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“You are yourself,” Xan says. “You are not your siring.” His voice seems to come from somewhere far away. “But sleep now. Sleep.”

It comes for Jemel then, as if Xan had called it, impossible to resist further.

35

LUKAS

Downstairs in The Happy Swineherd Lukas is drinking with the Mortingales, waiting for his Lordling to reappear and make good on all the filthy things he had whispered to Lukas while they enjoyed the big family reunion.

For the time being, he satisfies himself by regaling the crowd with boastful tales of how Atticul held him prisoner and promised him his freedom if he came to his side. And making sure everyone knows that he was totally abandoned and still managed to anticipate what the Mortingales were planning, based on his own ideas of course, and make sure it all went smoothly.

“Abandoned by everyone, eh?” says Trysta beside him. She has Suki with her. Lukas notices how his sister is half on Trysta’s lap.

“Not by you, I suppose. But you were in a position where abandoning me would have been impossible.”

“But did you not abandon me? In that cell while you were kept in luxury?”

“I had no choice about that,” Lukas says, pouting.

“Did any of us have a choice? Damon did all he could. You ought to apologise to him for taking off to kill Selim. I regret that I allowed you to drag me into your scheming.”

Lukas scoffs. “Why should I apologise to Damon for not obeying his commands? He is not my General. He thinks he is our leader because he is the eldest. He is only a moon older than me. You are too loyal to my puffed up brother.”

“His age is not the reason Damon is our leader,” Trysta says coolly.

Lukas waits for Trysta to say more. To give a reason. But she does not. Perhaps she thinks the reason is obvious. Lukas wonders, idly, if maybe it is. It would kill him to admit it, but Damon does have a certain charisma that inspires loyalty and respect. Even in Lukas himself.

Lukas wonders where he gets it from. They share a father, so it must come from his mother. Damon never speaks of her.

A dead whore called Black Eyes. That’s all Lukas has ever known. And he doesn’t think he even learned that from Damon.

But wherever it comes from, Lukas thinks there is definitely something about Damon that makes him a leader. That makes people want to follow him.

Lukas looks at Trysta. “Tell me again, how many in the Azurian army would be loyal to Damon if he called upon them.”

“Many.”

Lukas nods. “Good to know.”

Trysta nods back, like she knows exactly what Lukas is thinking.

“So are you going to apologise to your brother?” says Suki.

Lukas shrugs. “I doubt it.”

“I think you should,” Suki says, taking a big swig from her cup of ale. “The streets are full of enforcers trying to stop the riots. Be nice to Damon Darekul or I’ll go and tell them who’s hiding out in here.”

“You wouldn’t do that. “

Suki leans past Trysta and kisses Lukas’s cheek. “I might.”

“You’d be in as much trouble as any of us,” Lukas chides her back.

At that moment, Lukas catches sight of Damon winding his way through the crowded room. There is something about him that draws the eye. Something in the way he holds himself.

He comes right over to their table and seats himself opposite Lukas.

“Did you get what you wanted from Jemel?”