Blood Tempered: Book 1 of the Sword Monk Saga

Blood Tempered: Part 30

It was full dark before Anya finished preparing her sorceries. She staggered her way back to her quarters, throat dry and body exhausted Stale sweat coated her, and she couldn't decide if a bath or sleep was more important. She was not pleased to find Stench waiting for her.

"Go away," she growled, and drank deep from the carafe of water on the scarred table.

"There's an Imperial Magi out there, somewhere," he replied.

She put the glass down. "I thought—"

"You thought correctly. They didn't find you by magic. But their scouts are very good."

"How do you know there's a Magi out there? How can you be sure?"

"I can smell his damned Book from here."

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"Because you'd have taken any interruption poorly. Besides, what would you have done if you'd known three hours ago? Nothing different."

She frowned at him. But he wasn't wrong.

"Why didn't the Roumnans attack?" Stench asked her.

"Because I didn't want them to. Yet. The Ardeshi cavalry isn't close enough. Now go."

Stench shifted in his chair, but didn't leave. "It's my life, too, princess. The Andine was talking about the soldiers, but what he said applies to me as well. Why didn't the Roumnans assault when they should have?"

"I should have killed that monk when I first saw him. All right, Heirus, I will tell you. They are led by a captain who believes that, if he 'rescues' me, my father will grant him my hand in marriage."

"He thinks your father will throw over a prince for a captain? What kind of fool—"

"The kind of fool I selected, and swayed with magic more than a year ago. He will do exactly what I want, when I want him to do it. And he will believe it is all his own idea."

Stench raised his eyebrows. "All part of the plan, then."

"Yes."

"One more question, then, princess, and I'll not bother you again tonight. How long have you been planning whatever it is you're planning? I won't bother to ask your endgame."

"I've been planning since the moment I realized that, as a woman, I had less say over my destiny than the lowest of my father's male retainers. Since I understood that I could not own property because I was property. Since it was made clear to me that my purpose in life was to strengthen political ties and birth future heirs. I think I was five or six."

Stench had nothing to say to that. He gave a shallow bow and departed.

Anya sighed, and slumped a little against the table. An Imperial Magi. That had not figured into her plans. It made things much more difficult.

The Magi had to die. Much easier said than done.

The need for a bath won out over the need for sleep, and so Anya bathed herself by candlelight, in cold water, and considered ways to dispatch the Magi. She turned over possibility after possibility, and was not satisfied with any of them.

She sighed, put the cloth over her eyes, and relaxed in the chill water. To her own deep surprise, she found herself remembering the Andine's strong fingers massaging her scalp, and wishing he were there to wash her hair once again.