Page 11 of Ties of Deception (Tethered Hearts)

Chapter

Eleven

I ’d been grateful that Pris had followed the empress’s instructions and hadn’t spoken to me all the way home other than to ask me if I needed anything.

As we pulled up to the house, she touched my arm with a worried expression. “Purity, you know you were asking about Sincerity? She was banished from the palace for greatly displeasing the empress and is staying in her country villa with her husband. She will be well looked after there, so please don’t worry. And whatever happened to you, we will look after you well too. We can ensure you never have to go to the palace again.”

I could only nod and squeeze her hand in thanks. I wondered how Sincerity felt about her banishment. Relief not to be involved with Charity’s games anymore? Or was she now trapped like me in her house? At least she hadn’t been retired.

Once the litter came to a stop, I didn’t even see Drusella and Hermon but was escorted straight to my villa. I could just imagine Drusella ranting about how the court was damaging her Grace and how the empress should leave me alone. To her, it must seem like all her fears were coming true. But at least I hadn’t been retired. Not yet.

I went to bed early and was grateful for the deep, dreamless sleep. I woke late, reluctant to get out of bed, and lounged in silence, basking in the thought that nothing was expected of me today. Then thoughts of Serene returned. Had Charity driven her to do it? The Aida prince? The pressures of being a Grace? At the fertility festival, she’d been asking about the fate of Harmony who Constance had said was retired. Maybe they’d been close friends and Serene had found out something sinister about being retired. Whatever it was, the empress was doing her best to ensure nobody found out.

I rolled over and tried to shake the image of Serene’s sightless face from my mind. At least now I was home, I wouldn’t have any unexpected conversations with Prince Sebastian. The Aida prince, on the other hand…

He had offered to show me what was really going on. For the first time, I questioned whether I truly wanted to know. If there were sinister things happening behind the scenes that worried me, how was I going to be happy enough to Bless all those who depended on me? I was being kept ignorant for a reason. I didn’t want to be retired because I had no useful powers.

But as morning faded to afternoon, my thoughts kept returning to Serene and mulling over every possible explanation. If I didn’t discover what was going on, I’d have no closure—no peace. And I’d be a victim to whoever wanted to manipulate me. Which I was guessing was pretty much everyone I’d met here. I couldn’t turn a blind eye to this. I needed to do something to gain the power of being an active participant in this world.

I dismissed my maids early and went to bed still fully dressed. If the Aida came, I would be ready.

The rock clattered across the marble floor, just as I had hoped it would. I’d left my sandals on since the straps took ages to tie and let them patter to the floor, quickly wrapping my cashmere shawl around me.

I called out into the featureless darkness. “You’re later than usual.”

“I never like to be too predictable.” It was definitely his voice. Definitely him. The cold, annoyed edge was just replaced by a playful one.

“If you want to talk to me, come in and talk.”

After a few heartbeats of silence, he slunk between the pillars into the light from the oil lamp. It was unnerving how quietly he moved and made me spread apart my feet for better balance. Gods of death were built to be predators. What on earth was I thinking, inviting him in?

He swept his eyes lazily around the room, taking in the luxury as if it was nothing. “Are you going to offer me a drink? Or does your invitation not extend that far?”

I realized I had been standing still, just staring at him. I gathered myself and inclined my head toward the pitcher and goblets. “I know you’re quite capable of pouring one yourself. You did when I last saw you.”

He grinned, an expression I hadn’t seen on his face before, shook his head at my manners, and walked to the silver pitcher. He swirled the wine around. “You had quite a shock.”

I didn’t reply to such an obvious statement, though I did fold my arms.

He tilted his head as he studied me with a more serious tilt of his lips. “I’m sorry you saw her. And then that you had to deal with the empress.”

I looked away; the way he was watching me made me uneasy. I didn’t want to relive that moment. “I just…I feel so sorry that nobody could help her.”

The words hung in silence for a moment until he poured a second goblet of wine and strode over to hand it to me.

He raised his eyebrows as I took the goblet. “So how was day one of your confinement? Are you going insane from boredom yet?”

As he moved away from me, I sat back down on the bed. My muscles stayed tense, however, as I watched his every move. I barely sipped my wine. I wanted my wits to remain sharp more than I wanted comfort.

