The Crimson Crown. Cinda Williams Chima

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СКАЧАТЬ off this topic. “Let’s talk about the Wizard Council.”

      “What about it?” Han said, easing back into his chair.

      “How did the first meeting go? How did the members react to Lord deVilliers’s death? Are they planning any response to the murders in the city?”

      Han looked at Raisa for a long moment, as if trying to read the meaning behind her words. “If they are, it’s under the table. Not discussed in open council.” He paused for a heartbeat, eyes narrowed. “Lord Bayar is already trying to blame them on me.”

      “On you?” Raisa sat forward. “Why would you be out killing wizards?”

      “Didn’t they tell you about me?” Han’s eyes seemed to pin her in place, the color shifting from sapphire to lapis, to deep indigo. “I’m a killer. Need to get a little practice in now and then. And the bodies have been found on my turf. Open-and-shut case.”

      “Did anyone believe him?” Raisa asked, worry pinging through her. “That you’re the one responsible?”

      Han scrubbed his fingers through his hair. “Those that hated me before believe him. Those that hate the Bayars think it’s likely them—or the Demonai.”

      “Could it be the Demonai?”

      Han shifted his gaze away. “I don’t know what to think. It could be. It’s the easy answer.”

      “Could it be wizard politics?” Raisa asked.

      “Maybe. But it seems like the killers are picking at random. If it were the Bayars, for instance, you’d think they’d use this opportunity to hush their enemies and blame it on me.”

      “Well. Maybe they know that would be too obvious,” Raisa said.

      “Maybe.” Han looked unconvinced.

      “Are there any on the council who support me?” Raisa said. “Any I can count on?”

      Han thought about it. “Well,” he said. “Dean Abelard prefers you to Mellony as queen, or Micah Bayar as king.”

      “I suppose that’s something,” Raisa said. “What about Adam Gryphon? Where does he stand?”

      “I don’t know,” Han said. “The Bayars tried to push through a vote for High Wizard, and he wouldn’t go along. But I don’t think he’d go against them in a key vote.”

      “I want a High Wizard I can trust,” Raisa said bluntly.

      “Sure you do,” Han said. “The trick is how to pull that off. The High Wizard is elected by the council, and you know how the council members are chosen.”

      “I can’t have a High Wizard whose loyalty rests with the gifted alone,” Raisa said. “I don’t need someone who is more focused on wizard politics than the good of the realm. I need someone I can work with.”

      “So you want to change the role of the High Wizard,” Han said. “Is that it?”

      Raisa shook her head. “I want the role of the High Wizard to be what it should have been all along—the magical arm of my government. Integrated with it, not in opposition to it.”

      “I agree with you, but there’s only so many fights you can pick at a time.” Han sighed, looking glum. “Right now, I’m guessing the new High Wizard will be Micah Bayar. If not him, Mina Abelard. Which one of them do you prefer?”

      “Neither,” Raisa said. “I want you.”

      “Me?” Han stared at her as if blindsided. “Seriously?”

      “Why would I joke about this?”

      “I just told you that Lord Bayar accused me, in open council, of murdering wizards,” Han said. “At least some on the council believe him. It’s not going to be easy—to get elected, I mean.”

      “Nobody said it was going to be easy,” Raisa said, twisting the wolf ring on her finger.

      “No matter how you do the numbers, they don’t come out.”

      “Then you need to build alliances with the other council members. You were the one who wanted this post. I can’t bring pressure directly to bear—that’s likely to have the opposite result.”

      “No!” Han said, giving his head a decisive shake. “They can’t know you actually support me for High Wizard.” He sat thinking, chewing on his bottom lip, fingering his hair. Finally, he looked up at her. “Let’s be clear on this. You want me to do whatever it takes to make this happen? Things you might not like?”

      It was like he was requesting an unconditional pardon for crimes not yet committed. There was no way Raisa could agree to that.

      “Well,” she said, “I don’t want you killing anyone.”

      “Short of that?” Han persisted.

      Raisa didn’t know how to answer that. So she didn’t. “I need to gain influence over the council,” she said, “if there’s ever going to be peace in the queendom.”

      “Got it.” Han sat thinking for a moment, then looked up, his trader face on. “If I am elected High Wizard—and I’m not saying it’ll happen—I want to choose who replaces me on the council.” When Raisa opened her mouth to object, he put up his hand. “We had a bargain. I agreed to be your bodyguard, and you agreed to appoint me to the council. As High Wizard, I’ll lose my vote except as a tiebreaker.”

      “I would need to approve your choice,” Raisa countered. “Who is it?”

      “Hayden Fire Dancer,” Han said, as if he’d had the answer ready.

      “Fire Dancer!” She stared at Han. “He’ll never agree to that! He hates the city. He can’t wait to go back to the mountains.”

      “He’ll agree,” Han said. “I’ll convince him.”

      Raisa recalled what Micah Bayar had said, the day he’d asked permission to court her. The day he’d told her she was in grave danger.

       Take this whole business of naming a street thief to the Wizard Council. The council is enraged. They take it as a lack of respect. They think you’re tweaking them on purpose.

      “What about the council?” Raisa said. “How are they likely to react? A mixed-blood named to their most important decision-making body?”

      “It’s your pick, right?” Han said. “You said you wanted to—what was the word—integrate the council into your government. Dancer would be a reliable ally.”

      “They’ll kill him,” Raisa whispered. “I don’t want that on my conscience.”

      Han flinched, and Raisa knew she’d gotten to him. For a long moment, he looked desperately lonely. But he collected himself. “Well,” he said, “they’ll likely kill me too, but it hasn’t happened yet.” He smiled crookedly. “I’ll make as much trouble as I can before they do.”

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