“Get up,” Lizanne told her. She went to the sarcophagus, standing on tip-toe to peer down at the contents. As expected there was no sign of Azireh’s bones, just a series of steps descending into deep gloom.
“You really are settling a lot of old scores today, aren’t you?” Sefka asked, Lizanne glancing over to see her peering at the Blood Imperial’s corpse. “I do wish I’d been awake for that.”
“It’s time for you to go, Countess,” Lizanne said, stepping back and nodding at the open sarcophagus. “I’m afraid you’ll probably have to do a fair bit of wandering about to find it, but I’m reliably informed there’s a passage down there that will take you beyond the walls.”
Sefka stared at her, unmoving. Lizanne doubted this woman was capable of such mundane emotions as surprise and her reaction was more likely a symptom of well-justified suspicion. “You’re just going to let me go?” she said, voice laden with doubt.
“Clan leader Ahnkrit and I reached an agreement regarding your future,” Lizanne told her. “You’ll find him at Scorazin. How or if you manage to get there is not my concern, but I’m sure it’s a task well within your capabilities.”
“Ahnkrit,” Sefka repeated softly, pursing her lips. “Mother used to beat me if I wasn’t kind to the other children at court. Now I see why.”
“A certain degree of urgency is required,” Lizanne said, her voice growing hard.
Sefka inclined her head then paused to crouch at the Blood Imperial’s side. “Good-bye, Kalasin,” she said, teasing the slack grey tendrils from his face. “It was a singular displeasure knowing you.” She tugged the cane from his stiff fingers and straightened. “You’ll allow me a souvenir, I hope,” she said to Lizanne, hefting the cane as she moved to the sarcophagus.
Lizanne said nothing and Sefka shrugged, hauling herself onto the edge of the marble box and swinging about. “You really should kill me, you know?” she said before slipping from sight.
Lizanne listened to her footsteps fade away before replying. “I know.”
? ? ?
The Blood Imperial’s head gave a soft thud as it landed on the steps of the Imperial palace. The Electress stood with her fleshy arms folded, regarding the grisly trophy in expressionless silence for some time. Her band of Fury body-guards stood behind her, all impressively festooned with jewellery and fine clothes looted from various palaces. Lizanne could see Tinkerer standing amongst them. She hadn’t been this close to him since Scorazin and saw that, whilst his clothing had changed from a besmirched set of miner’s overalls to a long, deep-pocketed coat, his demeanour hadn’t. He greeted her with a short nod as Lizanne met his gaze, face betraying neither fear nor anticipation at the prospect of release from the Electress’s clutches.
At the base of the steps Arberus looked on with what appeared to be the entire Co-respondent Brotherhood arrayed behind him in loose but attentive order. A large number of the army’s rank and file were also present, although most were too preoccupied with looting or vandalism to afford this meeting much attention. Arberus was flanked by Hyran and Kraz, with Jelna standing a short way off. Lizanne could see Makario loitering on the fringes of the Brotherhood and felt some measure of relief at finding him only lightly wounded, standing with his arm in a sling as he waved at her with his free hand.
“Anatol?” the Electress asked, glancing up from Kalasin’s bleached, sagging features.
“Sleeping in the Tomb of Emperor Azireh,” Lizanne replied. “I dosed him with Green, he should heal in time.”
“Unusually nice of you. Where’s Countess Sefka?”
“I haven’t the faintest idea.”
“Lying bitch.”
Lizanne gave a bland smile and nodded at the object lying at Atalina’s feet. “Our contract is fulfilled. I require payment.”
The Electress replied with a smile of equal blandness, looking over her shoulder at Tinkerer. “His value’s gone up since. Those marvellous toys of his really do make a difference and I’d hazard that I’ll have more than a few battles to fight soon.”
“That is not my concern. And I have no inclination to bargain with you further.” Lizanne flexed her fingers over the Spider. “So I’ll make it very simple for you. Give him to me or I’ll kill you and take him.”
“In front of this army?” The Electress raised her heavy brows in mock surprise. “My army, love.”
“Really? You imagine it’s you they followed here.” Lizanne cast a pointed glance at Arberus. “Or do you imagine they don’t know the debt they owe Miss Blood? How do you think they’ll react when they find out you tried to assassinate me on this day of victory? Some will no doubt seek to avenge your death, but far from all and unless you have some Blood-blessed to call on at this juncture I’d say you have no more cards to play.”
Lizanne shifted her gaze to Tinkerer, raising her hand to beckon him from the midst of the Electress’s guards. He started forward after a moment’s hesitation, stopping when the Furies began to reach for their weapons.
“Leave it!” the Electress barked, her gaze still fixed on Lizanne. “Let him go.”
The Furies parted ranks, allowing Tinkerer to walk free. He moved towards Lizanne in a wide arc, well clear of Atalina’s reach.
“Any chance you might finally tell me why he’s so fucking important?” Atalina asked.
“He’s going to save the world.” Lizanne raised her gaze to the smoke rising from a large blaze in the palace roof, then lowered it to survey the corpse-littered grounds and the hordes of rebels rushing off with their bundles of loot as if worried someone might snatch it away. “Such as it is,” she added, inclining her head at the Electress and turning to descend the steps with Tinkerer in tow.
“I’ll escort you to the docks,” Arberus said as she paused at his side. He was unharmed but heavily besmirched from the battle, his uniform torn and stained with loyalist blood. Even so it seemed to her he had grown even taller now and, when future artists inevitably came to record this scene on canvas, he would be the principal subject.
“I think you had better stay here,” she replied, glancing over her shoulder at the Electress, still glowering away at the top of the steps. “Remind the new regime of its treaty obligations. They might feel they’ve scored a great victory, but all they’ve won is the right to stand against the White’s onslaught, and it is coming. Make sure they know that.”
She stepped closer, raising herself up to plant a kiss on his cheek, knowing it would be the last they ever shared. “Don’t let her live another night,” she whispered before stepping back.
“The Blood Imperial is dead,” she said, turning to Hyran and extending her hand. “Perhaps they’ll name you his replacement, though Blood Republican doesn’t scan so well.”
He ignored her hand and enfolded her in a tight embrace, murmuring, “Please stay.”
“I can’t.” She eased him back then turned to Makario, gesturing for him to follow as she led Tinkerer away.