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My throat grows tight, turning my voice hoarse. “Then go. Don’t waste time here. The battle plans are drawn. The captains and lieutenants have their orders. And this time, the Khaturians fight alongside us.”
Kaithar chuckles softly. “Times change, eh?”
“Times change, Kaith.” I exchange a quick glance with Finley, who is perfectly composed; expectant, curious. Right now, she feels both vulnerable and volatile, with the promise of immense untapped power lurking beneath her calm surface.
My focus returns to Kaithar. I lean forward, dropping my voice so only he can hear. “I’ll end this madness once and for all. Whether it’s my father’s doing, or that of someone who seeks to usurp him, I’ll destroy them. They dared to desecrate our dead. They dared to lay their hands on my betrothed. And you’ve been gravely hurt.”
Kaithar gives me a long, appraising look. Then he nods in approval. “I can see that you’re furious, my brother, but no matter what you find in the capital, don’t ever forget what we fought for.”
It’s both a warning and a caution. Kaithar knows me too well.
I don’t say anything. Cold anger makes me silent. And part of me is afraid of what I’d do—if they harmed her.
I’m not so sure I can make any promises to Kaithar right now. “I’ll do what needs to be done. And I’ll seek out and strike at the heart of whatever’s causing the undead to rise.”
Kaithar’s expression turns solemn. “I believe Kinnivar and the guards were being controlled. There’s no way they would have betrayed you otherwise.”
At the mention of the betrayal, my anger burns ever colder. I remember Kinnivar’s strange behavior when we last met in my office. Was he already planning on betraying me, or had his mind been corrupted by dark magic?
And to think thathewas the one that found my father’s message scroll.
That was genuine, though. Nobody can duplicate my father’s handwriting.
My mind spins. None of this makes sense. And I know for certain that outside of my innermost circle, I can’t trust anyone.
“Some can be infected,” Ciel says softly. “From a bite or scratch of an undead, the living can be infected, and controlled by the same one that commands the undead horde.”
That would make sense, and it would be the most reassuring explanation.
The implications are terrifying. If more of my men were to be turned…
“Make sure command and all the soldiers are aware of this,” I order. “They must wear protective attire and avoid being bitten or scratched at all costs. If an injury from an undead is to occur…”
“If your men are infected by the undead, we can attemptpurification,” Sylhara says gently. “But a cure isn’t guaranteed. It depends entirely on the will of the infected individual. The only other alternative is death.”
I meet her pale-and-dark eyes. “See to it that whatever needs to be done is done.”
She offers the slightest of bows. “Your will shall be done,O’Kral.”
Her words are deferent, but there’s a warning in her wintry gaze.
Uphold your end of the bargain.
There’s always a condition. I must continue to keep the lands of the Khatur safe. The Rahavan Empire will never invade beyond the mountains again.
I glance out the window. The moon casts a silvery glow across the land. Cold seeps through the walls, overpowering the warmth from the glowing hearth.
It’s quiet.
Unnervingly so.
And I’m about to walk into a trap, with Finley by my side.
48
FINLEY
We stand high on the castle walls, watching thin clouds scud across the night sky, momentarily dampening the bright glow of the moon.
