AllFreeNovel
Share Us
"I need to know what Trydan is planning," I said, getting straight to the point.
"I don't know what you're talking about." She looked away, staring hard into the mirror, but I could see the wheels turning in her head. She knew exactly what I was talking about. I just had to earn her trust.
"I know what Imrys does to you."
Her gaze snapped back to me, her eyes full of angry indignation. "You don't know anything."
Sighing, I reached sideways beneath the closest gowns and made a broad sweeping motion with my hand. Empty bottles tinkled together and then spilled out of their hiding places, rolling across the floor between us.
"I know he hurts you. I know you want to escape, and I know that he is watching your every move because he suspects you'll try it any day. I know that he has other people keeping an eye on you even when he's not around. And I know that a lot of people could die if we don't stop him."
"Why should I care?" she asked. Her eyes were full of tears. "This whole place can burn for all I care. The sooner, the better."
I shook my head, willing myself not to snap at her for being a prima donna. "You don't mean that."
She snorted. "Oh, but I do. The palace, the Guardians, the whole damn thing. I welcome the day the storms finally reach us here and put the whole lot of us out of our miseries!"
"Is that what's coming then? Imrys wants the storms to come? But why? What does he have to gain?"
She rolled her eyes. "No. He doesn't want the storms to destroy Ke'Thal. He needs it to stand if he's to claim the throne in the end."
I didn't know what to say to that. My mouth fell open in disbelief and Tatyanna actually laughed at me. It was a quiet, rueful sound that broke my heart.
"It's obvious, isn't it? What else could he want? He practically drools over it whenever he has to stand next to Trydan in the sanctuary."
"That can't be all, though," I insisted. "If he just wanted the throne, he could take out Trydan and have it. Why is he calling the storms closer? Why does he want all the other Guardians gone?"
"He doesn't." She picked up an empty bottle of wine and tilted it up with interest, savoring the scent.
I waited impatiently for her to continue, but she didn't say anything for a long time, and I was beginning to think I'd reached the end of this conversation. I started to get up, knocking the wine bottles away from my knees and rising slowly until I stood over her, looking down upon her sad, desperate form.
"You don't deserve his wrath. When I find out what he has planned, I will make him pay for every mark he ever left on you." I forced the words out between my teeth, angry on both our behalf.
Going to the door, I reached for the handle, turning back at the last second. "Lychrai sends her regards."
"He wants to purify Ke'Thal. He believes that Trydan allowed the Guardianship to be tainted by allowing Kiango and the others to earn their titles. He called that storm, and he forced Trydan to send out all the Guardians. He thought it would be easy to get rid of them all at once."
"But?" I swallowed hard, unable to believe what I was hearing.
She gave me a wry smile. "But he lost control of it and Kiango escaped."
"And what about Silas? Does he want Silas dead too?" The question was out of my mouth before I could even consider why I was asking it.
Tatyanna gave a weak shrug and shook her head. "That's all I know. He doesn't really talk to me." She lifted her arms up and twisted them to observe the bruises with grim acceptance.
"Thank you... for talking to me. Imrys will pay for this," I assured her, and then I let myself out of the room and walked as fast as I could away from Imrys's dark corner of the palace, thinking only of the delicate thread that kept Silas alive.
