Page 71 of Revels on an Angel’s Grave

Lola stiffened, and Emmeline’s eyes flicked to her. Her hardened expression reminded Emmeline so much of Roremar.

“Yes, I am,” Lola said so tightly, the music slipping through the cracks between the doors almost drowned it out. Along the neighboring balconies, couples laughed and drank, but none of their levity relieved Emmeline’s nerves.

“I’ll be around for a while,” Falliare said. “I have an apartment in the Second District. We can organize a meeting. Breakfast tomorrow, perhaps?”

“I’ll be there.”

Falliare looked between them. “I’ll leave you girls to your evening. You have quite a few suitors to speak with still, Emmeline.”

Slime coated her skin at the knowledge that he’d kept track of her movements.

She didn’t answer, only turned back to the night-drenched city and waited for him to leave, reminding herself the oily sensation wasn’t real. Once the door closed behind him, Emmeline released a breath, her frame sinking with it.

“I didn’t know he was here,” she whispered, drifting to the side of the balcony and absently brushing the soft petals of the tiny white buds that wrapped the railing.

“Neither did I,” Lola admitted. She leaned against the wall and looked down at her feet, arms wrapped around herself. “What did he say?”

“He’s here for some trade agreement.”

Lola scoffed. “Convenient timing.”

Emmeline hummed in agreement. “What did he mean? When he said he’s glad to see you’re all right.”

With everything happening in their family, it wasn’t an odd question, but from the way Lola had stiffened, Emmeline was certain it meant more.

Lola swallowed, fingers brushing across her wisteria tattoo. “When it was revealed who Roremar was, Temple Masters in Valyn demanded I be tested to ensure I wasn’t hiding anything.”

Emmeline went cold, but she choked out, “Tested?”

“They put me in one of the seeing chambers.”

“What?” Her breath stuck in her chest. “But those aren’t allowed—they’re outlawed for mundane practices.”

“It appears ensuring I’m not also secretly tied to the Fate of Chaos and Revelry is a criminal inquisition, so it’s allowed.”

Emmeline shook her head. “But that’s not how Fate ties work. They don’t choose you because of your siblings.”

The magic ran deeper than that. Constellations aligned for each Starsearcher upon their birth to establish their tie. Every Temple Master worth their title knew that.

But they were scared. Scared of Roremar, and scared of Dryvius never having truly been dead in the first place. Scared of the world around them looking different than they’d ever imagined. Nothing warped a stable mind like fear of the unknown.

What lengths would they be pushed to if Emmeline didn’t prove Roremar was innocent?

Lola shrugged. “Rocarri fought them on it, but his sway wasn’t enough.”

“That’s why you said you believe he’s a good man.” Why Lola had seemed so shocked when she found out the Chancellor was using Emmeline. Rocarri had been the one to stand up for her when no one else had.

“I don’t know if he’s good anymore—or at least not all of him is—but in that moment he was. He took care of me after. Made sure I recovered well and visited me personally. Promoted me to my position appointing his art galleries. And when I found out you were coming here, I volunteered to be your guide.”

Emmeline crossed the balcony and leaned back beside Lola, face tipped to the night sky as the music inside vibrated the glass behind her. “Are you okay?”

“It hurt.” Lola’s voice wavered. “It was a pain unlike anything I’d ever experienced. The chamber—it dug through me, like it was trying to find something that wouldn’t be there. And I can only imagine how much worse it was for you with eleven Fate ties. For Roremar, being the sole connection to Dryvius.”

The seeing chamber hadn’t hurt Emmeline the way it had him. For her, it uncorked the immense pressure she’d been using to stifle her Fates. It had been an agonizing blast but also a release.

Roremar…she’d never forget the harrowing look in his eyes.

Lola sighed. “I wish he’d told me about his tie, but I understand why he didn’t. He’ll still be hearing from me about it, you can be sure of that.” They both laughed, and Emmeline felt a touch lighter, finally. “I’ve been gone for ten years, though. Only home for a couple weeks here and there. Maybe if I’d been on Lyra, I would have seen the signs, but I didn’t know any better when we were younger. I was still learning my own magic. Maybe if I hadn’t left, I would’ve noticed.”