Page 13 of A Taste For Lies (The Apex Kingdom #1)

Chapter 13

ALORA

T he first thing that hits me as we push through the heavy oak doors is the rich scent of incense—spicy, exotic, layered with notes of sandalwood and something sweet, like vanilla. The inn’s front room is elegant but understated, designed to appeal to discerning guests. Plush velvet chairs, dark wooden beams, and intricately woven rugs give the space an air of opulence without being too garish. Breezy curtains enclose the space, creating an intimate feeling. Every detail feels intentional.

I glance around, catching the subtle glances exchanged between patrons. Their attire is a study in fine tailoring—a broad array of styles. Eleni’s eyes gleam, taking in every stitch and fashion with a tailor’s appreciation. By contrast, our dust-covered traveling cloaks, fresh from the road, betray us as outsiders. Quickly, I remove my hood, Eleni following my lead. Together, we march to the long, gleaming bar counter and the steward polishing a glass behind it.

She looks to be in her early forties, with midnight-dark skin and black braided hair circled in a knot on her head. She’s dressed in a colorful kaftan with equally bright earrings that hang to her shoulders. Her soil-colored eyes flick to us with a bored expression .

Acting on instinct, I slide a golden Jinai coin across the bar. She pockets the coin with a blank expression, then tilts her head to an open low table.

“We’re here to see the Viper,” I murmur softly.

Her expression flickers—just for a fraction of a second—before smoothing back into impassivity. Instead of answering, she tilts her head towards the table again.

I press my lips together. “Very well.” Eleni and I sweep into the luxurious armchairs, setting our packs on the ground and shedding our cloaks. The steward is already setting ceramic mugs and a pot of steaming tea before us. Expertly, she pours us each a glass of the aromatic brew, then disappears through one of the walls of curtains.

Eleni glances around. “Everyone else is drinking it,” she whispers.

My gaze bounces around the room to confirm. She’s right—every patron has a similar mug in hand. Though that doesn’t necessarily mean anything. Poison could be in the pot or lining the mugs.

But the Jinai coin had felt like a test—one we passed. Without it, I suspect we’d have been politely but firmly escorted back out the palatial doors.

I raise the mug to my nose and nearly groan at the scent—sweet and spicy, with a hint of orange peel. Not letting myself overthink it, I take a tentative sip. Eleni eyes me carefully.

“Waiting to see if I drop dead?” I tease, taking another glorious swallow of the hot liquid.

“Yes.” But the scent proves too enticing, and she wraps her hands around her own mug and breathes in. With a little whimper, she gives in, too.

We don’t drop dead. Unfortunately, nothing else happens, either. Minutes tick by, the steward eventually returning, only to ignore us completely. My gaze keeps darting to the doors, convinced I’m about to see a raging prince burst through them.

“Len, do you think—” I start, but shut my mouth with a snap. A young man, about our age, with curling russet hair and piercing yellow-brown eyes, appears at our table.

“The Viper will see you now,” he says in Veridian .

Eleni and I jump to our feet with alacrity, awkwardly grabbing our cloaks and packs. We follow the man through the curtains, down a hallway, and into what I assume is the Viper’s office.

Just like the rest of The Painted Mask, this office bears no resemblance to its counterpart in Heshan. Xinlei’s is a broom closet compared to this. In fact, this office bears a closer resemblance to Count Zhao’s study but surpasses even that Elite elegance. Eleni’s jaw practically scrapes the floor.

Tall, arched windows allow shafts of pale light to illuminate shelves of leather-bound books lining the walls. Here, the scent of the incense is diluted, but the pleasant tang still lingers. On the far wall, a large tapestry depicts a coiled serpent, its ruby eyes glinting as if it’s watching my every move.

The desk at the center of the room is imposing, carved from ebony wood, with intricate gold inlays that spiral like vines around the edges. The papers are stacked on top with precision, a far cry from Xinlei’s cluttered mayhem. And behind the desk, in a high-backed chair upholstered in black velvet, sits the Viper.

She’s every bit as formidable as I pictured someone bearing a name like that would be, with handsome, sculptural features and a regal bearing. The Veridian Guild master appears to be only in her late thirties with dewy olive skin and thick black hair that hangs past her shoulders. She’s dressed not as a guild master but as a visiting dignitary, in a white pantsuit with a matching cape. An elegant hand with blood-red nails gestures to the two wooden armchairs facing her.

