The Pyramid Waltz Read Online Free PDF Page B

everyone in the kingdom to die,” Crowe said. “Summoning Yanchasa killed the first king of Farraday and nearly destroyed his entire army.”
    “I know,” Maia said “That’s why I said we can’t.”
    “Peace.” Katya rubbed the bridge of her nose. “The people know there’s a ritual, and that’s all they need to know. The last thing we need is for traitors to find out the details of the Waltz.” She touched the fabric covering her necklace. “Or the Aspect. Now, ideas on how to get more information on this particular group?”
    “I’ll check the other chapterhouses,” Brutal said.
    “Good,” Katya said. “Pennynail, have your contacts turned up anything?”
    He pointed to Crowe, who shook his head. “Whoever’s leading this group is buried too deeply for our contacts. The best we can hope for is rumor or gossip to help us understand what they want.”
    “We don’t want to understand them,” Katya said. “We want to eradicate them.”
    Crowe shook his head. “If we know what they want, Highness, we can more easily find them.”
    “They want to kill my family.”
    “Mine, too,” Maia said. Katya nodded to her.
    “When you are working as the leader of the Order of Vestra, they are not your family,” Crowe said, “they are the royal family.”
    “I know,” Katya and Maia said at the same time.
    “Then remember, anger is dangerous,” Crowe said. Katya resisted the urge to grasp her necklace again. Anger could lead to rage, which would bring on the Aspect, and that could kill them all.
    Katya licked her lips. “Maia, you asking questions of the courtiers will be less noticeable than me asking. Eavesdropping on hallway gossip while pretending to be an idle idiot suits me best.”
    “Pennynail and I will call in some old favors,” Crowe said.
    “Let’s get to it.” They all stood to go to their respective tasks. Her curiosity piqued, Katya lingered until everyone had left but Crowe. “What are these favors you and Pennynail did that you can now call in?”
    “Ask and ask and ask again, but I shall never tell.”
    “I’m not asking about his identity. I’m just asking what you two do together.”
    “You’ve worked with him long enough to trust him, correct?”
    “He’s saved my life many times.”
    “Then continue to trust him. And me.”
    “Always. Even though you aren’t blood, you feel like family. When I was little, I thought you and Roland were both my uncles instead of just him.”
    “Thank you.” He stared at the table, his face like stone.
    With a sigh, Katya wished she could take back the forbidden word: Roland. Her stomach burned with resentment. She was old enough to protect her family, to maintain a secret identity, but not to know what had happened to the former leader of the Order, her uncle—Maia’s father—a man Katya had loved as a second father. “He’s been dead seven years.”
    Crowe shook his head and didn’t speak. He’d headed the Order until Katya turned sixteen; he knew the pressure, the terrible weight of secrets, and still he didn’t share.
    Katya gave up. Crowe could be as tight-lipped as a corpse when he wanted to be. “See you tomorrow.” He nodded, and she took the secret passageway back to her room.
    Averie greeted her with an impish grin. Dressed in a high-necked blue dress with Katya’s hawk and rose on the hip, Averie still had the grace of a hunter as she moved about the room. “Don’t worry. The guards drove the eager hopefuls off before they even got close to the pyramid traps.”
    “How many?”
    “Three. Four if you count Lady Hilda. Our gorgeous redhead hasn’t given up; it seems she likes the chase.”
    “I suppose that’s flattering,” Katya said; a fleeting recollection of Starbride played in her memory. “What did the others look like?”
    “Oho, do you care all of a sudden?”
    “It’s only ego.”
    Averie described the suitors based on what she’d heard; there was no hint of an Allusian. Katya shrugged, but