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I shouldn’t have let her go.
Even as the thought rolled through his mind, he grimaced. Zarrah was not one to be controlled. And neither was he interested in controlling her, for all it would make aspects of his life easier. Being controlled was as much a prison as any cage.
As it was, right now, he had to look to his own survival, which was precarious. This garrison was full to the brim with men who’d respected Otis, and there wasn’t a chance in hell they didn’t believe Keris had killed him.
Because you did,his conscience whispered, but he shoved the thought away, burying it deep, where he kept his grief for all the others he’d lost.
Then he stepped through the gates into the palace.
“Your Highness.” A captain named Philo waited for him, the man bowing low. He was in his later years, hair more grey than brown, skin tanned dark from a life spent on duty in the sun. Keris had only minimal contact with him, given his penchant for avoiding all things military, but he recalled Otis describing him as a good leader and popular with the men.
So he inclined his head and said, “I’m pleased to see you well, Captain. It’s Philo, isn’t it?”
Surprise flickered through the man’s eyes, though whether it was for the courtesy or the fact Keris had remembered his name, Keris didn’t know. That either was a shock was a reminder that he had a great deal of damage to undo as far as his past behavior toward the men of this garrison.
Philo recovered from his surprise swiftly, gesturing to the palace. “Your rooms are ready, Your Highness. I’ll have your things brought up if you care to recover from your journey.”
Resting his hand on the man’s shoulder, Keris pushed him in the direction of the entrance. “What I’d like, Captain, is a report on the state of Nerastis. With recent happenings in Vencia, the situation is more volatile than in recent history.”
“Yes, Highness.” Philo cast him a sideways glance. “Serin was here in advance of your arrival, though he has since departed. He apprised us of all the developments.”
Of course he did.It was a struggle not to scowl, though the information was not entirely shocking. The merchant vessel he and Zarrah had traveled on had made port in several harbors on its journey south, which meant another ship or even a fast rider would have arrived in Nerastis far in advance of them. For all he didn’t regret a moment he spent with her on that ship, it didn’t mean those moments came without cost. “A long journey for the Magpie to only supply an update.”
“He was in pursuit of Aren Kertell and his…wife.”
Shock rippled through Keris. “In Nerastis?”
“The Red Desert, as the case may be.” Philo led Keris to the war room, closing the door behind them. “They were pursued south and cut off by a force from our garrison, dispatched on Serin’s orders. They fled into the Red Desert and are now presumed dead.”
Given Lara had been raised in the Red Desert, Keris would presume no such thing, but the larger question was why the pair hadn’t gone back to Ithicana. Had they been prevented from reaching the sea, and this was their only avenue of escape?
Or had they gone south with a purpose?
“Keep me apprised of any developments.” Keris’s eyes went to the map of the continent, tracking from Vencia to Nerastis down to Pyrinat. “What of Zarrah Anaphora? Was she with them?” What he really wanted to know was whether the spies had seen her in Nerastis. What he really wanted was news that she was safe.
Philo shook his head. “It was only the pair of them.”
Which meant no news had come of Zarrah’s return.
What if she hadn’t made it to shore? What if she’d drowned? Or been attacked by something in the water? What if she was injured somewhere and in need of help? What if Bermin had taken one look at her and killed her?
Focus.
He turned from the map to face Philo. “I want a total cessation on raids across the border, with all efforts turned to defense. More patrols along the Anriot within the city and as far east as the Red Desert.” The rest of the instructions poured from his lips, ideas he’d had long ago but had never implemented because that would have meant involving himself. Would have meant conceding to his father.
But he needed these men to respect him, so that when the time came, they’d follow him against his father.
Philo stared at Keris like he’d never seen him before, but to his credit, he only nodded. “It will be done, Your Highness.”
Then a knock sounded at the door. A moment later, a soldier stepped in and passed Philo a piece of paper. The captain read it and frowned, then handed it to Keris. “Likely nothing to be concerned about, Your Highness.”
Keris read it and felt his stomach plummet, because Philo couldn’t have been more wrong.
75
ZARRAH
Zarrah read the spy’s report again, then set it down. “It would seem that the princeling shows no interest in lowering his defenses at the border, so perhaps the Empress’s watch-and-wait stance is for the best.” She couldn’t help but wonder how long Keris would be able to maintain this level of militance. How long it would be until Silas was forced to strip the Nerastis garrison in order to continue his fight against the Ithicanians.