“It’s nice to be out of the palace, but I can’t stop thinking about what goes on there.”

He raised an eyebrow and sipped his wine, clearly expecting more. He leaned back against the table.

I knew it was a bad idea to give too much away, especially to him. But I was tired of hiding every emotion—every thought. And finally, here was a person not telling me over and over to simply be happy. The words came pouring out. “I’m not sure if I’m trapped in a dream or a nightmare. On the surface, everything seems so simple, so perfect. I want to make people happy and prosperous. I want to be happy myself. I get to live a life of luxury and help people by doing so. But…what I saw in the empress’s pavilion, and the way the other goddesses talk… I… Well, I’m guessing things aren’t quite as simple as they appear. Drusella wants to keep me ignorant of the politics and darker side of things, but I’m not sure she can. Everyone keeps tugging me in different directions. And I want to know. I want to understand so I’m not vulnerable, so I can do my job and make people’s lives better. A job I suspect other Graces easily forget while they're competing for Prince Sebastian or trying to please the empress…”

My words trailed off. Did I really want to admit to this man how lost I was in this world? Not that he was technically a man. I didn’t even know his name.

He sipped his wine, his eyes on the floor. “Some things are better shown than spoken. Do you trust me enough to let me take you into the city?”

I lurched. “The city? When? I’m in confinement and, even when it’s over, Drusella would never allow it. She says it’s too dangerous for me to leave my litter. A lot of people were pushing the guards last time.”

The god chuckled, and his lips curved into a relaxed, lopsided smile. At this moment, he looked far more like a god of mischief than a god of death. “We could go now. Lady Drusella would never know.”

My heart started to pound. “But the walls… And it’s dark…”

He cocked his head, and his expression fell, as if he were a little disappointed in me. The thought hurt me more than it should. “That won’t be a problem.”

I swallowed. Was I really considering this? If something happened to me, nobody would know who I was. “And you promise to bring me back safely here tonight?”

“Unless you request otherwise, yes.”

I hesitated for a moment longer. But this was what I wanted, wasn’t it? To understand what was going on. To have the knowledge to protect myself and help others. To enable me to see the world as it really was, not just the parts I was supposed to see. And not only the world, maybe myself too. What it meant to be a Grace. And whether I was more than that too.

Besides, I wouldn’t be trapped in this villa, which was an infuriating waste of my time.

I licked my lips to moisten them. “What’s your name? The empress called you Aidis.”

“The Aidis is my title as the son of the king of the Unseen Lands. We rarely use our name outside of our close family so nobody knows me as anything other than the Aidis here. But it’s Ethen.”

“Ethen,” I repeated. It was softer than I was expecting. My heart warmed in response to him telling me, while my head only became more confused. “But I should only call you the Aidis too?”

He shook his head. “No, in private, call me Ethen.”

I blinked at him in shock. “Why…?”

He interrupted me with a grin. “So do you want to go into the city, Purity? If you want to get any sleep tonight, we should leave now.”

I took the dagger from underneath my pillow and made a show of sheathing it in my waist sash, before finding the plainest cloak I had—still thick velvet—and wrapping it around my knee-length tunic.

Ethen raised an eyebrow. “Are you still planning on stabbing me, then?”

“I’ve not made up my mind,” I muttered.

He shrugged but used a lower gentler tone. “You won’t be in any danger tonight. I wouldn’t let any threat get near you.” He gestured to the huge sword strapped across his back.

I met his eyes with a glare, despite the fact that part of me appreciated his words. “I’d rather be able to defend myself. I don’t know why I should see you as a reliable defense.”

He shrugged and drained his wine before sliding the cup back across the table. “Oh, I don’t know. Maybe the fact that I’ve been extensively trained in weaponry and hand-to-hand combat, am at least ten times stronger than you—not to mention faster—and know this city well.”

I folded my arms. “I was talking about protecting myself from you. Or if we’re separated.”

He chuckled. “Defend yourself from me? I take it you didn’t hear a word I just said.” He held up his hands in a truce. “Well, I’m glad you’re prepared. Just don’t cut yourself.”

The heat rose in my cheeks. This insolent, rude, infuriating…

He strode to the gaping darkness between the pillars, the curtains billowing around him. “Are you coming? If you want to see everything before dawn, we’ll need to be quick.”

