A Country Falls (Greatest Thief 3)

Chapter Twenty-Three

The bright light of a torch made it difficult to see who stepped into the room. At first, the only thing I could be sure of, as I squinted towards the light, was that our visitor was too tall to be Kassia.

Castin turned his back on the doorway and popped open the vial. "Finn—"

"Wait." I knew suddenly who the man was. Not Kalvahi. Not any regular guard. It was Vali.

Vali shut the door behind him. When he turned, his eyes landed on Castin. He held up his free hand, like he was showing us that it was empty. Apparently, even beaten and half drowned, Castin still looked like a threat.

"Calm, please," Vali said. "I do not wish to hurt you."

Castin clenched the vial in his hand. "Who are you?" he snarled.

"I am Val... I..." he hesitated, his gaze dropping to his feet. I knew he could speak Teltish fairly well, as he had managed to keep up with Kassia and Kalvahi in throne room. When he looked up again, it was at me. "You, they call pet of Lord West Draulin. This is like his little animal that he keeps?"

I nodded. "They've called me that before. That's what they call you, too, isn't it? For King Deorun?"

Vali winced. "I do not wish to speak of it. This is not why I am here."

Castin shot me a questioning look, like he was looking for some sort of instruction. He was still ready to pour the poison into my mouth, but a glimmer of hope had ignited in my chest.

"So then why are you here?" I asked.

"King Idavari wishes you to be trapped, so Teltans will pay for you. If you are to..." He fumbled over the word 'escape' and instead said, "leave, the king will be angry."

There it was. Something I could work with, an offer of help. "Ransoming me—making the Teltans pay—will help your people. I understand if you hate the king, but don't you want to war to end? What about your people?"

Vali's expression hardened. "Killing the king will help my people."

The harsh edge to his voice was nothing like how I had heard him speak in the throne room. I had assumed him to be timid and nervous. Maybe it was an act. Maybe there was more that connected us than just being labelled pets.

Castin spoke before I could, doubt evident in his voice. "You want to kill the king?"

Vali turned to him. "Idavari is not kind to me, and he is not kind to Deorans. He is a bad king."

"Then Kalvahi will be king," I said.

Vali's eyes flickered over to Kovin, who had gone quiet. "Kalvahi is cruel," Vali agreed. "But he is not stupid. He can see that Deorun is losing the war. He will..." he paused and moved his hand like he could draw the word he was searching for out of thin air. "Speak. To the Teltish king and Queen Avaloni."

"Negotiate," I said. Kalvahi did like to talk. As much as I dreaded him having power, Kalvahi did seem like he might be easier to negotiate with. King Deorun had King Edarius assassinated in an attempt to shake up Zianna's leadership. Maybe his death would shake up Kalvahi, at least long enough for Tandrin and Queen Navire to force him to surrender.

"That's great," Castin said dryly. "But does it help us get home?"

"I have this." Vali pulled a key from his pocket, and offered it to Castin. "You need this, for secret door. You know way?"

"The river door? I can find it." I nodded, and as I did, the vial in Castin's hand caught my eye. "Would you use mokartice on the king?"

"Yes," Vali said, without hesitation.