Felix sucked in a breath. "I told you that in the strictest of confidence. Don't even think of trying to blackmail me with that information."
"Why not, when you threaten me with your invasive inventions?"
"You, of all people, should like to see Mott punished."
Too often, when his son had been a lad, his hateful brother had exploited his rank and Felix's physical weakness to beat Axel senseless. Felix had never forgiven his brother for that. If he could have murdered Mott, he would have. But with his hatred of Mott, the Fifteen would consider him a prime suspect. Not even he could evade their justice.
"Mad Mott is a paranoid megalomaniac, as you well know," Felix said, "and the only way to get him to do what serves me-us-is to manipulate him with the voices. Lukan, too. It's Thurban's voice in their heads, driving them crazy, that will ultimately put you on the throne."
"And Tao? You better not have invaded him." Axel's voice wavered, a rare sign of weakness.
Felix knew at once that he had been right to exclude Tao from this experiment. Axel would never have forgiven him for bugging his precious cousin.
"Tao, patron of the low-born, is no threat to us. You know that as well as I do. He has no desire to rule and will gladly step down for you." It was a matter of much mirth amongst the Fifteen that Tao used his resources to fund a dozen or more low-born soup kitchens in Cian.
Some of the tension drained from Axel's eyes.
Felix pulled a pair of military leathers off a hanger and thrust them at Axel. "Now, if you don't want me prying in your head, explain to me why you are intent on destroying all my plans for you."
"I'm off-duty until the wedding." Axel pushed the offering away and extracted a pair of faded black trousers. He pulled them on with annoying slowness.
"I'm waiting."
"My motivations are clear. Send me to Treven, and I'll be a good boy and never meddle with your cameras again."
If those were Axel's motives, they weren't worth hearing.
"Have you considered what will happen to you if Mott finds out you were in Lynx's room? He's already panicking about you and Lynx."
His son picked out a soft blue cotton shirt, also faded from too many washes, and pulled it over his head.
"He's never going to find out, is he, Father?" Axel tucked the shirttail into his trousers. "You'll never risk either Mott or Lukan discovering that I canoodled with Lynx. It's what makes my scheme so-workable."
Forcing a patience he didn't feel, Felix said, "Don't be so sure of yourself. You may find this arrogance to be your undoing."
"Unlikely." Axel dug into his closet for a pair of boots. He pulled out a pair, worn at the heels, and sank down onto a chair to pull them on. "You all play so perfectly into my hand. You're obsessed with hiding things from Mott. He's convinced everyone will do what he wants, when he wants, because he's emperor, and Lukan is an idiot." Dressed, he jumped to his feet.
Felix shook his head in dismay. When his son was off-duty, he dressed like a low-born. It was only the ruby that set him apart as an heir to the throne.
"The only one I need to watch out for is Lynx." Axel raked his fingers through his dark hair as if they were a comb. "She's the one I care most about, and I would not thank you if you forced me into destroying my relationship with her." Axel's smile now reminded Felix of an executioner's axe, ugly and lethal. "But before I allow that to happen, I will inform Lukan and Mott about the voices. I'm sure Lukan will be thrilled to learn you planted Maksim's journal in the archive to con him into believing Thurban's voice in his head is real."
Axel pushed past Felix and headed for the bathroom, calling over his shoulder, "Unless you want to watch me brush my teeth, this meeting is over."
Anger flared through Felix, but he controlled it. He had tried reasoning with Axel, but that hadn't worked. Now it was time to ramp up his game. He straightened his back. "Wrong again, Axel. Nothing is ever over until I say it is."
With more questions than answers buzzing in his head, Felix made his way back to his lair. Scowling, he unlocked the door and stepped inside his office-and shivered.
The room was cold.
It shouldn't have been; hidden ducts spewed in hot air both day and night. Someone must have been in here to turn off his heating. That was troubling.
Felix fumbled for the heater's on-button, concealed behind an oil painting of him and Mott while he scanned the room. His informa wasn't where he'd left it, and his chair angled toward the wall. He was always meticulous about tucking it away under his desk before leaving the room. Cursing, he moved over to investigate, then stopped as the chair spun to face him.
His breath caught.
Not possible! I locked the door.
Anger replaced his surprise. "You have programmed your thumb onto my office door! How dare you?"
"I am emperor, and there is no door on the planet I cannot enter if I so choose." Mott, dressed in a full military uniform, waved a dagger in the air, gesturing to the air vents. "I turned that damn thing off, too, because it's like an oven in here."
"I like it like that," Felix snapped, eyeing Mott, waiting for him to reveal the purpose of this unscheduled-and most unwanted-visit.
Mott leaned back in the chair and clunked his boots onto Felix's treasured antique rosewood desk, making him wince. Then Mott drawled, "So Lynx is not only beautiful, but she's quite the kisser, too, it would seem."
Chapter 30
Desk forgotten, Felix clutched his heart at the emperor's pronouncement. What good was all his surveillance equipment if Mott could sneak up on him like this?
"Hmm," Mott said. "And just when did you intend to tell me about Axel's indiscretion?"
Felix sank into the chair opposite his brother, cursing Morass, the only person who could have reported this terrible news to Mott. "We both know you aren't an early riser. I would have told you when you decided to grace us with your presence. That's usually around lunchtime, isn't it?"
"Careful, little brother." Mott pointed the dagger straight at Felix's heart.
Felix pulled in a calming breath. "I understand the problem, Mott. Trust me, I do. And I'm handling Axel. But it's the Norin bitch who's the real danger-"
"Chenna?" Mott interrupted. "Where do you keep it?"
Felix raised his pale eyebrows. "Chenna? Now? It's not even nine o'clock."
Mott slammed the dagger deep into Felix's desk, shooting a crack through the wood. Felix scrambled to his feet before his brother inflicted any more damage and staggered to a wall cabinet. He pulled out a crystal decanter and a glass.
"Two more glasses," Mott commanded. "Count Raklus is joining us."
"If you're offering chenna, I'll take a glass." The door closed behind Raklus, and he collapsed into a chair next to Felix. His usually florid face was pale and pasty, as if sleep had been scarce.
Shocked anyone wanted chenna before breakfast, Felix didn't even comment that Mott had keyed his friend's thumb to open his door. His brother was punishing him for Axel's infraction with Lynx.
Anxious to preserve the remains of his priceless desk, Felix spread four coasters on the glossy surface before placing the decanter and glasses on each one. Lips pursed, he poured the chenna and watched as both Mott and Raklus snatched for their drinks. They tossed the fiery alcohol back and thumped their glasses down in front of him expectantly, as if he were nothing more than a palace butler.
Felix ignored the gesture and sat down next to Raklus. "Okay, what the hell is going on?"
Mott yanked the dagger from the desk and waved it at Raklus. "Come now, Raklus, my Lord of the Conquest, tell Felix what happened last night while we celebrated Lukan's betrothal."
Eyelids fluttering over deep-set eyes, Raklus turned to Felix. "Troops from Lapis have joined Chad in Treven."
Felix looked at him blankly.
"Don't be so gormless!" Mott shouted. "It's not as if you don't know what Lapis is."
"I know very well what Lapis is," Felix said icily. The existence of the Free Nations had always irked Felix. Lapis, with its small printing presses and markets selling those books, annoyed him most of all. "What I cannot surmise is why King Jerawin would risk joining forces with our enemies. Does the man have a death wish?"
"My brother has asked you a question," Mott said, spewing his ire at Raklus. "Answer him."