“Would you mind going on ahead?” I asked Kiyanu.

He glanced at me and Kajare beside me and nodded. “Of course. I’ll be waiting there. Don’t spend too much time sightseeing.”

I snorted. There wasn’t much to sightsee here in this little town. It looked like every other town in the Empire, or at least in the western plains. Houses built of brick, slate and stone, colorful decorations on the awnings, and streets laid out in a grid pattern. Although it was far quieter than normal, only the sounds of the Imperial soldiers really giving it the feeling of being alive. Still, Kajare took my arm and we started strolling down the street, looking around. I sensed many people in their homes still, though they’d certainly be staying inside for now.

“I wanted to check in with you, Kajare,” I said. “Sorry that I didn’t have a chance to do so earlier.”

“You mean about Tenira finally becoming your consort?” he asked, a hint of amusement in his tone.

I rolled my eyes. “Is anyone surprised by this?”

“Probably not.” He grinned. “At least half the people around me are gossiping about how it’s about time you took her to your bed. I’d wager it’s the same in your research team, if not more so.”

I shook my head. “Well, we’re not actually sleeping together. I mean, we might share a bed at some point, but not like that.”

“I know. And Tenira already talked to me about it.”

I was glad to hear that. “So, just to check, you aren’t upset?”

“No,” he assured me. “Like I said, I talked to Tenira. We’re good. I wouldn’t mind you marrying her as well, later, either.”

I raised an eyebrow, but nodded. I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t thought about eventually getting married if things went well, but it was a little early to talk about that.

“We should get going, anyway,” he said. “Much as I’d like to spend more time with you, we should get there before they do.”

“Right.”

We sped up, moving deeper into the town. It had a pretty large central town square, which lay empty of buildings or stalls right now. Kiyanu was already there, of course, along with a group of soldiers spread out around him. Kariva and Wei Min walked in just before Kajare and I did. I took a deep breath, noting the various smells of civilization the air carried, and joined them. It was too quiet for the middle of a town.

The idea was that conducting this meeting in the middle of civilization would make it less likely to turn violent. I hoped that would work, though I didn’t anticipate violence, either. We’d spread the word in every town and city in the region and beyond, wherever we knew or suspected forces of the insurgents were lurking.

“I hope the Wei are actually going to show up,” I muttered.

“They will,” Kiyanu said confidently, just loud enough that I could hear him.

I glanced at Wei Min, who had his hands clenched into fists and was staring into the distance with a scowl on his face. Kariva actually looked sympathetic. Or maybe it was a trick of the light. I felt a little bad for him, although I was mostly looking forward to seeing his father and uncle’s faces. Oh well. No one ever accused me of being overly empathetic.

“So long as they are coming alone,” Kajare commented.

I shrugged. “I don’t get the feeling that the different parties involved in this conspiracy trust each other that much. The general and Zun certainly never seemed to like each other much. Of course, that might mean he insists on tagging along, but we’ll find a way to talk discreetly if we have to. Maybe with telepathy.”

Kiyanu raised an eyebrow. A second later, I noticed his mind faintly brushing against mine. After a moment of hesitation, I relaxed my mental defenses and allowed him to find purchase to anchor a telepathic connection.

‘You’d be comfortable with allowing them access to your mind even to the extent of telepathic communication?’ he asked me. His mental voice sounded just like his physical one and was very neutral in tone, probably an indication of how much practice he had with this.

I resisted the urge to shrug again. ‘I guess. I’ve had Isuro in my mind; I’m not really afraid of any mortal measuring up to that. I mean, there’s a connection to Rijoko slumbering in the back of my head, which should give me some protection.’

‘I see.’ Kiyanu sounded a bit surprised. ‘I was going to offer to help if you needed any further training for your mental defenses, but it seems like you have that handled.’

‘I appreciate the offer. I may take you up on that later. And I might not have mentioned it earlier, but I appreciate that you shared your story with me. I know that could have been embarrassing.’

Kiyanu sent a mental chuckle. ‘I’ve learned that pride has its place, but clinging to it too tightly is rarely advisable, and fearing embarrassment even less so. If I could put your mind at ease regarding me, that’s more than worth it.’

I smiled. ‘Well, I think I do have a better grasp on your motivations now. To be honest, my speculation had gone in a very different direction.’

‘Oh? Now you’ve poked my curiosity. Do tell.’

I hesitated, then decided I might as well see if there was something to it. ‘I entertained the idea that it might be more about a connection to my grandmother. Perhaps in an intimate way, emotionally or physically. Which might relate to why you’re protective of Mother.’

Kiyanu was silent for a moment. He turned his head to glance at me, a considering expression on his face.

Finally, he shook his head. ‘I have to admit such speculation isn’t entirely baseless. Or at least, it might not be. I can’t say my feelings haven’t been influenced by the fact that there might be a blood relation.’

I raised an eyebrow. ‘Really?’

