I spent the rest of the afternoon out with Kira. I brought Ardek along, too, for a few reasons. For one, everyone else had gotten to go flying, and it just seemed fair. For another, Kira was still in a bad mood, and having her darling streetrat with her cheered her up. There were also two other factors: I wanted to know if Ardek could draw anything from a Rift, and I wanted to see how he’d react to meeting my mother. Kira would be fine, I was sure of that. Ardek? No idea.

  I would have brought the gold, but such a large amount had a good chance of bringing me over a threshold. I both wanted to discuss my options with Mak first, and to have her and Herald with me when it happened. Besides, if I had another growth spurt it would probably knock me out again, and I didn’t want to lose the day. Instead the fortune in gold, silver, and a few gems was safely tucked away in the strongroom at the inn, protected by the people I trusted most.

  Finding a good Rift took a bit of looking. I suspected that my mother had been snacking a little, but there were enough of them that I didn’t see any point in making a fuss. When we at last stood before one Kira filled her Heart quickly and easily. Ardek, though, had no such luck.

  “I mean, boss, I can feel it,” he said, standing with half his forearm inside the swirling, shadowy mass of the Rift. “Feels mighty weird, to be honest, like… do you know these little fishes that’ll nibble your feet if you dangle them off a pier? Oh, no, you probably wouldn’t. Well, it’s a bit like that. Cold, and like there’s a hundred tiny fishes nibbling my arm.”

  “But you can’t pull anything out of it?” I asked, trying to scour his comparison from my mind. “You’ve tried with the lightstone, right?”

  “Yeah. Managed to make it kind of flicker. But I swear I’m doing the same thing now, and nothing.”

  Oh well. It was worth a try.

  I chose not to finish off the Rift. I was practically full as it was, and Ardek, for all his qualities and Mak’s attempts to train him in the sword, was no monster slayer. I wasn’t going to risk some bear the size of a city bus coming across us while I was knocked out, with only a fast talker and an obligate pacifist to protect us.

  Instead I went to find my mother. It didn’t take long; I headed for the mountains, and she came to meet us. I knew that Kira and Ardek had spotted her when they both, Kira in my arms and Ardek on my back, went rigid.

  “Don’t worry!” I told them. “Just treat her like your boss’ mother and everything will be fine!”

  “Like a queen,” Ardek answered. “Right. Treat her like a queen.”

  When Mother tore past us, so close that I had to compensate for the wind of her passing, Ardek almost leaped off my back. Kira’s only reaction was to proclaim, “Mercies, she’s magnificent!” I took that to be a good sign.

  I continued the way I’d been going. Mother soon caught up. She gave me and my passengers a curious look then pulled ahead, directing me to follow with a flick of her tail. As I did I invited Instinct back into the mental navigator’s seat, which she took eagerly. It had become a smooth process over the two weeks or so; we’d meet Mother, Instinct would perk up eagerly, and all I needed to do was to let her slip to the front. I still wasn’t going to give her full control, but she didn’t seem to mind. “We do as I say,” she’d told me when I asked about it. “Is there really any difference?”

  My best answer was: no, not yet. She hadn’t prompted me to do anything so far that I’d refused to follow through on, and only a few things where I’d pulled the brakes a little. If it came to a real contest of wills over something, then she’d see the real difference between driving and giving directions. And I could only hope that she wouldn’t lunge for the wheel. Until that happened, though, I saw no reason to deny her on the off chance that she might. It cost me nothing, and she never made any meaningful resistance when I wanted to take back control. Besides, it made her so damn happy, a mix of the two joys: that of being in control, and that of a child who’d missed her mother.

  Instinct and Conscience rarely agreed on anything, but I doubted that Conscience would forgive me if I refused to let Instinct spend time with Mother without good reason.

  I only gave Instinct one strict instruction. One where I’d take back control immediately if she broke it. Mak knew about Instinct, and she could feel what went on inside me. Kira and Ardek didn’t and they couldn’t, and warning them would invite too many questions. Thus, my one command was simple: don’t frighten the humans.

  Instinct promised. Well, she promised to do her best, which was all I could really ask. Even I didn’t always succeed in not scaring the people I loved, after all.

  Mother didn’t bother flying all the way back to her lair, instead choosing a low mountain valley. We landed only a hundred feet or so from her, carefully dropping Kira before setting down properly.

  Once Ardek was off our back and standing next to Kira, we waited for them to approach Mother. They didn’t seem particularly inclined to get any closer, so we first nudged them and then pushed them with a low, “Go on. Introduce yourselves.” The gentle command had their feet cautiously moving before they even knew it.

  Mother’s eyes narrowed in approval.

  “Great Lady,” Kira said to our mother when she and Ardek stood so close that they had to crane their necks to look at her. “I am Bekiratag, formerly of Tekeretek. Beside me is my lover, Ardek of Karakan. We have the fortune to serve your daughter, the great Draka. It is a true honor to be in your presence.” Then she dropped to one knee, bowing low.

