Page 24 of Ties of Deception (Tethered Hearts)
Chapter
Twenty-Four
I felt numb. How would I ever recover from this? What if whoever had done this framed me as the murderer? All my plans to win the contest and gain information from Sebastian or the empress felt useless. And to be honest, I wasn't even sure I wanted to continue playing this game. Somebody was taking things too far.
When my litter arrived, I kept my head bowed and followed Flavia up the stairs toward the quiet haven of my rooms.
A maid stopped us in the corridor. She curtsied. “Lady Purity, Lady Constance requests your presence at once.”
My mouth dried. Had she already heard the news? Could she help me—or was she just seeking information to help her win over Sebastian and the empress? My mind could barely form a coherent thought. Everything was a blur as I tried to process the events of the afternoon, but I couldn’t easily refuse. I followed the maid automatically.
“Flavia, go to the servant’s quarters and see if you can find out anything more.”
She bowed her head and hurried off, her face pale with stress.
My heart continued to race as I stumbled into Constance’s room. The Grace reclined calmly on her couch, her face serious and thoughtful. A large painting of Ismara dominated the room, the original goddess of life almost completely concealed within her voluminous golden hair. Her eyes were closed in a peaceful expression as if she were meditating or sleeping. The image was calming, and I focused on it for a moment before Constance spoke.
“Our banquets all ended early, and we’ve had only fragments of news as to why. What happened, Purity?”
Tears pressed behind my eyes. “The ambassador from Suza was poisoned at my banquet.”
She frowned and looked away. She didn’t appear surprised, only worried. “That’s what my servants claimed had happened, but I couldn’t believe it. Nothing like this has ever happened before.”
I spoke before I could help it. “I didn’t do it.”
Constance nodded and gestured to a seat. “Of course you didn’t. Who would poison a guest at their own banquet? But still, you might’ve been more careful.”
I sat down, my heart still thumping erratically against my chest, which made it impossible to sit still. “How could I even guess something like this might happen in order to guard against it? Small sabotage, yes, but killing an ambassador?” I pushed back my hair with more force than necessary. Every place it touched my face and neck irritated me, and I wished I’d tied it up. “Would Charity go this far? Surely it would be too much even for her?” My voice broke. “I never thought I would have to guard against poison in my guests’ cups.”
Constance leaned forward and handed me a glass of deep red wine. I hesitated, not sure if I could drink anything now. “Purity, listen to me. Even though you didn’t poison the ambassador, as the host, you need to admit responsibility for not ensuring the safety of your guests—it’s what any reliable person in authority would do. There will be an official investigation into who did the poisoning. You don’t need to take part, if you don’t wish to. The empress will probably let you return to Yienna as soon as your name is cleared.” She leaned over and patted my hand. “But that is not what I meant when I said you needed to be more careful.”
I raised my eyes in question. What could possibly be more important than this?
“A servant in the banquet hall mentioned you spoke to the Aidis today, asking if he knew how to save him. I know it was short, but you were more informal than you should have been. Understandable with the stress you are under, but…”
Twisting nerves became a leviathan in my belly. I thought on my feet. “That’s the problem? That I wasn’t completely polite in an emergency? He’s a god of death. My Blessing didn’t work since he was already dead. I thought…maybe…”
Constance’s face was stern. “There are two reasons it was a mistake, Purity, and you must never repeat it. The first is this: the physician thinks the poison was nightstar. Have you ever heard of it?”
I shook my head. I hated to lie, but didn’t see how I had a choice.
“It’s only used in the Unseen Lands, and it is forbidden for it to be picked and transported. This alone makes the Aidis the main suspect. Second, the victim was the ambassador from Suza. They are not on good terms with the Unseen Lands ever since the last king of Suza died. He passed away unexpectedly before naming an heir and he had five sons by two women. The councilmen of Suza sent a request to the king of the Unseen Lands to let them visit the Vale and ask their late king’s soul who to choose as his heir to prevent civil unrest. The king of the Unseen Lands refused. He said the souls had to be left at peace. As a result, there was a rather bloody coup in Suza ten years ago. Many insults have been traded between Suza and the Unseen Lands since.”
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I opened my mouth and almost defended him, saying Ethen would never do such a thing. Almost. Instead, I diverted my words, speaking a little too quickly. “But…isn’t he a god of death? If he didn’t like somebody, surely, he could just…you know…make them die in their sleep or something similar? There would be no trace.”
I glanced at Constance. Her honey eyes were fixed on my face as if watching every expression there. She spoke quietly. “Maybe he wanted to send a message.” She shrugged. “Whether or not he’s guilty, he will be a suspect. You need to not speak to him at all.” She stopped and angled herself fully toward me, looking down and rolling her lips as she carefully considered her words.
“Purity, before I explain more, I need you to tell me plainly: You’re not…courting him, are you?”