‘I frankly don’t know. I did, ah, get intimate with your grandmother once, at roughly the correct time.’ He shrugged slightly. ‘But I don’t know if that had any consequences, since I have no more information about Acura’s parentage than anyone. And I doubt I’m the only one. I certainly wouldn’t put it past Iniris to look for several black stage cultivators.’

I blinked, processing that for a moment. Keeping several eighth stagers in doubt about a possible paternity would be shrewd, but I didn’t know if my grandmother was quite that pragmatic. Though I could certainly see why she would hide Mother’s parentage, if the father had that much influence.

Because she definitely must have known. I knew there was the magical equivalent of paternity tests in this world. But did Mother know? I have no idea.

I shook my head, shelving those thoughts for later. It didn’t really matter, anyway. For now, I needed to keep my head in the game. A glance at my watch showed that the Wei were already late, though only by a few minutes. I glanced at Wei Min, who was shifting his weight from one leg to the other again. After a moment, he pulled up the large hood of his robe.

Kariva and Kiyanu moving clued me in before I could sense them myself. A dark blot appeared over the roofs of the town’s buildings, steadily growing larger and resolving into a group of half a dozen people carried on the air by smoke. They approached quickly, slowing down late in their descent so they impacted the ground with an audible thump, but the paved courtyard weathered it without damage.

Wei Yong and Wei Jun were in the center and stepped forward so they stood facing us at the front of their delegation. Both of them seemed ready for combat, though they hadn’t drawn their swords, and their auras were held in check.

“General, Lord Wei,” Kiyanu greeted. “Good of you to come.”

Wei Yong nodded at him. “I hear you’re calling yourself regent these days, Lord Kiyanu. Enjoy it while it lasts.” He glanced at me. “Imperial Princess.”

I heard Wei Min inhale deeply before he took a step forward and pushed his hood back. At the same time, the tight veil on his presence lifted. “Father. Uncle.” His voice was tense. “I didn’t believe them when I heard about you at first.”

There was a moment of silence. The two older Wei looked at him with wide eyes. The general paled. “Min?”

He stepped forward, his arms moving to the sides a bit, like he wanted to hug his son. But Wei Min took a step back while Kariva pushed forward, arms crossed. Wei Jun retreated, his gaze still fixed on his son.

Just like his brother. Wei Yong’s voice was a little hoarse when he spoke. “Min? You’re still alive, nephew?”

Wei Min glanced at Kariva, then at me. “I’m here only due to the efforts of Her Highness and Lady Kariva. Otherwise, I would be rotting in a Zarian prison.” He clenched his fists. “Is it true? Did you excuse your treason by using my name?”

By now, even Wei Yong looked noticeably paler than before. He followed his nephew’s gaze to me and Kariva, before glancing at Kiyanu and the others. “There’s more to it than that, nephew.”

“To me, it seems more like the honor you like to preach is as porous as sand.” The agent crossed his arms. “It shames me to carry your name.”

They both flinched.

“Think about it, son,” the general spoke up, though a pleading undertone snuck into his voice. “Would you have been at the mercy of the Zarian in the first place, if not for Princess Inaris?”

His son shook his head. “That was not Her Highness’ fault. The plan was mine and my colleague’s, and I took a risk freely. My lady didn’t even know the details.” He glanced at Kariva. “And the princess actually wanted to rescue me, though my colleague dissuaded her from attempting it, as she should.”

The two of them didn’t seem to know what to say to that. I smiled at Wei Min in what I hoped was a supportive manner. He really did well. It didn’t take a genius to see that the older Wei were shaken.

I shouldn’t have said that about giving them only one chance before. Not that promising them mercy would be unproblematic in any case. That was the main issue, here. No matter how shaken they were, they had to know that it was their lives on the line.

Wei Yong’s presence flared a bit, and red strands in his black hair started crackling like embers. It reminded me of the rumor that the Wei were descended from a powerful spirit beast. He stepped forward, balling his fists. But his brother reached out and laid a hand on his arm, halting him. The two of them stared at each other for a moment, while the general’s hair started crackling the same way. Then a bit of ice emerged from Yong’s aura, dampening the fire, and he stepped back, his face now blank and hard, while he banked his aura again.

“If you attack, I will fight against you, Father, Uncle,” Wei Min said, his voice quiet.

I glanced at Kiyanu. If it came to a fight, I wasn’t sure who would win, but if I had to bet, it would be on him. Or Kariva if the eighth stagers actually abstained from fighting. Clearly, I wasn’t the only one who didn’t want to risk a fight here, though, since the two Wei didn’t make any other aggressive moves.

“You are already losing,” I said with every bit of calm confidence I could muster. “You should be grateful that at least Wei Min won’t have to pay with his life for your treason. And now you know how tenuous your justification really is, perhaps you’ll consider surrendering?”

The general frowned. “You expect us to simply surrender? Would you spare us?”

I glanced at Kiyanu. I’d wanted to unnerve and demoralize them, at least, and I didn’t really expect them to surrender after just this meeting. If they did, I wasn’t entirely certain what we would do.

So I shrugged. “I certainly can’t promise that you’d be spared,” I answered. “But Wei Min would at least have a lighter burden to bear if you surrender honorably rather than remain defiant until the end. So would clan Wei, which could at least continue to exist in some form.”

