Just business,she thought. Was what they’d done back there just business, too?
He halted in front of a door, guarded by two soldats. He halted so fast, Roa almost ran into him.
“My king,” they said in unison. Then to Roa, “My queen.”
She nodded to them.
Dax walked straight in.
Safire sat at a desk, her quill moving furiously across a piece of parchment. At the presence of the king, she didn’t look up.
“There are seven council members heading for the front gate at this very moment. They’ll have taken the most direct route from the atrium, which means by now they’ll be in the hall of fonts. I need you to arrest them all for treason.”
Safire’s quill stopped.
“But, please. Take your time.”
The commandant looked up, staring at her king for several silent heartbeats while something wordless passed between them.
Saf rose from the desk. “I’ll expect a full report from you when I return.”
Dax nodded. “Of course.”
Her boots clicked against the tiles as she strode out into the hall. To the soldats standing guard, she said, “With me.”
“Once they’re subdued and imprisoned,” said Dax, going to the window with a view of the Great Assembly’s copper dome, “I’ll call an emergency council meeting. Tomorrow morning, I think. We’ll need to act quickly.”
Roa stayed where she was, near the door.
“Act quickly for what purpose?”
He turned around to face her.
“I have reason to believe Rebekah is plotting a coup.” Dax watched her carefully as he added: “And that she has allies in the House of Sky.”
A chill crept through Roa.
How could he possibly know that?She forced herself to look him in the eye as an even more frightening thought took hold:If he suspects Theo, does he also suspect me?
She thought of the accusation the councillors made in the library.
“Do you believe them?” she asked, needing to know. “Do you think I’m using Essie to send messages to Theo?”
Dax’s mouth twisted as if he’d just bitten into something sour.
“Of course not,” he said. And then, more softly: “Essie would never betray me like that.”
Roa studied him.
Dax studied her back.
“You’re several moves behind,” he said as he turned away, moving for the door. “Try to keep up.”
As he stepped through it and disappeared down the hall, Roa remained where she was, her feet frozen to the floor. Sheneeded to warn Theo. But how? It was impossible to do without raising Dax’s suspicions, or worse: proving them true.
More than this, Roa needed to find out what, exactly, the king knew.
Just after dawn the next morning, the king and queen made their way to the Great Assembly. The streets were quiet and calm as Dax’s guards marched ahead and Roa’s marched behind.
