Wolshina’s gaze cut to Japa then back again. “We are pleased to have you with us once again, Echelon. We do not wish to overwhelm you, but there are many things to go over since your long absence.”

  Yserria withheld the sigh that threatened to escape her. “Of course, I will address all your concerns once we have reached the villa.”

  Wolshina motioned toward the others who were gathered to greet her. There were three other women and eight men, presumably their consorts. The men were all armed with swords, knives, and short bows, while the women each wore an embellished dagger at the hip. There were also three wagons, one laden with supplies and the other two possessing a tentlike structure. Wolshina led Yserria toward a tented wagon and said, “We would be pleased for you to ride here for our journey.”

  Yserria said, “Thank you, but I would prefer to ride out here where I can see the enemy coming.”

  Wolshina’s eyes widened. “Do you expect trouble, Echelon?”

  “I always expect trouble,” replied Yserria.

  “That is because she is trouble,” muttered Malcius barely loud enough for Yserria to hear. Wolshina seemed not to notice as she went about introducing Yserria to the others. Yserria recognized some of them and did her best to remember all their names and how they were related.

  While the women rode in the tented wagons, Yserria remained mounted with the men. Malcius stayed ever-present at her side, although he said little. Malcius had been broody ever since leaving Coledon’s court in Ferélle, and Yserria longed to send him back to Cael. She would not admit it to herself, but part of her was glad Malcius was with her. She had grown used to his presence. She never lacked for companionship, and that gave her comfort. Even his grousing no longer irritated her the way it once had. He seemed to be coming to terms with it as well. He complained less, and somehow the silences had become less awkward.

  It took two days to reach the villa of the Fourth Echelon. It was nestled within the walls of the city of Previs. The city was clean and bright, the buildings freshly painted, and balconies and patios were well-maintained and decorated with flowers. Beyond the walls were sprawling vineyards and quaint farmhouses. The rolling hills across the verdant countryside were peaceful and inviting, a far cry from what she had experienced the last time she had been in this country. Their caravan pulled to a halt as a shepherd drove his flock across the road. Yserria smiled at the bleating sheep with their fluffy white coats. She was glad she was outside the wagon to see the stunning sites around her.

  Upon entering the city, the serenity was abandoned as were many of the homes and shops. People rushed down the street toward the city’s center to calls for all to attend. Something had alarmed the populace, but Yserria did not think the city was under attack. She had seen no evidence of invaders upon approach. She looked over to her entourage. Two of the men were conferring, then one rode ahead in the direction of the crowd.

  The other, a man named Gillis, said, “Echelon, Nexius will find out what is happening.”

  By the time they saw Nexius again, the caravan had reached the city center where the crowd was gathered around the mage relay station. The people seemed to be eagerly awaiting some news, but it was not forthcoming. Nexius rode back to meet them and stopped in front of Yserria. He said, “Echelon, the people have gathered because a message from the palace at Kielen has come through the mage relay for you. They eagerly await the news.”

  Yserria looked at the man in surprise. “All these people are here to find out what a message says?”

  Nexius shrugged. “Very little of interest happens in this city, and we are far removed from Kielen. When a message from the palace arrives, everyone wants to hear the news.”

  “What was the message?” said Yserria, glancing over the crowd once more.

  Nexius held out a message written on a slip of relay paper. It read:

  To the venerable Fourth Echelon,

  On this day an attempt on the life of our merciful queen has been carried out by an unknown assailant. You are summoned to the court of Kielen by her majesty the queen. Present yourself within one month’s time.

  Yserria read the missive twice searching for meaning in its words. It seemed the queen was not dead, but someone had tried to make her so. Nearly all Leréshi queens ended their reign by assassination, but until now Erisial had been untouchable thanks to her marriage to Rezkin. If Erisial died, the throne would go to Rezkin, a man, and no one in Lon Lerésh wanted that to happen. Although it was the official stance of the crown that Rezkin still lived, some people were counting on him being dead, in which case the throne would go to the most powerful woman to seek it.

