The Rogue Queen (The Hundredth Queen #3)(79)

“I owe you my life.”

Ashwin sighs a little. “Consider it thanks for your years of service.”

His swiftness to forgive my mistakes shames me. “I must apologize for my unruliness.” Ashwin’s gaze bounds to mine. “If you’ll still have me, it would be my honor to serve as your general, Your Majesty.” I bow as low as I would for the rajah. When I rise, Ashwin holds himself perfectly still except for his mouth, which ticks upward a tad.

“Thank you, General. I’m afraid I know little about leading our troops. They’re confused by the bhutas among us. The commanders are keeping the men in line, but I fear a revolt. What would you—?”

A wind sweeps into the throne room, startling Princess Gemi, and then Opal charges in. “Deven, Kalinda has left. She flew away on Tinley’s mahati falcon.”

“Tinley?” I ask, recognizing the name from the trial tournament in the sultanate.

“Chief Naresh’s daughter has been helping us,” Ashwin explains.

“Kalinda has gone to Samiya.” Opal flourishes her hand, and wind pushes the high draperies away, uncovering the upper windows. “Udug has crossed the desert. He’s on his way up the mountains to open the gate to the Void.” She points out the windows, and we squint up.

A piece of the sun has been shaved off.

“The celestial lights are dimming,” Ashwin murmurs.

“Pardon?” Brac asks, his head jerking back in alarm.

“The dimming of the sun and stars is the definitive sign that the evernight is entering into our world.” Ashwin rubs his forehead with his thumb. “We don’t have long. The eclipse takes a day to complete . . . or was it two? I don’t remember.”

“What book did you read this in?” I ask.

“The text was lost in the Samiya temple fire.” Ashwin grips his chin in contemplation. “I need a full report on our troops, General.”

“The imperial army isn’t fit to defeat Udug alone. The Lestarian Navy should arrive shortly, but we need a strategy to transport as many bhutas to Samiya as fast as possible.” Fear leaves my voice jagged and torn. Gods, Kali. Why did you go without us? I gesture Brac forward. “This is my brother, Brac. He’s a Burner and a soldier. He’ll serve as my second-in-command.”

“I’m grateful to have you, Commander,” Ashwin says, accepting my hasty appointment.

Brac bows. “An honor, Your Majesty.”

Opal’s concentration goes out the doorway. “Deven, the Lestarian Navy has arrived.”

All at once, we run for the door. Breaking ahead of everyone, I sprint to the main courtyard in front of the palace. Navy vessels pack the river that weaves to the city wall. Far past the last navy ship, another vessel plods up the river. I recognize the ship’s yellow paint and curse under my breath. The sea raiders are relentless.

A commanding, statuesque girl with hair like lightning saunters up to my side. “You must be General Naik. I’m Tinley, Chief Naresh’s daughter.”

“You let Kali fly away on your falcon,” I say.

“Kalinda asked me to tell you she’s sorry she didn’t say good-bye. I told her an apology wouldn’t appease you.”

Her honesty robs most of my annoyance. “You’re right. It doesn’t.”

“Is that the Lestarian Navy?” Tinley asks, then sniffs, unimpressed. “A little late, aren’t they?”

“They did their best.”

“I’m sure,” she says dryly. “My father has a fleet of airships piloted by Galers, not unlike the navy you see there. Only our fleet doesn’t have to squeeze down a waterway to get where we need.”

I do not respond to her blunt arrogance. Her opinion of the navy is moot, considering the Paljorian air fleet opted not to ally with us at all. I wander nearer to the contorted gate and step over a crack, all that remains of the crevice the warlord made.

Tinley keeps pace with me. “If you intend to help the kindred, I suggest you leave for Samiya right away.”

I pinch the bridge of my nose. Just how I am supposed to do that? My mind whirls to take everything in.

Kali gone to Samiya. The navy’s arrival. The sea raiders. Chief Naresh’s daughter. Airships . . .

I spin toward Tinley. “How many Galers does it take to fly an airship?”

“Depends on the weight of the cargo.” She leans her upper half away and crosses her arms over her chest. “Why?”

Ashwin and Gemi catch up, followed by Brac and Opal.

“Can you fly any vessel, or must it be one of your airships?” I ask Tinley, continuing our conversation without pause.

“With enough Galers and sails, we could fly this entire palace.”

I gaze hard at the navy ships. “I know how to get to Vanhi, but I need more Galers. A lot of them.”

“There’s only me,” Opal says. “The navy will have a couple dozen, but that’s all.”

“Princess Gemi,” I say, “don’t the sea raiders have Galers?”

Gemi wags a finger at me. “No, General. The sea raiders are profiteers. Captain Loc won’t help us.”

I gesture at the sun, becoming more eclipsed by the moment. “We show them that, and they will. We’ll offer them the same bounty they would have gotten for capturing Prince Ashwin and Kali. Commander Brac, you and the princess meet with Captain Loc. The prince and I will speak to Admiral Rimba.” My gaze slides to the long line of navy vessels, and I try to picture what they will look like airborne. “I have a feeling we’re both in for a difficult conversation.”