Chapter 24
Chapter Twenty-Four
Emmeline
Anger roared through Emmeline as she stared at the Lyra Temple Master—the man who’d sent her here without telling her the truth of the deal he’d struck with Rocarri.
The man who’d allowed his nephew to be taken into custody when he knew the murders weren’t Roremar’s fault and did nothing to help him.
The dagger strapped to her thigh was suddenly very appealing.
“What are you doing here?” Emmeline tried to keep the bite from her voice, nails digging into the stone railing, but if she knew Aldryn Falliare, he’d hear some of it.
“I’m here for the tournament. The Chancellor invited me.”
“You’re here to watch your nephew die, then,” she accused. “And to watch me be sold off to the winner?”
His gaze dropped to her hands, stoic as ever. She wished he was as transparent as Rocarri. While she didn’t know the Chancellor’s motives, she at least could tell he was threatening her, that he didn’t care to protect her.
Falliare never let his facade drop. For all those years, he’d pretended to foster her as if he cared about her magic, her dreams to get to Valyn.
Then he went behind her back and sold her.
Because her value was in her Fate ties, not herself.
The Temple Master cleared his throat. “I’m here to work on joint business ventures that will hopefully benefit all of the Constellation Isles.”
Emmeline’s heart pounded—her magic pounded, begging to be released—and an ache of loss that didn’t belong to her twisted her chest.
“What sort of ventures?” Emmeline asked sharply.
“Trade and things to aid defensive strategies. A few of Rocarri’s personal projects.” He waved a hand, but Emmeline tucked away the note. “Nothing you need to worry about, my dear. The trip had been a long time coming, but I hadn’t been able to leave the isles with the murders.”
She’d bet every coin to her name there was more to the Temple Master’s appearance here. Why did Rocarri invite him? What made the Chancellor suddenly so interested in the Constellation Isles?
Her thoughts wandered to Perry. Haven’t you ever wondered why everyone has really forgotten the Constellation Isles?
Suspicion coiled through her. She’d been certain it wasn’t Perry she heard speaking to Rocarri earlier, but he had been too far for her to tell. She was positive it hadn’t been Falliare, though.
She had to make note of every interaction tonight to comb through later.
“Well, I suppose it’s good you locked up your nephew so you can strengthen trade negotiations.” Her voice dripped with derision, but Falliare nodded.
“Unfortunately, it is.”
The Fatesdamned sticking door shuddered open once again, light pouring out from the ballroom.
“There you are—oh.” Lola halted in the doorway, the plum-colored tulle of her skirt swaying around her ankles.
She swallowed and released her grip on the handle, coming to stand at Emmeline’s side.
Something was clenched in her fist, but the door swung closed, masking most of the light and dimming the ballroom’s noise once again.
“Alana,” Falliare said, looking her over as if seeking something to disapprove of. Emmeline’s hackles rose.
“Uncle,” Lola clipped. “Mother didn’t write that you were coming.”
“She didn’t know. It was rather sudden.”
“Apparently.” She toyed with the dainty jewel necklace resting between her collarbones, and Falliare’s eyes dropped to the amethyst in the center.
He nodded in approval. “I’m glad to see you’re all right.”
Lola stiffened, and Emmeline’s eyes flicked to her. Her hardened expression reminded Emmeline so much of Roremar.
“Yes, I am,” Lola said so tightly, the music slipping through the cracks between the doors almost drowned it out. Along the neighboring balconies, couples laughed and drank, but none of their levity relieved Emmeline’s nerves.
“I’ll be around for a while,” Falliare said. “I have an apartment in the Second District. We can organize a meeting. Breakfast tomorrow, perhaps?”
“I’ll be there.”
Falliare looked between them. “I’ll leave you girls to your evening. You have quite a few suitors to speak with still, Emmeline.”
Slime coated her skin at the knowledge that he’d kept track of her movements.
She didn’t answer, only turned back to the night-drenched city and waited for him to leave, reminding herself the oily sensation wasn’t real. Once the door closed behind him, Emmeline released a breath, her frame sinking with it.
“I didn’t know he was here,” she whispered, drifting to the side of the balcony and absently brushing the soft petals of the tiny white buds that wrapped the railing.
“Neither did I,” Lola admitted. She leaned against the wall and looked down at her feet, arms wrapped around herself. “What did he say?”
“He’s here for some trade agreement.”