  Yserria did not know why Erisial wanted to see her. She had nothing to do with the attempt on Erisial’s life. But Yserria was also backed by Rezkin’s power, so perhaps Erisial saw them as kindred spirits—or at least two people with the same motivation to keep Rezkin alive.

  She handed the missive to Japa who stowed it away then turned to the crowd. She rode through the throng and turned her mount to face them once she was at the front. She raised her hands, and the crowd slowly hushed. She said, “An attempt has been made on the queen’s life, but Queen Erisial lives. You may all go home.”

  People began muttering amongst themselves and a few shouted questions to her. Several of her guards came forward calling for the crowd to disperse. Once the people had gone, Yserria and her entourage continued toward the villa. The villa consisted of several buildings all finished with stucco and roofed with red clay tiles. The main house was a two-story affair surrounded by tall columns with arches between them. Many of the windows contained colorful stained glass depicting animals or flowers, and mage-lit sconces illuminated the shadows. Azeria had never visited the villa, but she immediately adored it. It was too bad she would have to leave almost immediately for the capital city of Kielen to answer the queen’s summons.

  Trivian peered through the spy glass until he could no longer see the flame-haired woman when she entered the villa. As one of Caydean’s demon-bound battle mage generals, he had the power to just waltz into the compound and take her, but he wanted this to remain quiet. It would be easier to get her back to Ashai if he was not having to fend off her protectors at every turn. No, it would be better to steal her away in secret.

  There was also the matter of the crystal that bound her soul, the one his source had called her life stone. He did not know where the crystal was located, and he could not return to Ashai without it. He assumed she carried it with her since the life stone was too precious to entrust to anyone else, but he could not be certain about where she kept it. There were a few gemstones in her scabbard, and she wore a torque possessing several larger stones, but he did not know if any of them were the life stone he sought. He would wait and watch her until he had identified the crystal. Then he would take them both back to Ashai for their experiments.

  Avikeev was nearly certain that one could be controlled through their life stone, and Trivian was eager to find out. He enjoyed controlling people, manipulating them into doing things they normally would never do. He especially relished betrayal. The shock and horror suffered by the victim was almost as decadent as the guilt and self-loathing experienced by the perpetrator. As an empath, he thrived on the feelings and experiences of others. The more devastating the better. Trivian would delight in Yserria’s palpable misery.

  Trivian eyed Yserria’s companions as they each entered the villa. There was a man who stayed at her side. He did not wear a ribbon in his hair as did the Leréshi, but based on the tattoo-like markings on his face, he was Yserria’s consort. Then there was a bigger man, a Leréshi with a blue ribbon braded into his hair indicating he belonged to a matrianera’s household but was not of relation to her or claimed as consort. In other words, he was a servant. After him came several women. The men stayed with the caravan and began unloading the wagons.

  He put away his spyglass, then dislodging himself from his hiding place on the rocky hillside beyond the city buildings, he began making his way toward the villa. He smiled to himself. How many could he convince to turn on her? Could he get Yserria to turn on them? He was going to have fun tearing these people apart from the shadows.

  Yserria settled into her quarters at the villa with a sigh. It was a beautiful room decorated with tasteful paintings of the countryside, a number of seating areas covered in embroidered pillows, and a large bed draped in grey silk with dark blue accents. The wardrobe had a variety of dresses in varying degrees of modesty. Most of them Yserria would never wear, but there were a few she admired.

  She had not been in her room for long when her lady’s maid entered bearing a tray of fruits and cheeses and a pitcher of wine. She said, “Thank you, Hestress. You are very much appreciated.”

  Hestress smiled and touched her wrists to her forehead. Then she said, “There are a number of officials waiting to see you, my lady. Shall I tell them to come back another day?”

  “No, no, we will not be here that long. We need to leave for Kielen as soon as possible. Have the officials brought to my study one at a time. I will see them individually to make sure all their needs are addressed.”

