Page 48 of A Taste For Lies (The Apex Kingdom #1)

Chapter 48

ALORA

T he sun is well on to rising, its watery rays breaking through the sides of the dark curtains when Maeve finally snaps. She sits up suddenly on her side of the massive featherbed with an enraged shriek.

“Go. To. Sleep!” she orders.

I need to, desperately. My head aches, my eyes burn, and tonight promises to be the biggest heist of my life. But no matter how much I toss and turn, I can’t relax enough to allow sleep to claim me.

There’s no safe harbor from the barrage of shameful thoughts. I not only put Mei in mortal danger by selfishly enlisting her as part of my cover, but it was also my own foolish lie that got her taken—her humanity likely already stripped forever.

Every time I start to drift off, I picture Mei looking like Ethan as I last saw him—eyes wild and rolling, snarling—before her head tumbles to the ground, freed from her delicate shoulders by a shining sword. The weight of my guilt compounds until it threatens to smother me.

“Is it Taran?” In the darkened bedroom, I feel rather than see Maeve’s shrewd gaze on me .

No, I want to reply. But that’s not true, either. Whenever my anxious mind takes a momentary break from watching Mei’s imagined execution, the prince rises to haunt my thoughts.

“What did you say to him after we left?” As usual, Maeve is direct in her questioning.

I let loose a weary sigh. “Nothing.”

“I doubt that. You looked ready to stab him.”

I stare unblinkingly at the shadowed ceiling. “He betrayed me.”

“What?” Maeve’s voice in the darkness is shocked. “How?”

“He lied.” Maeve makes a clear noise of disagreement. I cast her a narrow-eyed gaze she can’t see. “He did. He…killed his own mother, Maeve. And then lied about it.”

“Well, I can’t imagine why.” Her voice is icy sarcasm. “Given your immediate understanding of it not being at all his fault .”

“I’m responsible for my parents being killed too, Maeve,” I say quietly into the darkness. “Also through no direct fault of my own. But when the time came to tell him the story, I told it truthfully.”

That’s what really hurts, I realize. After being viciously betrayed by that boy in Shanterra, then rediscovering the same happened with my own mother, someone who was meant to care for me and put me first unconditionally—it’s no wonder I’m slow to trust. Slow to share my story.

I can respect Taran for not wanting to tell me. What I can’t respect is that when I finally did open up to the Veridian prince, he couldn’t do the same.

I feel Maeve’s eyes on me in the dark as she sits by my side, taking that in. “I don’t know your story,” she starts slowly, “but I do know Taran’s. And it has destroyed him. He’s kept this secret for eight years. The fact he is even considering opening his heart again is a miracle sent by Faunera herself. You said you wanted to go to Thalassar and he didn’t even hesitate . He told us that night he was leaving all of us, his family, his home, to be with you.” She sniffs. “The worst part of it is that’s exactly what his mother would have wanted. She was the most loving, big-hearted person you’d ever meet. If she was still alive, she would want Taran to go with you. Even if it meant leaving her behind. That’s how Aunt Kora loved. Selflessly.”

My breath catches as the weight of what she’s saying takes hold. If Maeve is right, then when Taran revealed his biggest secret, the worst thing he’s ever done, I treated him exactly as he feared I would. Just like everyone else has treated him since the day he emerged.

Like a beast.

I manage to snatch a couple hours of sleep. The result is that Maeve and Astrid are bathed, dressed, and ready to leave by the time she manages to shake me awake.

“Don’t leave the room,” Maeve warns me seriously. “I ordered you some breakfast. Don’t open the door for anyone but Suvi.”

I take in her instructions with wide eyes and no small amount of trepidation.

Apparently, it doesn’t go unnoticed. Even Astrid gives me a gruff “You’ll be fine” before following her charge out the door. We’ll meet again tonight as we prepare for the ball together, then I’ll peel off to secure the amulet while Maeve and Astrid head to the ball to support Taran’s distraction they still refuse to tell me the details of.

I’ll be on my own for the heist. It’s what I’m used to, but a small part of me balks at losing the comforting presence of…can I call them friends? At least teammates.

