“Lesser Water and Lightning. That I know. I was there when she was tested.”
Well, he’s honest.
“Tell me,” Vir continued. “What is Riyan Savar to your sister?”
San raised his brow. “Now, that’s an interesting question.”
“Humor me.”
“General Savar was one of our most decorated military commanders. Known for his aggressive, sometimes brutal, tactics. Some would say the country is weaker without him.”
“Your sister took an interest in him?”
“Actually, for reasons you wouldn’t suspect. Savar was good at his job. Too good. He was becoming a thorn in Kin’jal’s side, and many in our government grew worried. Mina included. Except, in her case, she saw an opportunity. For years, she tormented Savar, first killing off his mounts, then acquaintances. All to break him.”
“Surely there were faster ways of removing him from power,” Vir said.
“Oh, he’d been stripped of his position by then. No, this was just Mina being Mina. Ripping the wings off a butterfly just to watch it writhe in agony. At the crux of it all, she had his family slaughtered in front of his own eyes. Then she burned his home to the ground. General Savar hasn’t been seen after that. Some think him dead. Others say he’s just broken, living out his days as a hermit somewhere. You asked what Savar was to Mina? Another toy. That’s all.”
Vir thought there would’ve been more. Something deeper. To think Mina had done all that for such a stupid reason. Slaughtering someone’s family for one’s own sick desires?
Vir’s blood boiled. Yes, she’d been subjected to trauma at a young age. And yes, Riyan had blackmailed him to assassinate her. But he’d also sheltered and trained Vir. And right now? The doubt and hesitation he’d had just an hour ago was gone without a trace. He wanted nothing more than to see Mina’s head on a pike.
Even so, the risk was too great. If Vir was going through with this, he needed something more. Something that would benefit himself.
Sanobar continued. “Look, I understand your position. You worry that one wrong word and I could have you executed. And you’d be right. But I will not. I know not what your intentions are, nor do I wish to know. You came recommended by the Brotherhood, and that is not to be taken lightly.”
“That’s a lot of trust on your part.”
“It is, but the Brotherhood’s influence runs far deeper than you can imagine. They transcend the bounds of countries and are beholden to no one. And the one thing they prioritize above all else is trust. Trust and reputation. If the Brotherhood recommends you, it may as well have come from the lips of my own father. My trust in you is sound. The question is, do you trust me?”
“I think I might,” Vir replied. “But there’s one thing I don’t understand. You’re a prince. Surely you have access to skilled soldiers. People who’d do anything to get in your good graces. Yes, I might come recommended by the Brotherhood, but don’t you have people of your own for this task?”
“I do. And both myself and my brother have tried to take action against Mina in the past. But my little sister is more than merely sadistic. She’s unbelievably intelligent in the art of subterfuge and intelligence gathering. So much so that it shocks me at times. If I were to use one of my men, and if they were to fail, it would be the end of me. Mina would expose me to the world, and I’d be done for.”
“And because I have no link to you, that makes me useful. It makes me disposable.”
San leveled his gaze at Vir. “Yes. I will not lie to you. You are disposable. You are useful to me because we have no connection. If you fail, it is no sweat off my back. But if you succeed… you can ask of me whatever you wish. Money? I’ll shower you with seric. Fame? I’ll anoint you Sawai. If it is within my power, it shall be yours.”
Seric? Vir did his best not to gawk. That was an incredibly tempting offer, but he wasn’t a fool. “If it’s ever revealed that I killed Mina, I’ll be a fugitive. I doubt even you could protect me from that fate.”
“I will certainly try,” San fired back. “And if I cannot, I can guarantee you sanctuary in the Rani Queendom.”
“What exactly are you suggesting, San?” Vir asked.
“I will arrange an ambush. Getting Mina into the Commons will be difficult, but I can—”
“No need,” Vir replied. “I haven’t agreed to anything, but I can make my own way there.”
“That’s… Are you certain?” San asked. For the first time, he looked surprised. “Can you infiltrate her quarters?”
Vir nodded. “I have my means.” San seemed trustworthy, but there wasn’t any need to divulge the details of Mina’s secret passage unless absolutely necessary.
“I see. Very well then. This simplifies matters a great deal. You will eliminate her in her sleep, but I can assist. I can ensure she sleeps soundly, if you catch my meaning. There will be no chance for her to resist.”
“Poison?” Vir asked, cocking his brow.
“Nothing so drastic. The entire royal household has taste testers who sample food and drink. Any potent poison would be immediately detected. Besides, if I killed her that way, I’d be a prime suspect. My campaign is based on honor and integrity. If the world finds out… I’d be done for. My sister knows this. She has contingencies in place.”
“Then what’s your plan?”
“Poison might be going too far, but sedatives that take hold hours after? That can work. I can ensure Mina sleeps like a log. If you can gain access to her quarters, you could slit her throat as she sleeps.”
“I can do that,” Vir said, nodding. “But there’s something else. The royal priest, Harak. Who is he, really?”
San waved his hand. “Appointed by my sister. He’s one of hers. A real thorn in our side, but he hasn’t done anything to justify ousting him… yet. Why do you ask?”
“I’ve got some history with that man,” Vir said, barely containing his anger for the one who’d executed Maiya’s parents and caused Rudvik’s death. He wanted nothing more than to end this. To end his time here in Daha. To return to Maiya. To the way things used to be.
“I’ll do this.”
He had no intention of spending months here. The prince was giving him the perfect opportunity, and Vir wasn’t about to refuse.
“On one condition. Harak must die.”
87EMPOWERED
Vir greeted the dawn with a heavy heart and bleary eyes. Having given up on sleep, he’d left the dozing Neel in his room and relocated to a nearby rooftop as the City of Daha woke up.
To think a mere seven months after Rudvik’s death, Vir was about to claim the lives of those who’d perpetrated that atrocity.
It wasn’t about revenge. At least, he tried to convince himself of that. While the head priest angered Vir, he wasn’t motivated by hatred, nor was he consumed by it. Rather… killing them simply felt right. Like closure, like he needed to do this to end one era of his life in order to begin another.
Vir was Ashborn. He was the reincarnation of the Primordial. Whether he agreed to Shardul and Ekanai’s requests or not, there was a life for him beyond Brij. Beyond even Hiranya.
But before he could turn the page, the current chapter had to be written. And its climax would occur in just a few brief hours.
The meeting with Prince Sanobar had gone well. Surprisingly well. Not only had the prince given Vir information about Mina’s quirks, habits, combat style, affinities, and weaknesses, he’d even arranged a plan.
A plan whose timetable was moved up, owing to the head priest’s calendar. The man ultimately responsible for the deaths of Apramor, Aliscia, and Rudvik was about to retreat to his vacation home in the north, near the inland sea. Tomorrow.