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Chapter thirty-two

Adelyna

“ A re you ready, Lady?” Qiana asked, glancing around the Kor’yitz’s dark bedroom.

Her and Adelyna were alone, the other servants and courtiers banished after the traditional nighttime ceremony.

The ridiculous ceremony that Adelyna still had to go through after executing her lover, during which she had to strip each piece in front of a large audience as nobility carried her stained clothes away.

She still had to go through the numbing affair after sending Nerine’s beautiful head thudding to the ground, her blood spattering on the grimy stones.

Nerine’s blood was still in Adelyna’s hair, the metallic smell in her nose. Would it ever completely leave?

Now, by meeting with Qiana this late, the court would think the two of them were laying together after Adelyna had killed her lover.

The court could think what they wanted. Adelyna had a demon to talk to, and throne to take.

She couldn’t let Aherin get away with this, not after what she just had to do.

“Yes. I’m more than ready.”

“It doesn’t have to be tonight. After Nerine, are you sure—”

Adelyna flashed her eyes. “Qiana, I said I’m ready. I meant it.” She didn’t need to think of Nerine any longer. Adelyna had told Qiana the bare details before the court did it for her. It was all she could do to tell the story without breaking into either heartbroken sobs of grief or rage. Or both.

Qiana’s looked at her lap. “What is it?” Adelyna asked.

“I..Lady…I…”

“Please” ?Adelyna rubbed her eyes? “just say it.”

“Would it be so bad not to be the Kor’yitz?”

“What? What foolishness—”

Qiana held up her hand. “I mean nothing ill, Lady. Just, not being R?ll would mean that you would not have to contend with the curse.”

Ah. That explained it. Adelyna relaxed. “I’m not your mother and father.

I am not my father. I can handle it. Besides, you know that Aherin wouldn’t let me live.

After a lifetime of being the heir I’d be too much of a threat.

Thus, my fate is to either be cursed the moment I take the crown or die in an ‘accident.’” She shook her head.

“After what he was willing to do with Nerine, I can expect no mercy.”

“I know. But I could hope.” Qiana hesitated, and then said, “I could help you leave.”

“Court?”

“For anywhere you wanted.”

“For the sake of our friendship, I am going to pretend you did not say that. I can’t leave our people to my brother’s care. Could you imagine him as R?ll?”

“He wouldn’t be the worst.”

“Considering that includes a R?ll who consumed a roasted virgin every new moon, that is hardly an endorsement.” Adelyna lowered her voice. “Between my brother and I, I am the best option for our people. I say this, unfortunately, without any hubris.”

“I know.” Qiana nodded humbly, looking down at her sky-blue skirts, which were pooled around her on the floor. “Very well. Let’s proceed.”

The two of them sat in the center of a large salt circle, one candle placed at each of the four directions, along with stones that corresponded to those same directions.

In between them was a silver bowl which held a dead rooster, its blood still dripping into the bowl after Qiana had slit its throat.

167 Luckily, Qiana had killed the bird. Adelyna had had enough death for one night.

On the floor next to Qiana laid a silver dagger and a vial of some sort of demon-repelling ointment, should this exchange go wrong.

There was always risk in speaking to demons, especially ones not bound to you.

Qiana muttered something in ancient Ca’mailian, a long string of pleadings and benedictions which ended with “Vine, I call you forth. Appear and take this as payment. Our offering to you.” 168

Adelyna saw nothing. Heard nothing. Did it work? She didn’t have the sight—it would be hard for her to tell.

Then the temperature in the room sank. Vine had arrived.

“Thank you, Great One,” Qiana suddenly said, bowing her head to something outside of the circle. “I implore you—will you speak with us?” And then a few moments later, “Thank you.”

“He’s here?” Adelyna asked, her eyes darting at flickering shadows.

“Yes. And he agreed to answer our questions. Ready?”

Adelyna nodded.

“Vine,” Qiana said, “The Kor’ yitz wishes to know if there is a way for an ungifted to gain the Blessings of the Living Gods. You are wise beyond us mortals—is there such a way?”

Moments passed. Silence. Qiana frowned, staring off in the direction of Adelyna’s giant wardrobe.

“Is there a way?” Adelyna asked. “What’s he saying?”

Finally, Qiana turned from the shadows and spoke, her face grim. “He said that a demon named “Beleth” is able to help you. He says that, unfortunately, he cannot.”

“What?” Adelyna frowned at the empty space Qiana was interacting with. “What do you mean? I need to summon another demon?”

Qiana shook her head. “He just keeps saying that ‘Beleth will have the answers you seek.’ He won’t say anything else.” Qiana’s brow knitted. “Now, why does that name sound familiar?” 169

“How would I know? This is becoming ridiculous. Since when does a demon tell someone to look for another demon?” With a grunt, Adelyna stood, facing Qiana, who sat watching her. This was a waste of time. Adelyna should have been drinking herself senseless, not summoning demons on a mere hope.

“Be glad that Vine is speaking to us at all,” Qiana said.

“He could be lying.”

Qiana’s eyes widened. “He’s still here. Listening.”

“He’s a demon—surely he knows their reputation.”

“Maybe.” Qiana looked nervously outside of the circle.

Did Adelyna offend their guest? No matter—she had gone through too much already today.

And Qiana could handle the demon regardless.

“Lady, it’s frustrating, and yes, lies are always a risk one takes when speaking to anyone, demon or human.

But Vine telling us to look for another demon isn’t harming us—at least we have something to use going forward. We don’t have much time.”

Well, that was true. “Fine.”

“I think it’s time we say farewell to our guest,” Qiana said.

Without waiting for Adelyna’s permission, Qiana turned her attention to the outside of the circle once more, thanking Vine for his time and guidance.

Smart—it was always better to send an unbound demon on its way with payment and flattery rather than an exorcism, much like a cantankerous aunt.

It made it much less likely that the unwelcome guest would seek vengeance later.

Meanwhile, as Qiana went through her litany of pretentious goodbyes, Adelyna picked at a hangnail.

Qiana was right. She had something to focus on now, thanks to Vine, and a goal was better than digging through useless books.

A single thread of guidance in the maze of her life, such as it was.

If consorting with even more unseen demons was what she had to do to inherit the throne, why, that was exactly what she was going to do.