Page 56 of Memory of Ashes

“Are they here already?” she shrieked. “How did they get here so quickly? I thought we had at least half a day on them.”

The cell door opened, and the councillor stood there.

“Are they here?” she asked him.

“No,” the councillor said. “We’re assembling our army. We’ve evacuated everyone we could and closed the city gates. They won’t be able to get to us that easily.”

They believed her. She looked up at the ceiling and sighed.

The stone city walls would stop them for a while, but she’d seen what they could do. They’d find a way in, and then all it would take was for Danae to set the city alight.

“The emperor wants to see you both,” he said.

They left the cell and followed him onto the upper floor of the palace. She’d only ever seen the main hall and boardroom. They climbed up a winding stone staircase until they reached the top floor, where the glass roof framed the cloudless sky. Two large double doors opened, admitting them into a vast room. A man stood near a window, overlooking the surrounding land outside the walled city.

Even with all her visits to the palace, she’d never seen the emperor. This man wore robes of bright purple, edged with gold, and his hair and small beard were immaculately groomed and smoothed with oil. This must have been him. Unsure of what the protocol for meeting an emperor was, she bowed. Ruven did no such thing and stood with his arms crossed. His hood was down, and the emperor’s eyes fell upon his antlers, and then his ears.

“So, you still exist,” the emperor said.

Every missing report rearranged itself in her mind.

He knew.

“Knowledge is passed from emperor to emperor,” he said, noticing her shock.

“Why has this been kept a secret from the guild? How do we not already know about it?”

His silence was a betrayal. History could not be altered, but it had been hidden. What else was a lie? Who else knew?

He ignored her and returned his attention to Ruven. “But you disappeared, or something made you disappear.” He walked closer, eyeing him up and down. “How many are coming?”

“Five thousand,” Ruven replied.

The emperor nodded.

“But they can do things,” Amelia interjected. “They have abilities, unbelievable skills that we can’t match.”

“And we have weapons, powerful weapons that we’ve been developing. I’d been hoping to test them out. What do you want the chrysonium for?” he asked Ruven.

Ruven didn’t reply.

“You said he was here to help us?” The emperor turned to Amelia. “He doesn’t seem very cooperative.”

From the window, Amelia could see something far in the distance. “What’s that?” she asked, walking over to the window, pointing.

“They’re here,” Ruven said.

*

The cloud of dust on the horizon grew, rising until it merged with the clouds. With his fae vision, Ruven could see much farther than she could and assured her that the army was approaching.

Tharos hadn’t even hidden them.

It would soon be dark.

The city’s walls were lined with armed guards, waiting in anticipation. They’d not seen war in decades. Amelia didn’t know how they’d prepare to fight an enemy that wasn’t even human. The emperor had spoken of powerful weapons, but she doubted they would be enough. How arrogant could he be?

The fae army came into sight, and the city watched in silence. The citizens were under strict orders to remain indoors and off the streets, while those living beyond the walls were brought into the city for protection. They’d rushed into its safety carrying any belongings they could, knowing that they might not see their homes intact again.