I pulled the hood over my hair and bit back a retort, following him out into the gardens. Despite the darkness, the air was still warm, and the cloak already felt stuffy. I pushed back my hood—it was too dark for anyone to recognize me anyway—and followed the god’s back at a quick pace, wishing I could be as quiet and sure-footed as him.

We came to the wall that separated us from the city.

“There will be guards,” I hissed.

Ethen didn’t reply. He just ran up the wall, catching the top with his fingertips before hauling himself up as if he weighed nothing. I gaped. A few seconds later he lowered a knotted rope.

“Can you climb up that? Otherwise, tie it under your arms in a loop, and I could haul you up.”

As if I would accept that as an option. I eyed the rope, keenly aware that I had done no physical exercise in my short life.

I attempted to pull myself up to the first knot, but the rope swayed, and my feet slipped from the lower one.

Ethen’s voice conveyed his amusement. “Feet on the wall, hands on the knots. No, try not to swing. By all who are dead, can you not even hold your own weight?”

I bit back a retort and wondered if I was better off going back to my villa than subjecting myself to his taunting. Wasn’t he afraid that if he annoyed me too much, I would break something?

After a few more attempts I gave in and looped the rope under my arms. Then I leaned back and walked slowly up the wall while he pulled on the rope from above. When I reached the top, panting, I glared at him before he could say anything.

He grinned. “You always were so easy to wind up.” What could he possibly mean by that?

But before I could ask, he dropped down on the other side of the dark wall, equidistant between two flaming torches. His black clothes blended perfectly with the shadows. He beckoned for me to follow.

I knew I was going to mess this up, but I was no coward, and I couldn’t back down now. I lowered myself on my hands but could only hold my weight for a few seconds before falling.

Ethen caught me at an awkward angle from behind, the back of my head almost colliding with his face. His arms locked under my armpits, but my feet still hit the ground hard. I winced as the impact jarred my spine.

Ethen’s warm breath tickled my ear as he murmured, “I thought goddesses were supposed to be graceful? You’re even called Graces. What was that just now?”

I jerked myself out of his grasp. “I am graceful. I’ve just been designed to Bless people, not jump over walls.”

His smile remained, but something in his eyes was sad. “Maybe. Maybe not. But I think you know, Purity, that there is far more depth to you than simply being happy and Blessing people.”

His words made me feel strangely uncomfortable, so I stepped away from him, scanning for the guard patrols. “So where are you taking me?”

He gestured to the road ahead of us. “After you.”

I gave him a second glance, then began walking up the middle of the small road. Before long, a smile spread over my face, and I felt the weight draining from my shoulders, giving me a bounce in my step. Part of me had the strange urge to run, though I knew how well that would go when my muscles still ached from scaling the wall. But there was something incredibly freeing about being anonymous. Normal. I could simply walk down a road like everyone else and not worry about crowds of petitioners analyzing my every emotion or even what Drusella was thinking. There weren’t many people out this late, but those who were hurried past alone or in quiet groups, wrapped up in their cowls.

And though I knew I should distrust this man—this god—behind my back, it was so easy to feel safe in his presence when he was relaxed like this. His looming presence felt far more protective than threatening.

The shops and houses near my villa were large and decorative with hanging baskets of cascading flowers on their walls, the buds clenched tightly shut to hide from the dark. A few, however, bloomed as I passed, despite still appearing grey in the shadows. It seemed that Ethen’s own powers did little to counteract mine.

The Aidis spoke, and I was startled by how close he was behind me. His footsteps were silent, even on the cobblestones. “These people paid a lot of money to have residences and businesses near where you were going to dwell. You see, they knew they’d have good luck and prosper as a result of their proximity to you—the money would come back to them. Many fought hard to be near you. When your family got approved last year, the whole city would have taken you into account with their plans.”

I frowned, looking at the grand houses of the wealthy. “But won’t I bring prosperity to the whole Riverside region? Not just these few streets.”

He came to my side, his sleeve lightly brushing mine as he followed my gaze up a grand marble statue. “Yes, you will bring in more wealth, better trade deals, better health. But not everyone will benefit from that. Those who already have money will now be able to make more from it. Those in closest proximity to you are already blessed with the wealth to afford that honor. Like your family. Not only will they be constantly Blessed by you directly, but they will receive considerable income from your petitioners.”

