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Zarrah shrugged. “Of that, you know more than I do. I used the commotion caused by his death to get back here undetected.”
There were holes in her story. Inconsistencies that Coralyn undoubtedly noticed, but as long as she didn’t arrive at the truth, that was all that mattered.
Silence.
Coralyn finally said, “If I give you another opportunity, will you take it?”
She didn’t trust Coralyn as far as she could throw her, but they did have the same goal: Silas’s death. With the woman’s help, it was possible she might achieve her goalandget out alive, but that meant showing Coralyn that she wasn’t going to tolerate being used. Giving Coralyn a considering look, Zarrah drained her water. “Maybe I negotiate my freedom instead by offering Silas information about which of his wives is trying to have him murdered.”
Coralyn snorted. “If my death is worth so much to you, then by all means. But it won’t earn you your freedom.”
A fact of which Zarrah was well aware, but if Coralyn believed Zarrah would do her dirty work without something in exchange, she had another thing coming for her. “I’ll kill Silas, Coralyn. But only if you find a way for me to escape afterward.”
“That’s not possible.”
Maybe it wasn’t. Keris hadn’t found a route for escape. Neither had Aren. But Zarrah’s instincts told her that Coralyn had the cunning to achieve what the men had not. “Put your mind to it, my lady. Until then, I’ll continue to enjoy your hospitality.”
The old woman’s eyes darkened with fury, her hands fisting. It was the first time Zarrah had ever seen Coralyn’s control fracture, and she wasn’t certain whether to feel triumphant or worried. Probably the latter.
“Iwillthink on it, Zarrah. But in the meantime, you will remain confined to this room at all times.”
Not ideal, but better than dead, which might well be the alternative.
Coralyn retrieved her lamp, then held out her hand. “Give me the nail.”
Zarrah didn’t want to give it up. Tiny as it was, it was still the only weapon she had. But if she wanted Coralyn to believe her a willing ally, she needed to provide some proof. So Zarrah handed it over.
Coralyn gave her a cool smile. “Let’s hope I find reason to give it back to you in the future. But until then, I hope you continue to enjoy myhospitality.”
55
KERIS
He needed to get out of the palace. Away from the endless stink of corpse, the judgmental eyes of the wives and servants, away from the goddamnedsilence.Because in the silence, he heard the same noise over and over.
Thud.
The sickening wet thump of his brother hitting the ground replayed through his head, his eyes filling with the sight of crimson pooling around Otis’s body. Of the look of betrayal in his eyes.
Thud.
Keris flinched, glancing to his right, where men tossed heavy sacks onto a cart, rainwater splattering with each impact. His stomach roiled, and he looked back to the slick cobbles ahead of him, swallowing the sourness. What he needed was somewhere loud. Somewhere busy. Somewhere his face wasn’t known. Somewhere he couldbesomeone other than who he was.
You’re a goddamned coward.
He should’ve stayed in the palace. Valcotta was in a precarious position, for if it were discovered she’d gotten out of her room, his father might kill her for the infraction. But he just couldn’t stay. Couldn’t be there. Couldn’t spend the night cleaning up the mess created by the fight, endlessly replaying his final words with his brother.
Thud.
Keris pressed his hands to his ears, trying to drown out the sound. Rain soaked through his cloak, but he still looked to the sky, allowing it to hammer against his face. Wishing it could wash away his mistakes.
A scuff of a boot against stone caught his attention, but Keris didn’t turn. It was one of Serin’s minions, tasked, as always, to follow him through the city. He knew their faces—knew how to lose them—but as he glanced down a dark alleyway that would allow him access to the rooftops of Vencia, a wave of vertigo nearly caused him to stumble.
Thud.
He didn’t want to climb. Climbing meant being up high. Being up high meant risking falling, and with the way he was feeling, it would almost be inevitable.
And maybe he deserved it.
