“Stop that; it’s all right,” he said softly, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. But nothing felt all right. In fact, everything felt very, very wrong. “We’re thanking the Mother above you’re safe.”
Eira stared at the floor. It wasn’t enough. She wasn’t enough. Marcus should be here and not her.
They sat together for almost an hour, saying very little. Gwen made an attempt at conversation, but her voice kept cracking and eventually her words were swallowed up by the absence of Marcus. After that there were only a few words exchanged between them. What was there to say? Nothing was going to bring back Marcus, or fix the broken picture of their family. What was the point of speaking at all?
When the door opened again, every head turned except for Eira’s. She was far too exhausted to even raise her eyes. Her magic was as brittle as her sanity felt.
Two familiar hands covered her trembling fist. Eira followed them up to a pair of sad, hazel eyes.
“You can let go,” Cullen said softly. “We have him.”
27
“You captured him?” Eira repeated. “Ferro?”
“Yes. Deneya has him now. They’re with the emperor and empress.” Cullen’s gaze shifted to her family as Eira’s roved the room. She didn’t remember Vhalla leaving. “The empress has instructed me to inform you all that she is working on sorting out Eira’s situation. The plan is there will be an announcement to the city, after a brief period, of a mystery attacker. Eira’s involvement will be cleared following an ‘investigation’ and the next random murderer taken into palace custody from the city will be convicted of the crimes.”
“But…” Eira whispered. No one heard her, or no one listened. Eira continued to hold her hand in a fist; the truth hadn’t sunk in yet.
“It should go without saying that you three should never mention to anyone beyond this room that Ferro was behind these heinous acts.”
“Understood.” Gwen dipped her chin, accustomed to royal orders being funneled through others.
“What will happen to him?” Grahm asked, clearly uncertain about being sworn to secrecy.
“That has yet to be decided. Given his position, and the upcoming Tournament of Five Kingdoms, this matter is being handled with the utmost discretion.”
Discretion was far better than Ferro deserved.
“The Tournament is still going to happen?” Fritz stole the shock Eira was missing the energy to feel.
“It must. A landmark treaty between five nations cannot be stalled because of the actions of one clearly insane man.”
“I’m not going to allow apprentices to be sent after this.” Fritz stood, sliding into the mantle of Minister of Sorcery. “We don’t even know his motives. What if they were directed by the Queen of Meru herself?”
Cullen remained calm. “Those are all questions for you to take up with the empress.”
“I will be certain to.”
“In the meantime, Her Majesty asked me to send you back to the Tower,” Cullen continued to Fritz. A young man, an apprentice of the Tower, was ordering around the Minister of Sorcery as though it were nothing. Even if he was just a vessel for the empress’s wishes, Eira found herself envious of the skillful wielding of power. Though, she was more envious of his ability to remain composed. “There will be questions, understandably, following the deaths of candidates. You need to be there for the Tower to keep calm and try and quell any rumors.”
“How many died?” Eira made herself heard this time. Though as soon as she asked the question, she regretted it.
“Seven.” Cullen’s expression was void of emotion. It wasn’t that he was composed, Eira realized. He was functioning like she was—numb and detached. “All Waterrunners.”
“And I’m the only one who survived,” Eira breathed. No wonder Yemir was ready to pin her with the crimes and everyone was ready to believe him. All her conversations with Ferro from those long nights floated through her head. She’d told him so much about Waterrunners and their powers. She’d helped him every step of the way without realizing it.
She’d been the one to give him the information he needed about the terrain, about what Waterrunners could and couldn’t do, about her own past. Numb shock finally eased her cramping fingers and her fist uncurled. She had no fight left in her. She’d been used and maneuvered.
“It’s not your fault,” Cullen said, soft and firm, while looking her right in the eye. “But…clearly…the fact that Waterrunners were targeted is going to work against you.”
“Work against her?” Gwen glanced between them.
“They think I have a motive.” Eira spelled it out for her aunt.
“You’d never kill anyone. I still can’t believe people even suggest it,” Gwen said with disgust.
She would never escape three years ago.
“I agree.” Cullen’s mouth pressed into a hard line. “But people will look for any reason to explain these horrific acts. In their grief, they won’t care if the real killer is brought to justice or not, so long as they have someone to blame.”
“I can’t believe this is really happening.” Gwen shook her head.
Cullen continued to wear his cold, unfeeling stare. “We’re working with bad cards, Eira especially.” Before anyone could say anything else, Cullen shifted his attention back to her family. “Fritz and Grahm, please return to the Tower. The empress said she would meet you there as soon as she’s able to discuss things further. Gwen, the empress would like to ask you to keep the palace guard in order—help prevent rumors there as well and, most importantly, make sure that no one realizes Eira is missing from her cell. The imperial plan is to keep her comfortable here instead of in the depths.”
“That I will gladly do.” Gwen sighed, resigned, and gave Eira a kiss on the cheek before starting for the door.
“And what will I be doing?” Eira asked, dejected. Fritz and Grahm squeezed her tightly before leaving, a movement that hardly registered.
“You”—Cullen’s hands rested on her shoulders as the door clicked shut—“are going
