“Ferro was more mark than master.” The words held an echo of offense. “I came to apologize.” Eira looked to Deneya once more. “If I had done my job correctly, I would’ve known sooner. I could have prevented the misfortune that befell you.”
“Is that true?”
“Yes. I was sent here to keep an eye on him. He was suspect back on Meru.”
“Then I feel like I should hate you,” Eira said softly. If Deneya was telling the truth, she could’ve put an end to all of Eira’s suffering before it began.
“Go ahead.” Deneya shrugged. “You wouldn’t be the first, or last, person to hate me.”
“It’s too much effort to feel anything right now… Besides, it was just as much my fault as it was yours.”
“Because of your meetings with him?”
“Yes. How did you find out about those?” Eira asked. Deneya hadn’t known about the meetings mere days ago.
“I have my ways.”
“It must have been Alyss.” Eira had only told Alyss and Marcus. Ferro had burned the notes he’d used to summon her—fastidious in covering his tracks.
Deneya nodded, approval glimmering in her eyes. “She told Fritz, who told the empress, who told me. Now, I need to know what you discussed in those meetings.”
“I already told you when I said it was all my fault. I told him about Waterrunner magic, about the Tower, about Solaris, about the forests and everything else he needed to—” Eira stopped herself with a hand over her mouth. She gasped, holding in her sobs. She would not cry again. She wouldn’t allow Ferro to have power over her once more.
“I need every last detail,” Deneya said once Eira composed herself. “There’s more depth to this than you realize.”
“Such as?”
“The less you know the better.”
“My brother is dead, my peers are dead, I’m implicated in their murders and I nearly died. I think have a right to know.” Eira straightened, sitting taller than she had before. She ached, but it was the deep pains of grief that had made their home in her chest. The pains of her body and magic were nothing in comparison.
Deneya assessed her for a long minute. Whatever measure she was performing, Eira met the mark. “We suspect Ferro might be part of an organization that seeks to sabotage the Treaty of Five Kingdoms. I suspect this attack is proof of that—as he was trying to capitalize on the seeds of suspicion Solaris already holds for Meru.”
“That’s why they’re not bringing him to trial here,” Eira realized. No matter what, Ferro had thought he would win. Either he would escape after murdering her and all the other Waterrunners—his disappearance would cast blame on him but he lived to fight another day—or he would be tried in Solaris and every citizen would see an elfin as a murderer, an enemy. He hadn’t accounted for being captured, or the emperor and empress to stay one step ahead of him by not bringing him to trial.
“I will bring him back to Meru and bring him before the queen for a private verdict. I will see him brought to justice, I promise you this. But I want as much proof as I can find of what he was doing. Not just for his trial, but to find any conspirators he was working with.”
“He’s not acting alone—you said he’s part of an organization.”
“Just so.” Deneya wore a grim expression.
“Who’s at the top of the organization? Who would sabotage a treaty?”
“We have some suspects, but nothing concrete. I thought Adela could have been when I first suspected you might be an agent for her. Investigating you distracted me from Ferro…thus, anything you can tell me might help make up for lost time.” Deneya leaned back on the sofa, resting her arm along the back. “We’re unable to interrogate him. As you might suspect, he’s gagged so he can’t use Lightspinning. That means you’re the best we have.”
Eira stared out the dark windows for several minutes. She had been a suspect because of her perceived connection with Adela. Even after Deneya had said she’d written off Eira working for the pirate queen, the suspicions had no doubt remained. Their nights together were cast in a new light. That light also shone on Fritz’s—and her family’s—fears about the truth of her possible parentage ever coming out.
Her possible connection with Adela had contributed to Marcus’s death. She was culpable in so many ways.
“I’ll tell you everything I remember,” Eira resolved and shifted to the edge of the sofa. As painful as every word was, she forced them out. She recalled every last interaction with such brutal precision that her heart stung and her hands trembled. She had replayed these meetings in her mind, time and again, but they were now smothered in the stink of betrayal. Whatever she had to endure now wouldn’t be enough; it would never pay back all she had taken from the Charem family. “…and that’s it,” she finished.
Deneya sighed. Eira had been able to tell from her expression while she spoke that her information wasn’t terribly helpful. “Thank you for telling me. I’ll do what I can.” Deneya stood.
“Wait.” Eira stared into the fire, an idea suddenly illuminated. “I think I can help you further.”
“Oh?”
“Take me to his room.”
“What—oh.” Deneya’s eyes were alight with wicked amusement. A smile curled her lips. “You are a useful one, aren’t you?”
“I will be whatever I have to be to avenge my brother,” Eira swore.
Deneya didn’t seem shocked or put off in the slightest. She no doubt heard the murderous tone in Eira’s voice and remained unfazed. The woman wasn’t made of ice, but shadow—equally as unfeeling as Eira strove to be.
“Very well,” Deneya said, starting for the door. “Follow me.”
28
Deneya had a frightening knowledge of the palace. She moved between the shadows, confident with every step. She knew just how to open secret doors with rust-covered hinges so they didn’t squeal and