  Ardek copied her awkwardly then looked up and said, a little haltingly, “Ah, Great One, it’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m— my name’s Ardek. I work for your daughter, yeah? Or, that doesn’t really— I suppose I belong to her? And I’m glad I do. Yeah.” Then he quickly lowered his head again. I could smell the fear coming off him, the anxious worry that he’d messed up.

  If Mother was at all bothered by his clumsy introduction, she didn’t show it. Her eyes crinkled with amusement, and she looked at me and said, “Well, daughter, you have brought me two more of your humans. Not sisters this time, I see. A male, even! I was starting to wonder.”

  Inside, I cringed. Not her, too! Instinct, though, took it in stride and ignored the comment. “These are two of my favorites,” we said proudly. “Ardek is my spymaster, and Kira is a healer. She can bring back the recently dead and restore limbs!”

  “Can she?” Mother said with new interest. Leaning down she sniffed our two kneeling humans carefully, looking at them this way and that before raising her head again. “Your healer is filled to the brim with power, I see. Very good! Well, Bekiratag, no longer of Tekeretek, and Ardek of Karakan, I am Sower of Embers, Reaper of Flames, mother to your mistress. I can smell her power on you, and your devotion to her, and I am pleased. Rise, little humans. Serve my daughter well and be loyal, and you shall have my favor. Now, daughter, shall I assume that, since you brought these two and they have none of the things humans need for a night in the mountains, you will be returning to the city?”

  “Yes,” we said a little self-consciously. We knew it would disappoint Mother if we didn’t stay, but we really couldn’t be away for too long. Things were too volatile, and we had a Council to subvert. “I wanted you to see Kira and Ardek.”

  That really amused her. She gave one of those deep bass huffs and said, “Well, I have seen them, and I am pleased. Bekiratag, Ardek, I hope I shall see you again someday soon.”

  With that she turned and took off, going back to whatever she’d been doing when she came to find us. As she did, Instinct slid back into the background, satisfied.

  This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  “Oh my,” Kira said, leaning into Ardek as Mother disappeared into the distance. “Oh, gods and Mercies. Her presence!”

  “Big,” Ardek managed in Kira’s language. “Very big.”

  “Yeah,” she agreed.

  “Boss,” Ardek said to me, switching back to Karakani, “did you bring us here to show us off to your mum?”

  “I brought you here to introduce you,” I huffed. Then I thought about it; he was probably right. Not that I’d admit that. “I want her to know all the wonderful people I’m surrounded by, so she’ll know that I’m safe and happy.”

  “Right, boss. Just… you talked us up quite good.”

  “Get on my back,” I grunted, ducking to make it easier for him to climb on. Kira didn’t wait for me to ask before getting into position, her back to me, arms out and knees slightly bent.

  “Didn’t you have something with all kinds of straps before, that Herald had made?” Ardek asked as he settled in. He’d been pretty tense the whole time we’d flown before, and now was no better. Herald’s harness probably would have made him a lot more comfortable, and it had worked well. There was only one problem with it.

  “Ask my mother about it,” I suggested. “Just make sure you’re nowhere close to Kira when you do.”

  He took my meaning immediately.

  We’d been back for a few hours, and it was getting late, when Mak came rushing down into the cellar. “Meeting!” she said urgently, waving a sheet of paper. “There was a rider. Onur has a meeting! Tonight!”

  I’d been reading, and half rose from the floor as she came down the stairs. “Tonight? With Soandel?”

  “Yes! At the lord exchequer’s home, and soon.” She waved the message again as she passed me, heading for the cellar door. “Onur says he sent a fast rider ahead, while he rides in from the estate more slowly. He may well be entering the city already.”

  She threw the doors open then turned to face me and asked, “Do you need me?”

  I thought about it then said, “Not tonight. Your stealth is amazing, but I need to be completely unseen.”

  “Herald, then?”

  “Can’t risk it. She doesn’t have your durability or strength, and I expect Soandel to have at least one guard there who’s as scary as Kalder.”

  “Right,” she said, but she didn’t seem at all relieved. “So you’ll go alone?”

  “Yeah, Mak,” I said gently. She obviously wasn’t thrilled with the idea. “I’ll be fine. They won’t even know that I’m there until I make my move.”

  “Right,” she said, and some of the tension left her. I’d said that I’d be fine, and so I would. It was as freaky to see as ever, and I swore to myself not to let her down. “You should go, then,” she continued. “It would be best if you’re there when Onur arrives, so you don’t have to search the building for them.”

  “Right. Yeah,” I said, and stepped through the doors. “Tell Herald I’ll be right back, all right? A few hours at most.” Herald had been working with her primer, trying to make sense of the Old Mallinean, and we were supposed to read together later that evening.

  “I will,” Mak promised. “Now, go! Show that little rat the error of his ways!”

  I gave her a fierce grin and leaped into the air.

