Page 112

Elric shrugs. “He told me so himself. Or I assume it was him, under that veil.”

Damon makes an irritated grunting noise. “We will have to find a way for Lyr and I to get safely into the Rose Palace to see him. Perhaps if we have the assistance of Doroth Zain when he returns.”

Lukas says, “While we are waiting for your dearest friend Doroth Zain to return, what about our other business in Attar?”

Damon sighs, “There is no other business in Attar. We have discussed this.”

“We have not discussed it. You have simply decreed what we will do.”

“Lukas,” Damon says tightly. “I said no.”

“You cannot simply say no,” Lukas snaps. He feels like he has had this frustrating conversation with Damon so many times. “Emperor Selim must die. He tried to kill you.”

“Vindar tried to kill me.”

“Very well then, I’ll kill Vindar too. I’ll kill them all.”

“Will you? After it went so well last time.”

Lukas inhales. He can feel his anger rising. “This time I have Vindar’s spy in my bed.” He puts an arm around Elric.

Damon rolls his eyes. “We are here for one reason alone. To find out about what is written on Lyr’s back. Do you really think we could remain in Attar after you enact your schemes? If you were caught, when it was discovered who you were? Vindar knows I am alive, Atticul knows I am alive. It would be traced back to me. Remember Vindar’s old rule about punishing all Bastards the same?”

“I won’t be caught,” Lukas snaps.

Damon shakes his head. “Even if you weren’t. Even if you were successful it would mean the end of our time in Attar.”

“It will not. We will not be implicated. I have already made a plan. The Lordling knows a way into that private shrine. I can get in when Selim is there for his dawn prayers, cut his throat and be gone before anyone even knows what has happened.”

“No,” Damon growls.

Lukas stands up. He is boiling with rage.

Damon. How had he forgotten what Damon was like? How infuriating he could be?

He runs the tips of his fingers over the point of his hook as he steps forward, squaring up to Damon. Damon is so tall and the room so low that Damon’s head almost touches the eaves. In a low quiet voice Lukas says, “You know what the empire did to the men who came with me to kill Selim five years ago. Not the ones who died in the palace. The ones they caught.”

“I know,” Damon says. “I know. I was there.”

“And you did nothing.”

“There was nothing I could do.”

“There is something you can do now.”

Damon stares down at Lukas.

Behind him, Lukas hears Elric sigh dramatically and flop down on the bed. He doesn’t like this. He’s trying to break the tension, but Lukas has no time for the Lordling’s dramatics.

“Who have you lost?” Lukas says in a low snarl.

Damon’s green eyes narrow. “What do you mean?”

“Who has the empire taken from you?”

Lukas sees Damon’s jaw go tight with anger. “You think Azuria has not harmed me? The empire forced me into its brutal army. I saw many fall. Many I called friends. One I called lover. Much has been taken from me.”

“After the attempt to kill Selim failed,” Lukas growls back, “the empire sent troops into the hills. To kill Mortingales. I lost everyone. I lost Red Wolf. I lost my fucking hand.”