Wei Yong frowned, shaking his head softly. Wei Jun narrowed his eyes and gave us a long look. I had the feeling he was actually considering this. Perhaps his brother was, too. Maybe I’d underestimated how they assessed the state of the war.

At that moment, my senses tingled, and I reflexively flinched at the feeling of alarm. I turned around, ignoring the dangerous cultivators, as I narrowed in on the spot on the town square a short distance away where I felt a powerful presence coalescing. It happened quickly, the new arrival coming here with obvious speed. Beside me, I felt Kariva’s and Kiyanu’s presences more strongly, and even the Wei delegation shifted, obviously readying themselves.

Then Isuro walked forward with a small grin, his hands clasped behind his back, as he swept his gaze over the meeting. ‘Goodness, I’m not late, am I? The invitation seems to be misplaced, too.’

I stifled a groan of annoyance. “Pioneer. What are you doing here?”

‘Talking to you, obviously, little princess.’ He smiled at me with a bit too much cheer, still approaching the gathering, and especially the Wei group.

As he came closer, they bowed. “Lord Pioneer,” Wei Yong greeted. “It’s an honor to see you. Is there anything we may do for you?”

‘Oh, cut the drivel, Yong.’ Isuro waved a hand airily. ‘At this point, everyone knows that your little group is associated with my patron and I.’

I suppressed a smile. It was good to know he treated others like that, even supposed allies. Or maybe he did that on purpose?

General Wei inclined his head, but he couldn’t hide the way he clenched his jaw for a moment. “As you say, Pioneer.”

Isuro’s expression turned more serious, and he focused his gaze on the two Wei. ‘I am here to deliver a message, in fact. One you would do well to ponder carefully.’

“Yes?” Wei Yong asked.

‘Jideia does not like traitors.’

Everyone was silent for a moment.

But I couldn’t help it, I snorted. “How very ironic of him.”

Isuro shrugged. ‘The Wei brothers know very well how unwise it would be to make enemies of spirits like us. That’s all I’m here for, actually. Although I always have time for you, Little Light.’

I rolled my eyes, then hesitated, giving a quick glance to Kiyanu and Kariva. ‘If you like. Let’s talk.’

I caught Kariva’s eye and subtly shook my head, before I turned and started walking at the same time as Isuro. I could see some of the escorts of both parties show signs of surprise, though I didn’t look back to watch how the others were taking this.

We stopped in an abandoned alleyway off the town square, and I leaned against a pile of empty crates, crossing my arms as I looked at Isuro. ‘Aren’t you tired of running around on Jideia’s errands?’

The pseudo-spirit snorted. ‘You have no idea. In case you missed it, this is essentially my job.’

‘Not the kind of work I would have chosen, but whatever. I’m not sure I like the fact that you’ve stopped leaving me alone now.’

Isuro sighed, leaning against the building at a corner across from me. ‘Not surprising. Though, you know, I didn’t have anything to do with this plot until it went awry. Except for talking to Carston to turn him, I suppose, though that was through other people.’

Interesting that he felt the need to tell me that. I nodded. ‘I believe you.’

He regarded me for a moment. ‘Inaris, why do you persist in doing this?’

I frowned. That was the sort of question I’d wanted to ask him, but I didn’t expect to field it myself. “Doing what? My job?”

He shook his head. ‘You wouldn’t be so dangerous if you didn’t make yourself so. If not for your position of power, the way you doggedly turn things in new directions and throw yourself against the challenges in front of you. This isn’t even truly your home, is it?’

I scoffed. ‘It’s close enough. Are you saying that Jideia and you would leave me alone if I, what, exiled myself somewhere?’

Isuro shrugged. ‘I can’t promise it, but if you just … got out, you’d be a lot safer. You’re actively set against a Greater Spirit, Inaris, no matter if that’s your father’s fault or yours. It will get you killed eventually.’

I stared at him for a moment, then shook my head. This was true enough on some level, but it also missed important aspects.

‘I’ll think about your words,’ I said impassively. ‘Now I really have to get back. But if your job ever turns too sour, you can always come talk to me.’

Isuro shook his head, then slowly faded out, and I felt his presence traveling away quickly.

As I walked back to the meeting, I couldn’t help but dwell on his words. I already knew they would haunt me for a while. Perhaps that had been his intention, though I didn’t think so. I felt that he genuinely wanted to protect me, and this was the best way he thought of.

That was a little chilling, too.

I took a deep breath and refocused on other matters. I could see that the Wei delegation were gone as I returned, but I still had things to take care of. I should go visit Doctor Chang at some point, talk to Kariva. And maybe do some more research.

“What happened?” I asked as I came to a stop.

Kiyanu sighed, but didn’t question or berate me for my behavior. “They left, as you can see.”

“And?”

“They said they would think about this.”

I raised an eyebrow, then nodded. That was something, at least.

“Let’s get out of here,” I said. “We’ve probably scared the poor citizenry enough.”