I snort as I recall Carter’s original welcome to me in the Shanterran mountains. The team to steal the amulet. The name still needs work.

After breakfast, I fall asleep in the bath, waking only to ice-cold water and excited female voices coming down the hall. I’m out of the tub and dressed in one of Maeve’s silk dressing gowns, a bandage wrapped around my leg by the time their owners tumble into the suite .

I barely, and I mean barely, keep a stoic expression in place when Victoria fucking Winters glides in behind Maeve, trailed by her Apex guardian, Astrid, Suvi and two maids I don’t recognize—the latter loaded with what appear to be the Elite women’s gowns for the evening’s festivities.

“What’s this?” I ask, a careful smile fixed firmly on my face.

“Oh!” Maeve giggles unconvincingly. “Victoria heard we were getting ready together—”

“Don’t blame Maeve, Lady Thorne,” Victoria cuts in, batting her eyelashes innocently. “I couldn’t help but invite myself. It’s so much more fun to get dressed up with girlfriends, don’t you think?”

“I couldn’t agree more.” I force my fake smile to widen. “Lady Winters, I’m dying to see the dress you’ve chosen for tonight. Nothing could top your silver one from the Starry Night Ball.”

“Oh, call me Victoria, please.” She winks. “And you’re right. That dress was a knockout. But wait until you see tonight’s!”

The theme of Queen Delilah’s Samhain Masquerade is “Wild Animals,” which is either unforgivably obtuse or purposefully cruel. None of us have been able to work out which. Not even Maeve, which is saying something.

Victoria snaps her fingers, and one of the maids hurries to lay out the pale blue-and-yellow frothy confection. There are gauzy strips coming out of the back with wrist straps.

“Wings?”

A smug smile curves the lady’s pink lips. “Yes, and!” Triumphantly, she unearths a headpiece with two bobbing antennae.

“A butterfly,” Maeve supplies. “How lovely, Victoria.”

I clamp my lips together tightly so nary a chuckle can slip out. The theme, absurd as it is, is wild animals , not bugs.

“Where’s yours, Loriella?” Victoria asks, confident she has the better costume.

My pulse picks up. “Um, it’s a surprise.” In truth, I didn’t plan a costume, certain I wouldn’t be stepping foot in the ballroom .

Maeve sweeps in to save me. “I’m a swan, a black one. The feathers are quite dramatic. Let’s get started, ladies!”

We arrange ourselves around the vanity mirror. Champagne, berries and tiny sandwiches are delivered while the maids work their magic, and the whole affair takes on the tone of an impromptu party.

I’m pretending to sip the alcohol and join in the giddy fun, excusing myself to the bathing room to dump my drink whenever I can. I have no idea how I’m going to get out of this. I need to be clear across the palace about to enter Queen Kora’s throne room when the distraction takes place. Plus, I’ll need at least a moment to wrangle getting past the guard. I feel the hours slipping through my fingers like so many grains of sand.

By the time the maids are helping us into our gowns, I’m a nervous wreck. Thankfully, Eleni’s gown I brought from Heshan is already stocked with all my lynx tools, including my custom lockpick kit and the pearls. All that’s required is to slip into the bathing room to pull on my leggings, strap on the hidden daggers and swap my heels for practical soft black boots. Carter dropped the rest of my things at the boat earlier.

I still don’t know if Eleni will be waiting for me on it or not and that alone has me in a state. Before she was taken, Mei assured me she delivered my note. I keep reminding myself that it’s her choice. Either she’ll be on the boat, or she won’t.

There are too many variables, too many things out of my control. And now, this snake-in-the-grass lady. There’s no conceivable excuse I can come up with for me not to accompany them to the ballroom. By the increasingly alarmed glances Maeve and I keep exchanging behind Victoria’s back, I can tell she hasn’t thought of one, either.

