Read Online Ghost in the Flames by Jonathan Moeller - Free Book Online Page B

fell silent. “My lady. Your rooms are prepared, if you wish to go up.”
    “Shortly,” said Caina. “After we finish eating. Despite this unpleasantness with Narmer, you have done well, master innkeeper. I thank you for your service.” 
    “Ah,” said Sairzan, “you accused me falsely of flattery, Countess. Your smile is indeed as radiant as I claimed.” He bowed again and walked away.
    Ark shook his head. “I shall never get used to how your voice can simply…change. You sound like two different women.”
    “That displeases you, does it not?” said Caina, her voice icy again.
    “Yes. It does,” said Ark. “Who are you truly? A Ghost of the Empire, or an Imperial Countess? Or a girl play-acting at being a Ghost?” 
    “I’ve already told you,” said Caina, “that my name is Countess Marianna Nereide.” She stood, tired of the argument. “Now, come. You need to speak with Aulean, and if you go to speak with him directly it will look suspicious. The best way, I think, will be to contrive a dinner invitation with Lord Governor Nicephorus.” She smiled at Ark. “And pretty, empty-headed Countesses make for fine dinner companions, do they not?”
    Ark said nothing. But he followed her up the stairs as Sairzan led her to her rooms. Caina glanced back at Ark, wondered how best to handle him. He had saved her life in that alley. But, clearly, he was beginning to loathe her, if he had not already. It seemed that the proud centurion rankled at taking orders from a woman sixteen years his junior. But why? Surely Ark was used to taking orders from men he loathed; soldiers were never fond of their commanders. 
    Or was there something more to it than that?
    Caina didn’t know, and it annoyed her. They had bigger problems at the moment. But she wished the Rasadda circle at sent someone else to ask for Halfdan’s help. Or maybe that was why they had sent him; perhaps he was too unreliable to be trusted with anything other than delivering messages, despite his formidable skill with that broadsword. 
    “Here we are, my lady,” said Sairzan, opening a door. Her rooms were a sprawling suite on the Inn’s top floor. It had a sitting room, an expansive bedroom, a set of smaller rooms for the servants, and a large bathtub hewn of black marble, with hot water piped up from below. Caina appreciated that. 
    She also appreciated the large balcony that opened off the bedroom, looking down on the great square below Corazain’s pyramid. For someone with a rope and grapnel, it would make coming and going unseen all the easier. Especially at night. Dark and grim this city might be, but Caina’s cloak would blend well with the darkness.
    “The rooms are superb, master innkeeper,” said Caina. “You have my thanks.”
    “Simply call if you need anything, my lady, and I shall be at your side in moments.” Sairzan bowed and departed. 
    “What will you do now?” said Ark. 
    “I shall try to contrive a dinner invitation to Lord Governor Nicephorus’s table,” said Caina. “You can then find a way to contact Aulean without drawing suspicion.” 
    “And how will you do that?” said Ark.
    “I haven’t yet decided,” said Caina. “I…”
    She frowned. Someone was shouting. In fact, a lot of people were shouting. She walked past Ark, into the bedroom, and onto the balcony overlooking the square.
    People, thousands of people, were streaming into the square. For a moment Caina thought that the Saddai had risen up in revolt, but no one in the throng was carrying weapons. They walked towards the Basilica, all shouting the same thing in Saddaic over and over again.
    Bread and justice. Bread and justice.
    “Get off the balcony, now,” hissed Ark. “You’re too fine a target.”
    “No,” said Caina. “None of them are even armed. And they’re all looking at the Basilica.” 
    Ark glared at her for a moment, then strapped his shield to his left arm and joined her on the balcony.
    The thunderous chant rolled on