Chapter 126 Choosing Sides

  I was seated across from Castile, a worn, dark oak table between us. Two gs, a silver neckce, and some folded papers were oable. She studied me until I started to get unfortable. Castile broke the silence, “ I see the amulet?”

  I didn’t hesitate, and I put the amulet oable. Castile picked it up and tur in her hands. I was watg her eyes to see if she used it. She eventually put it down, never havied it. “I never heard them called dreamscape amulets before. There were two of these at the Mage College, usable only by the First Citizens and uhe supervision of a High Mage. They could help you learn new spells in weeks instead of months.” Castile made strong eye tact, “How did Boris know you had this?”

  I winced, “It was Lareen. The servant assigo me. She caught me using it. She promised not to tell anyone.”

  Castile’s eyebrows raised in a mog visage, “I will talk with the Duchess. I am sure Lareen will be suitably punished for not inf her before her brother.” That made me feel slightly better, but still, she had betrayed me, and the secret was out.

  She pushed it back toward me, like pushing away a temptation. “Secure it. Duchess Veronica is not letting her brother do any message sendings, but we are certain he will pn to obtain it or use its existeo gain favor from another powerful First Citizen.” I felt like this amulet was about to bee an albatross.

  I took the amulet and stored it. Castile did not ask to use it, but her body nguage hihat she wao. Castile indicated the items oable, “These are the artifacts found oian.” Behind Castile, the collector was also on the bed. “The maps and instrus from the summoner are in elvish,” she indicated in the papers. I winced again, realizing I had not searched his body thhly.

  I directed my attention to the table—the rings did not have any runic markings on them, “They are magical? I don’t see any markings on the rings.” The silver neckce clearly had a utern in the links.

  Castile frowned, “Dunges are typically just silver, gold, or ptinum bands. Only when they are in use or heated in a fme will their runic ws appear.” She picked up one of the rings, “I do not know their fun, but yes, they are dungeon artifacts.”

  After studying the ring, she put it down, “After we leave for the Ruins of Caelora, the Duchess will pose a message sending to the capital. If Sebastian has an heir, they will go to him or her. If he does not have an heir, the registry of artifacts will be sulted. If any of the items are listed there, they will be turned over to the Empire.” Castile turned around to look at the essence collector. “Almost all essence collectors are registered in the Empire, so I will hold onto that until they request it be returned.” She let a small smirk escape, “Of course, once we march with it, we will have no means of unication as I do not know the message sending spell.”

  I figured out her pn. Castile and the Duchess had plotted so she would be able to keep the essence collector for this one assig. I asked, “And the rings and neckce?”

  “I will try to figure out their fun tonight. They will remain with the Duchess, though. Most likely, Duke Octavian will e looking for them,” she said with spite.

  “I don’t uand. Duke Octavian?” I asked, bewildered.

  Castile ched her teeth, “Fvius informed me Master Mage Sebestiae is in Duke Octavian’s province. If he has no heir, and Fvius thinks he does not, then all his property will revert to Octavian.”

  “Why just not report the recovery of the items ahem?” I offered a simple solution.

  “If the items are nistered, that could work. But I do not know what is and what isn’t. The collector is definitely registered, but these…” Castile looked at the rings and neckce. “If we did not try to get them to their proper pce, a Truthseeker would discover the deceptioually.”

  Castile straightened, aourned serious, “We have avoided why I asked you here long enough. Konstantin and Fvius are both suspicious of you. The wyvern had no wounds, and no poison works that fast.”

  With her tone ge, I got unfortable, “What happeo, if you don’t know, you ot tell the Truthseekers?” I said slowly.

  Castile pursed her lips and frowned. She was more direct, “I am not asking you anything. I am telling you Konstantin and Fvius will be watg you more closely.”

  “If Konstantin watched me any closer, his head would be stu my ass,” I joked. That got a small smile from Castile.

  Her smile faded, “Konstantin knows you heal. I expey future training sessions are going to be more…intense,” Castile said. I groaned as that had been one of my bigger fears. “Do you know Konstantin’s spell forms?” Castile suddenly asked. “He knows your secrets. It is fair you know his.”

  “He has a form of telekinesis. He move small objects,” I answered, and Castile nodded.

  When I did not offer any more, she supplied them, “He tell if something is poisonous.” My blood suddenly chilled, and Castile smirked at my disfort, “Only poisons that e from pnts, though. It is a ell form from the nature affinity. He has a third as well. Another ell form that is actually extremely useful. It allows him to get a full night’s rest in four hours.”

  “That bastard. That is how he is always up before me. That is just cheating,” I spat in disgust at the unfairness.

  “Cheating?” Castile asked, amused. “You heal yourself, turn air into defensive shields, have a secret ste, and have a training amulet. I think you have the advantage over Konstantin.” Castile did not eveion that I was w on a spell form for time.

  “So, you just wao warn me?” I asked Castile.

  Castile rubbed her brow, trying to e up with a way to expin it, “Yes and no. Also, that the amulet plicates things. Konstantin will soon hear from the others that you have it, and he will tell his Praetorian Guard master, and Boris will tio pursue it. It is going to draw a lot of attention to myself and the pany.”

  I was fused. I couldn’t believe such a small device could cause so many problems. “Then what do you wao do? Give it away? Flee the Empire?” I said the tter i, but the thought often crossed my mind.

  Castile eyes danced with indecision, “No, it is not yet time we do that.”

  A cold feeling ran down my spine. Castile had just firmed some of my suspis. She had clearly used the word we. She had been groomio help her flee the Empire. At least, that is what I was interpreting from her words. It had been iional on her part as I read her eyes. I waited for her to tinue. “You could always sell the amulet or seek prote from a First Citizen.”

