Free Lance of Earth and Sky (The Chaos Knight Book Two) by Erin Hoffman Page A

the empire's wisest, and hope that their counsel can see us through.”
    “I had wondered, your majesty, what counsel or service I might provide you.” Vidarian forced his words into a genteel slowness, though he burned with the urge to demand of the emperor the reason for his summoning.
    To his surprise, the emperor turned to Oneira, who smiled but did not take the proffered invitation. “I was hoping you would have those answers,” the emperor said, setting aside his fork and resting his hands on the table in a clear signal of frank conversation. “With this war with Qui—”
    “War?” Vidarian breathed, completely unaware of having interrupted the most powerful man on the continent.
    “Yes,” the emperor blinked, overlooking Vidarian's misstep, “and with my Sky Knights in such a shamble—”
    Vidarian must have looked even more baffled, for Oneira, of all people, offered rescue, of a sort. “He has been on the farthest fringes since the Opening,” she demurred, ostensibly speaking to Calphille, who already knew full well, rather than give the impression of correcting the emperor. “In the wild, where little hint of the consequences of his actions have permeated.”
    Heat crept up Vidarian's neck as he thought of their work to subdue the seridi as “little hint,” but it would be worse than useless to contradict her. And was it true? War? With Qui? The rich meal rolled in his stomach at the thought. The great land nation to the south had always disputed the border provinces…
    “Bloody savages,” the emperor said, a cultured agony and affront twisting his lip, and Vidarian struggled not to boggle at his rough words. “Lurking, always, at our southern border, and when they realized the time was right, seized Isrinvale, and are halfway through Lehria, according to the latest relays.”
    Now Vidarian's head swam. Even Ruby's stone radiated a deep, chilled shock. “And the Sky Knights…?” Caladan's affront took on new color, and Vidarian regretted his obtuseness. He should have convinced the gryphons to land so he could gather news outside the capital. Surely the Knights were attempting to stem the tide of the Qui invasion—
    “A shambles,” the emperor repeated, and his dark eyes lifted to rest heavily on Vidarian. The burden in them seared through to the depths of his soul, but there was resolution there, too, and strength. He found himself pulled up by that gaze, and would never again wonder how such a young man could wield so much power. “And that is where I require your assistance. With my Sky Knights all but disabled, I rely much more on my skyships, and not only do I lack for captains that can show the necessary sharp thinking of captaining an entirely new class of ship, I require your unique knowledge of elemental magic to figure out what in the sacred names of all four goddesses is going on. We're dealing with towns turned upside down, waking relics, shapechangers…”
    “The Company has provided the emperor with materials,” Oneira began modestly. She went on about rare books the Company had obtained, but at the word “shapeshifter,” Calphille had gasped, and Vidarian looked up at her, giving the slightest shake of his head. Now was certainly not the time to introduce that particular aspect of Calphille's family to the emperor.
    * Will there ever be a good time? * Ruby giggled, and Vidarian thought sharp thoughts at her, warning her of Oneira's strange “hearing.” For a blessing, she seemed not at all aware of Vidarian's thoughts, and he aimed to keep it that way. Ruby settled down, but still radiated damnable amusement at the whole thing, and now Vidarian understood why: it would be up to him to explain to the emperor that he was enamored of a shapeshifter, which the royal court—and perhaps even the emperor himself—would never accept as fully human.
    All three at the table were now looking at him, and so he said the only thing he could say: “It's my honor to serve the