Stormcaster (Shattered Realms #3)(55)

Another dig?

No, Ash thought. Not from Finn. You’ve got to grow a thicker skin, sul’Han, if you’re going to see subtext in every remark.

“My mother’s made it clear that she’s not letting me out of her sight for a good while,” Ash said, grimacing.

“Can you blame her?” This was a new voice, a clan voice, coming from behind. Ash turned to see Fire Dancer, possibly his father’s oldest friend. He was a little more weathered than before, but blessedly familiar.

“Dancer!” he said. “I—I heard about Cat. I am so sorry.”

“Catfire went down fighting, which is the way she would have wanted it,” Dancer said, using her upland name. “The time for your Naeming has come and gone. Are you still Speaks to Horses? Or have you taken a new name since you went away?”

“I’ve taken many new names,” Ash said, “but I’ve not let go of that one yet.”

“Then perhaps we can do that at midsummer,” Dancer said. “When you’ve decided what your name should be.”

Runs Away? Ash thought. Flees the Field?

“I heard about Shadow’s fiancée,” Ash said in a low voice. “Is he here?”

With that, a heavy hand fell on his shoulder. Adrian spun, his hand automatically finding his amulet, until he saw that it was Shadow Dancer, a cup in his hand.

“I am here, Speaks to Horses,” Shadow said. “It does my heart good to see that you are quicker than you used to be.” His words were thick, and Ash caught the scent of blue ruin on his breath.

“And you are slower than you should be,” Fire Dancer said, taking the cup from his son’s hand and setting it on a nearby table. He nodded at both of them before he walked away.

“Better slow than dead,” Shadow said, gazing after his father.

“I heard about your betrothed,” Ash said, not wanting to dance around the topic. “I’m so sorry.”

“Everyone is,” Shadow said. “And, now, even my revenge has been stolen from me.”

“What do you mean?”

“Somebody got to the king of Arden before I did,” Shadow said, retrieving his cup and draining it. “Killing him was the only thing I had to look forward to.” He thumped his cup down on the table. When he turned back to Ash, he frowned. “What?”

“N-nothing,” Ash said. “Let’s just celebrate the fact that he’s dead. Maybe this will be an opportunity for peace.”

“Southerners killed my mother and my fiancée,” Shadow said. “There is a huge blood debt that has not yet been paid.”

“Collecting on a blood debt is never as satisfying as you think it will be,” Ash said, feeling like the worst kind of hypocrite.

“How do you know?” Shadow growled. “Flatlanders murdered your father and sister, and they tried to murder you. Haven’t you ever wanted to take revenge?”

“Of course,” Ash said, wishing he could extricate himself from this awkward conversation. “But if the war goes on, there’s a cost. We’ve already spent a fortune in blood and treasure. We’ll always have reasons to keep fighting, but maybe there are reasons to stop.”

“I’m not ready to stop,” Shadow said, “until they pay for what they’ve done. Then I will be ready to talk about peace.” He refilled his cup. “We had a visitor this afternoon who wants us to get in bed with Arden for mutual defense. If I have my way, that will never happen.”

“A visitor?” Ash said, grateful for this partial change of subject. “An emissary from Arden?”

Shadow shook his head. “A pirate from Carthis. I don’t think he was going to admit it, but Hadley DeVilliers recognized him. Remember her? She’s commander of the navy now. Anyway, she says he surfaced two or three years ago, and has been working the entire east coast, down to the Southern Islands and beyond. She wasn’t sure how many ships he controls, but shipping has taken a huge hit.”

A pirate from Carthis? Ash’s mouth had gone dry, and yet it was as if he tasted blood, metallic on his tongue. “Why would a pirate from Carthis involve himself in our war?”

Shadow laughed. “He wants to involve us in his war. He came to warn us that an empress from Carthis was planning to invade with a huge army. He claims that he just came from Ardenscourt, where he managed to prevent an agreement between Arden and the empress.”

“He just came . . . from Ardenscourt?”

Shadow nodded. “We think that he and this empress must be rivals, and he wants to poison us against her.”

Ash cleared his throat. “What was his name, this visitor?”

“His name is Evan Strangward,” Shadow said. “He’s known as the Stormcaster.” He paused, frowning. “What is it? Do you know him?”

“Where is he now?” Adrian demanded, his heart thumping painfully. “He hasn’t left the city, has he?”

“I don’t believe so,” Shadow said. He looked over Ash’s shoulder. “In fact, he just walked in with your mother.”





22


QUEENS AND KNAVES


“You should get dressed now,” Evan said to Brody. “We don’t want to be late.”