  “The Duchess?” I asked, trying to read her iions.

  Castile was impassive as she answered sadly, “If you wish to enter her service, then you could. I know a few men of the pany who would take her up on her offer.” She did not sound bitter, though. “I also suspect that the Duchess is already w with Konstantin’s Praetorian Master.”

  “Konstantin is w for the Duchess?” I said. I was extremely fused.

  Castile deliberated in silence, deg what to tell me, “No. It is not that simple. I think Antonia Segreto is using the Duchess to keep me safe.”

  “Antonia Segreto? The mert queen you thought is Konstantin’s handler?” I asked.

  “Handler—iing way of putting it, Eryk. But yes. While Firth is here to ensure I don’t betray the Empire, Konstantin appears to be here to ensure I do not get myself killed. She has some purpose for me, and I do not know what it is,” Castile disclosed.

  “Is that why he pushed us so hard to get to the capital for the Tribunal?” I asked.

  “Partly so, I believe. He also has some loyalty in him,” Castile said softly as her thoughts wandered briefly.

  Too many things were pying through my mind. Castile easant raised to power and caught in the politics of the Empire. She obviously was hoping to escape one way or another. Konstantin had been a mentor, a tough mentor, but still a mentor. But his true motives were hidden. Castile let me sider everything for a few minutes. I finally chose to side with Castile. “What do you need me to do?”

  Castile’s lips twitched in a brief smile. “Stay close to Konstantin. Ask him for help in proteg your amulet.” Castile let her words sink in before adding, “If you get him to divulge what Antonia Segreto has pnned for me, it would help enormously.”

  So this is what it had e down to. I was to spy on Konstantin. “Konstantin keeps hinting that I should join the Hounds,” I said after sidering her words.

  Castile wavered a moment before admitting, “He did mention it to me. He thought it would be beneficial for you. In case you had cause to flee the Empire. That is—knowing how your pursuers work.”

  It was like lightning striking, “Konstantin thinks I am going to flee?”

  Castile ughed softly, “I think he is more surprised you are still here. He has tracked more than a few legionnaires in his time, and the first day you arrived, he warned me you had all the signs of a runner.”

  I thought on it for a moment, “So I should ask Konstantin about w for Antonia?”

  “Before, she may have seen you as useful as a smuggler. But now you are actually a petent soldier with self-healing,” Castile paused, maybe realizing how attractive I was to recruit.

  I itted to Castile’s side, not seeing many options, “I uand and will try to gain Konstantin’s fidence.”

  Castile nodded but didn’t smile. “If you need help iure, you trust Adrian, Felix, Mateo, and Bze.” I tilted my head before figuring out what Castile was hinting at. If I decided to leave the Empire, as she nning, then those four would be trustworthy.

  “Mateo, really?” I asked about the legionnaire who did not know how to hold his tongue. I was also surprised Delmar was not among the names mentioned.

  Castile nodded, “Foolish with his to loyal and brave beyond measure. Ask him about his family sometime. It is a fasating tale.”

  I stood, “I should get some rest for tomorrow’s march.”

  “Are you going to loan one of your new bdes to Brutus?” Castile asked as I made to leave.

  “Before we reach the ruins, yes. I want to try them both before deg which to keep.” Castile nodded approvingly, and I left.

  I returo the northwest tower to find Maveith animatedly talking with Fvius and Konstantin. Maveith was retelling of the petition and how I had won the day against the First Citizen. Konstantin had Maveith pause, “So those are yours now?” He poi the two runic bdes on my bed with my pack.

  I nodded and studied Konstantin. Maybe it was just the talk with Castile, but I could see the suspi in his eyes. Fvius was ign me pletely as he packed his own bag. I noticed a bundle of silvery arrows on the bed, so he must have received the runic arrows already.

  Maveith broke the silence, “Benitht you this,” his rge hand dumped a mess of silver into my hand. “Ten rge silver and forty small,” Maveith informed me. Benito had set up a betting pool for the tourney, and I won. I moved the s to my ste.

  “Yes, Konstantin. I am going to loan one of the bdes to Brutus. And you heard about the amulet as well?” I said, sitting on my bed, my face impassive.

  “From Mateo, yes. Sounds useful. I hope you are using it well,” he said indifferently.

  Maveith could feel the tension in the room and asked, “Does anyone want to py checkers?”

  Konstantin disappointed Maveith, “We should all get some rest. It is going to be a long walk tomorrow.” After iing the wyvern, I knew both Konstantin and Fvius had questions about me.

  Laying down, I prepared. I moved the amulet to my hand aered the dreamscape. I only spent a few moments eng the bookshelf inside a rock wall in the scorpion room before returning. I returhe amulet to my space for safety. The only way someone could cim it was by killing me, f the tents of my spato the real world.

  As I settled into an unfortable sleep, the unpleasant dreams came quickly. No matter where I went in my dreams, someone wahe amulet. It started with Mateo asking incessantly to borrow it on the march. Then, it was Konstantin’s Praetorian Master trying to get it from me in exge for her prote. Then it was First Citizen Boris demanding to fight me for it over and over. I beat him dowime.

  Konstantin first and kicked the bed to wake me. “Time to wake, Eryk; we have an hour before breakfast. Let’s see if you deserve to carry those bdes.” I was awake instantly, but it was still dark outside, and Konstantin held a glow stone.

  “Am I still dreaming?” I asked myself softly, even though I khis was not a dream.

  Konstantin barked a ugh. The racket from Konstantin had forced Fvius and Maveith to wake. “I am fttered you dream about me, Eryk. Get your armor on, and we only have an hour to make sure you don’t cut yourself with your new swords.” Konstantin was being Konstantin, and I did not detect suspi in his voice. He was goamping dowoeps. I groaned but started moving.

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