“It’s out of character for Jaedia, too,” Maya said, then frowned. “Tanax said that about me?”
“He did. Although you should address him as Centarch Tanax Brokenedge now.” Nicomidi gave his thin smile again. “His cognomen ceremony was yesterday.”
“Congratulations to him,” Maya said, a bit sourly. She knew Brokenedge was an ancient, honorable cognomen, indicating the favor of the Council. “I’m … glad he speaks well of me.”
“He is an honorable young man, and attentive to his duty. He will make an excellent centarch.” Nicomidi fixed her with a careful stare. “In any event, his testimony has convinced me that we need not be enemies. I am respected among the Dogmatics. If I were to speak on your behalf, I am certain your release could be arranged.”
“I see.” Maya hesitated again, then said, “And what would you want from me, in exchange for this favor?”
“I see you grasp the nub of the issue,” Nicomidi said. “Your testimony would be … informative to our discussions of Jaedia. You would only need tell the truth, of course.”
“Of course,” Maya murmured. I’ll bet I would, you snake. “And if I refuse?”
Nicomidi’s smile became more strained. “If you refuse, matters might be more difficult. You could be here for some time.”
“You can’t hold me forever.” Maya put her foot on the thick book of judicial proceedings. “I’ll demand a Council hearing, and you don’t have any evidence of treason.”
Now the smile was gone entirely. “You think you’re very clever, don’t you?”
“Not really. Just persistent.”
“Perhaps you should consider this, then. Council members do not require evidence to, say, make recommendations for postings. Your next assignment could bury you away on the northern frontier, where you will have nothing to do but write reports and check your toes for frostbite. You’ll lose your teeth before you get your cognomen.”
“If that’s the judgment of the Council, then I would accept it.” She said it with a straight face, because it seemed to annoy him.
“Or there’s your arcanist friend.”
“Leave her out of this.”
“I hope she’s careful in her work. Arcana are dangerous, after all. We don’t want any … accidents.”
There was a long pause.
“You’d go that far?” Maya said. Her voice was small. “Really?”
“You don’t know the stakes you’re playing for,” Nicomidi said. “Now. Will you be a good girl and tell the Council the truth about Jaedia? Or do we have to go over other potential mishaps?”
Maya looked down at the law book again, then back up at Nicomidi. “I’ll speak to the Council.”
*
The next morning, the guards opened the cell door, and one of the Legionaries motioned for Maya to follow. The white-armored soldiers brought her to a residential level that it took her a moment to recognize as her own. They stopped in front of her door, which she’d left only a couple of weeks before.
“Your uniforms have been cleaned,” one of the Legionaries said. “Make yourself presentable for the Council.”
“How long do I have?” Maya said.
“Why?”
“Because if I’m going to make myself presentable, I need a bath, too.”
The soldier consulted with her fellow for a moment, then nodded. “Collect your things. We’ll escort you.”
Thankfully, with a pair of Legionaries blocking the entrance to the baths, Maya didn’t have to worry about anyone wandering in. She took her time, rinsing days of sweat off her skin and out of her hair, then climbing into the hot pool for a soak. The Council can wait.
When she was finished, she put on her dress uniform, which had been cleaned and folded as promised. As always, its tailoring felt awkward, but at this point Maya welcomed the discomfort. Anything to keep my mind off what I’m about to do.
“Are you ready?” the Legionary said when she emerged. The woman’s voice was flat, deadened by her helmet, but Maya swore she could detect a trace of annoyance. She gave the soldier her best smile.
“Absolutely.”
They climbed the spiral stair, her two white-armored shadows a half step on either side of her. For the first time since she’d returned, Maya saw other inhabitants of the Forge, servants, arcanists, and agathia hurrying between floors on various errands. They stopped to watch as she passed. It made her wonder what they were saying about her.
A centarch in plain clothes met them at the top of the stairs. She was an older woman, her purple hair going gray and pulled back in a severe bun. Her cloak was fringed purple-red-orange, and Maya’s studies supplied her name: Evinda Stonecutter, one of the most respected centarchs. Jaedia had said she could have been a Kyriliarch, if she’d been willing to play politics, but she’d maintained a position of studious neutrality between the factions.
“Centarch.” Maya bowed. “It’s an honor.”
“Agathios Maya.” Evinda looked her over. “The Council will hear your testimony. You will respond only to questions from the Kyriliarchs, and not otherwise speak. Your answers should be truthful and succinct. Do you understand?”
“I understand,” Maya said. Her heart fluttered in her chest, and her hand brushed the Thing as Evinda turned away.
The Council chamber was down the hall from Baselanthus’ office, behind a set of double doors elaborately carved with a scene from the Inheritance—the first centarchs, swearing their oaths to Sif-Nal-Bjaern, one of the last surviving Chosen. Sif was rendered as an abstract figure, featureless and aglow with light, but the six men and women who’d founded the Order were picked out in loving detail.
A pair of Legionary guards nodded to Evinda and pushed the doors open. Beyond was a broad oval chamber, with the twelve Kyriliarchs of the Twilight Order seated behind a long, curving table. The opposite side of the room was lined with chairs, some of which were occupied by a variety of aides and functionaries. In the center of the room was an open space, at the focus of the Council’s attention, and Maya guessed this was where she was supposed to stand.
She swallowed hard as Evinda guided her forward. In addition to the Council, she guessed there were a dozen other centarchs in the room. Twenty-five of the most dangerous people in the world, the guardians of civilization, with enough power between them to level cities and topple mountains.
And I’m about to stick my finger right in their eye.
Evinda touched her shoulder, bringing her to a halt. Maya looked down the line of Kyriliarchs. They were arranged by faction, with Baselanthus and the five other Pragmatics on the left, and Nicomidi and the four Dogmatics on the right. In the center, facing Maya, sat Prodominus, idly scratching at his beard.
“I have brought Maya, agathios to Centarch Jaedia Suddenstorm, as instructed,” Evinda intoned.
“Yes, thank you,” Prodominus said. “You may go.”
Evinda bowed and backed away. There was a long moment of silence.
“Agathios Maya,” Nicomidi said. “As you know, this Council is in the midst of weighing the evidence against your master. We wish to ask you about your experiences with her, and to clarify certain matters in her reports that have been … obscured. Answer truthfully, and you have nothing to fear.”