AllFreeNovel
Share Us
If we arrest Torstem, the odds of him lashing out to force his murder or simply offing himself seem far too high. Then we’d be left with no solid trail to follow at all.
Of course, the conspirators will know thatsomeonefoiled their plan tonight. I don’t intend to let down anyone under my watch.
Konram sweeps his gaze over us with an even more commanding air than before. “You have your orders. I trust you can get on with them?”
I speak up before he officially dismisses us. “It’s become increasingly difficult for us to meet and discuss our findings without our association being discovered. If you could offer any resources to allow greater ease of communication, that would be an immense help.”
Konram rubs his chin. “I might be able to arrange just the thing. I’ll confirm with you as soon as I have it ready.”
I incline my head. “Thank you, Your Highness. We will do our best.”
“We’ll bring all the scourge sorcerers down,” Benedikt puts in. After the king’s earlier dismissal, his vigor sounds forced.
Ivy remains silent, but I can almost feel her stewing. She’s smart enough not to voice any of her concerns in front of the man who rules over us all, though.
The king pauses, his gaze focused on me. “You seem even grimmer than I’d expect given the progress we’ve made and the disaster averted, Stavros. Is there another problem I’m not aware of?”
The woman next to me stiffens just slightly.
This is my opening, the time to tell him what she is if I’m going to. To send her off to the gallows where all the riven belong.
If nothing else, don’t I owe my king my honesty?
In the instant when I teeter in indecision, the memory of Kosmel’s sigil glowing on Ivy’s chest flashes through my mind. My previous sense of resolve hardens.
I can’t serve both my king and my gods, and I know which holds the higher authority.
“No, Your Highness,” I say. “I’m merely frustrated that we weren’t able to arrest more of the conspirators despite the crimes they’ve already committed.”
Konram lets out a low chuckle. “I trust you’ll remedy that shortly.”
His image vanishes from the mirror. Gathering myself, I beckon the others to follow me out of the room.
We hustle along the discreet hall and then out into the passage through the hedges that obscure our departure from view. We’ve almost reached the wall when a familiar giggle tinkles out into the air.
My legs stall of their own accord. My head swings around, my gaze finding a narrow gap between the bushes.
I only have a clear view for an instant before everything fogs over, but that’s enough. Enough to make out Neela’s face in the glow of lantern light from the carriage she’s just stepped out of.
Enough to notice her hand clasped around that of the courtier whose arm she then tucks herself beneath with another giggle.
I wrench my gaze away, my jaw clenching. My voice comes out harsher than I intend it. “Let’s move along. There’s nothing for us here.”
And I won’t let myself make another catastrophic mistake.
Three
Ivy
As we pass through the college gate into the outer courtyard, a steady rumbling sound carries across the field. I flinch instinctively in the instant before I make out the figures gathered around the ruined corner of the Quadring.
Several workers who must have a gift to do with building or mending are sorting through the rubble. In the glow of their lanterns, I can see a chunk of stone they’ve just raised melding back into place. More workers must be helping inside, handling the interior structure.
Julita speaks up for the first time in a while, though her voice is still more subdued than I’m used to.They started the repairs quickly.
Benedikt lets out a light chuckle. “In a couple of days, it’ll be good as new. Like nothing ever happened.”
A shiver runs down my spine. “Unless the scourge sorcerers rile up the daimon again.”