Just as we’re readying ourselves to leave, a knock at the door makes my heart leap with hope. Carter. Or Taran. Astrid must have gotten word to them somehow and now they’re going to—

Suvi opens the door to admit the Veridian prince, and my heart sinks when I catch his blatant surprise at finding Victoria in Maeve’s chambers. He’s dressed in his typical black, the dark mask that covers his face shot through with silver embroidery, the better to offset his quicksilver eyes. He looks devastatingly handsome, and I fear my expression reflects that.

“Lady Winters.” He clears his throat. “What a surprise.”

“Your Highness.” She drops into a low curtsey, and we all copy her. “But where is your costume?”

He grins wolfishly. “Surely the beast prince has no need for a costume for the Wild Animals Masquerade Ball?”

We’re all momentarily speechless, jaws slightly agape. I’ve never heard Taran speak openly about the infamous moniker the courtiers call him behind his back.

His eyes land on me and drag over the length of Eleni’s black-and-gold gown. “But, Lady Thorne, you will need a mask and gloves, I think.” He produces a delicate black mask from his coat pocket, threaded with white around the eye holes and with gold patterning like a…

“A lynx?” The words come out in a whisper. I cannot believe his audacity.

With gentle hands, Taran ties the lynx mask to my face, carefully avoiding Xinlei’s shining hairpin. He comes back around and examines the effect. “You’re only missing the tufted ears.” He fingers one of my own rounded curves, and a tremble shivers through me.

For the final touch, the prince hands me a set of long black gloves and murmurs, “As requested.” Right. Because now I know that being Apex doesn’t afford me any protection from the amulet. My stomach clenches.

“Your Highness, will you escort all of us to the ball then?” Lady Winters cuts in, attempting to pull his focus.

He shoots me a rueful look before turning away to answer her. “Only you, Lady Winters. Maeve, didn’t you need a moment to gather the rest of Lady Thorne’s costume? We’ll see you both at the ball.”

To her credit, Maeve keeps the relief off her face, though it’s still palpable. But my own stomach sinks. Taran is about to leave us. This is goodbye forever, and with Lady Winters now taking his arm, her Apex falling in behind them, there’s no chance to repair what’s broken .

Before I can even catch his eye, the prince is gone. Just as I turned away from him last night. Without a second look.

A lump forms in my throat. But at Maeve’s pitying expression, I quickly swallow it down. The maids file out behind them, including Suvi, leaving me, Astrid and Maeve just as planned.

“We don’t have much time,” Maeve urges. As promised, she embodies every inch the fashion drama of the Shanterran Elite with her dark feathery swan mask and gown. She could almost pass as Apex with her brilliant emerald eyes ringed in black.

Impulsively, I throw my arms around her narrow shoulders. The Elite lady stiffens at first, but then she cautiously returns my embrace.

“I’ll miss you,” I whisper, meaning not just Maeve but all of them.

She clears her throat. “You too, Thief.”

I smile, then pull back to turn to Astrid. The intimidating Apex crosses her arms over her chest in clear refusal.

“If you ever make it to Thalassar, come find me,” I tell her. “We can go night hunting.”

Her lips twitch, which I count as a win.

“It takes me ten minutes to get to the ballroom,” Maeve reminds me. “As soon as I walk in, Taran will start the distraction.”

“You’re still not going to tell me what it is?”

A sly, foxlike smile curves the lady’s painted mouth. “Carter can fill you in later.”

I huff. “Fine. Keep your secrets.”

A tinkling laugh. “I always do.” Then—“You should leave first. Get a head start.”

I go to remove the lynx mask, but she stops me with one black-gloved hand. “No, keep it. If you’re spotted on your way, you can say you’re headed to the ball.”

I nod, secretly relieved not to have to give up Taran’s final gift. I’ll take it with me, I decide. He already has one of my lynx figurines; the remaining one is secreted in a pocket of Eleni’s gown. So we’ll each have a token to remember each other by. My heart squeezes at the thought.

Maeve’s shrewd green eyes watch me too closely. “Good luck, Lynx. We’re all counting on you.”

Her words are enough to jolt me back to the present. I square my shoulders and sweep out of the room just as Taran did. Without looking back.

I have a heist to pull off.