I hugged myself as I stared at the obvious wealth lining the streets. But I’d already suspected what he was confirming. It was hard not to remember the wide-eyed girl at the Fertility Festival. At least Ethen had helped her, even if I hadn’t.

I spotted a messenger boy who gasped when he found a gold coin on the road near me, then clutched it to his chest and ran off. Determination to make a difference had been building slowly within me. Now, it was only growing faster. “Then I should make sure I visit all the areas regularly in the Riverside District, and the rest of Yienna if I’m allowed, and bring them all happiness.”

The Aidis nodded, seemingly distracted by something only he could see ahead in the shadows between buildings. “The more you visit each area, the more it will prosper.”

The clouds above us cleared, revealing a night sky filled with dazzling stars. Could my influence even affect the weather? Or was it chance? A cool sea breeze made loose strands of hair tickle my face. The city seemed so peaceful at night.

“It sounds like such a simple thing to visit each area. I wonder why Drusella hasn’t suggested that I go around the province every day.”

He glanced sideways at me and raised an eyebrow. “Now that is a very good question, don’t you think?”

I hugged myself, feeling a sudden chill. “It’s probably because she worries I’ll be overworked and stop being happy. My powers are already…unpredictable.”

Ethen chuckled. “And so, stop bringing her a reliable income.”

I frowned. I liked to think Drusella cared about me too and wasn’t purely selfish. She had done a lot for me, after all. It felt wrong to speak unkindly about the person who had fed and clothed me so lavishly.

The streets narrowed and became more poorly lit the farther we went until they were a complete maze; the buildings were also far more cramped. I was surprised by how well Ethen knew his way around, especially in the dark. Didn’t he live in Fierro while he was visiting Atos and spend most of his time there? We rounded a corner, and the prince stopped outside a building with neat flowerbeds but no decorations. The portico bore a wooden box for donations.

The tips of my fingers tingled as I took in Ethen’s purposeful expression. “Where are we?”

“At the hospital for those who can’t afford to be treated in their own homes.”

I shifted my feet. I remembered Drusella’s fear about me being presented with the sick toddler. Her concern that I would only make things worse, that I wasn’t ready. Deep down, a pulse of resolve warmed my belly, and I straightened in eagerness. “What should I do?”

He rested his long fingers on one of the columns. Something about them kept drawing my attention. The lines were…beautiful.

He inclined his head toward the door. “Do you have any idea what you could achieve if you go in there?”

“I…” I looked at the dark windows, the sterile exterior. How many were there? Was I feeling happy enough for this? “I could ease their suffering?”

He scoffed. “You could do so much more than that. Come. And pull your hood back over your head.”

He rapped on the door before I could stop him and covered his own head with a deep hood. He unslung his sword, concealing it under his cloak.

An elderly lady in a clean apron opened the door, clearly surprised to have guests at this hour. Ethen’s whole demeanor changed. He seemed to have shrunk, both physically and in the strength of his voice. Suddenly he was simply…normal.

“We have come to visit a friend. And we bring a donation.” He handed her a heavy purse.

The woman’s eyes widened. “We don’t normally allow visitors after nightfall.”

Ethen’s voice became weary. “They said he’s not going to last the night.”

She hesitated. “Fine but be quick. Make no noise, and if you wake any of the patients, you will be asked to leave at once.”

Ethen nodded. “Thank you.”

She waved us inside and hurried away, loosening the ties of the purse.

We walked into a room crammed with about fifteen beds. A man or a boy slept in each. The room was silent except for coughing and wheezing breaths. One man rolled over to retch into a chamber pot. Many of the sheets were clean but worn to threads. The patients were impossibly thin, and their faces lined with years of suffering.

“These are half of the patients. The women’s ward is the other side,” Ethen whispered. “Shall we take a little walk?”

My confidence wobbled at seeing how many people were this sick. “Do you really think I can help them?”

He grinned at me, an attractive, daring grin, and my heart clenched in response. “You already are, Purity. You are here of your own choice. There is no pressure on you, but let’s just walk, shall we?”

I nodded, my heart pounding, and he reached out as if to touch my elbow in a familiar gesture before catching himself and dropping his arm to his side.

