to depose Kasa. I was alreadyon it.Why would you feel the need to intervene?”
Leida flexes her hands. Most of the glitter around her eyes has smeared off. The few specks that remain are light on her skin, making her face look mottled and bruised.
“You’re not endeavoring to depose him,” she replies quietly. “You’re endeavoring to replace him. You will take the throne, and nothing will change.”
August scoffs, backing away from the bars. “You thinkIwould let the people starve? You thinkIwould throw banquets while the provinces suffer drought after drought?”
“I think you would fix it for a year or two.” Leida’s voice remains faint. “I think you would smooth over the holes you saw appear while King Kasa was on the throne: feed the people, dissolve the councilmembers who were not governing their provinces well. Then other holes would appear. The outer provinces will want independence. San-Er will want the wall to come down. And you will not want it, you will think it useless.”
“Stop,” August says.
Leida does not stop. “The years will catch up. You’ll start to resent those who are loud about their demands. You punish them by withholding resources and food. Poverty will strike. Balance will shift again. Before you know it—”
“Shutup,” August demands. “I mean it.”
“—you’ll be a tyrant, just as King Kasa is. It might not even take years. It could be mere hours after he’s deposed, when you feel the power at your fingertips and realize your armies will do whatever you say as long as you wear the crown.”
Leida finally stops when Galipei slams an arm against the cell bars, shaking the whole wall with a metallic clang. She doesn’t look frightened, only tired: her eyes narrow, her gaze downcast.
“Of all people close to August,youshould know better,” Galipei snaps.
“I do, Galipei. Idoknow August.” She straightens one of her legs out, rolling her ankle in her boot. “I could have incited an open coup, but I didn’t. Why do you think I bothered with this facade, training an entire temple of Crescents to use qi tactics that have long been forgotten in the royal books? Why invent a storyline about Sican intruders? This was never supposed to end with your headunder a sword. I wanted this reign to topple quietly. I wanted to start with the monarchy’s power diminishing.”
“That’s not separate from me,” August counters tightly. “Iamthe monarchy.”
“And you could let go of that. But you won’t. Do you think you can fix this by taking power?” Leida shakes her head. She is smiling, though the expression has no humor. “Either you’re fooling yourself, or you’re trying to fool everybody else. No king is selfless. No throne is built on bloodless ground. There can be no freedom until the crown is broken.”
August turns to leave. He has no interest arguing about this. Somewhere along the path, he has lost Leida, and he won’t waste time trying to bring her back. He smooths the cuff of his jacket, fingers fixing the metal that holds his sleeve down.
“When my mother died, she had me promise to serve the people, not the kingdom.” Leida raises her voice now, choosing to increase her volume only when August begins to walk. The echo bounces on the stone walls, trailing him like a wild animal. “Thepeople, August. The guard was not formed to conquer land and territory. The Weisannas were not born to protect one pitiful royal from the consequences of his greed.”
August keeps walking. Galipei is close on his heels.
“Half of the provinces in Talin have their own language. Did you know that?Did you know?They don’t want your benevolent rule, they wantfreedom! We are not a kingdom anymore—we have long been an empire, and you are to blame if you won’t acknowledge it!”
Her voice cuts off abruptly as August and Galipei emerge from the cells, slamming the security door shut after them. A glance is exchanged between the two, no words spoken before they proceed down the hall. August nods at the guards standing afar, signaling that they may resume watch.
He stays quiet even when the guards are out of earshot. All down the palace halls and corridors, the hard soles of his shoes make a thunderous sound, beatinga rhythm through the floors. To his own ears, each step is in careful harmony with his steady, even heartbeat.
Leida is never going to walk out of that cell. Ever.
