Aziza’s brows shot up. “Mauldrene’s … guts?”
“That, or the phantom,” I said.
“What phantom?”
Baz sat up, testing out his balance. “We’ll tell you on the way.”
On the way had to be delayed more than an hour, until Baz and I could properly stand. Then, I snatched the book from Félix, tucked it back in my waistband, and lined up next to Baz, who recounted everything—except for my intimate familiarity with our ghost’s cage—as we wound through the castle toward even more trouble.
Chapter 20
Do I Look like a Basic Kinda Woman? and Other Dangerous Questions, Take That, Bazzy Baz!
As if I were going to run away at the first opportunity, Baz walked beside me, leaving no more than a couple of feet between us when the rope allowed for at least three times that. Even more annoying, he was bumping into me on purpose.
I was more likely to bash his head in for being an irksome ass than I was to run. I hadn’t yet gotten the revenge I’d come after Baz for in the first place.
If Baz truly wasn’t Teo’s murderer, then someone else was. Having been gone for the last three-plus centuries, and with him having informants all over the empire, after Rafaela and Alonso he was my best bet at the information that would lead me to Teo’s real killer.
For once, Mauldrene was leading us directly to our destination. Terencia’s entourage had taken over the largest of the castle’s sitting rooms. Being the most spacious, all the couches and chaises could be dragged to the center of the space, farthest from the shadows licking like flames along the walls.
The Bazrians, sans Lev and Moncho, and I were about to enter when Aziza knocked into me. I spun toward her so rapidly that my collar rattled like a damnable bell.
When her hands came up to show she meant no harm, I turned my glower on Baz instead. It was a perfectly good scowl; I wasn’t going to waste it.
“Take the fucking collar off,” I snarled.
“No.”
“I’m not your pet. I don’t need a scorching bell.”
“No, you’re not my pet. You are, however, the most dangerous female I’ve met in a really long time, maybe ever.”
“Hey,” Aziza said. “Ed and I take offense to that. Don’t we, Ed?”
When we all glanced at her, Ed shrugged. “Can’t say I was offended, Zi. I’ve read the stories about her. She was pretty great.”
“Is,” I corrected. “I am pretty great, you know, since I’m standing right here. Where does all this come from, anyway? Before I was … before I disappeared, the contemporary stories told of me as a perhaps somewhat extraordinary princess, but certainly nothing dangerous.”
Rafaela had levied favors and threats all over Zaraga to ensure no one knew she deployed me as her assassin. Most courtiers hadn’t even known that when Teo and I arrived at the castle, we’d come first from the streets and later from the fighting pits. When had that changed? Baz had also known I had a kill count in the high double digits.
“No one considers you ‘just a princess,’” Ed said. “Not if they’ve bothered to study about the world pre-empire.”
“The world pre-empire,” I repeated. “Those were good days.” Only, that was a lie, wasn’t it? There really hadn’t been many good days, just days that were better than others, making the days that were so much worse just a little more bearable.
This won’t last forever. It will end.
“Once you were pronounced dead,” Ed said, “entire books were written about you.”
Baz cracked a smile. Beneath his still-dark eyes—the blackness had begun to fade some, leaving his ocean eyes muddy like treacherous, churned waters—it was as menacing as the man himself.
“I’ve read all of them,” he said. “I found the material fascinating.” His smile faded. “Almost as if I knew we’d meet.”
“Nonsense,” I said. “Someone took me, and whoever did made damn sure everyone thought I was dead.” I looked at each of them. “Don’t believe everything you read.”
“We don’t,” Baz said.
The clatter of something smashing against the other side of the door was accompanied by a yelping scream, before people began shouting at each other.
