in fear of the high augurs? Couldn’t he have been reacting to fear of what would happen to him next?”
“It’s possible . . .” Raia said. She had tears pooling in her eyes, but she didn’t let them fall.
“Yes!” Yorbel said, seizing on that ray of hope. “Every being fears death, even knowing there is life on the other side. It means the end of your current existence, and an adventure into the unknown. Perhaps he feared the unknown!”
“He could have been afraid of dying,” Raia whispered. “I was . . . I was thinking how I was afraid of him being killed. And of how much I’ll miss him.” She looked at the lion as if he were a dear friend, not a murderous monster. “Could he . . . Could he have been reacting to me?”
“Maybe,” Tamra said. In which case, speaking out against the high augurs would be the worst thing they could do. The best would be to wait out the riot, then bring the kehok to the temple, let things proceed, and have the emperor-to-be find his brother’s new vessel and be crowned emperor. Exactly as they’d planned.
But if we’re wrong . . .
Out by the dais, Raia had reacted so strongly. And she knew the kehok better than anyone. If that was what she felt he was trying to say, and if all they were doing now was making her doubt herself . . . I trust her. “You sounded certain out there.” And all the arguments were still valid—the augurs could have made the anti-victory charm and used it. Or paid someone to use it on the late emperor.
“I was. I am!”
“What are even our choices here?” Lady Evara asked. “Do nothing, or lob unproveable accusations at the most powerful people in our land until they decide to squash us like bugs?”
“He needs to be killed and reborn as human,” Tamra said. That’s how we all win, she thought. “No one knows the lion is Emperor Zarin. This can still work.” As soon as Zarin was reborn, Prince Dar could announce he’d found his late brother’s vessel and be coronated. Then as emperor, he could deal with the mess that was the high augurs and whether or not they were guilty. It will cease to be my problem.
“But how can we be sure the high augurs will follow through with the ritual?” Raia asked. “If they’re guilty, all they have to do is not use the victory charm, and they’ll escape unscathed.”
Tamra had an idea. “What if it doesn’t happen behind sealed doors? What if the emperor-to-be were to insist that the grand champion kehok be killed in public, with the victory charm visible for all to see?”
Looking immensely relieved, Yorbel nodded. “That’s not too much to ask. The augurs can prove their innocence, and the wrong that was done to Zarin and Dar will be fixed, at least as much as it can be. Right will prevail, and goodness will be restored.”
Lady Evara waved her hand. “Yes, yes. All of that. Very relieved we didn’t reach the conclusion that we needed to raise an army, storm the temple, and lay siege to the city, because I have to host a celebratory party later tonight. So . . . we just waltz out of here with the racer and rider who just caused a riot and say oops, sorry, but can you slaughter this lion for us where we can see the blood? Yes?”
The lion growled.
Tamra thought he might have understood that. “We need to get him to the emperor-to-be, explain the situation and Raia’s suspicions, and then have Prince Dar tell the high augurs what they need to do to prove their innocence. If they’re innocent, they’ll do it. If they’re not . . . what choice will they have? They’ll have to, or they’ll be admitting their guilt.”
“Lovely! I see no holes in your plan!” Lady Evara clapped enthusiastically. “I’m sure the guards will be thrilled to let us see the emperor-to-be now. Or as our rider so familiarly calls him, Dar. Especially if we come in the company of the girl who accused the most holy people in the empire of depravity, the monster whose disobedience started a riot, and their trainer, infamous for last year’s disaster at finals.”
Tamra crossed to one of the narrow slit windows and peered out. It was worse than she expected. More soldiers had arrived, drawn from the local battalion, and were marching through, trying