After exchanging a quick look between us, Eleni and I slide into the chairs. The heavy wood of the door settles into place behind our escort with a muffled thud and he strides to stand against the wall, his arms crossed and a sly smirk on his face.

“So. The Shanterran guild master’s most cherished thief and her tailor have come to my doorstep.” The Viper speaks in the common tongue, her face and her tone both purposefully neutral. I keep my own mask resolutely in place. Internally, my mind is whirling, trying to determine how she already knows who we are .

“To what do I owe the honor?” she continues in that same, uninterested tone.

And so it begins. I take a steadying breath. Rule Number Four: Everyone wants something. I just need to figure out what that is for the Viper. Quickly. Before the beast prince shows up and ruins everything.

“Thank you for receiving us, guild master,” I begin in a respectful manner. “The Painted Mask is beyond any guild we have ever had the good fortune of visiting.”

The Viper casts a glance over to the russet-haired man. “Flattery,” she drawls.

“It’s the truth,” I insist.

“And how many other guilds have you had the good fortune of visiting, Lynx?”

“None in Veridia,” I respond truthfully. That’s the thing about lying that most people don’t understand. It’s better to be honest when the truth doesn’t cost you anything. The more you mix in the truth, the harder it is to spot the lie.

The Viper’s lip curls. “We do things…differently here.”

“I can see that.”

“Then you’ll also understand my reaction when your guild master sent me a falcon about the two of you requesting assistance.” She frowns, the smallest of lines appearing between her brows. “Shanterra keeps to its own, and Veridia does the same. I see no reason to break precedent.”

Xinlei tried to smooth the way for us. My fractured heart warms. Even as anxiety licks at its edges.

“No need to break precedent. I come here on a personal matter.” I tilt my head to Eleni. “My tailor is assisting me. All we ask is for a waiver to conduct our business.”

Her manicured fingers begin drumming lightly on the polished ebony desk. “No commission?”

“No commission.” The lie flows smoothly from my lips.

“What is your business? ”

“That’s personal.” My tone is firm, almost threatening.

“Where are you conducting it?”

“Also personal.”

“Not good enough,” she shoots back. “I need to know if you’re going to disrupt one of the many delicate operations my people are conducting.”

I chew the inside of my cheek. It’s more than fair. I don’t want to tell her, but I’m already trying to sell an outrageous lie about the prince’s commission. I need to skate as close to the truth as possible. Rule Number Three: The best lies are mostly true.

“The palace,” I finally admit.

A smothered laugh turned fake cough from the man against the wall. The Viper’s deep brown eyes narrow. “How are you planning to get past the beast prince?”

“That’s why we’re here now. Elite women are flooding into the palace from all over Veridia in anticipation of the king and queen’s announcement about the prince.” I shrug one shoulder. “I’ll pose as one of them.”

“And I will make sure she looks the part,” Eleni pipes up.

Capturing the momentum, I toss the prince’s heavy purse onto the desk. It lands with a satisfying thunk. “For your troubles.”

The Viper barely glances at the gold before addressing the man leaning against the wall. “What do you think?”

I cover my surprise. I assumed our escort stayed for her protection. Who is this man that the guild master solicits his opinion?

That same smirk is fixed on his face, but no amusement reaches his eyes. “I say let the Lynx get herself skinned. It makes no difference to us. But—” He glances towards the bulging purse on the desk. “She’s going to have to compensate us better than that to look the other way.”

I really, really wish I had the pearls right about now. “What do you want?”

“To start with, double what you brought. And…” His piercing yellow-brown eyes settle on Eleni. She shifts uncomfortably in her chair. “I have need of a tailor.”

I don’t even have to think about it. “Absolutely not. ”

He snorts. “Relax, Lynx. I’m not trying to steal her. I only need to borrow her while you’re in town. Ours recently met with…an unfortunate end. And I have a sensitive operation that requires a certain level of skill, which your guild master led us to believe this tailor possesses.”

“No,” I snap, but Eleni’s small hand encircles my wrist. I meet her steady gaze. “No,” I say again, but to her, my tone beseeching.

Her eyes lift to the Viper, who’s examining Eleni with a contemplative look. “I’ll be under your protection?” Len confirms.

