Chapter Twenty
MIND GAMES
On Giahn, winter in the Imperial City was almost over, but there were still days when a jacket was necessary when out-of-doors.
Lucaät of Faytha looked up as fresh rain showered the windows of his luxurious residence. Outside, the ends of the gardener’s scarf blew forward in a sudden gale. Apparently, the Imperial palace planned to feature red-purple sun-bells in their gardens this season, but his sun-bells would flower a few days earlier – another small way to insinuate House Faytha set the trend.
He stepped closer to the fire and sipped a glass of warm spiced wine. Perhaps the wind would jeopardize the survival of his new plantings, but if they knew how much coin he’d thrown at them surely they would make an extra effort to live.
The gate alarm buzzed insid
