The Sultan's Spy

Chapter 34: Her Words

Tariq watched Liss-no, Eliska, as she jerked her hand towards the bench she'd been sitting on when he'd first approached. Her movements were tight and abrupt, her wide eyes visible even in the dark. He sat only when she did, maintaining a clear space and not making his usual attempt to close the distance between them. He didn't want to get close to a member of the Sultan's family.

She bit the inside of her lip for a second, before she smoothed her face out and faced him steadily, only the little movement betraying her. He admired her control even as he wished she was easier to read. "So?"

Eliska let out a long breath in a sigh. "This is your last chance to change your mind, to continue being as safe as I can make you."

He held her gaze, hoping she saw just how unlikely that was to happen. "Stop stalling."

She grimaced. "I'm sorry, I'm not used to spilling secrets to someone who is likely going to die because of it."

Tariq only crossed his arms over his chest. One of her hands clenched into a fist around the hem of her shirt, her gaze on her lap. "Fine. As I told you before, I'm a spy. And as you've obviously found out, I'm the youngest sister of the Sultan. I grew up in the harem.

Some of us from the family, among others, those who are suited to it, take the shadow path. We protect the family by gathering information and taking care of problems. We are the dark side of the family and are trained to do anything that needs to be done to keep the family and the country safe. It takes almost a decade of training before any of us are allowed in the field, and even then it takes time before any of us are trusted with solo missions. And that only if you pass the training."

He frowned. He'd pretty much figured out that there were others of her family involved, the way she'd referred to the others as nieces hadn't sound like a lie, but he hadn't thought they were that organized. Another thought had the lines on his face deepening. If they were her nieces, if they'd grown up in the harem then there was a good chance they were the Sultan's own daughters. What kind of man would risk his own children to the life of a spy? "And the Sultan, he oversees all of you?"

Eliska jerked her head up and stared at him for a moment before she snorted. "No, of course not. Kasimer has enough on his plate just trying to run the country. One of my sisters runs us shadows. Mother Zorana runs her, the harem, and Kasimer."

She snapped her mouth shut on the last word and looked away. It didn't escape Tariq's notice the way she referred to the Sultan, killing any last doubt he had as to her identity. Eliska was a royal. All of her blind loyalty to the Sultan, her refusal to believe he or his family had anything to do with slavers or blood magic suddenly made sense. She wasn't refusing to believe anything bad about her employers, but about her family.

The silence stretched and Tariq decided to prod her. "And the story about this blood mage? Is that true?"

She met his gaze with a certain amount of ferocity. "Yes. You think I would lie about something like that?"

"You said it yourself. I don't know you."

Eliska's jaw tightened for a moment. "I wouldn't. Something like that is too serious, too dangerous. Blood magic is something we try to avoid even talking about. The family has spent years rooting it out wherever we find it."

"Even if it's in your own family?" Tariq had to know. Had to know if her loyalty was completely blind. Anyone who couldn't even admit the possibility was someone who couldn't be trusted.

She bared her teeth in something that wasn't quite a smile, but something far more feral. "Why do you think us shadows are trained for nearly a decade? Any hint that you'd go that path and you're instantly removed from the program. And what do you think we've been doing since we first found out the blood mage has ties to the palace? We've been testing and checking every known mage in the palace, and having several of the trainee shadows checking for any feelings of corruption. Blood mages are bad for the country, and if one is found in the palace and the general populace finds out...Rioting isn't a possibility, it's a certainty. And no one wins with riots."

He couldn't deny that Eliska was exquisitely trained, with a courage, intelligence, and spirit that were rare. He had to imagine that the others like her were the same, though maybe not of her calibre. The training had to be rigorous and probably could root out those who would go to the darker paths than even Eliska walked.

Tariq had been through more than one riot and knew the truth of that. All they ever seemed to end with was blood, death, and destruction with no changes made. If the whole capital erupted in rioting...

"So,' he finally said after a few more moments of silence. "Your sister wants to kill me?"

Eliska bit her lip again, then met his gaze. "Yes. She thinks you're a liability. Only the fact I have you spelled kept her from doing it right away. She has found you useful so far, so as long as she thinks you're ignorant of my identity and of what we do, and she doesn't decide you're not worth the trouble, you're safe."

Personal danger didn't much bother Tariq, but having seen what little Eliska could do and knowing there had to be dozens more like her made even him hesitate. "You're not asking much."

"That's why I didn't want to tell you. And with her already on the warpath because of my inquiries, it's a narrower line to walk."

Tariq frowned. "Inquiries?"

Eliska's eyes went wide and she looked down and away. "Never mind that."

"You promised me the truth."

Her lips thinned then she sighed. "I was asking about your Lord Zakki. She wasn't pleased with me not accepting her explanation. I've had to be a lot more...circumspect in my questions since."

He studied her for a moment, ignoring the faint little tingle he got at the knowledge that she'd been looking into things for him. Because he'd said something to her. So she wasn't just a loyal dog only capable of living for her masters. So far, everything she'd said matched up with what he'd seen, and he didn't think she was lying about any of it.

Tariq supposed she'd trusted him, even though she had spelled him in a way that gave him little choice in the matter. For now, there was no reason to change their current arrangement. Their goals were still the same. But he'd have to watch her carefully, not to mention those around her.

"So I guess I'm to pretend I don't know who you are?"

Eliska met his gaze and offered him a half-smile. "If you want to keep breathing, that would be a good thing to do."

He nodded. "Then I guess we keep on the way we have."

Watching her shoulders slump in what he guessed was relief, Tariq made sure to burn the memory of her at the ceremony into his mind. Whatever she was like with him, whatever she acted like, Eliska was still a royal. And he wouldn't make the mistake of trusting her blindly. He'd seen what that got you.