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Only two people had access to Sabium’s private graveyard. Sabium, so he could continue adding to his morbid collection, and me, so I could bear grim witness to my inevitable end.
I’d only visited it a few times. The first was the day Sabium had freed me from his dungeon—after I’d finally pretended to accept my fate. He’d had his guards lead me to the entrance before roughly grabbing my arm and pulling me through his ward.
“You can be buried here at any time,” he’d said. “No one will mourn you. No one will ever know why you disappeared. If you don’t comply, perhaps I will make you choose your own grave. Then I’ll make you lie in it, awake and aware, before I bury you.”
The threat had chilled me. And the thought of being buried alive—directly after choosing my resting place…it had driven almost all of the fight from me.
Today, I stalked toward the graveyard. My thoughts were so heavy, it took me a moment to realize someone had stepped into my path. I froze, barely preventing myself from slamming into a male body.
Tymedes glowered down at me. “Your Majesty.”
“General.”
“A strange thing has happened.”
I raised one eyebrow. His gaze was pinned to my face, no doubt noting my every expression.
“Yes?”
Fury burned in his eyes. “Eryndan fell in line with His Majesty’s plans and finally ambushed the hybrid camp.”
“I have things to do, General. If you have a point, please make it.”
“The hybrids were somehow warned about the attack.”
I kept my expression cool, disinterested. A flush began to crawl up his neck.
“Only a few people knew of these plans,” he hissed. “You were one of them.”
I narrowed my eyes. “Are you accusing me of treason, General?”
He paused briefly, as if the full weight of his accusation hadn’t occurred to him until right at that moment.
“I would like to know who you told.”
“Who I told what?”
“Who you told about the planned attack!”
I let out a gusty sigh. “You think I’m responsible for this? The Eprothan queen? Are you mad?” My laugh dripped with disdain. “If you believe such a thing, take this accusation to the king, and let us see what he thinks about you pinning your failures on his wife.”
I kept my expression scornful as Tymedes stared at me. Cold sweat dripped down my back. If he did take it to Sabium, and Sabium decided to look closer…if Sabium used his truth-seekers…
I forced my lips to curve. The tiniest hint of uncertainty slid through his eyes.
This was the biggest risk I’d taken. I’d known it had to be done. The hybrid heir would never have trusted me otherwise, and I needed her and her allies to trust me so I could save my son.
After so many years of passivity, finally taking action had been glorious. It had felt as if I was finally unleashed. Yet perhaps I had acted too impulsively.
“My apologies, Your Majesty,” Tymedes said finally, bowing his head.
“Lower.”
He stiffened, likely fantasizing about pulling his sword and running me through. But after a long moment, he bowed lower.
I didn’t know why I was so determined to wield what little power I had in such a way. Why I would risk alienating the very people who could lead to my downfall. It was a compulsion I could never quite manage to suppress.
