Red Ruse

Chapter Eleven

Mare

The whisper is a child. Sand-brown hair, dark eyes, twig arms and legs that tremble as the council looks upon her. There is no mistaking the bounce of her hair, the twitch of her fingers, the quiver of her voice as she names the thoughts of the Newblood. "A servant of Governor Rhambos." Deep breath. "Ada Wallace."

The woman smiles, uneasy, amber eyes creasing as Lu takes her hand. "I can speak for myself."

She freezes, eyes darting to the council. Volo scoffs. "Your word means little, Red."

"But mine doesn't." I can't resist. "Speak, Wallace. The whisper will know if you lie."

Her brown hair bobs in my direction, a head which turns to Lu and falls to a hush. "It's easier if you clear your mind."

Murmurs ripple through the room, growing louder as Ada continues. "Whispering requires your thoughts be separate, to avoid tangling yourself with another's. Many tear their host's mind in the process. I would prefer you didn't."

Lu startles. "How do you–?"

"The Art of the Hawk: How to Search a Mind, Section 8, paragraph 20." Ada smiles. "Hawk is an old name for whisper."

Volo stands. "What are you suggesting?"

My blood runs cold.

"The governor's library was quite extensive. I would spend my free moments devouring any slip of paper I could get my hands on."

He snorts. "Chewed on them, did you?"

"The paper was too thick, I'm afraid. I don't have the mandibles for it." Pause. "Bookworms, on the other hand--"

I clear my throat. "Lady Merandus, can you sense her ability?"

Lu nods. "She's read every book in the governor's library. Every. Single. One." Her voice quivers. "Each page is still in her memory."

Ada soothes her arm. "There's no need to be scared."

She sniffles. "My head hurts."

"Poor you," someone mutters.

Volo scoffs. "It appears we have a servant with too much time on her hands. I suggest she find ways to better occupy it. Perhaps in the Scullery?"

Lu takes a breath. "That would be a waste."

"Oh?" His voice grows dark. "Tell me then, with your infinite wisdom. Surely you won't waste our time again with your . . . " His lip curls. "Antics."

Ada clutches her head as Lu stares Lord Volo in the eye. "If it's in a book, she can learn it. Any instruction manual, any guide–one read, and she's a trained professional."

"Hogwash."

Lu burns. "I'm literally a mind reader."

"A foolish one." He tsks. "Your Majesty, send her back. The governor should give her the cane for her lies."

"I'm. Not. A. Liar." Nobles start to wince as Lu steps forward, and my head begins to pound. "You dare–"

Maven sighs. "Both of you, shush. Your theatrics bore me." He gestures to Volo. "Disrupt our proceedings again, and I'll find another Samos to fill your post. You have many enemies, Lord Volo. Do not give me reason to feed them."

I rise, shaky. "As ambassador, it is my duty to introduce her to court and find her place in it. This is a demonstration, not a trial."

"Well said." Maven nods, and I try not to imagine kissing that jaw until it bleeds. "Dismissed."

Ada shuffles in place as the rest of the council departs. A few nobles jeer as they pass her by, but her head holds high and her stance firm. She looks at me, then dips into a curtsey. "Ambassador Barrow." The words send a chill down my spine. "How may I be of service?"

Lu perks. "You'd be a great general. Mom was almost one, I bet she could--"

General. Something in me twitches in recognition. Anabel had been a general. Perhaps she would be interested in a new army.

"Let's get you to the library." I nudge Ada, who hasn't taken her eyes off Lu. "They'll have twice the knowledge of the governor, I promise."

Lu bites her lip. "You shouldn't."

Before I can ask why, the curtains ripple without a breeze, a sigh echoing from behind them. "I can't shake you, can I?"

"Nothing gets past me." Lu folds her arms, quivering. "Not even you."

Chuckle. "You're quite the prodigy."

"Maven said you would flatter me."

"Takes a snake to know one, I suppose." The curtains ripple once more, red hair curling into view. Elane Haven takes a bow, gliding to my side and shaking my hand. "Apologies for the dramatics. I'm not supposed to be in these meetings."

My cheeks flush, red blood pumping into sharp focus. "Neither am I."

"Tumbled into them, did you?" She smiles, and my heart pounds a little faster. "May I see your shoulder?"

"What for?"

Elane tilts her head. "To check if the cream is working."

My hands to where the wound had once been, now nothing more than smooth skin. "How–"

"I gave it to him." Her hands are still entwined with mine, and she makes no move to disentangle. "I heard what happened with the queen, and well, I couldn't stand idle."

I step back, wary. "You've been watching me."

"Much as I've been able. I'm afraid I've stumbled upon my own shadow." She glares at Lu, but she glares right back. She returns to me with a sigh. "Maven has quite the eye. You've fared far better than I thought you would."

Flattery. "I'm not falling for it."

"What is there to fall for? My devilish charm?" Elane winks. "I'm taken, I'm afraid."

Maven, too, had pretended to be my friend. Had let me into his heart only so I'd open mine. Usury. Exchange. Debt. Emotions are currency, and I will not let mine be spent. "You want something. What is it?"

A beat passes. "Would you believe I know about Lady Iral, and want you to stop nosing around?"

My breath hitches. "Did Maven send you?"

"Would it matter?"

I don't know. Nothing makes sense anymore, not after I took his hand and let him lead me to the altar. He gave me his word. It wasn't worth much. "Depends. Can you vouch for Ada Wallace, and the rest of my Newblood brethren?"

Lu brightens. "I can–"

"Shush." I pat her on the head. "You're what, ten?"

"Fourteen."

"Anabel won't take you seriously. You saw the council. You're as easy to dismiss as I am." The words burn, but they must be borne. "Come with me to the Lerolan estate, Lady Haven, and I won't need to search for Iral anymore."

Elane curls a hair around her finger, pursing her lips. "What would you have me do?"

"Convince Anabel Lerolan to help me train the incoming Reds." I straighten, channeling the haughty poise of Mareena Titanos. "Persuasion is your specialty, is it not?"

Her lips tug. "It is."

And so the deal is sealed. But not before a Merandus glares at us both, turning to the door and exiting with a huff.