Agent of the Dragon

The wind died to a whisper as the ship tacked into the sheltered harbor of Mestin Reach. The trip had been uneventful, but Rhysa was glad it was almost over. She had to reach Hallyk as soon as possible. One name Armina had given her, backed by an old piece of correspondence between Camyrn and his contact, hadn’t truly surprised her, but he was indeed placed well in the court. That piece of correspondence was in her belt pouch. One of the other two names hadn’t meant much to her, but the last, and most recent, had utterly shocked her.

Rhysa was among the first off the ship, and she made her way quickly to her old rooms at Jayse Amonteus’ manor in the city. She needed clothing that would identify her as belonging in the palace; she couldn’t afford the time it would take to get past any guards who might not know her on sight. She also hoped Anathea, Jayse’s castellan would hear about her return. Anathea’s other name was Ekrania, and she was the leader of the Royal Agents.

When Rhysa reached Jayse’s gates, she dropped the disguise she’d maintained through her trip. Dusky red-gold eyes and hair of cloud-white were distinctive, and every one of Jayse’s slaves and servants recognized her. They also knew better than to try to speak with her when she had that particular grim expression.

Rhysa’s rooms were just as she’d left them before heading out on assignment, nearly a year ago. She took a bodysuit from the dresser, selected a dress from the wardrobe, and ordered water for washing from a convenient servant. After a brief wash, Rhysa put on her bodysuit and her inner layer of daggers. She’d missed their familiar weight while she was being Mieryth; thigh sheaths just weren’t the same. Over the daggers and bodysuit she put her dress. It was one of those with a split skirt to allow for easy movement. She put on her swordbelt, slipped her sword into its sheath, and added another couple of daggers in discreet places. She was just looking into the mirror and tying her hair back when someone knocked on the door.

“Come in.” Rhysa kept her voice brisk to discourage casual visitors.

Jayse stepped in and looked her over. “You found something.” No hint of a question in his voice.

“Yes.”

He grunted. “I’ve ordered a carriage. It’ll be faster than walking and will help get you past any new guards.”

“Thank you.” She hesitated only a second before adding. “You’re welcome to join me. Some of what I learned affects you.” He raised an eyebrow, but nodded without comment.

The carriage was hot and stuffy, but Rhysa refused to open a window. She didn’t dare let even a hint of what she was talking about fall into unfriendly hands. Jayse sat across from her and listened with the intense focus she’d seen only occasionally during her training.

“I don’t know how far they’ve penetrated into the ranks of the military, but civilian portions of The Primacy are trained in guerilla fighting. I know they’re planning a coup, but I’m not sure when. Only that it’ll be within the next year or so.”

“I see. And you know who the leaders in Ellendahl are?”

“I know a few of them. One or two are highly placed.”

“Hence your rush to see Hallyk.”

Rhysa nodded. “I’m not sure how widespread they’ve managed to become. I don’t dare even let other Agents know.”

“So what is it about this that specifically applies to me?”

“How sure are you of your contacts and agents?”

Jayse started to speak, paused and closed his mouth, then nodded. “I’ll look into it immediately. It’ll take time.”

“Don’t take too long. I don’t know how much time we have.”

Prince Hallyk received her in his lair. The cavern was obviously built around draconic sensibilities; even so, there was a carpeted area that contained a table, three chairs, and a fireplace. Hallyk poured her a cup of tea and invited her to sit.

“You’ve found something significant?”

Rhysa nodded slowly, deliberately. “I have. It’s not good. There will be a coup within the next year.”

Hallyk leaned back, closed his eyes, and sighed. “You know who?”

“I do. I don’t know when, and I don’t know them all.”

“Who?”

“Lord Amilar, General Rillam, and--” Rhysa’s heart clenched. She hadn’t believed until Armina showed her proof. She hated to think what this would do to her mentor. She took a deep breath and forced herself to continue. “And Lady Hermestus.”

Hallyk’s face froze, and it was a long while before he spoke again. “You have proof?”

