Rebel's Honor(47)

"You saw in my book. She's a test to see if you can overcome your lust.  By letting her choose Axel over you, you will prove that you are not  just a learned man but an intelligent one, too. A man worthy to change  the world." Dmitri paused. "Fail, and Lynx will herald your  destruction."                       
       
           



       

Lukan rubbed bloodshot eyes. "There's something I don't get. What stops me from murdering her son? That will stop the curse."

The light gleaming around Dmitri surged. "Your conscience, I would hope,  Lukan. But if that fails you, then know this: the success of your rule  would depend on the talents of your cousin, General Axel Avanov. Marry  Lynx, and you lose Axel. Your rule will be weak. That weakness will  drive you to cruelties you cannot now even begin to envisage." Dmitri  held open the page depicting the execution. "But, if in your bloodlust,  you murder your son, born or unborn, Axel will flay you as Thurban  flayed me. Remember, your cousin has loved Lynx for as long as she has  loved him." Dmitri pursed his lips and then added, "And before you think  to murder your cousin, realize that Axel's role in my curse makes his  life inviolate, too."

With gruesome fixation, Lukan studied the painting. Then he blanched.  Heaped next to the skinned man lay a pile of familiar black and silver  clothing.

How had he not noticed it before? He was seeing his own death. His  stomach churned. Was everything else true, too? Moments from throwing  up, he had to get rid of Dmitri. With as much firmness as he could  muster, he said. "I-I will think on your words."

The light glowing around Dmitri constricted, drawing into his core. The  moment the glow extinguished, the seer disappeared, leaving nothing but a  rustle of air in his wake.





Chapter 29





Lord Felix Avanov was not a trusting man. Especially not when words like  challenge and blackmail were bandied about. Even more so when they came  from Axel's lips. Felix might no longer be an official heir to the  throne-thanks to that bastard Mott-but he was the most feared Lord of  the Household in the history of the empire. That accolade hadn't been  won by allowing himself to be bettered by a twenty-four-year-old. If  Axel wanted to sing the blackmail tune, he would find a worthy partner  in his father-one always a few steps ahead in the dance.

Felix ignored the phlegmy rattle in his chest and picked up his pace as  he reached the stairs to Axel's wing of the palace. He needed to  confront his son before he left his apartment to join the trickle of  high-born heading for a post-ball breakfast.

Felix sighed, a perfect blend of exasperation and pride.

Axel was everything he wished for in a son-except for one critical flaw.  His son had somehow managed to reach maturity without growing a single  malevolent bone in his body. He was willful and arrogant, definitely,  but vicious? No.

And that was a problem.

Too often, his son allowed that great human weakness, his conscience, to  dull the killing edge that should govern Avanov relationships with  their subjects. Now that conscience seemed to cover the crimes of  seditious ones, too, like Princess Lynx of Norin. It was why Felix  always kept Axel under scrutiny, so he could guide his boy.

Axel didn't take guidance well.

After learning of Axel's visit to Lynx's bedchamber, things would be  different. Felix pursed his lips to stop them quivering with anger.  Today, his son would both listen and obey.

He reached Axel's apartment and, without knocking, threw open the door.  It crashed against the wall and bounced back, almost hitting him in the  face. He sidestepped and glared at Axel. After all that, he needn't have  bothered hurrying because Axel was still in bed.

Felix strode across the room and ripped the covers off Axel. "Get up!"

Axel rolled over, ignoring him.

It further incensed Felix. "Don't play dumb with me. I know you're awake."

"It's not even day," Axel grunted, pulling the covers back over his head.

"If you're so tired, then perhaps you should have gone to bed when the  ball ended instead of sitting up all night in Lynx's apartment."

Felix smiled as Axel jerked upright.

But all self-satisfaction vanished when Axel drawled, "It wasn't all  night-it was half the night. I spent the rest of the time with Malika."  Unconcerned, Axel folded his arms behind his head and leaned back  against the headboard.