At once, it was as if I was underwater. Sound became muffled and it was hard to breathe. Pressure pushed in from all sides. What had I given away? “Courting the Aidis? Why would I want to be taken from my home to the Unseen Lands?”
Constance frowned a little, the wrinkles scrunching her delicate nose. “Just—forgive me for asking—but what happened when you two first met? When you cracked the walls of the balcony of the palace and were sent home until you learned to regulate yourself?”
I licked my lips and watched my hands, trying desperately to keep my face blank. I was close to panic. “Pris, the daughter in my family, told me to avoid the Aida at all costs. She said they were dangerous, that their touch killed mortals. When I went out on the balcony, it was dark. I didn't notice him until I was standing beside him. I’d already been feeling a little overwhelmed by the party, and I overreacted. I was worried he was going to kidnap me… I panicked. I know it was silly. He seemed quite amused by the whole thing at the time. I guess it happens to him occasionally.” I attempted a humorous, self-deprecating smile.
Constance didn’t return my smile—she was still studying my expression. “You need to be careful to never interact with him again.”
I sighed. “I know. Aida can be dangerous, and I understand he’s after a Grace.”
Constance shook her head. “It’s more than that. Do you understand what happened to Serene? She was talking with him, and then she ended up dead.”
Cold shot through my body. So Constance knew she was dead. More than that, she knew why. My voice sounded very small. “I assumed it was the stress of the palace. She never seemed to fit in.”
Constance leaned forward and lowered her voice. “Have you ever heard of the term ‘Fated’?”
I licked my lips. “Hermon once said it was a term for falling in love with somebody the moment you see them.”
She huffed a laugh. “Hardly.” She turned her eyes to me in an intense expression. “Most don’t know this, but the Aidis is seeking one Grace in particular—one he is ‘Fated’ to be with. She is more powerful than the other goddesses. If anyone suspects that one of the Graces could be her…well…sometimes things happen.”
The room didn’t seem to contain enough air. “What sort of things?”
She looked away, folding one knee over the other. “Whoever controls the Fated Grace has access to the most powerful Blessings. The Aida will want it for the Unseen Lands, but it’s a big loss for the empire.”
I frowned, trying to process the new information. “Then why do they let the Aidis here in the first place if they don’t want him to take a Grace?”
Constance shook her head slowly. “No, they are happy for him to take a Grace. But this time, they want him to identify the Fated one for them. It takes time for her power to grow, so she isn’t obvious to anyone but him for the first few years—sometimes longer.” Constance raised her eyes back to mine. “This is why you must avoid him, Purity. It’s not so much that he is dangerous—although he is—it’s that you don’t want people testing you to determine if you’re the Fated one. It is not…pleasant.”
I gaped at her, trying to piece together everything I knew. “And the result of being ‘tested’ is that what killed Serene? Or drove her to kill herself? Who is it? Who is doing the testing?”
Constance looked down, and I didn’t miss the slightest tremble in her fingers before she folded them on her lap. “I’m afraid I can’t answer that question, Purity. I’m just trying to help you. Don’t repeat any of this. But if you’re in trouble, I can help. If you gain his attention, let me know.”
I blew out a shaking breath, needing space to process this later. “And if I can find out who poisoned the ambassador, would that help make up for the fact it happened at my banquet?”
She shrugged. “Maybe. You could try. It would be one way to take responsibility. But you could also make things worse. Be careful.”
When I returned to my rooms, Ethen was already there, pacing. He gave me a half-smile in greeting when I entered, but the smile didn’t reach his eyes. “I’m sorry I left earlier. I… People were watching us. I hated to leave you like that, but it seemed like the best thing to do. Are you all right?”
I started to nod, then shook my head. “Who would poison an important man at such a small banquet?”
He scowled. “Your chances of winning the empress’s approval after this are slim, I’m afraid—even if the culprit is identified as somebody who has nothing to do with you. We need to turn this around to your advantage, somehow. My men identified the servant who made the ambassador’s drink in the kitchens, and she confessed to adding a liquid to his drink.”
I stopped in surprise—that was easier than I’d expected. “She has? And who did she say gave her the liquid?”
He shook his head, drumming his fingers on his arm. “She didn’t. But I asked her to give me the bottle. It’s still half full.” He fished around in his pocket and brought out a small glass vial of brown-purple liquid. “It’s definitely nightstar. The fact that it’s here in Atos is worrying.”
I hugged myself, remembering Constance’s words that Ethen himself would be a suspect. “Who do you think did it?”
He poured himself some wine, putting the vial on the table between us. “Charity. But I don’t have definitive proof. The kitchen girl used to be one of her servants years ago before she moved to the kitchens. The servant may still be loyal to her. Also, I noticed that Charity returned to the palace in a good mood. The flowers around her glowed when I watched a servant tell her about the ambassador. Since she almost certainly was the one who drugged you with moon blossom, I suspect she’s stepping up her game.”
