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“Oh, they will.” Idris smiled. “You’re going to be recently orphaned, someone the lady has never met, though she has known about for some time.

She’ll take you to court, and from there, it will be up to you to get close enough to Abnar.

He could never resist a pretty face—I think getting him to want to see you alone might be the easy part of this. ”

“And I’ll get away from court after killing the R?ll…how?”

Idris shifted in his seat. “That’s still being figured out.”

…Good thing she had no intention of going through with this plan. Idris as good as said she’d die anyway. Wait, did he imply that she was pretty? What a foolish thing to think about.

“Idri, she’s ready to fall over,” Fina interrupted. “She won’t be able to kill anyone.”

“Let her decide.”

“We can’t take this risk. What if she gets caught and tells them we’re here? If Mother finds out—”

“She won’t. Or by the time she does, it won’t matter.” Idris turned his attention back to Nerys. “As promised, we—”

“You,” Fina corrected.

Idris muttered a curse. “ I have a few things to offer you in exchange for the danger you are putting yourself in. I can’t lie—there is danger. Now, what do you want first? Your reward for killing Abnar? Or the reason for doing so?”

“The reason.” No mere reward was worth what the R?ll would do to her if she failed. Living Gods, she was actually listening to this. It didn’t feel real, sitting at a table with enemy spies and planning an assassination.

Nerys was always too curious for her own good.

“The king ordered your village to be massacred.” Idris paused, letting the weight of his words wash over her.

Ah, that. Sure, Idris implied at the camp that the R?ll was responsible. But Idris was also a spy—what was to stop him from lying?

“You mentioned that.” Nerys stared off at the window for a moment, trying to collect her thoughts.

The autumn season was progressing further here than it had at the camp—trees were already losing golden leaves, preparing for Winter’s death.

“Why would he order a massacre of his own village?” she asked.

“That makes no sense. He can’t be trying to blame Cerdoran—we’re already at war.

What would he have to gain? Dead peasants don’t pay taxes. ”

“Hm. So she’s not a complete idiot,” Fina quipped.

“Fina. Enough .” To Nerys, he said, “The king wanted some of your people dead. Certain people.”

“Look at her, Idri. She doesn’t believe you.”

“Fina. I swear, one more word—”

The siblings stared at each other, until Fina shrugged and looked at her nails. “I’m not the one who needs convincing.”

“You haven’t answered me,” Nerys interrupted. Idris turned his attention back to her slowly, his expression stone. “Why would the R?ll order his own people dead? Why would he anger the gods?”

“Like the Living Gods give a shit about any of us,” Fina muttered. This time Idris ignored her .

That was interesting—weren’t nobles in all the kingdoms worshippers of the Living Gods, members of a religion known as Dahlk? 39 The religion was a bit more…folksy in Raven’s Crest, but present all the same. 40

“Nerys” ?Idris took a deep breath? “he wants to summon a demon.”

Nerys looked at Fina—who somehow seemed bored. Then to Idris, whose expression lacked so much as a twitching mouth. And then she burst out laughing. Of all the things he could have told her, he told her that ?

“That’s…that’s ridiculous.” Nerys chuckled. “Demons aren’t real.” Did Nerys really believe this? No, considering how much lore about spirits permeated her life. Was it better to pretend this was the case? Oh, yes.

Denial—the comfortable bed of fools and the exhausted.

Besides, she’d only heard fantastical stories of demons and summonings—surely not every story that was told in Raven’s Crest was real. Right? 41

“Demons are real,” Idris said. 42

Fina grimaced and spread her hands in seeming supplication. “How can someone in a kingdom of Sight Bearers not know that demons are real?” 43

“That’s impossible.” Nerys wiped her eyes. “A summoning? Really, you’re going to have to come up with a better explanation than that.”

“Not everyone has access to magic like we do, Fina,” Idris said.

“True, but apparently we have more access to common sense,” Fina snapped.

“We have proof,” Idris said to Nerys, “proof that it was Abnar who did this. And that he wants to summon a demon. If you don’t help us, more people like your family will die. Many more.”

Nerys fell silent. Could it be? Was Idris telling her the truth? “What sort of proof?” she finally asked.

“The kind you’re going to have to be patient for,” Fina said with a satisfied grin.

Idris groaned. “What my sister means to say is that we do have proof. But it will take time.”

Nerys shook her head. “No. Not good enough—”

Idris held up his hand, cutting off her protest. “I know, this is hard to believe— I wouldn’t want to believe it. We don’t expect you to go to court until you’ve seen it for yourself. I promise. I know better than to expect you to risk your life on your enemy’s word.”

“Idris,” Fina said gently, “this isn’t going to work. She isn’t going to do it. She won’t care that she will be set up for life in Cerdoran after.”

Idris’s brows knitted. “Is Nerys speaking? Because hers is the opinion I’m interested in.”

“Oh, come now, Idri. We both know—”

“No, we don’t.”

“Really—”

Nerys watched the two of them argue. About her , a peasant who could be ignored.

Her stomach roiled and her breath burned, caught in her throat.

They weren’t letting her speak. About her own fate.

About Adilette…Adilette gutted and left for the birds.

Adilette screaming. The nightmares. Did the R?ll really do this?

Adilette wrapped in a star of entrails. The smell of burnt offerings.

The siblings yelled, their voices blending against her memory.

The ritual scene at the massacre, which she realized she never told Idris about.

All she had told him was that her sister was brutalized.

A summoning ritual? The R?ll would deserve to die if he did this. He would die. By her hand, for everything he had done to her. Everything he took from her.

She’d had enough.

“I’ll do it!” Nerys yelled, standing and slamming her hands on the table.

The two siblings stopped and turned to Nerys.

“I’m going to do it,” she said softer. “I can do it—and I will. After your proof.” Nerys gave Fina a pointed glance, daring her to contradict.

A stunned expression worked its way onto Fina’s face.

For that alone, the outburst was worth it.

Though the worthwhileness was short-lived as a mix of emotions crossed Idris’s features. Surprise? Disappointment?

…Worry?

Stillness echoed in the room, the ticking clock the only sound besides Nerys’s heavy breathing.

Whatever Idris felt, he did not give it voice and merely said, “And proof you’ll have. When it’s time, I will explain more.” He clapped his hands and pushed his chair away from the table. “Alright. That’s settled. Now…let’s get to work. We have a peasant we need to turn into a courtier.”