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I doubted I was going to get more out of him. I glanced at Lugotu, who was frowning. He looked at me and spelled out his concern.

“If General Kacha intended to draw His Imperial Majesty’s attention to the ocean, then perhaps he had some larger purpose for the fires we have spent so long putting out. To split the Imperium’s forces, or, if he knew that you were among the scouts, then perhaps he wanted His Imperial Majesty’s consort.”

Last time I had faced Kacha in person, he had been on Tallu’s bedroom floor, his body smoking from Tallu’s electro magic. He had been ranting about me, warning Tallu that I would be the downfall of the Imperium. Little did he know that his own emperor wanted the Southern Imperium to fall, wanted to destroy the legacy of bloodshed and terror his forefathers had left on the continent.

“And if the fires were the distraction?” I asked.

“Then he intends to test the strength of the navy so he might focus his attention on it,” Lugotu said.

He had trained for years under Commander Rede before gaining his own unit, and I could see some of the older man’s strategic thinking when Lugotu spoke.

I said nothing, reaching up to stroke at Terror’s breast before I glared at the camp in front of us. If General Kacha had intended to test which Tallu would defend more fiercely—his military forces or me—then hopefully none of Kacha’s scouts had seen how many servants Tallu sent out in search of me. My beloved husband was not subtle when it came to me.

I stepped into the camp, aware of all the soldiers and elves who carefully moved out of my way. I was unsure what expression was on my face, but I knew I wasn’t happy. Lerolian stood outside Tallu’s tent, glaring at the closed flap. Two guards stood on either side, their masks showing them to be the new Dogs that had been moved from army to kennel.

“When you talk to him, can you tell him that we cannot be everywhere? It is not physically possible, even for ghosts. We can either stay in the camp, and alert him to rumors and threats of mutiny, or we can patrol the outer edges of the perimeter.” Lerolian’s cheeks grew pink as he huffed out a breath too fast. “This is no longer the palace. The intrigue does not always happen within our sphere of travel.”

I felt for the ghost, aware that it must be frustrating to have once known everything, every dirty secret the Imperium’s elite whispered in the dark, and now be blinded and deafened by the simple fact that the world was much larger than the imperial palace.

I paused a moment and one of the Dogs turned, announcing out my presence to the closed tent flap. Tallu called for me to enter, the growl in his voice unhappy.

The Dog pulled aside the flap, and I entered, letting the canvas fall closed behind me. General Saxu sat in one of the chairs across from Tallu. When he saw me, his expression barely changed. The only sign of his anxiety’s easing was the way the corners of his eyes relaxed.

Tallu stood, the relief on his face disappearing under a mounting anger. “Where were you?”

“The fires were more extensive than we could see from the air. I wanted to make sure that Kacha understood he would suffer losses if he set any more.” I raised my eyebrows, seeing the jump in tension along Tallu’s jaw. But he only turned away, stalking to the side of the room and pouring himself a drink.

“You killed the men General Kacha sent to mind the fires?” General Saxu asked.

“There were four units of them. Each with three to six men. We killed them.” I didn’t say that once they were dead, I had fed them to the forest and allowed Tavornai to strengthen itself using imperial blood. The elves likely would have felt it. Riini, the child who had contained all the knowledge of the elder trees, would have known immediately what I had done. And she would have told my cousin Iradîo, who, grudgingly, would have told Tallu.

So what was the anger about? Why did he still have his back to me?

“General Saxu,” I said formally. “We captured one of General Kacha’s men. I’m not sure what the protocol is, but perhaps you should go see him before he suffers from our men’s anger? He says that he has information on Kacha’s location.”

Saxu was no fool, and took the offered escape. He murmured about checking on his men and the captive, then bowed to both of us, his form respectful, his fingers perfect.

Tallu gestured a dismissal without turning around.

I waited until I heard his footsteps disappear. Then I spoke quietly. “All right. What is it?”

Tallu turned around, and I realized that the stiffness I had taken for anger was actually much worse. His bronze skin was pale from pain, his features pulled tight in agony. When he swallowed, I could see his collarbones jutting out.

Swiftly, I crossed the room, dragging him down for a desperate kiss. He wound his arms around me, holding tight, his fingers convulsing against my back.

“Did you take even a single meal while I was gone?” I asked.

“Of course I did,” Tallu said. “My servants would worry if I didn’t, and their worry would infect everyone else.”

I pulled back, narrowing my eyes at him. “Let me rephrase. Did you eat food, or did you give everything to Terror and the other ravens?”

“That depends on exactly how much food is considered ‘everything,’” Tallu said, the admission even more obvious because of how he avoided my gaze, his eyes moving over my face and down my body, inspecting me.

He opened his mouth, and I shook my head, pointing a finger at him. “Tallu Atobe, you are not allowed to complain about how I look, nor comment on how much weight you think I have lost when you look nearly skeletal.”

“I did eat,” Tallu said.

But he slumped down, his forehead pressed against my neck. Even if he had eaten, what would it matter? The pain he was in, the curse he was under would have consumed everything he filled his belly with.