  I didn’t fly to the lord exchequer’s home, though. That would have been foolish. Any night guard worth his salt would be able to see me plain as day, and I wasn’t about to let anyone connect me to Soandel’s estate until we were officially on friendly terms — if that ever made sense, strategically. Instead I flew to the Tesprils’ home, landing in the garden and immediately Shifting. A suspicious guard that I vaguely recognized quickly came to check, having either seen me or heard a noise, and walked right past me as I made my way into the street. Let them wonder — I was busy.

  I made my way up the hill to the richest estates then snuck over the wall into Soandel’s garden. From where I’d entered I made my way over to near the gate. I couldn’t tell if Onur had made it yet, so I found a nice spot where I wouldn’t be seen, then Shifted again, scenting the air carefully. The smell of sweaty horse was a very distinct one, and completely absent here except for some old, faded traces.

  Good, I thought as I Shifted back into the Shadows. I made it in time.

  I didn’t have to wait long. When Onur arrived, though, I was a little bit distracted. As the guard outside the gate asked him to wait as the one inside went to check with Soandel, or more likely Soandel’s head of security, I was focused on Herald.

  My sister was on the move, and had been for some time. She was getting closer, and there was nothing I could do about it without blowing this whole night. And I couldn’t afford to do that, so I’d just have to trust her not to get herself in trouble. And God, I loved the girl, but considering her growing penchant for violence and recent foray into arson, that might be a bigger ask than I was comfortable with.

  “Mister O,” the newly returned guard said through the gate. “If you will kindly hand over any weapons, the lord exchequer will see you in the garden.”

  From where I was I couldn’t see Onur, but soon the guard said, “Thank you. Right this way, Mister O.”

  The gate swung open with barely a creak, and Onur led his horse inside, handing the reins to a boy who’d appeared almost from nowhere. He then followed the guard, with me close behind.

  Onur had arrived alone, and had disarmed himself. I didn’t need to be able to smell him or see his face to know that he’d be uncomfortable. But the guard leading him showed him to the seating arrangement at the moon garden’s center and then left him. Onur waited there for the five minutes it took before Soandel appeared, five minutes during which I watched Onur carefully, and Herald got ever closer. Close enough that I suspected she was outside the garden wall.

  I heard soft steps in the gravel of the walk only moments before Soandel’s voice rang out, soft but clear in the evening silence. “Onur! Mercies, man, it’s good to see you. I’ve heard some worrying things, you see.”

  “My lord exchequer,” Onur said, bowing with his hand on his chest. “Thank you for agreeing to this meeting. I assume that you’re referring to the unfortunate incompetence and subsequent demise of a certain man. I wish to both offer my humblest and sincerest apologies for my handling of this situation, and to discuss next steps.”

  Soandel sighed. “If I did not respect your lord so much, I might not be so forgiving. Come. Let’s walk. Katil, stay back. No closer than ten steps.”

  I recognized the short, somewhat rotund man shadowing Soandel as one of those who’d emerged to defend the Council when I lost my temper. He offered a quiet, “As you say, my lord,” and stopped, only following when Soandel and Onur had reached the indicated distance.

  Katil looked out of shape, but I’d seen dancers who couldn’t move as confidently as he did. He wasn’t quite at Mak’s level, but I didn’t know if anyone was. Mak before I took Grace as an Advancement, perhaps. He had a sword at his side, but I had no illusions about that being the only weapon he carried. Nor about how deadly he was; there was no way he’d be allowed to guard the Council in their chambers if he wasn’t both lethal and loyal to a fault.

  Herald, shining brightly in my shadowsight and utterly invisible to anyone else, slipped over the wall, landing in a crouch. We locked eyes across the distance, and I silently willed her turn right around.

  She waved then started gliding across the grass.

  “My congratulations to Parvion for his election to the Council!” Soandel said as the two men walked. “I never thought I’d see the day that my old friend joined me on the platform. You will give him my best regards, won’t you? I fear I’m not quite well enough to return to the Palace yet.”

  “I wish I could, my lord,” Onur replied. “But he does not know that I’m here. Perhaps I failed to inform you that I did not wish to bother him with this issue?”

  “Now that you mention it, I do think that you said. It must have slipped my mind,” Soandel said, bringing them inside a small stand of dense trees. “Shall we get to it, then? This Vestel: I’m told that Lady Drakonum personally walked into one of his places of business, slaughtered her way through his staff, and threw the man himself to his death through a fourth-floor window. Her family have been seen frequently around the city since then, and their healer is hard at work at their inn. That is not quite the outcome I hoped for.”

  “I understand, my lord, and you have my deepest apologies. Vestel has been a reliable cat’s paw over the years. I cannot explain how he failed so spectacularly this time. Fortunately, it seems he and his men did not reveal my involvement.”

  “You haven’t heard from her or any of her associates?”

  “Not a word. And I’ve seen neither hide nor hair of them, or of the dragon,” Onur lied smoothly.

  “Mercies, that’s a relief. You understand I can’t have my involvement in this getting out, even by association?”

  “Of course, my lord,” Onur said.

  From the side, Herald came within a few feet of the two men. Behind them, Katil’s hand slipped inside his robe. His stride lengthened, bringing him closer to them with every silent step.

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