The Traitor Queen (The Traitor Spy Trilogy #3)(101)

Jonna. The servant beckoned.

Rising from her seat, Lilia bowed to the teacher, then slipped between the desks and out of the room.

“What is it?” she asked as Jonna glanced up and down the corridor.

“Anyi was in Sonea’s rooms,” she said. “She said there might be an intruder down … you know where.”

Lilia caught her breath. “How long ago?”

“She’d been waiting for a time, but I’m not sure how long. Took me a while to find which classroom you were in.”

“I should hurry …” Lilia took a step down the corridor, then stopped. “I should go the other way. It’ll be faster. Could you go back and tell her?”

Jonna shook her head. “She went straight back.” The servant frowned. “If you mean the way I think you mean … I’ll come and make sure nobody sees you using it.”

“Thanks, Jonna.” Lilia headed toward a side passage and led Jonna deeper into the University. When they reached the hidden door Anyi had unblocked, Jonna moved to the next side corridor and peered down it.

She nodded. “All clear. Be careful,” she whispered.

“I will,” Lilia told her. Then she pulled the lever that opened the door, and stepped into the darkness beyond.

“It’s incredible to think that all these people were slaves,” Regin said.

“Yes,” Sonea agreed.

They had just crested a long, low hill. Before them, the road stretched in a nearly straight line and was busy with people and carts – even the occasional fancy carriage. At first she had wondered what reason the former slaves had for roaming about, other than to exercise their newfound freedom to go where they wanted. Surely it made sense to take over the estates they had worked on, so that they would have food and shelter.

Then they’d witnessed the reunion between two women, one older and one younger, and realised they were mother and daughter. A young woman cried out with joy as she was handed a baby by a man. Two young men hurried to meet each other, calling out “brother!” Couples of all ages embraced, walked and talked with each other.

Their masters may have forbidden them to marry, she thought. They may have bred them like domestic animals, but they could not stop them from feeling the bonds of love and family, despite slavery existing here for more than a thousand years.

“I always believed slavery was wrong and was proud Kyralia ended it as soon as we were free to,” Regin said. “But that happened centuries ago. We Kyralians never really comprehended it, because we never saw it for ourselves.”

Sonea nodded. Looking at Regin, she felt an unexpected affection. If the Traitors lose, then at least I got the chance to see the compassion and humility in him.

“Perhaps that’s why we failed to end it,” he continued, “when we conquered Sachaka. It had been too long since we’d endured it ourselves.”

Sonea shook her head. “But it had only been a few hundred years since Kyralia and Elyne regained their independence and ended slavery.”

“Enough time for those who knew what it was like to die of old age, and the concept to become an abstract idea to their descendants.”

“And yet we still have an aversion to it, passed down for a further seven hundred years.”

“Only because it is something we associated with Sachakans.”

Sonea chuckled darkly. “Ah, yes. Because that made them hateful, which made us morally superior. Never underestimate the pleasure of seeing faults in others.”

Regin turned to frown at her. “You don’t think slavery is—”

“Of course not. I just wish we’d done this when we had the chance.” She gestured to the people before them. “And that the Allied Lands had accepted the Traitors’ invitation.”

“You’d have us go to war, when most of us are too weak to make a difference?”

“Yes. But in our own way.”

Regin looked at her, then his eyes widened. “By the Guild giving you and Kallen all our power.”

“Which I have taken already. All we had to do was prepare and send for Kallen.”

“Or Lilia?” Regin frowned. “No … she is too young.”

“Not much younger than I was when I fought in my first war, but yes, I wouldn’t wish that on her and we shouldn’t risk losing all magicians with knowledge of black magic.”

Regin smiled. “Though it appears it can be learned from a book, after all.”

“Yes.” Sonea sighed. “I suspect the Guild will lose its battle against black magic soon. If the Traitors win it’ll be even harder to …” She paused as she saw a couple on horseback riding toward them. They wore Traitor garb, and looked familiar. The pair were looking at her and Regin. “Those two look like they’re coming to meet us.”

Regin squinted against the bright sunlight. “And they don’t look surprised to see us either. I expect someone has told them we didn’t go home.”

They watched as the pair drew closer. A man and a woman, Sonea noted. Is she the magician and he a source of power? she wondered. Or did the Traitors train their men to use magic so they could fight? A few strides away, the couple turned their horses to block Sonea’s path.

“Black Magician Sonea,” the woman said. “Lord Regin. I am Saral, this is Temi. Queen Savara asks why you have not returned home.”