Warbreaker (Warbreaker #1)(209)

“There, my lord!” a guard said, pointing.

Susebron turned, walking over to the edge of the palace. Most of his entourage of twisting cloths were no longer streaming about him, but they waited on his will in a pile on the rooftop. Siri joined him at the side of the palace, and in the distance, she could make out a smudge and what looked like smoke.

“The Lifeless army,” the guard said. “Our scouts have confirmed that it’s marching toward Idris. Almost everyone in the city saw it pass out through the gates.”

“That smoke?” Siri asked.

“Dust of its passing, my lady,” the guard said. “That’s a lot of soldiers.”

She looked up at Susebron. He frowned. “I could stop them.” His voice was stronger than she had expected it to be. Deeper.

“My lord?” the guard asked.

“With this much Breath,” Susebron said. “I could charge them, use these cloths to tie them up.”

“My lord,” the guard said hesitantly. “There are forty thousand of them. They would cut at the cloth, overwhelm you.”

Susebron seemed resolute. “I have to try.”

“No,” Siri said, laying a hand on his chest.

“Your people . . .”

“We’ll send messengers,” she said, “explaining our regret. My people can withdraw, ambush the Lifeless. We can send troops to help.”

“We don’t have many,” he said. “And they won’t get there very quickly. Could your people really get away?”

No, she thought, heart wrenching. You don’t know that, though, and you’re innocent enough to believe they can escape.

Her people might survive as a whole, but many would die. Susebron getting himself killed fighting the creatures wouldn’t be of much use, however. He had amazing power, but fighting so many Lifeless was well beyond the scope of whatever he could do.

He saw the look in her face, and surprisingly, he read it well. “You don’t believe that they can get away,” he said. “You’re just trying to protect me.”

Surprising how well he understands me already.

“My lord!” a voice said from behind.

Susebron turned, looking across the top of the palace. They’d come to the top partially to get a look at the Lifeless, but also because both Siri and Susebron were tired of being closed in tight quarters. They wanted to be in the open, where it would be harder to sneak up on them.

A guard came out of the stairwell, then walked over, hand on sword. He bowed. “My lord. There’s someone here to see you.”

“I don’t want to see anyone,” Susebron said. “Who are they?”

Amazing how well he can speak, she thought. Never having had a tongue. What did Lightsong’s Breath do? It healed more than his body. It gave him the capacity to use the regrown tongue.

“My lord,” the guard said. “The visitor—she has the Royal Locks!”

“What?” Siri asked with surprise.

The guard turned, and—shockingly—Vivenna stepped up onto the roof of the palace. Or Siri thought it was Vivenna. She wore trousers and a tunic, with a sword tied at her waist, and she appeared to have a bloody wound on one shoulder. She saw Siri, and smiled, her hair turning yellow with joy.

Vivenna’s hair changing? Siri thought. It can’t be her.

But it was. The woman laughed, dashing across the top of the roof. Some guards stopped her, but Siri waved for them to let the woman pass. She ran over, embracing Siri.

“Vivenna?”

The woman smiled ruefully. “Yes, mostly,” she said. She glanced at Susebron. “I’m sorry,” Vivenna said quietly. “I came to the city to try rescuing you.”

“That was very kind of you,” Siri said. “But I don’t need rescuing.”

Vivenna frowned more deeply.

“And who is this, Siri?” Susebron asked.

“My eldest sister.”

“Ah,” Susebron said, bowing his head cordially. “Siri has told me much about you, Princess Vivenna. I wish we could have met under better circumstances.”

Vivenna stared at the man with shock.

“He’s not really as bad as they say,” Siri said, smiling. “Most of the time.”

“That is sarcasm,” Susebron said. “She is quite fond of it.”

Vivenna turned from the God King. “Our homeland is under attack.”

“I know,” Siri said. “We’re working on that. I’m preparing messengers to send to Father.”

“I have a better way,” Vivenna said. “But you’ll have to trust me.”

“Of course,” Siri said.

“I have a friend who needs to speak with the God King,” Vivenna said. “Where he can’t be overheard by guards.”

Siri hesitated. Silly, she thought. This is Vivenna. I can trust her.

She’d thought she could trust Bluefingers too. Vivenna regarded her with a curious expression.

“If this can help save Idris,” Susebron said, “then I will do it. Who is this person?”
* * *

MOMENTS LATER, Vivenna stood quietly on the roof of the palace with the God King of Hallandren. Siri stood a short walk away, watching the Lifeless churn dust in the distance. All of them waited while the soldiers searched Vasher for weapons; he stood with arms upraised on the other side of the rooftop, surrounded by suspicious guards. He had wisely left Nightblood below and didn’t have any other weapons on him. He didn’t even have any Breath.