Page 7 of Lies That Bind
The room exploded into disagreement.
“You want us to trust a Badshah with protecting our empress?” Admiral Miraz admonished.
But again, the commander didn’t completely balk at the idea. “How many men can your creature comfortably carry?Withthe payload.”
‘You, plus one other, plus the heavy explosive,’said Liana.
“Just one other plus the explosive,” I relayed.
“And Badshah?” the commander asked.
‘Three men, including Kohen,’Liana said, and I told the war room.
“Does Kohen have to go? Do you? Can we just borrow your creatures instead?” Elaine asked, clearly worried for me.
“It’s a good question,” Admiral Caruso agreed.
‘I will do as you ask of me, Aisling,’Liana said, and I felt her loyalty through the bond. She wouldn’t like it, but she would act like a horse and carry whatever I asked of her.
But I could never do that. There was no way in hell I was sending my creature into Luska alone with some strangers.
“No,” I growled. “If we do this plan and send our creatures into danger, then Kohen and I will lead the mission.”
One by one the advisors bristled.
“We’ve just lost our beloved emperor. Now we are supposed to be okay with sending our new empress into enemy territory with a few trained men?” Elaine asked, keeping her voice sharp and strong. But I saw the agony in her eyes.
Commander Ledger sighed. “Lieutenant Steele is right. It’s a huge risk. I hate to have this conversation so quickly, but have you chosen a successor? One of your sisters will need to be taken under your wing and begin her training.”
Before I could even open my mouth, Elaine puffed her chest up. “Allthree of the triplets have been raised to rule this country since they could walk. Empress Aisling will name her successor when she’s ready, and of course, their training will be accelerated now that the emperor is gone.”
She’d taken offense to the question, which I understood. It was her job to raise us up for this position, a job she took very seriously. I was glad she’d jumped in because I wasn’t yet ready to say which of my sisters should be the next leader should I perish. By right of birth, it was Valor’s place to rule, but I could overturn that if I thought someone else was ready. They were allbabies; it was a hard thing to even think about. I’d wanted them to have what I didn’t.
A childhood.
“I will fly home tonight, speak to Kohen Badshah, and then we can be back here in twenty-four hours to run the mission tomorrow night. You can work on the details in my absence.”
The advisors exchanged nervous glances. Flying a large explosive deep into enemy territory was terrifying, but it would be worth it. They idolized their beloved Red Palace, and leveling it would be the perfect retribution for taking my father’s life—for shattering the peace that Riverine once had.
“That was an order,” I said. My first order, one of many I would issue. It was a good plan, and they were only hesitant because they cared about losing me, which was a good sign that they would grow to be as loyal to me as they were to my father.
“See you in twenty-four hours,” the commander said, and just like that, the mission was approved, and I’d survived my first war meeting.
Now I had to go break up whatever I had started with Kohen and then ask him to risk his life for his country.
I felt like I was going to throw up.
Chapter
Two
It was just after eight p.m. As I flew home, fatigue pulled at my limbs. My night wouldn’t be over for hours. I still hadn’t even spoken to my sisters or Tetra. Everything had happened so fast.
‘Is Kohen still following us?’I asked Liana. I had a handheld radio hooked to my belt; Elaine had the receiver in the car below. I had convinced her to let me fly on ahead because I could get home quicker with Liana not having to follow the roads. The distance between the radios had only a few miles before they lost connection, so I wasn’t even sure I could call Elaine if I needed her. I think it just made her feel better, and so I’d hung on to it.
‘Yes, he and Onyx are at a distance.’
The fact that Kohen thought he was my own personal bodyguard would be kind of charming under other circumstances. This was going to hurt. Remembering the sexy kiss we shared in the hallway at the graduation ball had an ache forming in my chest. Kohen was a weakness I couldn’t afford.
