Chapter 27 #2
Despite the questions whirling in my mind, I find myself resting my hand on the front of his shirt as if to give him additional confirmation of my words. “I’m here. Not murdered. Not even really hurt.”
Stavros lets out a huff and places his hand over mine. He tips his head to the side, and I’m struck by the impression as I have once before that he might kiss me.
My heart lurches, torn between apprehension and a longing that’s never quite died.
Like before, he doesn’t follow through. He squeezes my fingers and steps back, his jaw flexing with continued agitation. “Go ahead. Tell us what happened.”
From his tone, he might as well be saying, Tell me who I need to kill.
“Wait,” I say. “Let me just—”
I stalk around the edges of the room, confirming that I can’t sense any magically enhanced creatures lurking in the walls. By the time I return to my original spot, I feel a little steadier but no happier about the conversation ahead.
I drag in a breath to start. “The summons came around three in the morning…”
I give them the full account, from walking into the woods to being accused to my first suspicions of who my accuser was. When I say Benedikt’s name, Alek’s stance goes rigid.
Stavros outright bares his teeth. “What? What wretched game did the royal bastard think he was playing at?”
I swallow thickly. “I don’t think he saw it as a game.
He talked to me a little later—he’d been feeling like we were shutting him out, which we were, because we were hiding my magic from him—he thought he’d prove himself by getting information from the scourge sorcerers on his own, but they ended up swaying his loyalties.
Convincing him that what they’re doing is right. ”
Alek’s jaw drops. “He’s siding with them?”
His shock echoes my own. “I guess they’re more persuasive than we gave them credit for.”
Stavros slams his hand against his thigh. “The blasted idiot. He treated our mission like a joke half the time, and then he— I’ll wring his fucking neck.”
The former general shoves himself away from the table, but I hold up my hand to stop him. “I don’t think you can do anything at all to him. I—I don’t think you’d need to. The scourge sorcerers will be taking care of that now that they’ve decided they can’t trust him.”
The ominous silence that follows my statement tells me all three men know exactly what I’m implying.
Stavros’s jaw works. “And he blathered about our entire investigation?”
I shake my head. “He hadn’t given away anything about the rest of you. Well, other than trying to claim that he’d overheard me making plans with you, but I’d imagine the conspirators will dismiss that idea now that they’ve assumed it was all a lie. He didn’t mention Casimir and Alek at all.”
“That’s the least of our concerns right now.” Casimir shakes his head. “I suppose none of us were all that close with him. Meetings were all business, and we couldn’t spend time together outside of them. But I still wouldn’t have thought…”
“Neither would I,” Alek says hoarsely. “It’s his own family they’re encouraging people to turn against.”
I remember Benedikt’s remarks over the past few weeks—and the way he looked when his half-uncle chided him. “I think that might have become a benefit rather than a problem.”
We linger in our shared horror for a minute before Casimir ventures another question, his voice gentle. “How did you persuade them to trust you over Benedikt?”
More haltingly, I explain about the trial I suggested, the way the scourge sorcerers put it to us, and Kosmel’s divine assistance.
I tense up when I get into the part where I used my magic—used it to wound a man these three recently considered a friend—but Stavros only reacts with a rough exhalation when I mention the arrow that wounded me.
“They healed it,” I say before he can reach for me again. “Like they did my finger.”
What I can see of Alek’s bronze-brown face has grayed beneath his mask. “Are you sure they completely believed you? If they wanted to eliminate any risk of betrayal, they could have gotten rid of both of you.”
And they still could, he’s obviously thinking.
I hug myself. “As far as I could tell, they were convinced. I’m sure they’ll be watching me even more closely for the next few days, though.”
Stavros starts to pace. “You can’t go back. This is too much. They had you chained in a fucking cave.”
I grimace. “If I don’t go back, they’ll definitely want me dead.”
“I never should have let you start off on this reckless path to begin with.”
My hands drop to my hips. “You didn’t let me do anything. I made my own decisions. And even with everything that’s happened, this is still our best chance at taking the scourge sorcerers down.”
Which Stavros well knows, because he can’t even argue that point, only hiss through his teeth in frustration.
He stops, raking his hand through his ruddy hair. “I have to report to the king. Benedikt was part of his family, if not a totally legitimate part.”
Casimir steps forward and touches my arm. “You do that. Alek and I can look after Ivy. I’m sure she could use some peace after what she’s been through.”
He pauses. “You have the cord she normally uses, don’t you? Could you give that to me before you leave? We should be doubly careful about any arrangements we make from now on.”
I’m not sure what the courtesan is thinking, so I doubt Stavros is either, but he digs into the pouch on his belt and hands over my cord without argument. He moves toward his own portal ring but turns toward me at the last second.
He lifts his hand to touch my cheek. “They are going to pay for this. All of it. I can’t wait until that day.”