Rebel's Honor(48)

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."