an Iramisian loremaster?” The loremasters of Iramis had possessed legendary skills of sorcery. If Caina had somehow found an Iramisian loremaster, she had indeed acquired a potent ally.
“Yes.” Kalgri tilted her head to the side, the way she did when listening to the nagataaru within her flesh. “I am not certain how. I thought Annarah slain a century and a half past. Callatas himself thought that.” She smiled to herself. “He is not omniscient.”
“Clearly not,” said Cassander. “Else he would not have devoted such efforts to locating the Staff and the Seal of Iramis.”
She glanced at him. “You know of his need for the relics?”
“He requires them to work his great spell, whatever it is,” said Callatas. “I know how he searches the Iramisian ruins in the Desert of Candles. Clearly he needs the relics for some purpose.”
Kalgri’s smile sharpened. “And you have some other purpose for them?”
“I promise that if I take them,” said Cassander, “that I am going to kill a lot of people.”
“Such honeyed words for my ears, Lord Cassander,” said Kalgri.
“And you know where the relics are?” said Cassander.
“I know exactly where they are,” said Kalgri.
A flash of irritation went through Cassander. He considered taking Kalgri prisoner and forcing the knowledge from her, but dismissed the idea as suicidal. He could not force her to do anything, and if he tried, she would likely kill him. If Cassander wanted to kill Caina, if he wanted to claim the Staff and the Seal for himself, then he would have to play along with this madwoman’s game.
And if not…well, there was his plan for opening the Straits whether Callatas and Erghulan liked it or not. Considering the amount of people the plan would kill, he suspected Kalgri might approve.
“Perhaps you should tell me,” said Cassander.
“Not yet,” said Kalgri, smiling. That smile unsettled him as much as the anger of the Provosts. “Soon, though. Very soon. Caina Amalas will die…and perhaps all the world with her.” She shivered again, almost like a starving woman contemplating a feast. “All the world.”
“Would you care to explain your plan?” said Cassander.
“Prepare your men to strike,” said Kalgri. “I will return tomorrow night, and I will know where Caina shall be for the next few days.”
“Then we shall kill her,” said Cassander.
“I will kill her,” said Kalgri. “And then, once she’s dead, you can have the Staff and the Seal.” She stepped towards the balcony doors. “Caina will be either in the Alqaarin Harbor or the Bazaar of the Southern Road in a few days.”
“How do you know?” said Cassander. “Is…”
But Kalgri was gone. Likely she had jumped from the balcony in silence and plummeted to the courtyard below. It was a fifty-foot fall, but her nagataaru would have given her the strength to survive it without injury. Cassander sighed and his right hand curled into a fist, the gauntlet clanking. The woman was dangerous and unreliable. Yet she was nonetheless effective…and Cassander would use every weapon he could to achieve his goals.
He would see the Umbarian Order conquer the Empire, no matter what he had to do to achieve it. Caina’s death was a minor annoyance to achieve that goal.
Especially since Cassander was both willing and capable of killing everyone in Istarinmul to destroy the Empire.
Chapter 4: Necessary Villains
Caina blinked awake, the last threads of a dream fading as she looked at the dawn sunlight spilling across the ceiling of her safe house. She thought the dream had been a nightmare, though she could not remember what had happened.
Just as well. Caina had so many nightmares. Her old mentor Halfdan had said that nightmares were the scars of the mind, and Caina had accumulated quite a few of those. One of them was Halfdan’s death, stabbed from behind by Sicarion. He had never seen the assassin coming. At least it had been
“Yes.” Kalgri tilted her head to the side, the way she did when listening to the nagataaru within her flesh. “I am not certain how. I thought Annarah slain a century and a half past. Callatas himself thought that.” She smiled to herself. “He is not omniscient.”
“Clearly not,” said Cassander. “Else he would not have devoted such efforts to locating the Staff and the Seal of Iramis.”
She glanced at him. “You know of his need for the relics?”
“He requires them to work his great spell, whatever it is,” said Callatas. “I know how he searches the Iramisian ruins in the Desert of Candles. Clearly he needs the relics for some purpose.”
Kalgri’s smile sharpened. “And you have some other purpose for them?”
“I promise that if I take them,” said Cassander, “that I am going to kill a lot of people.”
“Such honeyed words for my ears, Lord Cassander,” said Kalgri.
“And you know where the relics are?” said Cassander.
“I know exactly where they are,” said Kalgri.
A flash of irritation went through Cassander. He considered taking Kalgri prisoner and forcing the knowledge from her, but dismissed the idea as suicidal. He could not force her to do anything, and if he tried, she would likely kill him. If Cassander wanted to kill Caina, if he wanted to claim the Staff and the Seal for himself, then he would have to play along with this madwoman’s game.
And if not…well, there was his plan for opening the Straits whether Callatas and Erghulan liked it or not. Considering the amount of people the plan would kill, he suspected Kalgri might approve.
“Perhaps you should tell me,” said Cassander.
“Not yet,” said Kalgri, smiling. That smile unsettled him as much as the anger of the Provosts. “Soon, though. Very soon. Caina Amalas will die…and perhaps all the world with her.” She shivered again, almost like a starving woman contemplating a feast. “All the world.”
“Would you care to explain your plan?” said Cassander.
“Prepare your men to strike,” said Kalgri. “I will return tomorrow night, and I will know where Caina shall be for the next few days.”
“Then we shall kill her,” said Cassander.
“I will kill her,” said Kalgri. “And then, once she’s dead, you can have the Staff and the Seal.” She stepped towards the balcony doors. “Caina will be either in the Alqaarin Harbor or the Bazaar of the Southern Road in a few days.”
“How do you know?” said Cassander. “Is…”
But Kalgri was gone. Likely she had jumped from the balcony in silence and plummeted to the courtyard below. It was a fifty-foot fall, but her nagataaru would have given her the strength to survive it without injury. Cassander sighed and his right hand curled into a fist, the gauntlet clanking. The woman was dangerous and unreliable. Yet she was nonetheless effective…and Cassander would use every weapon he could to achieve his goals.
He would see the Umbarian Order conquer the Empire, no matter what he had to do to achieve it. Caina’s death was a minor annoyance to achieve that goal.
Especially since Cassander was both willing and capable of killing everyone in Istarinmul to destroy the Empire.
Chapter 4: Necessary Villains
Caina blinked awake, the last threads of a dream fading as she looked at the dawn sunlight spilling across the ceiling of her safe house. She thought the dream had been a nightmare, though she could not remember what had happened.
Just as well. Caina had so many nightmares. Her old mentor Halfdan had said that nightmares were the scars of the mind, and Caina had accumulated quite a few of those. One of them was Halfdan’s death, stabbed from behind by Sicarion. He had never seen the assassin coming. At least it had been
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