The Crimson Campaign

“It was the Privileged.”

“What Privileged?” Tamas felt his hackles rise. Most of the Kez Cabal had died on South Pike, or so he’d been told.

“Rumors were he came out of Adro. His Majesty’s own envoy. Only took him two days to convince His Majesty to attack Deliv.”

Tamas put his hands on Mernoble’s shoulders, feeling suddenly desperate. “His name, damn it. What was it?”

“He’s the same that hanged Field Marshal Tine. The same in Alvation right now.”

“Tell me his bloody name.”

“Duke Nikslaus, sir.”

Adamat paced his living room and tried to decide what to do with his family.

It had taken them four days’ hard travel to return to Adopest. He’d not seen Ricard since that afternoon when Adamat had spotted Brudania-Gurla Trading Company ships coming down the canal lock system. Ricard had insisted on going to find out what the devil was going on, while Adamat had taken his family back to Adopest right away.

He feared that Ricard had been captured.

Adamat tried to remind himself that he had far too little information with which to make informed decisions. Perhaps there was another explanation for the Trading Company ships. But his mind kept going back to one thing: Adro had been invaded by Brudania.

It was as if all of Adamat’s nightmares were coming true. Claremonte was bringing the might of the Trading Company fleet down on Adopest. With the entire army tied up against the Kez in southern Adro, the capital city was completely defenseless. The Mountainwatch had been muscled out of defending the canal by Ricard himself. There was absolutely nothing to stop Claremonte from sailing down the Ad River and taking the city.

How long had Claremonte been planning this? He must have quietly captured the lock system weeks ago, and bribed the Deliv navy to let him sail his fleet up the canal from the ocean.

What did Claremonte want with Adro? To conquer it? Did he want their resources? Was the Brudania-Gurla Trading Company in the employ of the Kez? Or were they operating on their own? Adamat found the latter thought somehow more terrifying than the former. If both Brudania and Kez wanted Adro, Adopest would be torn apart between them.

He had to get his family out of the city. Who knew what an occupying army would do?

But where to go?

They were trapped. One army to the south, one to the north.

He could send them to Novi. Adamat didn’t know anyone in Novi. Perhaps he could…

There was a knock on the door. Adamat snatched the pistol from his desk and took a sip of wine before heading to the front hallway.

“Stay upstairs,” he said when he saw Astrit looking curiously down from the landing.

He opened the door to find a servant there. Adamat recognized him, though he’d never heard the man’s name. One of Ricard’s.

“Inspector Adamat?” the servant said.

“Yes?” Adamat said cautiously.

“Mr. Tumblar requests you at the Warriors’ headquarters, sir. There’s a carriage waiting.”

“He’s back?”

“Arrived less than an hour ago, sir,” the servant said.

Could this be a trap? Were agents of Lord Claremonte there now, waiting to kill Adamat when he showed his face? Or was Adamat just being paranoid? “Did he say anything else?”

“No, sir. Just requested your presence.”

“I’ll be a moment.”

Adamat went out to the garden behind the house where Faye was sitting alone with a book. The sun shone down between the rooftops, and Faye had her head tilted back, face to the light, her book sitting in her lap.

“Love,” Adamat said gently.

Faye jumped. The book slid from her grasp, and she put a hand to her chest.

“Don’t sneak up on me like that,” she said. “Was someone at the door?”

Adamat fetched the book and gave it back to her. “Yes. A messenger from Ricard. He’s asked to see me.”

“Well?”

“I want you to go to Novi,” he said.

“I will not.”

“Please, no more arguing.” They’d fought the entire trip back from the north over what she and the children should do. She wanted to stay in the city. He wanted her to get out. “You’ll be safer in Novi.”

“Just like I was safer in Nafolk?” she asked, bristling.

“Faye…”

“Don’t ‘Faye’ me,” she said. “We’ll stay together. No more sending us off for our own good. Me. The children. We’re not going anywhere.”

Adamat opened his mouth to protest, but couldn’t think of what to say. He wasn’t going to win, he knew that, but he still wanted to fight. Couldn’t she see it was better for her to be somewhere safe?

Adamat leaned forward to kiss the top of her head. “I’m going to see what Ricard has to say,” he said.

CHAPTER 35

Taniel crossed the no-man’s-land between the Adran and Kez armies under the cover of dark.

He supposed he could have done it during the day. He’d walked unseen through the Adran camp just to try out Mihali’s spell. It worked. But some deep reservation kept him from trusting Mihali completely.