The Rest is Riddles

Chapter 16: Spies and Secrets

Casimir's face was still. His tense expression, combined with Avdotya's earlier remarks, brought realization inching into Jane's mind.

"Earlier, you told me your husband had not been seen in many months..."

Casimir bowed his head.

Jane's mouth opened. A deep sense of betrayal churned in her gut.

"You could have told me my brother was alive. You should have told me!"

"We didn't know he was alive. If he was, it was imperative that we not compromise his mission. Six months ago, Phillip left Somita to spy on the Kanachskiy. He is an excellent illusionist, and he has the avtorka's gift of tongues—he can comprehend and speak other languages fluently without effort or study. The tsar advised us not to tell you for his safety. Only a few people in Somita knew of his mission."

"Did he succeed?"

"I don't know."

"What did they do to him?"

"He's been tortured, badly. He has suffered things no one should have suffered. According to our diagnostics, they cast illusion spells on him—starved him—tortured him. It's amazing he was able to make it as far as he did on his own strength. And he's been asleep for days now... he hasn't awoken—he could be—"

Casimir's eyes shone with tears.

Jane sucked in a breath. She thought about turning around, about leaving Casimir and returning to bed.

Instead, she reached over and gave him a hug.

"You're still healing, too," he said faintly. "I shouldn't burden you with this."

"We're family now," Jane said firmly.

"I wanted to tell you about Phillip," said Casimir. "I'm sorry for hiding the truth. The tsar was adamant you not know. Avtorkas have an unfortunate history of careening into danger to rescue their loved ones. He didn't want you storming Kanachskiy territory before you were ready."

"I wouldn't have -"

"I know."

She stared down at Phillip. "He's not going to die," she said. "I mean, I could heal him if I wrote in the Book of Truths, right? I just have to pass the next two godstests—"

Even as she said the words, Jane felt an overwhelming urge to curl up and weep. Two more godstests—she still had to pass two more godstests—

Casimir seemed to notice her sudden stiffness. "Shh," he said. He took her arm and led her—slowly and gently—back toward her bed. "The godstests are typically spaced far apart, and you will have plenty of time to heal and recover before you are tested again. And who knows? Your next Godstest could be completely different. They often are."

Broken glass and tar pools filled her mind - an agonizing walk across the battlefield—the thought that she wasn't good enough to pass her first godstest, not like Phillip, not like Eloise—that she would fail—that she must fail—that Phillip would die because she had failed—

"So," Jane said, wrenching her mind away from bad memories. "So, you and Phillip, huh?"

It was hard to imagine her brother married, but at the same time she couldn't think of anyone better able to calm her brother's temper.

"We married a few years after his Godstests," said Casimir wryly. "I was his teacher. I suppose you would call our relationship 'highly inappropriate'. Phillip is a brilliant magic user—strong mages are drawn to other strong mages of course—but he is also kind. Arrogant, of course, but..."