Page 14 of Ties of Deception (Tethered Hearts)

Chapter

Fourteen

I lay on my bed though sunlight streamed through the gauzy curtains all around, and maids hovered in the corners as if deciding whether to wake me or not. It wasn’t like I had anything scheduled while in confinement. The basket of pomegranates lay hidden under the bed beneath me, and it was as if I could feel their presence through the mattress.

I must have thought through everything the Aida prince had said a hundred times. Could I really be his lover reborn? The one he had traveled across the world and waited three years for in a foreign land? It was hard to equate myself as somebody who would inspire such love. All I seemed to do was get frustrated or break things. But no. I had healed all those people in the hospital. He had known I would want to do that. He had known that I could .

This was dangerous. I was isolated and alone with little to do other than think about the Aidis. I was vulnerable, ignorant, and friendless. I needed to be sensible. But the way he had looked at me last night—the intensity of his gaze—was intoxicating. I wanted to relive the moment again and again.

I sat up and shook my head. While I couldn’t prove or disprove his story right now, there had to be something productive I could do. So far, I’d been someone everything just happened to. I wanted that to change. If I had the power to change this city, I wanted to be proactive.

From confinement, my options were limited, and I wouldn’t be able to scale the wall at night without Ethen’s help. However, I did have my maids. In fact, I was almost always surrounded by people. The knowledge that I’d never tried to get to truly know them seemed shameful after how much I’d judged other Graces for being self-absorbed.

I rose, bathed quickly in the pool, thanked the maid who had brought me a towel, and asked for my breakfast.

“Flavia, would you join me for breakfast?”

The maid, who was making my bed, straightened in surprise. “I’m sorry, my lady?”

I gestured to the seat opposite me. “Please join me. I would like the company.”

She hesitated then gestured for another maid to finish changing the sheets before sitting down beside me. I poured her some juice, much to her alarm.

“Flavia, I would love to get to know you better. How did you come to be my maid? Were you already employed by Drusella and Hermon? I assume they employed at least some maids for my coming.”

She sipped her juice but didn’t help herself to any food. “There was fierce competition to become one of your maids, my lady. People applied from all over Yienna. It’s a great honor.”

“Do they pay you well?” I cut into a slice of mango. “And I assume you get some benefits from being Blessed as well.”

She lowered her head. “Yes, my lady.”

“And what was the main motivator for you? What was your previous job?” I relaxed my face to show I made no judgement.

Flavia looked uncomfortable, but after a lengthy silence, she responded. “I used to be a maid for a different family. For their adolescent daughter, in particular. When she got married, they no longer needed me.” She stopped, but I could tell from her expression that there was more to the story. Her eyes held a deep sadness.

“What happened next…if you don’t mind me asking. We spend so much time together, and I know nothing about your life outside the villa.”

She half-shrugged, focusing on the food on the table. “I got married myself, and my husband supported us while I looked for another position. However, there was an accident…” She took a deep breath and hunched over, coiling into herself.

I reached out and touched her arm. “I’m so sorry. Is it…something you can talk about? Don’t feel you have to if you’d rather not.”

She wiped her eyes fiercely as if angry at her tears. “He was a carpenter for the temples—he did beautiful work. He was working on beams on a ceiling and fell and broke his leg last year. It didn’t heal right, even though we saw a good physician. It’s still too twisted and painful for him to walk. He lost his job.” She paused and schooled her face to neutral professionalism. “We lost our income, and so I became more desperate for work. When rumors started that there would be a new goddess granted in Yienna, I did everything I could to get the job. It pays well, and I thought we could use more good fortune in our lives. We’ve had little of it since we married.”

My heart broke for her. “Flavia, I am so sorry you’ve had to face all of that. How is he doing now?”

Her shrug had a helpless edge. “I can afford better pain medication since working here. And being around you brings me good fortune and good health. I find money on the streets, items I lost years ago under my bed, and my clothes never seem to stain. I’ve not had a single cold or aching back since I came here. I hope that as your powers grow, Akakios may share in those Blessings.”

I straightened and put my hands flat on the table. “I could Bless him now. If he is unable to come here, maybe I could visit your house.”

Flavia’s eyes widened. “No, my lady. Please. It is forbidden. I shouldn’t have even told you about him in case it brought you sorrow.”

I moved closer to her and caught her hand before she became too distressed. “What do you mean, it’s forbidden?”