  “Yes, my lady. Shall I have your consort join you?”

  “Malcius? Um, yes, that would be helpful. Thank you.”

  Yserria helped herself to a bit of the repast. Then she changed out of her travel clothes and into a mauve silk gown that fell in waves over the curves of her body. It was more appropriate garb in which to meet the officials as they would be dressed similarly. Yserria left her sword in her wardrobe and exited her quarters. Gillis and Nexius were waiting for her in the corridor. She gave them a questioning look, and Gillis said, “We are here to escort you to your study, Echelon.”

  “Oh? Thank you, Gillis. It isn’t far, though. I remember where it is. Why don’t you and Nexius go rest after the long ride?”

  Nexius smiled and said, “Thank you, my lady, but we would rather see to your safety, especially seeing as how you are not carrying your sword. As leader of two echelons, you have twice the number of vultures vying for your position.”

  Yserria suppressed a shiver. She did not like having a target on her back. At least when she had been out of the country, she had been less accessible. Now that she had returned, those so-called vultures would be circling. She said, “Thank you for your concern. I do appreciate your service.”

  “You are most welcome, my lady,” replied Gillis.

  Yserria walked down the corridor and then another flanked by the two guardsmen. She had inherited both as members of her household upon defeating the previous echelon. At the time, she had questioned their loyalty, but since then they had proven to be honorable and dedicated. Gillis had even confided in her that he had hated working for the previous echelon and had been glad for the change.

  Yserria waited as Nexius opened the door to the study then proceeded into the room. It was spacious with plenty of room for a number of bookcases, although they were sadly lacking in books. The meager collection they had pertained to Leréshi laws and customs. Apparently, the previous echelon had not been a big reader. It was no matter. Yserria did not have time to read. If she ever were to spend a good amount of time at the villa, she would want to fill those bookcases.

  When she entered the study, the minister of common affairs was awaiting her. She greeted her by name and invited her to sit and enjoy a glass of wine. Malcius entered a moment later and joined them. Hestress had returned to pour the wine, and the head scribe named Polimas sat in one of the chairs with a lap desk. As they discussed the workings of the echelon, Polimas kept copious notes. Every once in a while, he would beg them to pause while he caught up. Malcius made helpful comments about issues Yserria had not considered. Having been raised as a commoner, she had not been prepared for the rulership of two echelons. His insights and advice had been invaluable.

  The process continued as official after official sat across from Yserria, and by the time she was through meeting with them, her voice had nearly abandoned her. When the meetings ended, Yserria returned to her quarters to dress for dinner. This time, she wore a dark blue skirt and blouse that wrapped around her and tied at the back, exposing quite a bit more flesh than Yserria was used to. Yserria did not see the point in changing clothes for dinner, but it was the Leréshi way, and since she was the leader of her echelons, she was expected to be a model of Leréshi custom.

  A knock sounded at the door, and Hestress answered. She turned to Yserria, and said, “My lady, your consort is here to escort you to dinner.”

  “Thank you, Hestress. You may let him in.”

  Yserria turned to find Malcius standing in the doorway. He was dressed in traditional Leréshi fashion in a white wraparound tunic belted at the waist and tight, black trousers tucked into knee-high boots. It struck her that Malcius naturally fit the role of noble no matter which country he was in—far better than she did.

  They entered the dining hall together, arm in arm, and the attendants sat them beside one another. Yserria no longer felt awkward being so close to Malcius. Over the many months that he had been following her around, she had grown accustomed to his presence. It felt natural to eat beside him, and she wondered what that meant.

  The first course was a chilled soup that Yserria did not care for. She sent it back to the kitchen with instructions to give it to someone who would enjoy it. They had just finished the second course of lentil salad when Hestress came rushing over.

  “My lady, Raki has become terribly ill!”

  Yserria’s felt a yank at her heart. “The kitchen boy?”

  “Yes, my lady. We believe it was poison.”

