Back at home, she returned to her papers, losing herself in the task. She didn’t even realize the sun was setting until she noticed she was having trouble making out the words of Bayt’s notes. She lit a candle and once again lost herself in focus.
Alena didn’t stir again until she heard a knock on her door. She turned around to see the shadows of a pair of feet underneath her door. “Come in,” she said.
She made no move to hide her work. The easiest way to arouse suspicion was to act as though there was something to hide.
Her father stepped in, a candle in his hand. His eyes took in the piles of papers on her desk. “You’ve been up late.”
Alena nodded. “There’s been a lot to do, lately.”
Her father’s smile told her that he recognized the evasion for what it was. He came into her room and sat on the edge of her bed, the frame creaking as he rested on it. He put his candle off to the side and looked at her. Alena could tell he had something on his mind, but wasn’t quite sure how to say it.
Finally, he spoke. “I’m not a fool, you know.”
Alena grinned, even though her heart was beating faster. “Trust me, I know.”
“I know Bayt was up to something, something that probably ended up getting him killed. And I don’t believe for a moment you don’t know something about it. I haven’t said anything because I don’t want your mother to worry, but I’m afraid for you.”
He had guessed far more than she suspected. Alena closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Everywhere she turned, the walls were closing in on her. How long would it be before one collapsed with her underneath?
She forced herself to open her eyes and meet his gaze.
“Alena. You know how much I love you, right?”
She nodded, surprised by the sudden appearance of tears coming down her cheek.
“You know that I would do anything for you?”
She nodded again, then stepped over to the bed, sitting next to him and burying her head in his chest. His strong arms wrapped around her, holding her tight, protecting her against the world.
Alena realized then she hadn’t cried, not really. Everything she had been holding in suddenly exploded out of her. She sobbed silently, her tears soaking through her father’s thick shirt.
He said nothing, just holding her there. She could hear his heart in his chest, slow and steady like the falling of his smith’s hammer. She felt his strength, not just in his arms but in the tempo of his pulse.
Their candles had burned low by the time Alena’s distress finally eased. She rubbed her face in her father’s chest, causing him to chuckle. Then she finally leaned away from him.
As tempted as she was, she didn’t dare tell him what had happened. The more he knew, he more he and others were at risk.
“Thank you,” she said.
He laid his hand on her shoulder, missing nothing. “Are you in danger?”
“Maybe. I’m trying to get out of it.”
“Is there anything I can do?”
“Don’t let Mother and Jace know.”
He stiffened at that, and she spoke quickly to reassure him. “It’s safer for you all the less you know. I couldn’t live, knowing anyone else got hurt because of a mistake I made.”
Her father thought about it for a moment. “Your mother thinks you are stressed because of the upcoming tests. Jace hasn’t noticed a thing, nor do I think he will.”
“Thank you.”
Her father stood up and moved toward the door. Alena started. “That’s it?”
He gave a small shrug. “You’re nearly an adult, and smarter than most. If there’s anything else you want me to know, now’s the time. But as I said, I trust you, no matter how afraid for you I am.”
His trust felt completely unearned. After all that she had done, how could he still trust her? Yet he was willing to walk away, even knowing the depth of trouble his oldest child faced. Her tears started again. “You know that no matter what happens, I love you, right?”
He grinned. “I know. And I know you’ll figure it out. If there’s anything you need, just let me know.”
He closed the door behind him, leaving Alena alone once again. She looked over to her desk, where the knife he had given her rested.
His visit and his trust renewed her focus. She returned to her desk, determined to see if the answers they sought were in Bayt’s papers.
Near the bottom of the pile, she found an interesting candidate. He had grown up heir to a fortune, although it looked as though that fortune had been lost when the man was young. There was a long gap of time in Bayt’s notes — her former master had been unable to discover much until the young man had joined the military. In the military, he had been commended many times, more than any of the other soldiers Alena had studied over the past two days. Had the man remained in the military, Alena suspected he would be far up the chain of command.
There was no mention of an affinity, but there were plenty of rumors. Bayt had put question marks all around the man’s notes.
Her eyes traveled upward, searching for the name.
Despite his exemplary service, the emperor had never granted the man’s family a name. And yet, Alena recognized the individual in an instant.
It was Kye, the governor of the region.
21
Brandt set aside the papers Alena had given him and rubbed his eyes. She had provided him with nearly a dozen names, and he had tracked down two on the list that seemed like potential matches.
He’d ruled both men out quickly. One limped from an old injury, and the other was far shorter than the criminal had been.
He didn’t despair. He hadn’t found the murderer yet, but he was closing in. Bayt’s
