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They most certainly could. They did. Though I had no idea who they spoke of, nor why a Descenter would attack who I assumed was a mortal. Contrary to what the Ascended claimed or liked to believe, though I wasn’t aware of all their plots and ploys, they didn’t often attack others, even those close to the Ascended.
“And if any are, we will discover them,” the Commander assured her, so genuinely I almost believed him. “But I’m not sure if a Descenter is responsible for this attack.”
“What do you mean?” the Duchess said, her brows knitting as Lieutenant Smyth crossed the yard to join them.
“Did you…?” Commander Jansen cleared his throat, appearing unwilling to ask what he needed to. What a consummate actor, he was. “Did you see the body, Your Grace? Or hear of her condition?”
“I saw her body briefly.” She tilted her head, sending curly raven hair spilling over one shoulder. “Long enough to know she is no longer of this realm.”
“There were puncture wounds on her throat,” Jansen shared. “Deep ones.”
Every muscle in my body went rigid as the Duchess feigned shock—and she was definitely faking that gasp if there were fucking bite marks on the woman’s throat. The broken neck now made sense. The woman’s blood had probably been drained, and her neck then broken to ensure she died before she turned Craven within the castle walls.
“I’m sorry to be the one to share this news with you,” Jansen said, knowing damn well there was no way she’d missed that, no matter how briefly she’d seen the body. “A Descenter would have no reason to drain a mortal of blood.”
“No, they string bodies from trees,” Lord Mazeen spoke. “Like one of them did to Lord Preston at some point last night.”
My lips curved up in a smile. So, he was found before the sun got him. That gave me savage satisfaction.
“But that doesn’t mean they can’t make it seem like someone else is culpable,” Lieutenant Smyth suggested, proving exactly what a fucking imbecile the man was.
“Unless someone was running around with an ice pick or another small, sharp object, I find that unlikely,” Jansen replied dryly.
Lieutenant Smyth huffed. “I’m just saying it’s not impossible.”
The Duchess stared at Jansen for long enough that wariness brewed in my chest, but her expression smoothed out. “No, it’s not, but it is unlikely. That leaves us with only one other suspect.”
Them?
“An Atlantian,” Smyth surmised—incorrect yet again.
Because outside of my ass, no other full-blooded Atlantians were roaming anywhere even close to the castle. Besides that, we could drink from mortals, and sometimes it happened during heated, passionate moments, but mortal blood provided no sustenance. It wasn’t something we sought out.
“The Dark One,” the Duchess whispered.
Oh, come the fuck on.
Jansen’s expression was devoid of emotion as he said, “We will check the grounds once more, Your Grace.” He turned to Smyth. “Alert the Rise and City Guards to be on the lookout for any signs or evidence of the Dark One having arrived in Masadonia.”
Lieutenant Smyth nodded, then bowed to the Duchess and Lord before hurrying off to do just that. The man walked as fast as his knobby legs would carry him, all too eager to do the Ascended’s bidding.
All too happy to ignore the obvious and spread falsities that would inevitably lead to innocent people being accused of crimes they had taken no part in nor had any knowledge of. Because he knew exactly what the Ascended were. They didn’t hide their true natures from the upper crust of the Royal Guard. I’d learned that from my time in captivity in the capital.
After all, those within the Royal Guard usually disposed of the bodies when the Ascended drained them, leaving them to turn Craven outside the city walls.
But this was how they operated, blaming their crimes on Descenters, the Dark One, and Atlantians. They gave the people something to fear so they didn’t look too closely at them. I eyed Smyth as he climbed the Rise. Mortals who aided in the Ascended’s deception were a unique breed of evil fuckery.
“We must make sure something like this doesn’t happen again,” the Duchess said to Jansen, putting on an act for the other guards who flanked the Commander. Ones who were unaware of the truth. Hopefully, she would have this same conversation with the other Ascended since one of them had ended the woman’s life. “It must be safe for the upcoming Rite. But most importantly, it must be safe for the Maiden.”
The Maiden.
I stiffened.
“Of course. She is far too important,” Jansen answered, this time speaking honestly. “Her safety is always paramount.”
Except that none of them, not even Jansen, realized how close she’d come to harm last night.
They parted ways then, Jansen turning his head slightly in my direction. He either sensed my presence or saw me. There was just a slight upward turn of his lips before he disappeared inside Castle Teerman.
