The Shadow Throne (The Ascendance Trilogy, #3)(75)

Now I held up the coin for him to see. “You were wrong, Commander. Whatever chains you try to place on me, I will always, always rise from them. I’m not buying my freedom because you never owned it. But I am taking it back, for me and for my country.”

Then I set the coin on the edge of the balustrade and told him to reach for it, if he wished to purchase his own freedom. As I opened the door to Conner’s old bedroom, Kippenger yelled at his men to get inside. I was only barely through the door when I heard his men pounding up the stairs.

I stepped forward but my tired legs turned to lead. So I braced my weight against the wall until I was all the way inside. At one time, a tapestry had masked the secret entrance to the passages. But even though the tapestry was missing now, the construction of the secret door remained impressive. If I had not already known where it was, I wouldn’t have found it. Kippenger’s men wouldn’t find it now either.

Once the passage door clicked in place behind me, I took a single step forward and then my leg faltered, sending me to my knees. I wouldn’t get another climb out of it today, and probably couldn’t rely on it for fighting. Back in Conner’s room, I heard the Commander ask, “Where did he go?”

It was time to leave. I got back on my feet and silently limped toward the main floor. Once I reached the bottom of the hidden stairs, I realized I wasn’t alone. Imogen greeted me first, with a look that soured from loving to scolding once she noticed my limp and the dried blood from my head wound. There were others with her, and I whispered a promise not to betray them, unless they wished to reveal themselves. Then I left the passages and found myself alone in Conner’s office. The door from his great hall was open, but I decided it would draw attention to this room if I shut it. Enough fighting was happening out in the main room; it was better if no one knew I was here.

The papers I’d signed were still laid out across the desk. I picked them up with the intent to burn them, but a creak on the floorboards behind me warned of someone else in the room. I turned around and saw Vargan poised with a dagger held over his head. With my leg in its current state, I couldn’t outrun him, and no other weapons were nearby. There weren’t many options if he decided to attack, and he clearly would be attacking.

“With my pirates in this battle, you’re going to lose,” I said. “But there is still time to save yourself. Surrender to me and you will live.”

“Never.”

Clearly, this man had no talent for negotiating. To be fair, I wasn’t particularly good at it either.

“You intended for that thief to bring the message to me.” Vargan’s voice trembled with rage. “You wanted this to end at Farthenwood.”

Of course I did. I knew this place as well as my own castle, and if one of these homes had to be destroyed, it wasn’t going to be mine. At the time I arranged for the pirates to come here, there were still a few unresolved details in my mind. But I had known the pirates would be needed.

“It had to end here,” I said. “Otherwise the pirates would’ve stayed hidden in the secret passages until they rotted. They’d have ended up smelling like you, and that would’ve been a shame.”

Vargan cried out and rushed toward me. I started to duck, but he grabbed my shirt and shoved me onto the table, then pinned my legs with his weight.

He raised the dagger again, but was distracted by a loud cry. Conner was running toward us. I never saw him enter the room.

Vargan turned and with the dagger he had intended for me, slashed Conner across his chest. Everything froze in that moment, except for the fine white silks of Conner’s vest that turned a horrible color of red. He patted at the blood and then raised his hand to look at it more closely, as if he couldn’t quite believe what he was seeing. Once he accepted it, he lowered his hand and tumbled to the floor. By then, I had squirmed free and knelt beside Conner, who took my hand in his. With gasping words, he said, “I always was a patriot, Jaron. I never lied when I said that you are my king. Forgive me.”

He moved to kiss my fingers, but instead drew in a gurgled breath and slumped to the floor, dead.

“He was a traitor to us both,” Vargan said.

Maybe he was, but he had also just saved my life. Conner had died much as he lived, in the grayest shadow between right and wrong.

By then, I had put some distance between Vargan’s dagger and myself, but now Kippenger and several other soldiers from both Avenia and Mendenwal had heard Conner’s cry and entered the office. I rolled my eyes and sighed, more irritated than afraid. Was it too much to hope for someone on my side to enter? Even one burly, angry pirate would’ve been nice.

I turned back to Vargan. “Why did Mendenwal join you? They’ve never been our enemy.”

Vargan laughed. “When you disappeared four years ago, your father lied to all of us, a political game to keep us away from his borders. I thought it was a rather clever trick, but Mendenwal did not. So when you returned to the throne, it wasn’t hard to stir up their anger. I reminded Humfrey of that time you challenged him as a child, how dangerous you could become if we allowed you to keep your crown. Then I promised him half of Carthya as his spoils of victory.”

My eyes narrowed. “He can’t possibly believe you’ll allow that.”

Vargan shrugged. “Humfrey is far too trusting. I alone am the emperor of Carthya now. That fool king sitting on Mendenwal’s throne doesn’t realize I’m coming for him next.”