Page 100 of All the Wandering Light

“I thought I would be the one the star chose,” she said. “I did find it, after all—”

“You found it?”

“—but after discussing it with Lozong, I realized that the star always obeys the person who first touches it.”

“He would know,” I said darkly. “What did you tell him?”

“Everything, of course.”

“‘Everything’? You mean you told him about River?”

“That his closest advisor has been plotting against him from the beginning? Against the Empire? Of course I did.”

I stared at her. “River was helping us.”

“Was he?” Lusha gave me a sharp look. “I think he was helping himself. I have no intention of playing guessing games about River’s motives. The Empire is at stake, and River has never been on the side of the Empire.”

“And you think it’s that simple?” I was furious. Lusha had made this decision without even thinking of consulting me. “What about the emperor? Do you really think he’s blameless in all this? Do you trust him?”

“He did what he thought was right. Besides, he is the emperor. We owe him our loyalty. We owe River nothing.” She noticed my expression and made a frustrated sound. “What does it matter? I saw River use his powers in the banquet hall, and so did a dozen guards. They know what he is now.”

It came to me, in a blinding flash, that Lusha really did think it was simple—all of it. She had always seen the world in absolutes. There was always a right course, in Lusha’s mind, and a wrong one. It was, in part, why she was such an effective leader: she fixed her mind on a goal with single-minded purpose, rarely doubting her choice. It was an efficient way to view the world. But it was also, I had come to realize, dangerously shortsighted. I thought of River’s mother, driven mad by the binding spell. I thought of all the witches who had grown up hating the Empire with an all-consuming intensity. Now the Three Cities were burning, and where did the fault lie? I wasn’t sure the question had an easy answer.

“You and the emperor covered a lot in one dance,” I said, my voice cold.

“He’s . . . very easy to talk to.” She wasn’t looking at me, and I noticed that her face had more color than it had a moment ago. “Once you get to know him.”

“Once he stops lying about who he is, you mean.”

“He apologized for that. He couldn’t very well reveal himself when he thought us all witches. Are you really going to lecture me about trusting people who hide their identities?”

“Wait.” My head was spinning. We weren’t heading back to the palace—Lusha steered me to one of the grand staircases that led down to the Three Cities. “Where are we going?”

“The shamans’ residences. The head of the Royal Guard felt it wasn’t safe for the emperor to remain in the palace. He’s being taken there by stealth, with only a handful of guards. Several hundred shamans live there. It’s the safest place in the Three Cities.”

“What about River?”

“I don’t know.” Lusha finally stopped her headlong pace and turned to face me. “They pulled me out of the hall. The last I saw, Esha had broken free of River’s spell.”

“What?” It was almost a shout. I turned, and would have run back to the palace if Lusha hadn’t grabbed my arm.

She pulled me to face her again. “Kamzin, he can’t help us now.”

“I don’t care if he can help us.” I wrenched away from her. “I care if he’s all right.”

“The Three Cities are burning.” She enunciated each syllable. “If the emperor’s shamans can’t stop the fire, it will devour everything in its path. If the emperor can’t stop the witches’ invasion, the Empire will fall. Right now, we have to focus.”

I felt, suddenly, very small. I could see the halo of light behind Lusha cast by the witch fire. “Focus on what?” I asked.

“The only army left in the city is the Second,” she said, pulling me down the stairs. “The soldiers are arming themselves with every obsidian blade and arrow they can find, and they’re going to sweep the city. We’re to bring the emperor the star.”

“You mean me,” I said. I looked back up the stairs. I didn’t want to leave River.

“You may be the only one who can stop this.” Lusha’s voice held no resentment. Her focus, as it always was during a crisis, big or small, was on the goal, not her own feelings. “I promised the emperor I’d find the star and bring it back to him.”

Dazed, I allowed Lusha to pull me forward. We reached the bottom of the stairs and sprinted into a swirl of light and darkness.

The fire was no longer confined to a few scattered buildings—entire streets were ablaze, separated by eerily dark, pensive blocks. Across from the palace, a mansion tucked into a smaller hill was engulfed, painting the street below with contorted shadows. A row of shops went up a block away. I choked and gasped from the smoke that filled the air.