She leaned forward, keeping her voice low. “Nobody who isn’t an official petitioner should make a personal request of a goddess. It can overwhelm them. And nobody should make unofficial visits. The only proper way somebody should seek a goddess’s Blessing is through a petition when they’re available.”

I tilted my head in confusion. “Then why hasn’t he come to see me?”

She clutched her hands tightly before her, her eyes wide and moist. “We’re saving our money to get on the list, but for us with no station, the waiting list is long.” Now that I thought about it, very few of the petitioners had injuries anywhere near this severe. My thoughts flashed back to the impoverished hospital and those I had saved from near death. This system was so unfair.

“How much does it cost?”

“Six denri.”

I didn’t know how much that was. I’d never had to spend money. The thought of people being required to save up in order to see me when I couldn’t even give consistent Blessings turned my stomach.

I kept my voice low to match hers. “I want to help your family, Flavia. It is the least I can do for you. You spend long days here serving me when I’m barely doing anything. It must be worrisome to leave your husband alone all that time.”

She shook her head. “No, no, my lady. It is such an honor to be here. I know my actions here have large consequences. Through you the whole of Riverside District will prosper.”

I lowered my voice so the other maids couldn’t hear. “I want to help him, Flavia. Please. And anyone else the other maids may want me to Bless. I want to be useful, and being shut away in confinement isn’t helping anyone. I understand it would be hard to bring them to the villa. So why not gather them in one place? I can sneak out with you at night and Bless them all.”

Her eyes went wide with alarm. “I can’t let you take such a risk for me. You could be hurt or injured. If the family found out we were involved in you leaving your villa while you were under confinement, we could lose our jobs or be imprisoned for defying a direct order from the empress.”

I sat back and thought this through. “You’re right. You should have no part in this so you can’t be blamed. I will smuggle myself out. Just give me your address and gather anyone close to the maids at your house tomorrow. Don’t tell them why. If I can, I will come by.”

Flavia looked pained. “I hate that you’re risking yourself for this, my lady.”

I shook my head. “This is my decision. You will have no part in my actions so you can’t be held responsible. I’m happy to take a risk so your husband can be well.”

Her face crumpled and she nodded.

I patted her hand. “Very well, it’s settled then. Tomorrow night, I will excuse you early. Hold a dinner at your house and maybe I will be able to come of my own accord.”

She managed another nod.

The stone hadn’t even finished skidding across the marble when I leapt to my feet, cloak already shadowing my face, and walked out into the darkness. “Ethen?”

A shadow moved closer to the dim light, outlining a man with his arms folded. “Going somewhere, are we?”

“I need you to escort me, please.”

He raised an eyebrow in question. “And where might we be going?”

I walked down the gravel path and handed him the paper with Flavia’s address. “I don’t know where that is. Can you take me? Now?”

He ran a finger across his lips as he read the paper, taking an annoyingly long time so I was forced to stop and wait. “What are we doing at this place?”

I straightened my back with resolve. “Something I should have done weeks ago but was too blind to see what was under my nose.”

He shrugged, pocketing the paper. “Well, this sounds like as good a courting opportunity as any.”

I snorted. “I just need your help tonight, Ethen. Not to be courted. I need to help these people.”

He took a little step away from me and swept his hand into the darkness. “After you.”

I wasn’t sure why he indicated for me to lead the way, when I was slow and uncertain on the dark garden paths, and he soon had to take the lead anyway. When we reached the wall, he made us wait for a few minutes in silence—I assumed to listen for guards—before leaping up and throwing me the rope to loop under my arms.

Quicker than should have been possible, we were on the cobblestone streets. I started to relax in his company as the excitement of being anonymous outside the walls flooded back to me. The night was still, and the air was warm and damp. We passed a house with an open door; golden light spilled into the street along with the sound of somebody playing a stringed instrument and singing badly. I peered in and saw a large family all gathered around a man who sat on the table performing. The scene evoked a strange pang of loneliness inside me.

Ethen hovered beside me, giving me space and not seeming to be in any hurry. “You used to love music. You have a lovely singing voice.”

I did? I hadn’t tried to sing, since professional performers had always been provided for me to listen to. And surely having a new body would change my voice. I certainly wasn’t going to experiment with that in front of Ethen.

As the streets became steep and winding, I asked, “How much is six denri?”

He glanced at me. “A denri is about a month’s pay for the average laborer.”

I winced inwardly. No wonder the petitioners I saw were all well dressed and able to afford extravagant gifts. How much of that income went toward maintaining my extravagant lifestyle, and how much did Hermon and Drusella keep?