  Yserria became alarmed. “Poison? How? Who would want to poison a kitchen boy?”

  Tears trickled down Hestress’s cheeks. “It was the soup, my lady. The soup that was meant for you. Raki ate it then quickly fell ill.”

  Yserria dropped her fork with a clatter. “Someone tried to poison me?”

  “We believe so, my lady.”

  Her stomach dropped. Someone had tried to kill her, and poor Raki could be dying in her place. “Have you called for a healer?”

  “Yes, we did so right away.”

  “Good,” said Yserria. “See that he is kept comfortable.” As Hestress hurried away, she turned her attention to her tense guardsman. “Gillis, you will lead an investigation into the poisoning.”

  “Yes, my lady,” replied Gillis before he, too, headed in the direction of the kitchen.

  Yserria looked down at her half-eaten dinner, and her stomach churned. She no longer had an appetite. She looked to Malcius who appeared nearly as shaken as she. “It was poison, Malcius. If I’m being honest, it terrifies me. I cannot fight poison.”

  Malcius pushed his own plate away. “We should have a mage check your food from now on.”

  Yserria wiped her sweaty palms on her napkin. “Would a mage be able to detect poison?”

  “Not always but sometimes. If the mage is particularly skilled and is familiar with the poison, he or she might be able to identify it.”

  “We have a number of mages here, but I don’t know if any of them are familiar with poisons. And if they were, wouldn’t that make them a suspect?”

  Malcius drummed his fingers on the table thoughtfully. “I suppose so, but what else can we do? You have to eat.”

  Yserria swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat. She could not help but assess her current physical state. Was she already poisoned? Was the churning in her stomach a sign of impending death or just nerves? Was her sweating due to some toxin in her food, or was it from fear? Yserria had the sudden urge to see the healer, but she would wait until the woman was finished with Raki. Yserria dearly hoped the young man did not die. Already the guilt was consuming her. She felt responsible for Raki. She felt responsible for all her people. They were hers to lead and hers to protect. She wondered if this was the way Rezkin had felt about his empire. Was this the reason he sacrificed himself that day on the battlefield?

  Raki died that night. Even though she had barely known the boy, she mourned his loss as much as anyone. Two days later, they celebrated Raki’s life with a feast, but Yserria could not bring herself to enjoy the festivities. The food tasted like death on her tongue. Every bite she ate was potentially the bite that would end her. Yserria had faced many an enemy with strength and courage, but nothing could quell her fears over poison.

  On the third day, they were prepared to leave for Kielen to comply with the queen’s summons. Yserria was dressed for battle in her tunic and breeches and armor. Her sword slapped against her thigh as she walked, and she was grateful for its companionship. Malcius would accompany her, of course, as would Hestress and Polimas. Gillis and Nexius led the guardsmen of which there were twenty-four. In addition, they would be accompanied by three mages, Zelida, Lilith, and Eshi, the first being a healer and the latter two being battle mages. In addition, several of the mages’ consorts would be traveling with them. It was a relatively small entourage, but they would be traveling through several echelons, and Yserria did not want to be mistaken for an invading force. Plus, time was of the essence.

  They traveled as quickly as the wagons would allow. There was little trouble along the route until they crossed the border into the Second Echelon. The sky was overcast, and the mood on the windswept plains was nearly as dreary as the weather. They stuck to the few remaining forested hills for cover’s sake, but on by the second day in the echelon, the hills were no more. Yserria sat atop her mount in the cover of a small copse on the last hill as she gazed across the plain before her, and Battle Mage Lilith was beside her. They watched as a patrol of the Second Echelon traveled in orderly formation across the expanse.

  Yserria said, “Do you think we can avoid them?”

  Lilith was quiet for a moment before she spoke. “It is unlikely.”

  “Perhaps if we wait here for a time, they will pass, and we can follow behind them.”

  “I doubt it. Look, they are moving slowly, and they keep sending out scouts. We will be seen as soon as we descend the hill.”

 

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