Archer's Sin (11 page)

“You certainly may have children,” said Kolta. “But I’ll require you to hire a full-time nurse to look after them, in case you’re needed in the field on short notice. Your salary should more than adequately cover that expense.”

Justien slipped an arm around Nalica and squeezed.

“Any more questions?” asked Kolta.

“What happens if we say no?” asked Justien.

“In that case, I’ll fetch a mind mage and she can use a quick forgetting spell on you,” said Kolta. “You’ll wake up here and have no idea this meeting took place.”

A shiver ran down Nalica’s spine. She supposed it had to be that way, to keep the organization secret.

“Think it over before you decide.” Kolta rose from her seat. “Joining the Order of the Sage is no small commitment. You’d be in my service for the next twenty years. There is no changing your mind halfway. Do you understand?”

Nalica and Justien nodded.

“I’ll wait outside the door.” Kolta left the room, accompanied by Lurio and Novius and the two bodyguards. The door closed behind her, and Nalica and Justien were left alone.

A shudder ran through Justien from head to toe. “Three gods. Did you recognize that woman?”

“No. Should I have?”

Justien lowered his voice. “That was the
empress
.”

Nalica glanced at the closed door. The empress of Kjall? Surely not. Yes, there was a superficial resemblance. Kolta was black-haired like the empress, and of similar height and build, but lots of Kjallan women shared those traits. “I’m sure you’re wrong.”

“No, I’m right,” said Justien. “You just talked to the empress of Kjall.”

Nalica shook her head in wonder. Maybe he
was
right. Maybe the empress preferred to move about town undercover, without that horde of Legaciatti around her, attracting attention. It didn’t matter. The job offer was the same.

Justien grinned. “Well, what do you think? Aren’t you glad you didn’t win the archery tournament?”

She laughed, but not purely for joy; her nerves were frayed, and she was giddy, a state of mind she didn’t trust. In less than a day, she’d received both a marriage proposal and the most generous job offer of her life. She felt as if she were standing on a precipice, looking down at certain death while a voice whispered in her ear,
Jump! You’ll fly
.

“Shall we accept?” asked Justien.

“I don’t see how we could do anything else,” said Nalica.

“That’s how I feel about it. But don’t you find it a little bit frightening?”

“I find it a lot frightening.”

Back east, as the young daughter of the clan lord, Nalica had thought herself a person of importance, but as the years had passed, she’d come to understand the reality of her situation. She was important within the clan, but the clan was a tiny organization, of local importance only, unknown and ignored by the rest of the world. Later, the clan’s dissolution had forced her to take a broader perspective. She’d learned how much bigger the rest of the world was, and she’d perceived, for the first time, her own insignificance. It frightened her, but it also exhilarated her. The world was enormous, full of infinite variety and infinite opportunities.

“You look thoughtful,” said Justien.

She took his hand and squeezed it. “I was thinking we’ve come a long way.”

“Are we taking the offer, then?”

“Yes.”

Justien wrapped her in his arms and kissed her. “Let’s go tell the empress the good news.”

THE END

NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR

Thank you for reading “Archer’s Sin!” I hope you enjoyed it. This novella is a companion to my Hearts and Thrones series, which begins with the novels
Assassin’s Gambit
,
Spy’s Honor
, and
Prince’s Fire
. Chronologically, Nalica’s and Justien’s story takes place between the events of
Assassin’s Gambit
and
Prince’s Fire
. (
Spy’s Honor
is a prequel.) Don’t be surprised if these characters show up again in
Prince’s Fire
and other books...

If you’d like to know when my next book is available, you can subscribe to my newsletter at
http://www.amyraby.com
, or follow me on Twitter at
@amyraby
, or like my Facebook page at
https://www.facebook.com/Amy.Raby.Author
.

I appreciate all reviews, whether positive or negative. Please consider leaving an honest review at Goodreads or your favorite retailer.

Table of Contents

Chapter One: Triferian

Chapter Two: Vagabond’s Day

Chapter Three: Sage’s Day

Chapter Four: Soldier’s Day

Chapter Five: After

Note from the Author