Rebel's Honor(59)

Axel's stomach knotted as Lukan stepped into their circle of light.  Although addressing his cousin, Lukan looked directly at him. "The great  Warlord Avanov and I have a few things to discuss. About Lynx, as it so  happens."

Mother Saskia's head swiveled between him and Lukan. The priestess  clearly didn't want to be caught in the cross fire of anger roiling off  the crown prince, because she bobbed a curtsy. "Of course, Your  Highness, I will alert the others." In a flurry of white, she sped away  down the passage.

Axel stepped forward to meet Lukan. Feigning calm, he said, "Your timing is impeccable. I was coming to look for you."

Axel's eyes widened with surprise when Lukan ignored him and spoke again to Tao.

"Get her out of here." Lukan looked at Lynx with disdain. "We'll talk later."

Axel expected Lynx to say something, but clearly, protecting her axe was her only priority. He agreed.

"Hold me tight this time, Lynx," Tao said, opening the door to the  labyrinth shortcut where Lynx had vanished so many hours ago. She  gripped Tao's arm as if her life depended on it, and together, they  stepped through the doorway.

Axel turned to face Lukan-and the most important negotiation of his life.





Chapter 36





Lukan circled Axel in the wan light cast by the gas lamp he placed on  the floor between them. He noticed with grim satisfaction that, for  once, Axel had lost his irritating smile. In fact, his cousin seemed . .  . agitated.

At least that was something.

Still, Axel's hand tapping a rhythm on the hilt of his sword was a minor  display of distraction compared to the turmoil boiling inside Lukan.  His heart was beating so hard he could feel the blood pounding in his  head. It was giving him a crushing headache. He couldn't worry about  that now.

Axel had to be brought to heel. Today.

It was the only way they could work together to govern the empire, a  goal Lukan was still committed to, regardless of Dmitri's ultimatums. He  opened his mouth to speak, but Axel beat him to it.

"Lukan, I have an offer for you."

Lukan's jeering snort bested anything Axel could offer. "I'm not here to  bargain with you. You've crossed a line, Axel, and I won't-can't-let  you get away with it."

"Why? Because your pride is hurt?"

"Damn you! This isn't just about pride. I'm the crown prince, but that  means nothing if people don't honor me. You have never given me the  respect I deserve. And now you and Lynx have humiliated me in the worst  possible way-in front of my father."                       
       
           



       

Axel laughed bitterly. "Is that how you see it? Funny, I seem to recall  spending my entire childhood taking your father's kicks so you didn't  have to. How many times did I stand between you and him when he was  ranting, ready to knock your head off your shoulders for something you  did? Like hiding in the archive when you should have been practicing  sword fighting."

Lukan grimaced, not wanting to admit that what Axel said was true. He  had hated his obligatory fighting lessons and had always skipped them.  Axel had indeed covered for him, even taking his beatings. "My father  always preferred you. Everyone did."

"Right," Axel said. "I'll bear that in mind every time I remember him  smashing my head against the wall when I was protecting you. And what  thanks did I get? Nothing. But, Lukan, today, you can change all that."

Lukan waved his hand disparagingly, refusing to allow Axel to dominate  this discussion-or to guilt him into doing something that didn't serve  him. "I'm your crown prince, and you are my subject-"

"And there we have it." Even in the dull light, Lukan could see Axel's  eyes flashing. "Your sense of entitlement leaves me breathless. For  years you used me, let me take your beatings, not because we had a  friendship, but because you considered me your subject. Now, I use you  as much as you used me." Axel's voice dripped bitterness. "You taught me  well."

Lukan swallowed hard, wishing the pounding behind his eyes would cease.  "It's not like you're getting nothing from the . . . arrangement. There  are other generals in Chenaya whom I could appoint as Lord of the  Conquest when I come to power, but I have offered it to you."

"Because I'm the best!" Axel shouted, slamming his hand against the  wall. The crack of his palm, mixed with his voice, echoed down the long  passageway.

Lukan-and Axel-froze, conscious there could be ears hiding in the dark.

His cousin took a deep breath, paused, and then whispered, "Look, none  of this is helping. I guess you've heard by now that your father wants  you dead."

"My father has wanted me dead since the first day I skipped sword practice."

"True," Axel admitted. "But now he's brought in an assassin. Trust me, this man won't fail."

Lukan blanched. Although he anticipated some retaliation for his crazy attack on his father, it wasn't this.

"You're lying." But he knew he was grasping at smoke; Axel spoke with  conviction. Lukan lurched back, knocking into the wall. He caved into  it, needing the support. "What do you know?"

"Enough to make a bargain worthwhile-for you."

Lukan guessed what Axel wanted out of any deal they struck: Lynx.

It brought Dmitri's words about Axel and Lynx loving each other into  stark relief. The trouble was, Axel allied to Lynx would leave him  hopelessly vulnerable. Especially as he still hadn't made up his mind  what to do about her. No matter how insane, he could not bear her  rejecting him when he craved her so much. He bought time by saying, "And  I'm to believe you will get nothing from this deal? How philanthropic  of you."

Axel leaned in so close that Lukan could feel his breath. "How much do you want to live?"

With sickening certainty, Lukan understood. "Y-you're the assassin."

Of course Axel was.

If anyone could callously kill him, it would be his cousin. And, of  course, his father would choose his capable nephew for the task. Fear,  like a tightening rope, clutched at Lukan's throat, and he struggled to  breathe. For the first time in his life, he wished he carried a weapon.  Not that it would do him any good against Axel. Finally, he managed to  gasp, "When? Where?"

"As I recently said to someone far more appealing than you, that  information comes at a price. Which brings me back to the deal I have  for you . . . are you willing to negotiate, or do I walk away now and  let justice take its majestic course?"

"I'm open to discussion." Lukan raked his brain for some bargaining  chip. Fealty to the office of crown prince seemed most logical, but Axel  had made it clear Lukan had burned through all claims on his cousin's  loyalty. With nothing to offer, he prevaricated. "I know how much the  empire means to you, Axel. We always agreed to work together to expand  the borders, to make it even greater than it is now. Why would you risk  that by killing me?"

"I have another offer on the table that means more to me."

Lukan could only guess at the meaning of that cryptic comment. He licked  his lips. "It's only by uniting our talents and cooperating with each  other that we will keep . . . renegades under control."                       
       
           



       

"What you mean to say is, it's only if I cooperate with you that you  will keep renegades under control," Axel scoffed. His derisive smile  locked back into place. "I have my own ideas on how to tame the Norin . .  . renegade."

Axel was talking about Lynx! That meant he knew she was the one from  Dmitri's prophecy. Lukan choked on his own saliva. When he stopped  coughing, he rasped, "You know . . . about . . . everything?"

Axel folded his arms casually across his chest. "I know I wield ultimate  power here. If you want me to unite that power with yours-puny as yours  may be-then you're going to have to give me what I want. In exchange, I  will give you what you want."

A flare of anger at Axel's insufferable arrogance ignited in Lukan's  chest, but he worked hard to suppress it. Since the ball, his anger had  already exacted too high a price. As much as it irked him, as usual,  Axel was holding the best strategy tiles.

"And what do I want?" Lukan asked. "Other than to live, of course."

Axel pulled out his flashlight and shined it carefully down the passage.

When Lukan saw there was no one eavesdropping, he turned expectantly to his cousin. "Well?"

"Your father, dead in a box, with six feet of sand above his face."

"That would be . . . convenient." Even though Lukan's pulse quickened,  the throbbing in his head eased-until he remembered Lynx. He fingered  his silver buttons. This was it. Down to the line. No more room for  wrangling. "What do you want in exchange for this service?"