of mist and power

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE,

  NAEVA LI HAD lied again, which was never one of her preferred activities. She hadn't left Sai by the time Malcolm, Myrina and Ryan arrived at the Li manor.

  But then again, she hadn't been expecting Myrina to teleport them over.

  She should have thought of it, really. She'd overheard Irina and Rhys talking about it once. They ought to have given more attention to her. It was ridiculous, that she was able to sneak up on a wiccai and eavesdrop. She should have been caught long ago.

  But perhaps they just didn't care.

  Instead, she watched them from the opposite street, tucked between a tree and a wall, the small satchel of her belongings on the floor beside her.

  She didn't know why she hadn't left. If they were here, her father had surely been captured. And the Meliquean agents, the ones that must have been handling her father in Sai, had come to loot their manor half an hour ago.

  Naeva had fled the night before. Her father was... unpredictable. Unpredictable, ever since her brother had died all those years ago. It was why she'd requested to be put in Lady Kuroki's care. She hadn't wanted to come back if she could choose not to.

  She watched as they went in. They would find the carnage. Eventually, one way or another, in an hour or perhaps a week from now, they'd find the letter.

  Once she was sure they were out of earshot, she picked up her satchel and made her way to a nearby inn, where she'd spent the night, and where she'd kept a horse from the manor.

  It was unsafe to travel through the night to the docks. But if she stayed til morning, they'd most likely be searching the ports. It'd be far too late by then to escape. She was not Iolanthe Mi with her talent with stealth. Despite her training, Naeva was still a noblewoman in her bones.

  But perhaps no longer.

  She rode into the night.

  She hoped her letter had reached her Giran friends. She hoped, even more desperately, that they'd agree to her hastily formed plan.

  And then she boarded her ship to her future, away from Sai, away from ill-fated engagements and irresponsible fiances who cared little for her and her life.

—

  THEY WERE DENIED immediate access to Sir Li, with the Emperor and Empress stating that their men and women needed more time with the traitor before anyone else would be allowed to start their own questioning. Malcolm was still in a state of shock and retired early back to his own residence. Ryan looked concerned and went to speak to his parents about the latest turn of events.

  Myrina turned to Asteria.

  "I should have done something more," the countess was saying. "My god. I could have done something about this long ago, but I didn't."

  "It's not your fault," Myrina said softly. Their inaction had led to this, most definitely. But at the same time, every time they had offered to do something, Naeva had turned them down. Even if they had helped, they might have only made things worse. They made the right choice. "Naeva is clever. She'll make her own way."

  "Where do you think she's gone?" Asteria asked.

  "She says she's out of the country by now," Myrina replied. "I'm tempted to believe her. She's always been scarily efficient. I don't know where she's heading. Somewhere far away and safe, most likely."

  "There's not a lot of safe places in the world. Not Arecia, definitely. We have too many allies there. Or Caershire."

  "I doubt she went to Kon Ria, Cheonuang or Asayama, if her goal is to escape Sai."