Twice before, Winter had stared down the barrel of a pistol and known she was going to die. The first time, in Khandar, it had been the incompetence of Davis’ cronies that had saved her. The second time, under the Vendre, it had been Sothe. This time—

—the hammer came down, spraying sparks—

—the powder in the pan ignited, hissing into smoke—

—and that was all. Flash in the pan.

Dumb luck.

She sank to her knees, her vision blurred with tears. As the guards rushed into the room and Janus shouted orders, all she could hear was the distant sound of Jane’s hysterical laughter.

Chapter Twenty-nine

RAESINIA

With the Hotel Ancerre occupied by Janus’ troops, Sothe had commandeered a suite at the Grand for the queen, hastily “returned” from her exile in the country. It was the same hotel where she’d once looked out on the Exchange and watched Cora ruin one of the mightiest Borelgai banking houses with little more than a rumor and the magic voice of Danton Aurenne. Neither the food nor the service was up to the standards of those days, the war having obviously taken its toll, but at least there was plenty of wine.

Organizing the Army of the East to control the city and guard against potential counterattacks by Directory diehards had taken most of a day, which had given Raesinia time to send to Ohnlei for some of her old things. It meant that she could at least greet Janus looking like the queen instead of a boyish revolutionary. She’d chosen a dress a bit less severe than those she’d favored earlier, still mourning black in memory of her late father, but accented with silver and a hint of lace. Sothe, her bandages carefully hidden beneath her own elegant attire, had helped her put it on without comment.

Now, waiting in the dining room beside the vast, bare table, she felt suddenly nervous. Janus had never given her reason to suspect he was anything but a devoted servant of the crown, but the fact was that he was in a position to do exactly as he pleased, at least for a while.

There was a deferential rap at the door, and a hotel footman announced, “Your Majesty, General Vhalnich has arrived.”

“Let him in,” Raesinia said.

To her surprise, Janus was alone, without the usual string of guards and aides. He wore his dress uniform, Vordanai blue with a cape of Mierantai crimson, a thin sword on his hip. The footman, resplendent in the uniform of the Grand, came in just behind him.

“Do you require anything, Your Majesty?” the servant said.

“No,” Raesinia said. “See that we’re not disturbed.”

“Of course.”

The footman bowed and withdrew. At Raesinia’s gesture, Janus crossed the foyer to stand before her in the dining room. He also bowed, very low, his cape draped wide.

“Your Majesty,” he said. “I can’t tell you how good it is to see you in good health.”