darkened blade_ A fallen blade novel - Kelly McCullough Page 0,42

for the most part, though the chiefs in turn answered to the four high khans, who were nominally obliged to the great khan. But it had been generations since a great khan held any true power. These days, the Khan of Khans, Ruler of the Kvanas, and Protector of the Clans mostly served as a game piece for the power struggles of the high khans, alternately being raided or traded from one to another along with his family and official court.

“I appreciate the warning, Siri, but why not just wait for Jax to tell me herself?”

“Because the job of First Blade has become political. I believe Jax when she says she doesn’t want it, but there’s Maryam to worry about at the very least. If it appears that you have unusual sources of information, it will help you build your authority in the long run, and that means less chance that someone will try to stick me with the job, or force it on Jax.”

“Good thinking,” said Triss.

“Politics!” hissed Kyrissa.

Siri continued, “Now, you don’t have much time. If I’ve a portal of smoke to use as a shortcut, I can move faster than Jax or her messengers, but I expect the knock will come any—”

Someone hammered on my door.

“And that’s my cue to slip out the same way I came in—which ability is a secret I’ve yet to share with anyone here.” Siri vanished in a puff of smoke.

Somehow I didn’t think it was Altia back with my breakfast. “Come.”

Faran opened the door. “The Kvanas have united under the new great khan,” she said without preamble. “They’re burning Riada as we speak.”

I blinked. “How did you know that?”

“I take it from your lack of surprise that I’m not bringing fresh news.” She grinned. “Good on Siri.”

“Not entirely fresh, no, though I didn’t know that the clans had united.”

“Siri didn’t stay long enough to hear that, then. Sensible of her, since she didn’t know how soon they’d head this way.”

“But you do?” I asked.

“Not precisely, but Kelos said he’d delay them as long as he could without making it obvious what he was doing.”

That set my head a-spin. “Since when do you and Kelos get along?”

“We don’t. But the venues for listening in on Jax’s receiving room are very limited if you can’t slip in and out by way of the hearth smoke. Kelos and I bumped into each other in Javan’s garderobe, and that didn’t leave a lot of room for lies about what we both were doing there.”

“And Javan?”

“Still asleep when I left. We’re neither of us amateurs. Now, do you think it would be best if you waited here for Jax to come to you? Maybe sitting over at the desk and looking bored when she announces her news? Or would it be better to casually meet her on the way and ask, ‘What news of the invasion?’”

I sighed. I really didn’t want to have to play this game, but if I was going to do it, I might as well do it right. “Meet her on the way. Better to have it happen as publicly as possible, since this school’s walls have a lot more ears than most. That means I need to get going.”

“I’ll close up behind you. Best if you aren’t seen to have an obvious informant.”

She was right, so I went. I hadn’t gone fifty feet before I bumped into Altia. She had a tray with a wide variety of breakfast options on it. Apparently she had decided to bring me half the kitchen.

“Master Aral?” she said, obviously surprised to see me up and moving. “I thought you weren’t planning on coming down. . . .”

“Things have changed, for the worse. The Kvani are invading Dalridia, which means I’m going to have to eat on the move. If you’re willing to follow along with that tray, I’d appreciate it.”

“Of course, anything you need,” she said, and the softness had left her voice while one hand dropped to check the hang of the long dagger at her hip. Here was a young Blade in training ready to do whatever was required of her, even if it meant killing her former countrymen. Maybe she wasn’t as naïve as Faran had told me—though that conversation lay two years in the past now, and things change. “The sausages are cool enough for fingers and so are the rolls. Let me make you a quick sandwich.”

She did so, and I chewed on that while we headed down the main