Page 21 of Tears of Gold

Rita will watch over them. But Qi Lords, they’re vulnerable without proper identification papers, and Rita doesn’t have the resources I do to turn away questions. I should have given her an imperial bracelet before we left the academy. It gives me little comfort that the scheming rogue is chaperoning my girl, but at least I can trust him to be street-smart and not try to leave the city without papers.

My boots thump on the solid marble as we climb the front steps and enter the gold foyer, sounding dull and heavy like my heart. Unease lodges in my throat as we walk through the room designed to awe visitors. Gold coats the heavy moldings on every pillar and wall, the room bright as daylight under a chandelier covering the entire curved ceiling. The emperor’s portrait, three times bigger than life size, hangs over the far doorway, his stern gaze seeming to watch us as we cross the room and pass under him.

I quickly examine my qi levels and prepare to summon ice. I can’t remember the last time I felt safe within these walls. I bite back my discomfort. I’ve played this game my whole life, so one more night will be fine.

“I don’t suppose you’d go back to them?” I ask Vanrey, keeping my voice low.

“Not a chance, Your Highness, with all due respect.” He slips into formal address, which isn’t surprising, given where we are. In the short time we’ve known each other, I’ve learned he’s as stubborn as a dragon, so I’m unsure he’ll leave even if I make it an order. Hopefully we can visit my father and be gone again within an hour.

The guards lead us to the royal family wing and halt before my father’s private study.

“Welcome, Your Highness.” The waiting aide bows to me and opens the door. As he announces us, I wriggle my toes in one last effort to shake off my nerves. We now stand inside the cold beating heart of Exerin-Mi, where the whims of this one man decide the fates of many.

My father stands on the balcony, looking out over the city alive with color. The booming sounds of the festivities soften here, possibly due to the layers of shield spells coating the room.

“Erritt,” he says as he turns, face as impassive as ever. I can’t tell if he’s happy to see me or upset about discovering I was in the city.

“Greetings, Your Imperial Majesty.” I approach within five paces and go down on both knees, lowering my head to the tile floor of the balcony. A muffled rustle of clothing informs me Vanrey does the same behind me.

“Rise, and let me look at you,” my father instructs. Once I’m upright, he steps forward, puts his hands on my shoulders, and stares into my face. A hint of a smile turns his lips. “You should have told us you were coming.”

My mouth dries up. “It was not . . . my intention to . . . stay, Your Majesty. I only came to see . . . the festival.” Shit, we haven’t conversed much in person since Chengan’s fatal attack, and my recovery has been slower than I care to admit. Will he see this as a failure on my part?

His prolonged silence is my only hint about his thoughts until he drops his hands. “You weren’t going to visit? Your mother would cry to hear such a thing.”

I swallow hard, my tongue feeling thick and clumsier than ever. “Forgive me, Your . . . Majesty. I did not think it through.”

A soft exhale from his nose tells me he isn’t angry. “Will you stay?”

“By . . . your leave, I will return to De Tuan . . . this evening. I have much to do with my studies.” The sooner, the better. The longer I get held up here, the more Ava is in danger.

“So diligent, as always.” He looks past me to Vanrey. “How are you getting along with your aide?”

“He has been of great . . . value. I am well organized now, and as . . . you know, he led the exped . . . ition that discovered the Davina camp.” Every slow word feels like torture, and I stiffen in embarrassment, not quite meeting the emperor’s eye. Heat burns in my neck, an unfamiliar sensation given my affinity for ice.

He nods, ignoring my deficiency. “A pity we could not catch any rebels alive. But first, how are you recovering?” He steps back and holds out his hands.

I quickly strip my gloves and place my palms in his, bracing myself. As always, his qi washes through me with an avalanche’s raging intensity; even the slightest touch almost overwhelms me.

Will I be this strong in a few hundred years? I resist all temptation to touch his mind, trying my best not to squirm as he roves over my qi and physicality.

My father’s lips twitch as he releases my hand. “As ticklish as ever, my son.”

I bow my head, heat rising from my neck to my ears. Thank the Qi Lords he didn’t probe my thoughts.

He moves to his desk and lifts a sheaf of papers. “Your intelligence on the missing people has proven useful. We found several Davina spies associated with the districts where there have been cases. Unfortunately, we haven’t progressed with the interrogations or recovery of the abducted citizens. These Davinas are proving to be a stubborn bunch of dissenters. They prefer to die than give up their secrets.”

Behind him on the wall, shelves stand in precise rows bearing hundreds of opaque cubes which glow faintly in the shadow, casting an eerie glow over one side of his desk. It’s impossible for anyone who faces the desk not to notice them, the organs of the emperor’s enemies preserved in cases of qi like hunter’s trophies in resin.

This is a man who does not tolerate disobedience. Somewhere among them is the heart of the Five Claw general, who my father claims betrayed him, starting the opening scenes which led to the Dragon War, and now the Davina uprising.

Vanrey takes a step forward and goes back down on one knee.

“Yes?” the emperor asks.

“Your Majesty, while I have been unable to categorize the creature who destroyed the base, we’ve reason to believe it may have been held as a prisoner prior to destroying the camp. His Highness believes this may be part of a twisted recruitment strategy.”

The emperor hums softly as he drops the papers. “It is likely, especially if they have a strong psychic who can brainwash behavior. We have increased the guard around the species that might draw the most interest, primarily the yokai colony in Datu and the haechis in Xionxi. The tengu clans have declined our protection but are on high alert.”