Ethen stopped with a flourish, snapping me out of my thoughts. “We’re here. Your address.”

I looked up and saw a series of similar doors in a row of narrow terrace houses. Ethen was pointing to a door with peeling paint.

I hesitated and stepped up next to him with an apologetic expression. “Can you wait out here for me? Please?”

He worked his jaw and folded his arms, scanning our shadowy surroundings. “As long as you’re sure that you trust whoever you’re meeting. Shout if you need me. I’ll stay by the window.”

I knocked on the door. Flavia opened it, pale-faced. It was my first time seeing her out of uniform and with her hair down. She appeared so much younger. She looked me up and down in shock, even though I’d told her I was coming. Then she waved me in.

“Thank you for coming, my lady, but please, be careful. I’m worried somebody will find out you’re here.”

I touched her shoulder. “If I’m found, I will say you had nothing to do with this.”

She still looked uneasy. “It is not me who I’m mostly worried about. It’s you. Commonfolk have captured goddesses before to try to bring Blessings to overlooked parts of the city, and it’s not been pleasant. People could start fighting over you.”

I smiled to show her I wasn’t afraid. “Don’t worry. I’m being careful. Where is your husband? Did anyone else come?”

I pulled down the hood of my cloak as she guided me into a warmly lit room. It was furnished with beautifully carved tables and chairs, fresh flowers in vases—and little else. A man sat reading a book, his leg resting on a low table. He tried to stand in a hurry when he saw me, and the table almost toppled over as he pushed it away.

I smiled at Flavia. “You have a beautiful home. It must be hard for you to find the time to keep it so clean when you spend most of the day with me.”

Akakios bowed and nearly fell to one side. I automatically stepped forward, taking his arm on the side of his bad leg to stabilize him. He gasped in shock, and I let go at once, worried I had overstepped.

Then he stared at me. Beside me, Flavia started to cry, her hands cupping her mouth and nose. I looked down and saw that his leg was no longer twisted—he was standing straight. The last of my nerves vanished, and a surge of happiness ran through me. All the flowers in the room expanded in explosions of color.

Akakios bowed all the way to the floor, the gesture now easy for him. “Thank you, my lady. Thank you. Thank you. I don’t think we could ever repay you.”

I shook my head and motioned for him to get up, deeply uncomfortable with his gesture. Flavia dragged him back up to his feet. I smiled to reassure him. “Flavia has already repaid me many times over with her service.”

I turned back to my maid. “Did anyone else come tonight that I can Bless?”

She removed her hands from her face, though there were tears on her cheeks. “I didn’t dare tell everyone as I didn’t want things to get out of hand. You have twenty maids on rotation, and they all have families. If they all came here, it would attract attention. There’s just one person, somebody I thought would most need to be here. She’s next door.”

I followed her into a smaller room where I was surprised to see an anxious looking Silvia. Beside her was a gaunt boy of about fifteen or sixteen. He didn’t appear unwell, but his bright, dark eyes followed me.

Silvia instantly fell to her knees when I entered and the boy copied. “My lady, forgive my boldness, especially when I failed you as a maid. I was so anxious to please you that I messed up, I know I did. Drusella dismissed me when she heard I spilled your juice and failed to be calm.”

Flavia hovered by my side. “Silvia was desperate for the role of your maid as she was hoping you could heal her son’s ailment. He gets frequent stomach pains and can barely eat enough food. Most meals make him sick.”

I smiled at Silvia who was still on her knees and hadn’t raised her eyes. “You didn’t fail me, Silvia. I’m sorry you were dismissed. I would be happy to help you. Only please keep this a secret.”

She nodded with enthusiasm. I lay my hands on the kneeling pair, hoping they could both receive Blessings and health.

As I lifted my hand, Silvia began to sob. “Thank you for your kindness and forgiveness, Lady Purity.”

I shifted, uncomfortable. “I’m sorry you had to go to so much effort simply for me to meet your son.”

Flavia ushered me out of the room before I could say anything else. She still appeared anxious. “You should go now, my lady, before anyone notices you are gone. Would you like me to escort you back?”

I shook my head. “No, thank you. I will see you in the morning.”

She took my hand and kissed it, my breath catching in shock. She pressed it to her forehead. “Thank you, my lady. Tonight has meant…everything to us. You have changed everything.”

I smiled, squeezing her hand in return, and slipped out of the front door.