I remembered how I had felt in the streets just moments before. Free. Without burden or expectation. I walked down the central aisle and tried to simply be myself.

“Here, I want you to meet somebody.” Ethen pointed to a bed we were about to pass. A wilted bunch of wildflowers in a clay mug, suddenly straightened. “His name is Marcus.”

I squinted through the half-light to try and make out the features of the sleeping man, but they were hidden by the crook of his arm. He was thin and pale and barely appeared to be breathing. A sour smell rose from his bed. “Do you know him?”

His voice remained a low murmur, and I stepped closer to make sure I didn’t miss any of his words. “No. But he is due to die tonight. I checked.”

I suppressed a shiver. I didn’t want to know how he knew that.

“I asked around a few questions today, just in case you felt like coming tonight. He has six children, and his wife is pregnant with their seventh. He works hard to keep them fed and clothed, but it’s a struggle since he has been slowly dying of tuberculosis for the last three years.”

I turned and stared at Ethen. “Why are you telling me this?”

“Because he is the sort of person who a Grace should see instead of spending all their days making pretty flowers in the palace gardens. I wanted to pick somebody deeply in need.” He looked at me with a knowing smile. “You’re about to change the course of fate for his entire family.”

I swallowed. “I am?”

He nodded. “You are. Because you’re a Grace, and you have come to visit him. You are so, so powerful, Purity. Don’t let them think you are small.”

I imagined those six children crying for their father. My breath shook. The clay mug smashed, scattering the flowers.

I expected an admonishment, but Ethen’s voice remained calm and steady beside me. “I know. It’s all right to be sad. It’s all right to weep, Purity. Don’t be afraid to feel it. If you shut out their pain, you will lose the will to help them. And if you only focus on your own happiness, they will lose theirs.”

A tear rolled down my cheek as I nodded. His words made so much sense. I didn’t want to become self-absorbed and caught up in dangerous petty games like many of the Graces I had met in the palace. I wanted to be here . Helping. Really helping.

I walked over and laid a hand on the man’s arm. His skin was so cold and clammy that I feared he had already passed away, but his lips twitched in his sleep. A tear dripped from my chin onto his arm. I pictured those six children again, but this time happy because their father had come home. I imagined his pregnant wife crying tears of joy and relief because her love had returned and she no longer had to provide for her children alone.

I smiled through my tears, and the world seemed to become a better place. The man’s skin grew warm beneath my hand. He gasped in a huge lungful of air and opened his eyes. He no longer appeared thin. His eyes met mine, and I stepped away. He stared, his lips parted but unable to make words.

I smiled at him. “Go home to your family,” I whispered.

Behind me, others were stirring too. One was excitedly pulling bandages off his arm. Another stepped out of bed, telling everyone to wake up and look at his leg.

I raised a hand to my mouth. A room that had been full of so much suffering was now full of even greater joy.

Ethen leaned close to me. “Quickly, we should head to the women’s ward before we get kicked out for waking everyone up.”

I followed his lead, but we didn’t even have to walk between the women’s beds, before the occupants were also waking up in amazement and calling for the others to see their healed wounds or exclaiming that they could breathe easier than they had in years.

Ethen chuckled and lowered his lips close to my ear so I could hear his soft words over the increasing noise. “I think it’s time we left.”

We headed for the door, trying to sneak away, but the matron from earlier caught my sleeve, her eyes round and shining.

“I know what you are, my lady. That is clear. We cannot repay you. Thank you. Thank you. Nobody of importance has ever visited us here before. Tell us where we may come and make an offering of thanks.”

I shook my head. “You don’t need to thank me. I merely walked around. You are the ones who have been working so hard with so very little. You deserve the thanks of all the people in Yienna.”

Ethen stepped up to the woman, suddenly his normal looming, intimidating self. “Don’t tell anyone she was here. We need to keep her safe. Let people think the individual patients becoming well was the result of your hard work and not piece together how many have been made well tonight. I trust the patients can be somewhat discreet, even if there are two dozen of them. Certainly don’t give them our description. If people keep spreading the news that a Grace was involved, don’t give away any clues which one.”

The matron bowed. “We’re in a deprived area, my lord. I suspect little of our gossip reaches important ears, but I will implore the patients to keep tonight as secret as possible.”

Ethen nodded and spirited me out the door.