all I’ve been able to discover, Lord Petalo does not have access to the kind of funds he claims to. I believe that the corrupt trainer, the poisoner, and Lord Petalo are all puppets. Which means there will be other attempts.”
Raia let out a gasp.
“As much as I love surprises, perhaps there’s something we could do to minimize the effectiveness of our next aspiring assassin,” Lady Evara said. “Like, ooh, I know, set a trap!” She said it as if the idea had jumped into her head.
Dar didn’t believe for an instant that it was a thought she’d spontaneously had. Lady Evara was far more intelligent than she pretended to be. She’d merely been waiting for the right moment to introduce her idea. “Go on.”
“Instead of waiting to be surprised by our puppet master’s next move, why not present an appealing opening and see who rushes to claim it?”
“Terrible idea,” Trainer Verlas said.
Lady Evara pouted. “I think it’s brilliant.”
“You want to use my rider and racer as bait!” Trainer Verlas scowled at Lady Evara. “For one, it’s too risky. For another, Raia and the lion should be focusing on preparing for the final race, not being distracted by playing bait. I won’t permit it.”
Lady Evara let out a tinkling laugh. “Darling, you are in the presence of the emperor-to-be. I don’t really think it’s your place to permit or not permit anything. Besides, worrying about another murder attempt is already quite a distraction.” She flashed a charming smile at Dar. “Your Excellence, of course, it’s your decision.”
He considered it. “Your rider and racer are already targets. If we can anticipate when and where the next attack will be, it would give us a measure of control that we don’t currently have.” And it would be nice to control something, Dar thought. As it was, nothing in his life felt under control. If he could flush the ambassador of Ranir out into the open, it might be enough to convince the generals to act to defend the border even without a formal imperial order. “Yorbel, what are your thoughts?”
Yorbel looked startled, as if he’d hoped to blend into the greenery. “I . . . Couldn’t we simply increase security? All we must do is protect the kehok until he wins the final race.” His eyes slid over to Trainer Verlas, as if he were looking for her approval.
“This is the best way to protect him,” Lady Evara said. “Catching an assassin in the act could even lead to unmasking our puppet master. Wouldn’t it be lovely to know who is behind these attempts? It could be separate coincidences, or a pattern that points to one powerful, wealthy enemy. Don’t you want to know which? If this all works and you’re crowned emperor, your enemies aren’t going to—poof—vanish.”
“She’s right,” Raia said. “We’ll do it.”
“Raia!” Trainer Verlas snapped.
“I’m willing,” Raia said stubbornly.
Dar admired that. “You have my gratitude.” She had it twice now, the first being when she gave him hope that Zarin had been the man he thought he was. “Lady Evara is correct. If there’s a chance to identify and stop this enemy, that’s what we should do.” Especially if it were the same enemy who used a charm against Zarin. If he could expose that enemy . . . he could achieve both redemption and revenge for his brother. “Let’s discuss specifics.”
Tamra hated their plan.
It was simple, which she was assured by Raia, Yorbel, and the emperor-to-be meant that there were fewer ways it could go wrong. I do not feel reassured. All she had to do was leave Raia and the kehok on the racetrack for a few minutes.
By tradition, before the final races, every trainer was granted fifteen minutes with their rider and racer on the racetrack in private. You were supposed to use the time to work out any nerves, refine strategies, practice techniques—you weren’t supposed to play bait in a trap. But the wheels were already in motion. Lady Evara had spread word, amid her “twinkling,” that her rider was so confident of her abilities that she planned to use her time to bond with her racer on the track without her trainer. She’d be alone.
Of course, Tamra was nearby, hidden beneath the stands, ready in case the attack came in the form of other kehoks. And of course, the emperor-to-be had deployed several of his most trusted guards to rush in in case of a human attack. A few of his best archers were hidden