Kees bowed, a smirk on her lips.
Faust ducked past Commander Frei, but the man stepped in line behind him. Faust walked fast to catch up to the deity. Lathil was several paces ahead of him, and Faust moved into a light jog until he was on the deity’s heels.
Lathil glanced back. “You will teach Kees her place.”
Faust’s lips thinned into a line. He wasn’t going to teach her anything. Kees was a strong woman, and she would not be tamed.
“We are going to the war room,” Lathil said. “I expect you to win this war as well.”
Faust walked briskly to keep up, but his mind raced. He didn’t want to fight anyone else.
Lathil brought Faust into the room. “Commander Frei, no one is to step near this door until we leave it.”
Mika saluted and took his post outside the door.
Faust wasn’t surprised to see Nora, Mihail, and a few Volant inside. They appeared roughed up from a recent skirmish. His gaze landed on the map, situating what he felt earlier to the geography. The crushing heat steadied near the border of Windilum, but the other was closer, passing through Elyon. His gaze flickered to Shar. The wind had been close or near there, but the other forces were off to the far east of the Kingdom of Alios—the direction of Konrad.
Lathil motioned for Faust to come closer. “You will combat this strategy and give me several more before I let you rest.”
Faust took a cautionary look at the war pieces, and his stomach fell. These were Konrad’s strategies. Konrad was coming for him, and he wasn’t doing so quietly. This must have been the skirmish the others encountered. Konrad was still beyond the Kol Mountains, but if he wasn’t stopped, Konrad could make it to Limorous in a few months’ time or less.
“You know what will happen if your plan fails,” Lathil said.
Faust bit his lip. He’d never won against Konrad in any war game. He stared at the map and studied the pieces. This was a common strategy, but the closer he looked, there was something odd. There were three sets of commands on this board. Konrad never asked for help like this.
Faust took a small chance and sparked out his magic in the natural flow. It was on a direct path with Konrad and slammed into Konrad with a sharp warning. A flare of dismay came back.
Lathil yanked Faust forward by his hair.
Faust yelped. He gripped at the table, but Lathil lifted him higher until their eyes met and his feet dangled off the ground. His scalp burned, and he whimpered despite himself.
“Do not try that again. Begin,” Lathil clipped and dropped him.
Faust swayed, a shaky breath leaving his lips. He didn’t want to fight Konrad. Lathil backhanded him, and Faust tasted blood in his mouth.
“The more you hesitate, the more pain I will give you, Faust.”
He couldn’t do this. Lathil kicked Faust in the stomach, and Faust’s knees buckled. Faust caught himself on his hands, coughing. Lathil didn’t wait and knocked him into the closest wall, the air clouding with dust. He slid down with a strangled breath, his vision blurry.
“Stand,” Lathil ordered.
Faust struggled to his feet, losing his balance twice before he could stand properly.
“Strategize, Faust.”
Faust glanced at the map and wiped blood from his mouth on the back of his hand. “I . . .” He stopped.
Lathil stalked closer, one hand ghosting along Faust’s neck until the deity tipped Faust’s chin up to stare at him. “Shall I move on to the methods that make you scream? I had thought we were past that.”
Faust straightened under Lathil’s unforgiving gaze, a plea caught in his throat, his heart pounding against his ribcage.
“Answer me, Faust.”
“N-No, Your Excellency.”
“Then do as I have asked.” Lathil took a step back, the light touch on Faust’s chin lingering longer than necessary.
The threat of more bodily harm shuddered through Faust, and yet he still hesitated when he laid eyes on the map again. This was the worst kind of betrayal to his family. He didn’t want to live in a world without Konrad in it. Lathil would kill him.
Lathil sighed. “Nora, send word—”
“Wait!”
The deity paused. “I’m listening.”
“I will do it.”
Lathil smiled. “That’s better, Faust.”
Faust moved to the table, his heart in pieces. He had to believe Konrad would make it to Limorous and save him. He picked up a piece, ignoring the pain in his ribs. He had little hope of beating Konrad, but he had to try. If not, he and Nik were not long for this world.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Lathil had left weeks ago and had yet to return, which meant he hadn’t lost, but he also hadn’t won. It gave Faust a bit of freedom but kept him on edge. Any time he tried to send signals to Konrad, he was knocked back, and Konrad felt weaker and weaker with each passing day. Faust shook the thought from his head. Konrad wouldn’t lose.
Faust walked through the cold hallways, rubbing at his arms. It was getting colder and colder by the day. Even his heavy cape, boots, and tunic weren’t enough to keep the cold away. His lined gloves had yet to warm his hands as well. They were supposed to be in the middle of spring, not the dead of winter.
Faust turned his gaze to the once-beautiful garden his niece, Olivia, had tended. A light frost covered it, and snow had fallen, blanketing the tops of the plants. She would be upset when she returned.
“King Faust,” Relan said, “perhaps it would be wiser for you to stay in your study and keep warm.”
Faust frowned. “I have read everything in there. I want new books to read, and I need a few record books. There are some things I need to confirm before I sign more decrees.”
“A servant can bring those things to you,” Relan said.
“I will never stretch my legs if I do not walk,” Faust retorted.
The Blessed gave a heavy sigh. “Only today.”
Faust gave the burly knight a small smile. He didn’t get to change his routine often, but he really did need a few record books from the library. If Rene had been there, the record books would’ve already been on his desk before he’d woken this morning.
The massive library doors were just up ahead, and he pushed them open with a little effort, but Relan towered over him and shoved them forward. Faust laughed despite himself. Relan smirked in return. The brute was good for something.
Faust took in the library, once a place he spent most of his hours. It was dark and cold, the curtains were drawn closed, and dust speckled the air. He strode to the window and threw the curtains aside, flooding the room with natural light. Faust coughed into a dust cloud.
Relan chuckled.
Faust shot him a glare but went about his business. He ascended the staircase to the second floor where the record books were. He scanned through the old leather books and grabbed the four he needed for the day, purposely leaving the ones he’d need the following day so he could retrieve them the next day.
Faust flipped through the top book. It was as he thought. The number of people registered in the Kingdom of Alios was declining in an unnatural way. The missing were predominantly stone users. Were Emoris and Lathil killing them? Or were they training them to combat Linos? Either seemed plausible, but he had little proof.