"You dare quote the same line to me you used on Lynx!"

"You must be worried about our Norin princess if you've added more  cameras to her bedchamber, apart from the one I disconnected." Axel  paused. "Or do you like getting off watching her dress?"

The blood rushed from Felix's face. Axel certainly knew how to try his patience. "That doesn't warrant an answer."

Axel stretched his right arm until his shoulder clicked. Then, he did  the left. "I wouldn't blame you if you did. She is magnificent." He  swung his legs out of bed, moving with catlike grace Felix could only  dream of.                       
       
           



       

Felix gripped Axel's arms. "No. You will listen."

Axel stopped, eyebrows raised.

"How could you show that bitch our secrets? And then tell her about the curse? You've made her into a Dmitri sympathizer!"

"‘Sympathizer'? Don't you mean she could be the mother of the man who  destroys the empire? Why don't you say what you really think, Father?"

Despite Felix's gasp of disapproval, Axel stepped around him and  continued across the room. Felix lumbered forward to stop him as his  son's hand reached the wardrobe door.

Axel turned to face him. "I warned you. Allow me to go to Treven, or I  will play havoc with Lynx. When I'm finished with her, you won't have a  secret left."

Felix always prized himself on his self-control, but rage made him  vibrate like a tuning fork. Fighting for calm, he said, "So you knew I  would be listening?"

Axel gave one of his infuriating shrugs. "No, but in retrospect, I should have anticipated it. Who planted the new devices?"

"Morass. Who else?"

Axel's scoff didn't surprise Felix. Morass was not one of Axel's  favorite guardsmen for all the reasons Felix found the obsequious,  greedy man useful. Last night, after watching Lynx and Axel dance, Felix  had sent Morass scuttling to her room to hide the cameras.

Just as well, given what Felix had seen on waking this morning.

If someone told him Axel-Axel!-would be guilty of disengaging palace  cameras, he would never have believed it. Felix always considered his  son too ambitious to risk the security of the empire. He opened his  mouth to renew his attack and then closed it again in disbelief.

Axel stood in front of his narrow closet. The rest of the Avanov family  had dressing rooms-but Axel owned only a small closet of clothes he had  worn for years. He flicked through his trousers as if he didn't have a  care in the world.

Not the reaction Felix expected.

The images of Axel cajoling Lynx into a kiss last night had been  convincing. After decades of interrogating people, Felix recognized  truth when he saw it. Also, if Axel cared for her, then it made sense  that he edited out the damning train footage after it had been  translated. And damning it was: From Axel's own lips, Felix heard that  Bear had told the bitch he'd help her spy.

Not that it had helped the emissary.

Guardsmen had already called on Bear's house this morning to arrest him. Right now, Bear faced his executioner.

But none of this explained why Axel took the news of this additional monitoring so casually.

Felix shook his head to clear his thoughts. "I don't understand you,  Axel. If you hadn't told her about the ice crystal, you could have  sullied her. Instead you soured her with tales of cruelty. Care to  explain?"

Axel's smile reminded Felix of a sharpened blade. "Funny, you can  scrutinize every aspect of our lives, but you can't read our thoughts.  That must be very frustrating for you, Father."

"Wrong, Axel. My latest generation of ice crystals can read minds. I  call it the Final Word in Human Surveillance." In fact, some months ago,  Felix had visited Lukan's and Mott's bed chambers, injecting the tiny  chips into their necks as they slept. His devices gave him unparalleled  insight into his adversaries. "Don't force me to use one on you."

"You wouldn't dare!" Axel's eyes betrayed his concern, but he looked away, focusing on his clothes instead.

"Don't try me." Not that he would ever invade his son, but it didn't  hurt for Axel to think he might, especially now that Axel was being so  trying. The boy was going through a phase, one that would pass if Felix  just kept his head and didn't lose his temper.

Axel's face was as hard as any ice crystal. "I wonder how Lukan and Mott  would react if someone told them it was your manipulation creating  Thurban's voice in their heads?"