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Chapter 39
Now
“Petra,” Kauvras crooned. He knew my name. I hadn’t even told Miles my name. I clenched my jaw. “Petra Castemont, formerly Petra Gaignory. Born in the poorest part of Eserene. Your sister and father are with the Saints now — Benevolent, I hope.” I took a deep breath, fighting the nausea that rose higher and higher in my throat. “When Commander Vorkalth told me of a woman unaffected by leechthorn on the first drag, I just knew it was you. I was a bit disappointed when he told me the second one had taken. Then he said you’d been killed en route. I was so terribly disappointed. I’m so glad Lieutenant Landgrave was able to ensure your safe passage, and to think the leechthorn hasn’t affected youat all.” The image of Vorkalth’s limp body flashed in my head as Kauvras’ eyes went wild.
“I would introduce her, but it seems you’ve already met,” Miles said, a touch of questioning in his voice.
“Oh, we haven’t,” Kauvras answered, the blue resembling Calomyr’s eyes boring down on me. “I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting the Daughter of Katia until now.” He rose, his hulking figure taller than I’d expected. His shoulders were Calomyr’s, the resemblance causing the familiar boiling storm within me to flare. “Though I feel after all these years I already know her.” All these years? I kept my face blank as I stared into his eyes.I am okay. I am okay. I am okay.He grabbed my left hand and raised it to his lips, planting a kiss across my knuckles. Had Calomyr known Kauvras was his father? “I’m just surprised you haven’t figured it out already.”
My breathing instantly quickened despite my efforts. “What?”
A low laugh escaped Kauvras’ lips, the echoes bouncing off the stones and multiplying. “While I’d love to be the one to tell you, someone else had the honor of orchestrating this little charade.” He looked over my head and nodded, and the large wooden doors opened. I whirled at the sound of footsteps.
Lord Evarius Castemont stalked toward me.
The smile on his face was nothing short of wicked as his eyes roved over me. “A lovely, lovely dress, my darling daughter Petra,” he sang. I stared at him in disbelief, the confusion coursing through every vein in my body. “I trust the journey wasn’t too difficult,” he said to Miles.
“No, my Lord,” Miles answered. “Thank you for granting me an audience today. I’m glad I could deliver.”
“Thankyou,Lieutenant Landgrave,” Castemont answered.
“What thefuckis going on?” I seethed, every inch of me burning.
“Oh! You did tell me she had a mouth on her,” Kauvras laughed.
Castemont laughed along with him. “She does. It’s made the years slightly more interesting.” He faced me. “Petra, do you know who the Bloodsingers are?” I didn’t respond to the sudden question, instead only staring into his face. “They worship only the Blood Saints. You see, they practice blood magic. They sacrifice to the Blood Saints for glimpses into the future.”
I looked to Castemont, to mystep-father,to the man who had sworn to the Saints that he would protect me, protect my mother at all costs. “Remind me, when is your birthday?” I didn’t answer him. He knew. “I trust you haven’t heard the legends of the Daughter of Katia? I know your education was...lacking. I tried to glean as much information about your upbringing as I could, but you weren’t always the most talkative, and the Saints know your mother wasn’t very useful.” I stayed silent. “The Bloodsingers have long predicted that the Daughter of Katia would be born to human parents on the first Holy Stone of Blood Saints after the War of Kings. They were able to foretell that she’d have a daughter, born in Eserene to poor human parents, but they saw nothing after that.”
“We had to get creative,” Kauvras added.
“Inkwell was the obvious choice. I sent scouts to seek out any pregnant women a few months before you were born. And on the Night of the Holy Stone of Blood Saints, all we had to do was listen for the screams. They were easy enough to find. Your housebarelyhad walls. Irabel screamed like she was dying. Then came the hardest part of all — the wait.”
“I hope my spies weren’t too obvious,” Kauvras said.
So I was right — I had been watched my entire life. The footsteps in the dead of night were not a coincidence. The men who would stand outside my house were not simply waiting. Every time my back burned with an invisible gaze and I convinced myself I was crazy… “I almost thought you’d figure it out the morning I met you,” Castemont started. “You stared at that street rat’s boots for so long, I thought there was no way you didn’t know. He had actually been on his way to the healer’s home to check you were still staying there. Found you outside the Painted Empress and saw an opportunity. Tricky little bitch you are.”
“Howcouldyou?” I breathed, my jaw clenched so tight my head began to pound. The heat continued to grow behind my ribs, becoming unbearable.
“When Ludovicus and his minions arrived in Eserene on the Night of the Holy Stone of Blood Saints, on the night of yourbirth, I knew he had the same plan. I knew he wantedyou.” Miles snickered beside me, but Kauvras let out a low growl. “We couldn’t just kidnap you without arousing suspicion. And we needed your blood to confirm you were in fact Katia’s divine gift. So I requested an audience with Ludovicus. He had been thinking ahead — smart bastard. Thought of how he could capture you without causing alarm. With my royal standing, I knew I could get you into the castle somehow. So we laid out a plan. A twenty-four year plan. And so Initiation was born.” I was going to lose consciousness. “The Board of Blood,” he said, annunciating each word and waving his arms in time. “A group led by a Bloodsinger with a band of lackeys. Creative, don’t you think?”
“You have the bastard, yes?” Kauvras asked Miles.
“If Ludovicus is the bastard you’re speaking of, then yes, Sir. He was captured alive and brought to Taitha.”
“Kauvras and Ludovicus have some…history,” Castemont said to me and winked. “With King Umfray’s desire to strengthen the Royal Court against his brother here, he instantly supported Initiation, and was so thankful that one of Eserene’s lords stepped up to help coordinate its inaugural year. And when Umfray died, his replacement was more than happy to play along…for a while. Our righteous Invisible King. Isn’t this fun, my friend?” he said to Kauvras, who grumbled in response.
“Everything was a lie,” I snarled.
“Don’t be so angry, darling. I pulled you from a shithole and put you in a castle. You should be grateful.”
I spat in his face. “I should never have trusted you,” I growled as he recoiled, wiping his cheek on his shoulder.
He turned to the guards at the doors. “Bring them in.”
The doors clanked open, and my worst fears came true. My mother and Solise were dragged through the doors, each escorted by two soldiers. My mother’s moping figure hung limp, her steps barely catching as they dragged her. Solise was alert, face set with cold composure. “No!” I screamed and ran for them, but Castemont easily subdued me, grabbing me and pinning my arms to my side. “You fucking bastard! Fuck you!”
“Kauvras’ men captured a healer en route. Had I known that Solise would end up their captive, I wouldn’t have paid so much for her escort to Skystead,” Castemont said to me. “I just wanted her out of Eserene. She was too skeptical. We could have saved four good men that day had the others just identified themselves, realized they were on the same fucking side. Fucking imbeciles,” he growled. “But what a pleasant twist it was.”
