Page 37 of A Taste For Lies (The Apex Kingdom #1)

Chapter 37

TARAN

I take another swallow of whiskey, the burn doing little to calm my anxious mind. First, I sparred with every Apex close enough to my level in training—bouts of intensity that helped not at all. The only one who can really keep up with me is Carter. He could easily best me, if he was free to reveal his gift. Which, of course, he isn’t. After a few hours of exertion and a much-needed bath, Carter convinced me to try drinking.

“She’s fine,” he says again. “The wildcat can more than handle herself.”

“I know that.” I gesture for him to refill my glass for the fourth time. I might be feeling a slight effect? Probably, I’m just imagining it. I’ve never been able to feel so much as tipsy, so I typically avoid alcohol altogether. What’s the point? But right now, I’m on a mission to shut down my churning thoughts in any way possible.

Letting her swan out the doors of the palace without me was excruciating. Holding my stoneclaw back, snarling to go after her. But when I saw the fear flicker across her beautiful features, I knew—godsdamnit—I knew letting her go alone was the right thing to do. She needed my support, my belief in her abilities just then, not my stoneclaw’s irrational coddling.

“It’s not that I don’t know she can handle this on her own. Of course I do.” I snort. “She’s infinitely better at this than I am. ”

Carter refreshes his own drink. He’s only on his second, and I get the feeling he’s really just here so I don’t have to drink alone. “Then why hasn’t your leg stopped moving the entire time we’ve been sitting here?”

I still my jiggling limb self-consciously. “It’s my stoneclaw. I told you, my creature can’t stand the idea of seeing her hurt. Or in danger.”

“Or not in your line of sight,” he drawls.

I sigh. “That, too.”

“I get why you had me break into the guardian records and not her. But, Tare, on the night of Samhain, she’ll need to complete the heist. On her own. None of the rest of us have the skills to do it. That’s what you brought her here for.”

I bury my head in my hands, the same way I did when Alora said nearly the same thing to me on the balcony. “I know.”

“She’ll be in far more danger during the heist than she is right now.”

I lift my head. “ I know .”

“Then do you mind telling me what’s going on?”

I jump to my feet, the whiskey forgotten. “I wish I knew. Truly.” My head snaps to my chambers’ door a moment before a soft rap announces my cousin’s arrival. Finally.

But when I swing the door open, the scent of blood—her blood—floods my senses. My hands curl into fists, my eyes shift and my voice is barely above a growl as I demand, “What happened.”

Maeve pushes me inside, and I have just enough wherewithal left to let her. She slams the heavy door shut. “What are you thinking?” she hisses. “Rhegar could be anywhere!”

Carter raises his glass. “Not sure if you’ve noticed, but our princely friend has not been doing much thinking at all lately. At least not with his head.”

I snarl but don’t take my eyes off Maeve. “You smell like her blood.”

Maeve raises her hands. “The key master was…uncooperative. He refused to assist us.”

“Is. She. Hurt?” I bite out .

“A superficial wound.” She bats the air. “Apparently, he held a dagger to her throat to make a point. I just helped her clean it, and she’s good as new. I didn’t realize you’d still be able to scent it on me.”

I think I’d still be able to scent her blood hours later, but I don’t say that out loud. My family is already looking at me funny. So it helps not at all when I reply, “I’ll kill him.”

They exchange a concerned look.

“Tare—” Maeve starts.

“Don’t try to talk me out of it, Maeve. That criminal was already on thin ice.”

She blinks. “What did he do before this?”

“Talked to her, most likely. Maybe looked at her,” Carter drawls.

Actually, he put his clothing on her. His scent on her. But I realize that doesn’t help my case any.

“Moving on,” she continues, oblivious to me internally losing my sanity. “She says he suspects the target of the heist is the amulet. She had to tell him the location of the prize so he could add her key signature. As soon as she mentioned the old throne room, he went berserk. Started threatening her.”

A low rumble starts up in my chest.

Carter’s tawny eyes alight. “That’s excellent. It means the amulet really is in there. And that he’s the one who set the wards.”

Maeve purses her lips. “Yes, and now the key master knows we’re after it. Or that Alora is anyway.”

“So we kill him.”

Maeve’s and Carter’s alarmed reactions to my pronouncement mean the smile curving my lips is just as deranged as it feels.

“The thief says no,” Maeve informs me, and my smile wipes away. “She says he never mentioned you and it’s unlikely he knows you’re involved. They made some kind of a deal in exchange for each other’s silence. He won’t even inform the guild.”

Carter claps my shoulder. “We may still need his services, Tare. At least stay your hand until we have the amulet. ”

The scent of her blood continues to torment me. Now I’ve been assured she’s well, it no longer sends me into a murderous rage. Instead that same ache has started up in my canines. Faunera, save me from this madness.

“Another thing to consider,” Maeve cuts in. “Without the key signature, you’ll need to be the one to breach the former throne room tomorrow while the court is distracted by the hunt. I know you don’t want to, Tare, but you’re the only one who might have access.” Because I share my father’s blood.

My pulse kicks up into a panicked frenzy at only the thought of stepping into that room again.

“I’ll come with you,” Carter offers.

That’s enough to snap me to a decision. Despite the fact it’s completely illogical, I would rather face the trauma of my past alone than have her be the one in danger. I really am going insane. “No. No, I can handle it. You’ll accompany Alora on the hunt.”

“What?” they burst out in unison.

I sigh. “Mei can’t ride. And you saw what that boar did to my father’s horse.”

“The ladies are hunting the hare,” Maeve points out.

“It’s less suspicious with just me anyway,” I counter.

Carter frowns. “Except that the king and Lord Winters believe you have no memory of what occurred in that room, but you stay away because you were told that’s where she died.” I’d give nearly everything I have for that to be the actual truth.

“In the unlikely event that I’m caught, I’ll feign that a flash of memory broke through, and I went to the room to try and remember,” I suggest.

“That’s not ideal. They might move it if they believe you’re remembering.”

“It’s not, but I’ll just have to do my best not to get caught. You said it yourself, I’m the only one who can get in there.”

Their brows furrow into twin expressions of displeasure, but they know I’m right. There’s no other choice.