“Not with me. I know where I found it, and it is still there. I didn’t want to remove it and tip our hand.”

Hallyk nodded and Rhysa saw something break inside her prince. His trust was not lightly given, and it cut deeply when it was broken. This was the first time she’d seen Hallyk cry--and it would almost certainly be the last. He pulled himself together quickly, but the look he gave her was sickly. “Bryn? Does he know?”

“Not to my knowledge.”

“That’s something at least.”

“Not much.”

“But enough. I suppose that’s why she disappeared.”

“What?” Surprise raised Rhysa’s voice an octave.

“She disappeared shortly after you left on your assignment. I know you were told of Elise’s disappearance, but what you weren’t told was Lord Hermestus asked her to find Emylie. He worried his wife was in need of rescue. I’m sorry. With what you’ve told me, it’s likely Elise was lured into a trap and killed.”

Rhysa’s heart lurched. Elise had been with her from the beginning. There’d been a sense of permanency to her Rhysa had relied on at times. When she’d found someone at court had been converted and removed from court, and then she’d heard Elise was missing, she had worried Elise was the one mentioned in the note. On some level, she’d distanced herself from Elise so when Armina told her to imagine being betrayed by someone close, the thought hadn’t been as harsh as it might have been. Now to regain Elise, and lose her within the space of a minute....

Rhysa buried her face in her hands and wept. The weeks she’d believed Elise could have been a traitor flogged her with guilt. She should have trusted Elise. Now she would never be able to make it up. She let grief and guilt have their way with her for a few minutes, then pulled herself together. She had a job to do, and more reason than ever to see it done.

Hallyk poured her another cup of tea, and Rhysa sipped at it to soothe her throat. He watched her for a few minutes before speaking. “I know you two were close; as close as people could be without being lovers. Maybe even closer.” His voice was soft and inviting, but there was something that warned her not to bury herself in the comfort it offered. “You’ve done well, Rhysa, especially for a first assignment. Ekrania will want a full report, and no doubt she’ll want you to finish your seduction training.” He stood and offered a hand to Rhysa. “Get some rest, but don’t lose yourself in grief. We may need you soon.”

Rhysa stood and took his hand. “I won’t lose myself. Is the armsmaster around?”

Hallyk smiled. “He is. But I want you to speak with Ekrania before doing anything else. She should be in the Agents’ Map Room in a couple of hours.”

The pairing of comfortably worn furniture and precise maps in the Agents’ Map Room still amused Rhysa. She examined the various maps and pins as she waited for Ekrania to appear. She found herself looking at the city she’d spent the last several months in and near. She removed the colored pin representing her, she tore the small flag bearing her name off the head.

Rhysa’s heart went cold and she looked again at the pin and flag in her hand. She looked at the map and felt her eyes fill even as she shook her head in denial.

“What is it, Rhysa?” Ekrania’s voice steadied Rhysa.

Rhysa surreptitiously wiped her eyes before turning to confront Ekrania. “Can we talk in your office?”

Ekrania raised an eyebrow but nodded and led the way through the underground maze to her office. The office itself was small, but there was enough room for Ekrania to meet with three people. Rhysa took one of the chairs at Ekrania’s invitation, but waited for Ekrania to speak first.

“The lounge would have been more comfortable for reporting.”

“I didn’t want to risk anyone coming in.”

“Royal Agents are trustworthy.”

“Yes. But to whom?” Rhysa put her pin and flag on Ekrania’s desk. “I can get to the report in a second, but this may be more serious.” Rhysa found she had to steady herself again before continuing. “I think someone in the Royal Agents is part of The Primacy.”

Ekrania sat back. “That’s quite a statement. Especially coming from a new Agent.”

“I know.” Rhysa’s voice was soft and distant. “And it might be the fact I was on my first assignment that saved my life.” She straightened. “Now that I’ve told you my suspicion, let me give you my report. Once that’s done, I can tell you my reasoning.”

Ekrania’s eyes narrowed, but she nodded. “Very well.”

“I landed on the first day of....”

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