A Desolation Called Peace (Teixcalaan #2)

by Arkady Martine

But it left all the doors of future action open. Keeping secrets always did.

That seemed like the kind of mistake a person who relied on loyalty would make. He’d have to remember not to make it, when he was Emperor. Loyalty wasn’t transitive. It didn’t move up and down the chain of command smoothly. It could get cut off, or rerouted. Especially