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Of course, that all ended when Sebald asked, “What do we do with the body?”
I sighed and let Genny feel my weight for a moment. I felt tension ripple through him as well. Then we both straightened and turned to Sebald.
Sebald still had Avenel clutched tight, but he wore a serious look. He met my eyes for a moment before glancing to Jorgen.
“What are the laws in Hedeon?” Jorgen asked. “How much trouble would it cause to come right out with the truth and say the man was killed after harming four other people?”
That was an incredibly sensible question. One I was embarrassed that I didn’t have the answer to, even though I’d lived in Hedeon for most of my life. I was reasonably certain the laws had changed since my father’s time, and back then, I hadn’t had to worry about things like murder.
I glanced to Sebald, but he didn’t seem to have an answer either. “I suppose it would come down to what Sai says should happen,” he said, letting Avenel go a little. He studied Avenel’s bruised face, which caused the grief in his eyes to momentarily be replaced by anger. “Something tells me if he saw this, he would congratulate us for meting out justice.”
“Sai would understand,” I said, trying to think through the situation like Magnus would. I hated it when I tried to think like Magnus, the smug bastard. “But would it sit well with people in Hedeon? After what I’ve seen since we arrived, I’m not sure if my brother can get away with brushing off murders. Especially if the wolves are involved. One little thing like this, and city-dwellers might fly off the handle. They already think we’re nothing but a bunch of bloodthirsty savages.”
“Barthold and Premila are new to Hedeon,” Sebald said with a frown, like he was thinking the situation through as well. “They own a shop, but I don’t know if they’ve made friends in the city yet.”
“I don’t think it would matter who they are,” Hati said with a huff. “These stupid city-dwellers would use the death as an excuse to undermine what little we might be able to accomplish here.”
“But shouldn’t we tell someone?” Sebald asked.
“Why don’t you ask the man’s wife?” Hati suggested.
That was another good idea.
“How about you ask Premila if she thinks people will react badly to Barthold’s murderer at the hands of wolves, and I’ll go back up to the palace to see what Sai thinks,” I suggested to Sebald.
I could tell everyone else thought that was a good idea by the way the mood in the room lightened.
“You do that,” Jorgen told me, taking charge. I hated it, but he was the most authoritative person in the room.
I turned to go, but Genny clung to my jacket. “I want to go with you,” he said in a barely audible voice.
I looked at him, then peeked around at the others. Come to think of it, the idea of leaving my beloved behind with Jorgen and Hati and a dead body wasn’t appealing.
“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” I said, shifting to grasp his hand. I looked to Sebald and said, “Hopefully, we’ll be back as soon as possible.”
Sebald nodded, then turned to Jorgen. “Do you think we can leave Bee’s body where it is until we hear what Sai has to say? I don’t want Premila seeing it, though.”
I didn’t stick around to hear Jorgen’s answer or the rest of the conversation. Genny and I hurried out the front door, then started off toward the palace at a fast clip.
We got about halfway there, just about to the main street leading to the palace, when we were surprised by Olympus and Lefric striding swiftly toward us. Both of them mirrored my expression of shock at running into each other so unexpectedly.
“Oh, thank God,” Lefric said, picking up his pace. “Jace. Just the person we need to talk to.”
My heartrate instantly doubled. “Why?” I asked. “Is something the matter? Have the meetings fallen apart completely?”
“Er, yes,” Olympus said, red-faced and dripping suspicion.
He glanced around, and when he spotted an alley between two buildings, he tugged Lefric toward it and gestured for me and Genny to follow.
“We were just on our way to the cottage to fetch you,” Lefric said, lowering his voice like we were involved in some sort of conspiracy. “Sai needs you at the palace immediately, in the garden by the library.”
I blinked and shook my head. “Why there? No one ever goes in that garden.”
“Exactly,” Lefric said. “That’s why Magnus had to do it there, apparently.”
“Do what?” I asked standing straighter and scowling. I had a very bad feeling about anything Magnus felt he had to do in a place no one went.
Olympus glanced around again and said, “Hadrian more or less admitted to being a spy for King Julius.” He lowered his voice even more to say, “He’s not going to be a problem for any of us anymore.”
