A Game of Cards

Chapter XIV: Onyx Ying

"What is he proposing?" I pinched the bridge of my nose, trying to keep my voice even. I did not want to deal with this situation, especially now, when I could finally have the chance to sleep through my evenings. I should have impaled the prince the other day by the Retentia Lake when I had the chance. "He gets nothing from kidnapping Cozbi, which means he clearly wants something to do with me, or Spades."

Dane shook his head. "Not Spades. He wants you to turn yourself in. Apparently, they think you have something do with a recent attack on Hearts' military base, and they're going to take you in for sentencing or whatever."

"A recent attack? And why would they be accusing me?" I clenched my teeth at the idea of that prince, standing in front of a crowd of people, persuading them that everything that had happened at Hearts was my fault, spreading his propaganda. "I have no incentive to do such a thing. Hayes knows it. And they know I'm not at Hearts in the first place. Or are the spies they positioned here not competent enough to tell them even that?"

"But you're not actually going to turn yourself in, are you?" asked my brother, not with fear, but with ridicule, as if he found the whole idea completely hilarious. I did too, but I did not know whether to react to it by laughing or crying.

"Of course not, but we need to get Cozbi back, presumably by force this time. I am in no mood for another merciful negotiation with an unappreciative prince."

"So we storm the place and break Cozbi out without plan? That is unlike your usual cautious style, dear Onyx." Dane started to chuckle. "Ooh, I like it. This is my kind of action!"

I hissed in frustration, gripping a figure labeled 'General of Twelfth Legion' on the strategy board to prevent myself from punching something, still incredulous of this situation. Was my sister picking fun at us? If Cozbi didn't want to get caught, she wouldn't have. Had she orchestrated the whole thing? "I don't get it. How did they kidnap Cozbi, who could literally melt into the shadows? And if they wanted a forced confession, why didn't they just directly kidnap me? Unless...Hayes is playing games again, or...they got the wrong person?"

Dane banged his head on the wall to muffle his snickering. "Got...the...wrong...person? I dunno, maybe Cozbi had her 'dumb' face on when they kidnapped her and didn't have enough time to get serious?"

"Never mind what he's playing at. Right now the plan is to get the army to Hearts before their spies can inform them of the attack."

"Hold up," Dane raised a hand in a "stop" kind of motion, "Do you even know where Cozbi is?"

"Cozbi can shift into shadow, Hayes is aware of this, so he would clearly add security to whatever cell they're keeping her in. The only place where they have the means to do that...the Ceptonem Dungeons, just east of Amocaria."

I lifted myself up, walking over to the 'Hearts' side of the strategy board to gaze at each piece on the board, trailing invisible lines across board, pressing down with enough force to leave permanent scratches on the board.

"The main troops attack from the south side to cause a distraction, I'll put General Zheng in charge of that. You and I sneak into the prison and break Cozbi out. We evacuate immediately after we get her."

"And when do we leave?"

"Now. I'll go prepare the First Legion for travel, grab your armor, ready the Crow Maiden for sail."

Gods. Why had I chosen commanding general as my career path. Why couldn't I have been a doctor or lawyer like all the other children.

The money, I reminded myself, I had wanted to be the commanding general because of the money. And to protect my nation, of course, but mostly the money.

I want to retire.