to pulling weeds. “Who knows … I was banished out here before I could hear anything. Your father doesn’t appreciate my insight.” It might have been in part due to her current dress. In complete opposition to my father, my mother wears red flowing cotton pants, a black unassuming top, and thick, wool black cape. She’s accessorized with a wool hat, gardening gloves, and boots.
“Does he know?” I glance toward the mural.
She shakes her head, mouth pressed into a thin line, like the sheer thought is preposterous.
Honestly, it is. He wouldn’t be even remotely on board.
I crouch down next to her, begin pulling weeds. “I suppose I don’t need to ask how things are going?”
“Oh, well underway. All those soldiers out there? That’s Raevald’s paranoia at work. I don’t doubt for a second he’s heard the murmuring.” She smiles proudly. Sun bless the woman, she’s risking so much. Of course, she does all of this for me, for the life she longs to have restored, so I may take over as heir sooner than later, possibly, in part, because she can’t wait to move into the palace. Deep down? She has a heart of gold.
I believe that.
I lean in. “How long should we wait until things are ready? Until it’s time to act and move things forward?”
My mother looks me straight in the eyes. “Nico—I’m doing my part. The stage is set. Now it’s time for you to do yours.”
CHAPTER 24
VEDA
Making our way up to the Sindaco’s personal quarters inside the Crag, the silence is blaring as my mind goes wild with what ifs.
Dorian and I have speculated as much as we can about what the Sindaco might possibly be up to with the mines: He’s going to set a trap for the Imperi … Maybe he plans to create a diversion somewhere on the island through a large explosion … Or possibly, he’s going to cart them to the front door of the palace and finally exact revenge on his father … All, unfortunately, plausible.
When we reach the Sindaco’s door, it’s slightly ajar.
“Sir?” Dorian calls, but no one answers. “Sindaco?” He pushes the door open, but struggles against something or several somethings pushed up against it. Dorian’s being careful not to be too loud or too destructive, and it’s driving me mad.
Stepping to the side, I kick the door open with one blow.
“Shit, Veda!”
“What? You were taking forever and a day.”
“A bit of warning next time, eh?”
“Maybe.”
He’s definitely about to say something sarcastic when we both actually look into the cave.
“My Moon…,” I whisper at the same time Dorian swears.
It’s pure chaos. Tacked and nailed all over the stone walls so you wouldn’t know it was stone at all are maps and plans and diagrams and notes. Some make sense—the map of Bellona, soldiers’ movements, weapons counts—but others are in a sort of coded language, written with symbols and numerals the likes of which I’ve never seen.
“Sindaco?” Dorian calls once more, and like a ground weasel peeking out of its hole, the Sindaco looks around the corner from the adjoining cave.
“Oh!” he says, making his way in to greet us. “Did we have a meeting?” He glances at his hourglass.
“No,” I say. “Not quite.”
“Well then, I’m very busy, as you know.” He scuffs the hair shadowing his face. “The weapon is almost ready. I’ve been putting on the final touches.”
“That’s actually part of why we’re here, Sindaco.”
“Why’s that?” The Sindaco’s so distracted he can’t even make eye contact. Currently, he’s studying a paper he pulled from his breast pocket.
“Well.” Dorian eyes me. “When Veda and I went looking for you, we started at the contraption’s—”
“Weapon,” Sindaco cuts in.
“Yes, sorry, the weapon’s location, and we stumbled upon something odd. Something very much out of place.”
To this he glares upward but doesn’t say a word.
I take over. “There were mines stacked all around it, like they’re being moved from some other location. Do you know about this?”
“My Moon!” He crumples the paper he was studying and throws it onto the ground. “Those aren’t supposed to be down there.” He stands, makes his way to the door. “Of all the careless things … I’ll take care of it at once.”
“Before you do, can we speak with you?”
“Yes … Yes … Just be quick about it. We don’t want the entire tunnel to blow, now do we?”
“No, of course not. We can talk as we make our way down. Dorian and I can help remove them.”
“No—I won’t have you down there. It’s too