where the thorns grow

CHAPTER EIGHT,

CHAPTER EIGHT | WHERE THE THORNS GROW

  "THE MELIQUEANS ARRIVE in two weeks exactly from now," Zhang daren was saying. "It's not as much time as I'd like, but we'll have to make do. Not exactly a lot of options. Unfortunately, we can't just tell them to screw off until we are ready for them."

  Every wiccai in the room—that was all the ones who the master had specifically named beforehand, nodded grimly. They all knew the gravity of the situation. Marwan stared at the report he'd been handed with his eyebrows creased. Ka Zhinan read over his shoulder. Dominic and Rhys didn't bother, those two would pass it over soon anyways. But that did mean that they had no idea what precisely Zhang daren would be talking about for the next few minutes.

  They were used to it. Just memorising everything the shifu said and uncovering what he meant slowly and slowly. Rhys wondered if it was his way of making sure they had superb memory, except there was no way Zhang daren could control people's reading speed, could he? It wasn't part of his powers, unless he was hiding something too.

  She wouldn't put it past him. He'll reveal it someday, maybe at some fancy party after some goading from everyone else. She wished she'd be there to see it, but she probably wouldn't. So many things she wouldn't be here for, so depressing. Whatever. This was her last mission, and even if she might have to leave halfway through... she'll do it well.

  "Dou shi pian gong," Ka Zhinan murmured in Saian. The shifu had chosen to speak in Arecian today, since Marwan didn't speak Saian extremely well and they all spoke Arecian. Saved them a bit of time. Rhys had quickly realised why each of them had been selected: her, because she was female (annoying, but she was used to it); Dom, because he was from the Saian populace; Ka Zhinan, the son of a high-ranking official in court and Marwan, a foreigner from the Isles. Someone from every background. Handpicked, most likely. Ka Zhinan continued, "They're all distant palaces. Away from any key locations. Basically cold palaces from the last dynasty."

  Zhang daren nodded mildly. "We're not risking it."

  Marwan asked, "Won't they see this as a slight?"

  "Most of the guests are put around that area. They won't be able to say much or it'll seem like they were just looking for trouble, which probably is their goal. We don't want to give them any more evidence to grab onto."

  "Besides," Rhys said, staring at the ceiling, "it's not like anyone isn't expecting this."

  "They came here most likely expecting the worst treatment we could give them that seems acceptable," Dom said, clearly amused by this somberness in the room. He was like that. "We're testing both sides' limits. It's a game."

  "I highly doubt Irina sees it that way."

  "How I think Irina sees it," Rhys drawled, "is whoever manages to cause so much disruption that the entire engagement and wedding is called off is the winning side."

  "Briar. Notus." Zhang daren's scolding voice snapped both of them into reality. Rhys rubbed her neck and mouthed a quick sorry. Ka Zhinan and Marwan just both looked amused, but quickly shook their heads and returned to their much more serious and relevant discussion.

  They were done looking at the plans, so Rhys took it and started glancing over with Dom. Lots of words that could be ignored. Ah, the living accommodations. Ka Zhinan was correct. Distant palaces near the walls of the palace, but not close to the Iron Wolves headquarters either. Making sure they couldn't sneak around. They'd be here for a week, all in all, since the engagement also served as a diplomatic meeting of sorts between many countries.