Ethen leaned against the wall with his arms folded, looking meaningfully at the cobbles. Weeds had sprouted everywhere, many with tiny white or yellow flowers. He smirked. “Somebody is going to have a lot of extra work.”

I frowned at them. “Can’t you, you know, use your death magic and kill them all?”

He snorted. “You want me to use my powers of death—that could wipe out the entirety of Yienna—to kill some weeds?”

I nodded and folded my arms, cocking my head. “Can’t you? You keep hinting you’re really powerful, after all.”

He pushed off from the wall and took a step closer to me. “It’s not about power, it’s about control. Death is not meant to be frivolous.”

I raised an eyebrow. “I’m not being frivolous. It covers our steps so people won’t suspect I’ve been here. Somebody might notice. You said you’d protect me, didn’t you?”

He blinked slowly as I stayed staring at his eyes and some of his habitual coldness entered back into his features. “Done.”

I looked around and saw that, indeed, all the weeds had shriveled and died.

He spread his arms. “And I even managed not to kill anyone in the process. Are you impressed now?”

I shook back my hair from my face and replaced my hood. “Shall we go back home?” I started walking back up the street without waiting for him to respond.

I barely caught the words he muttered under his breath. “This place is not your home.” I pretended not to have heard.

When we reached the brighter lit streets of the richer areas in the Riverside District and the fresh scent of the river cooled my skin, I turned to Ethen. “If you can just kill everything around you without moving, why do you carry that sword? Is it just for intimidation?”

He gave me a despairing look. “This may surprise you, but I don’t actually intend to kill most people who threaten me. A sword is a much better form of defense—it’s also an expected practice in the Unseen Lands. We are meant to protect the souls of the dead from interference unless they are Fated.” He paused and glanced slightly behind him. “For example, I don’t intend to kill the man who has been following us since your friend’s house, but I may well decide to give him a sharp prod to send him on his way.”

I stopped, barely resisting the urge to turn and look back. “Somebody is following us?”

He nodded and rubbed his chin. “I suspect he has become very curious about who we are. Either that or he just wants money, and we’re walking alone approaching midnight.”

My heartbeat rose. “But nobody can know that I visited Flavia’s house, or she’ll be punished.” Had I failed to protect her after all? I had so badly wanted to help. I would never forgive myself if I’d made things worse for them.

He looked into the distance and smirked. “Don’t worry. He just needs to be so preoccupied with who I am, that he forgets about my mysterious and beautiful companion altogether.”

I didn’t recognize the streets of Yienna well enough yet to know the way back to the villa, but I knew we were getting close. “We shouldn’t lead him any closer to my family, then.”

He rolled his shoulders. “Excuse me for a minute.”

He stepped back toward the nearest building and out of the pools of warm light. He almost seemed to melt into the shadows. I couldn’t help looking behind me and trying to spot the figure lurking nearby. But there were too many uneven walls, water butts, and planters flanking gates. Too many places to hide. Then the sound of something hitting wood made me jump. It was followed by the sharp scraping noise of boots scrabbling against stone.

Ethen dragged a man out from behind an atrium pillar, locking his arms behind his back with one hand. With his other hand, he held a tiny dagger against the man’s throat. He was whispering something into the man’s ear, and the much shorter mortal looked terrified. Ethen’s face had transformed into the hard, menacing mask I’d become so unfamiliar with, after initially assuming it was all he was.

I folded my hands in front of me awkwardly and waited for Ethen to return to my side, since he clearly didn’t need any help.

At last, Ethen released the man who collapsed to the floor before scrabbling away. Then he sauntered back to my side, the dagger already gone. His face was cheerful once more—all traces of his deadly visage had vanished.

I opened my mouth then closed it again, not sure what people normally said in these situations.

Ethen shrugged. “Money. He was after money and thought if he threatened you, a wealthy-looking woman, I would just give it to him as your guard.” He laughed. “Poor fool.”

I looked around the shadows in case anyone else followed us. Ethen offered me his arm. I looked at it for a moment, knowing he had promised to never touch me again unless I agreed to it. I made my decision and looped my arm around his.

He was taller than me, which meant his arm naturally took some of my weight. He turned his face away from me, but I could tell he was grinning because I had accepted. I tried not to let his reaction warm my insides.

He spoke while still facing away, but his free hand patted my fingers. “Let’s get you home. Thank you for an enjoyable evening.”

Hmm, he was easily pleased.

I didn’t speak again until we were back at the villa wall, but I kept my hand locked on his arm, his touch making me feel more grounded in the world.