“Of course,” the Viper answers. “As would any guild member staying at The Painted Mask.” She leans forward. “And if the key master says he needs you, I’m willing to overlook this personal business at the palace. For a set period of time.” She looks over at the key master, who nods once, almost imperceptibly.

“We will be here through Samhain.” Eleni turns to the key master. “Will that be enough time for your operation?”

His lips curve higher. “Depends on how quick you are, sweetheart. Me, I prefer to take my time with my partners.” Eleni’s pale skin flushes a delicate pink, and his eyes flare in response.

“Over my—” I start hotly.

“There’s something else we need,” Eleni cuts in, turning back to the Viper.

The guild master waves her hand, indicating that Eleni should go on.

“An Apex. The Lynx needs an Apex guardian so she can pass as Elite at the palace.”

“Done,” the key master answers. The Viper purses her lips but doesn’t contradict him. This man wields a lot of power. And he’s clearly stuck on Eleni.

“No,” I protest again. I capture Eleni’s attention and speak directly to her. “Forget it. We can come back another time—”

“What other time, Lynx?” Her sweet voice is sure, comforting. “You said it yourself. This is the only time you can breach the palace without the prince noticing.” Unsaid is the second part we both know to be true. This is my only chance to have the prince’s assistance, without which I’d have no hope of getting those records. And the fact that the key master needs a tailor? It feels too perfectly timed, too fortunate—but it’s also impossible to ignore. Still. “I’m not leaving you,” I murmur.

The Viper makes a frustrated noise. “Don’t disparage my hospitality, Lynx. This is the Veridian Guild in the capital city of Ravenscrest. There’s no safer place for her in the country than The Painted Mask.”

“Don’t worry, Lynx. I’ll watch out for her,” the key master purrs from his spot against the wall.

“Stop it,” the Viper admonishes him sharply. “Or you won’t get your tailor, and you won’t complete your operation, and then you’ll be the one who needs to watch out.”

He grins back at her, unrepentant. She rolls her eyes, fixing her attention back on me. “The key master will arrange an Apex for you by tomorrow morning. What will your alias be at the palace?”

This is happening too quickly. I shake my head, but Eleni answers for me, “Lady Loriella Thorne.”

I reach out and clasp Len’s hand. “I need you.”

She smiles softly. “You don’t, though. You never do.”

Grasping at straws, I blurt out, “I only packed one gown.”

Her brow furrows. “Why did you do that? You’re going to the palace.”

“I brought my tailor with me.”

Eleni looks up at the key master. “I may need to allocate a bit of time for the Lynx, if that’s alright.”

He holds up a finger. “One gown. She brought one, you can make her one. That should be enough for whatever business you have planned. You’ll deliver it, and she can pay you the rest of the gold we’re owed. The palace seamstress can handle the rest.” He gives me a pitying look. “If she makes it that far.”

I’m rising out of my chair, fists clenched, when Eleni’s soft hand wraps around my own. I tamp down my frustration with the key master and search her face. Her expression is untroubled, maybe even a little…excited?

“Adventure, remember?” she whispers .

I squeeze my eyes shut for a long moment. Rule Number Ten: Maintain control.

“Well?”

I open my eyes to the Viper’s red lips curving into their first smile. She knows I don’t want this, and that makes her happy. It means she has the upper hand.

This is all the beast prince’s fault. If he’d let me keep the pearls, I would have had them to bargain with instead of my best friend.

“Well?” the Viper says again. “Do we have a deal?”

Eleni’s eyes are shining, her hand still squeezing mine. The key master’s attention is on my friend, hungry.

“You promise she’ll be safe,” I reaffirm with the Viper.

She scoffs as if I’ve offended her. “As I said.”

“From any unwanted attention.” I send a pointed glare at the key master.

His expression darkens, his smirk vanishing. “I don’t know how they do it in Shanterra, but we don’t make a habit of hurting women here. Especially not guild members under the Viper’s express protection. I assure you, Lynx, any attention your pretty tailor receives will be because she wants it.” His voice lingers over the final words. Goosebumps prickle Len’s forearm where it rests on my lap.

Xinlei’s answer from when I begged him to let us come here echoes back to me. In any case, it is her choice, as it is yours. You are grown women, capable of making your own decisions.

Not bothering to hide my deep frown, I drop Eleni’s grasp to extend my hand to the Viper. “It’s a deal.”