Lola scoffed. “Convenient timing.”
Emmeline hummed in agreement. “What did he mean? When he said he’s glad to see you’re all right.”
With everything happening in their family, it wasn’t an odd question, but from the way Lola had stiffened, Emmeline was certain it meant more.
Lola swallowed, fingers brushing across her wisteria tattoo. “When it was revealed who Roremar was, Temple Masters in Valyn demanded I be tested to ensure I wasn’t hiding anything.”
Emmeline went cold, but she choked out, “Tested?”
“They put me in one of the seeing chambers.”
“What?” Her breath stuck in her chest. “But those aren’t allowed—they’re outlawed for mundane practices.”
“It appears ensuring I’m not also secretly tied to the Fate of Chaos and Revelry is a criminal inquisition, so it’s allowed.”
Emmeline shook her head. “But that’s not how Fate ties work. They don’t choose you because of your siblings.”
The magic ran deeper than that. Constellations aligned for each Starsearcher upon their birth to establish their tie. Every Temple Master worth their title knew that.
But they were scared. Scared of Roremar, and scared of Dryvius never having truly been dead in the first place. Scared of the world around them looking different than they’d ever imagined. Nothing warped a stable mind like fear of the unknown.
What lengths would they be pushed to if Emmeline didn’t prove Roremar was innocent?
Lola shrugged. “Rocarri fought them on it, but his sway wasn’t enough.”
“That’s why you said you believe he’s a good man.” Why Lola had seemed so shocked when she found out the Chancellor was using Emmeline. Rocarri had been the one to stand up for her when no one else had.
“I don’t know if he’s good anymore—or at least not all of him is—but in that moment he was.
He took care of me after. Made sure I recovered well and visited me personally.
Promoted me to my position appointing his art galleries.
And when I found out you were coming here, I volunteered to be your guide. ”
Emmeline crossed the balcony and leaned back beside Lola, face tipped to the night sky as the music inside vibrated the glass behind her. “Are you okay?”
“It hurt.” Lola’s voice wavered. “It was a pain unlike anything I’d ever experienced.
The chamber—it dug through me, like it was trying to find something that wouldn’t be there.
And I can only imagine how much worse it was for you with eleven Fate ties.
For Roremar, being the sole connection to Dryvius. ”
The seeing chamber hadn’t hurt Emmeline the way it had him. For her, it uncorked the immense pressure she’d been using to stifle her Fates. It had been an agonizing blast but also a release.
Roremar…she’d never forget the harrowing look in his eyes.
Lola sighed. “I wish he’d told me about his tie, but I understand why he didn’t.
He’ll still be hearing from me about it, you can be sure of that.
” They both laughed, and Emmeline felt a touch lighter, finally.
“I’ve been gone for ten years, though. Only home for a couple weeks here and there.
Maybe if I’d been on Lyra, I would have seen the signs, but I didn’t know any better when we were younger.
I was still learning my own magic. Maybe if I hadn’t left, I would’ve noticed. ”
“You wouldn’t have,” Emmeline assured her. “He’s too good at hiding it. I helped students with their Fate ties all day at the Academy, and I never noticed. Neither did Desmond over all the years, and he’s more attuned to his magic than most since he has two Fate ties.”
As soon as she said it, Emmeline wondered if she maybe shouldn’t have revealed Desmond’s secret, but Lola didn’t react. “I’m surprised Des didn’t notice. He’s normally nosier than that.”
Emmeline laughed, then added, “If you want to talk about your brothers, I’m here for you.”
She may not be able to help her own sister yet, but she could help Roremar’s.
Even if she was only holding her hand as she waded through grief.
Spirits knew Emmeline had spent more than her fair share of time doing so alone, and that solitude had scarred her in ways she’d never noticed until recently.
“Thank you,” Lola said softly. She kicked off the wall, skirt flaring around her as she spun to face Emmeline.
“Now we should probably get you back inside before your absence is noted. But this will be over soon, and all the guests will sneak off to incense dens and pleasure houses in the city. And then”—Lola’s blue eyes glinted with mischief as she wrenched the sticking door open—“I have a plan for us.”
“A plan?” Emmeline asked as the music and mystlights washed over them, her stomach pitching.
Lola nodded, the mischievous Silventa glint in her eye as she held up the piece of parchment crumpled in her hand. “There are some people you need to see.”