Contents
Chapter Twenty-Four: Sefa
Overview
Sefa joins Sultana Vaida on a clandestine walk through Lukub and witnesses Vaida direct a covert expansion into Essam near a Nizahl holding. Vaida authorizes a nonviolent claim based on Kera’s life-chain evidence of multiple disappearances, implicitly employing forbidden magic and inviting conflict with Arin. Sefa also learns hard lessons about deception, power, and Vaida’s unsettling pragmatism.
Summary
Roused at midnight, Sefa accompanies Sultana Vaida through the quiet streets of Lukub. Sefa studies Vaida’s shifting moods and insecurity masked by vanity, recalls Sylvia’s knife, and endures hints about her lack of deception and the staff’s disdain. Passing dangerous Lafa Souda plants, Vaida offers to “intervene” in Sefa’s troubles but expects Sefa to prove strength.
Vaida muses on Baira’s terrifying illusions and the uncertainty of what is real, revealing a philosophy that prioritizes perception over truth. In a narrow alley, Vaida introduces Bausit, a hooded operative seeking permission to expand Lukub’s claim in Essam.
Bausit reports that Kera traced seventeen disappearances by following victims’ “life chains,” all severing near a Nizahl holding. Calculating the risks, Vaida authorizes claiming the surrounding land and, if necessary, the holding itself—without violence—to avoid provoking Arin into open war while still drawing his attention.
As Bausit departs, Vaida abruptly shifts to banal talk of sweets, underscoring her unnerving composure. Sefa presses about Kera, learning he is half-Jasadi and uses magic for Vaida despite its prohibition. Vaida warns Sefa to stop talking about magic, reasserting control. The walk ends with Sefa quietly aligning to Vaida’s preferences, hinting at Sefa’s precarious position in the palace.
Who Appears
- SefaVaida’s attendant; anxious about hostile staff; witnesses Vaida’s covert expansion plans and forbidden magic ties.
- Sultana VaidaRuler of Lukub; manipulative and calculating; orders a nonviolent Essam land claim and employs a magic-user.
- BausitVaida’s operative; reports Kera’s findings and seeks permission to expand into Essam near a Nizahl holding.
- KeraHalf-Jasadi seer, offstage; tracks life chains to seventeen disappearances guiding Vaida’s expansion strategy.