Page 82 of Forge the Blade

“And you think you have to kill your father to do this. To keep her from assassinating you or worse.”

Sevastyan grimaced. “I think I might have to kill my father to keep Rei safe.”

“That’s a different calculus.”

“It is. My mother wants me under her thumb. Right now, she’s recalculating what that takes and if she needs more leverage. She needs a sign of my loyalty soon, or she’ll create a situation in which I have to give it to her.”

“You might have to eliminate her from the playing board sooner rather than later.”

Sevastyan grunted and rubbed his face. “I’ve considered that. I’m not sure I have enough status to survive such a tactic, even with Alexi’s backing. I’m close, but . . . right this moment, not close enough.”

Silence settled over the room, heavy and ominous. They both drank from their glasses.

“You really thought I would kill you for owning Rei,” Ellisandre murmured. It wasn’t a question, but a remembrance, the vision of Sevastyan begging them not to let Rei see.

Sevastyan ducked his face again. “I know how you felt about people being used. It’s what you hated most about your father, the fact that he trafficked people. You didn’t have a reason to believe me, that I was different.”

“I had so many reasons to believe you were different,” Ellisandre murmured. “Starting with the fact that the way my father looked at his cargo and the way you look at Rei are only in the same universe because all of humanity is in the same universe by default.”

Sevastyan’s lips twitched towards a wry smile. “Technically, we were never in the same universe. One of us was dead before I ever set eyes on Rei.”

“True.” Ellisandre smiled and reached for their glass again, half hiding behind their drink. “Setting the question of Raska aside, tell me what you’re planning now. Dirk is dead. You have a new flat. The invitation for the party next month arrived. Lisa and Rei are healing and in training. Lay out next steps.”

Sevastyan pressed his hands together. “I’m trying to convince myself to trust Richard. And I’m trying to figure out how to buy Jun time. Sentiment is shifting in the Yadro and South Korea. Taking out Dirk wasn’t enough. They still look like they’re coming for Jun. One side wants him dead, preferably arrested and sentenced for murder. The other side wants him back under Bak Gyeong, working like before, without Richard or Damian in the picture. I only have until they call me back to decide how and where I can tip the scales.”

Ellisandre leaned forward.

Sevastyan took a deep breath. “If I can’t buy Jun time, Richard has no reason to work with me. I don’t have anything he wants. And he will have everything to lose. I have to offer him a deal worth taking, and right now I have nothing to offer him.”

Lisa’s urgent shout came from the primary bedroom.

Ellisandre surged to their feet. Sevastyan was even faster, jumping over the back of the couch with one hand braced on the back and sprinting ahead. Ellisandre swept around the end tables and followed him into the bedroom.

Lisa was holding his side, eyes wide, and trying to keep Rei down. Rei’s eyes were closed, but his eyes were moving behind his eyelids. He jerked against the sheets, fighting something that couldn’t be seen.

“Back,” Sevastyan ordered.

Lisa flung himself out of the way. Ellisandre helped him. Sevastyan dropped his weight down on Rei, caging his slave in with his arms and legs. He whispered against Rei’s ear, moving his face to avoid being hit as Rei thrashed.

Ellisandre checked Lisa. “Are you hurt?”

Lisa touched his leg. “Tender, but fine”

Ellisandre grimaced, looking back towards Sevastyan and Rei. Rei’s movements were growing more still. One of his hands came up and gripped Sevastyan’s shirt by the collar, the whites of his knuckles showing.

“Room, please,” Sevastyan said, voice strained.

“You have it,” Ellisandre slipped an arm around Lisa’s waist and helped the man limp away. His leg was more than a little tender. Ellisandre got him to the couch and attempted to settle him.

“No furniture,” Lisa hissed. He leaned towards one of the cushions on the floor.

Ellisandre grimaced and helped him down. They went back to the bedroom and shut the door, then went back to Lisa. The slave’s teeth were gritted and he was holding his thigh near the still healing wound.

“We should check that,” Ellisandre said.

Lisa nodded.

Ellisandre helped him pull the pants down. He wasn’t wearing anything underneath, because of course he wasn’t. Ellisandre kept their eyes fixed on Lisa’s thigh. Business. This was just business.