I balled my hands into fists. How could she? Would she really go so far just to sabotage me? “We should tell the empress.”
He shook his head. “We don’t have enough evidence to confirm this, unless we invented some and framed Charity, but that would be a higher risk than either of us wants. All we can do is present the servant, who will say she was working alone. At least that would take the attention away from you and could be your contribution to the investigation.”
I ground my teeth, frustrated that Charity might get away with something like this. If she could happily poison an ambassador, where would she stop? “But Charity doesn’t know that the maid wouldn’t say who supplied the poison, does she? As far as Charity knows, the maid could have pointed the finger straight at her. Maybe we can still use this to our advantage. Maybe we can get a confession.” I held out my hand for the vial, and Ethen only hesitated briefly before picking it up and handing it to me.
The corners of his mouth lowered as he stroked his chin with forefinger and thumb. “We would need to be careful.”
I swallowed, knowing we had more to discuss. “Constance just told me something.”
Ethen raised an eyebrow as he walked closer to me. “What is it?” He frowned suddenly. “Purity, you look a little pale. Do you want to sit down? Let me get you a drink.”
I sighed. “Water, please.”
I sat and took a moment to gather my thoughts as he puttered about my room. I accepted the glass he handed me. He’d even thrown a lemon slice in it.
He sat down beside me and rested a hand on my knee. “What did she say?”
I took a sip, already feeling better with him beside me. “A few things. One, she said you would be a suspect due to the nightstar being from the Unseen Lands.” He merely shrugged, unsurprised. “And then, she said that somebody tested Serene to see if she was Fated to you, just before she was found dead.”
He froze. Rage tightened his jaw and the ligaments in his neck. “Who?”
I sighed in frustration. “She didn’t say. She told me as a warning so I wouldn’t speak to you again.”
His eyes widened in alarm. “Do you think she suspects that we’re Fated? If so, we need to leave now.”
I shook my head. “We can’t leave. Not yet. Otherwise, they’ll keep stealing souls and treating them however they wish. An Aidis won't be allowed back here for another century at least. Not to mention Charity will get away with murdering a man and nobody apart from us will ever know.”
He closed his eyes. “But if they’re testing Graces…you do realize what this means? They’re after the Fated one. They are probably threatening Grace’s lives or hurting them in some way to see if I will rescue them. They know that I would drop my act in that instance.”
I moved a hand to his forearm and dug my fingers into the soft velvety material. “Ethen, they don’t know it’s me. There is no sign that it's me. Constance was just warning me never to speak to you in case I ended up like Serene. She…she seems to genuinely care. She said I could ask her for help if I get in trouble.”
Ethen remained tense. “I don’t trust her. The stakes have gotten too high. We can find another way to stop the souls from being taken. The most important thing is to get you home safely.”
I withdrew my hand and tensed, ready to confront him with what I’d learned. “But why are they after the Fated Grace? Why would they care, or wish you to take another Grace in her stead? Constance said it was because she has the most powerful Blessings. You never told me that.”
A puzzled look flickered across his eyes. “I’m sorry if you felt like I was hiding that from you. She’s right—the Fated are Blessed by Ismara herself, which means they will have more power than the other Graces who are mere imitations, but it will be years before you grow into your powers…if you’re like the ones who came before.” He grimaced. “You’d think the empire could have sated its greed with all the Graces it already has. Why would they particularly want a Fated, the only one I…” A tremble ran up his arm, his fingers twitching as if for a weapon.
I looked away before his emotions distracted me from my own. A sliver of uncertainty remained. “Is that one of the purposes of marrying a Fated over a normal Grace? To give the Unseen Lands more Blessings.”
He shook his head and fixed me with an intense gaze that made me feel the weight of every one of his words. “I want you because I love you, Purity. In your last life, and the time I had to wait without you, and now this life even though it could last an eternity. I love you . The reason I didn’t come here decades ago to choose any Grace before I met you as a mortal wasn’t because a Fated would be more powerful. No, I wanted to fall in love with the right person. And I waited a century before I met you.”
I swallowed. Why had I ever doubted that he would have an alternative motive? I looked down, my cheeks growing warm. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to?—”
He took my hand, squeezing it in his. “Don’t apologize. I want you to say these things to me. When you learn information from other sources, I want to discuss things with you as we figure it out together.”
I nodded, dragging in a deep shaking breath. “All right.”
He stood hesitantly. “There’s something else I wanted to tell you. I’m not sure this is the right time with everything else on your mind, but…well, the banquets left the palace rather empty, so Ben and Skanal have been snooping all day.”
My breath caught with curiosity. “What did they find?”
He licked his lips. “They finally found a tunnel. It’s behind a hidden door, but there are signs that it's frequently used. It goes to two places. One is a large temple in the center of Fierro. The other is a morgue.”
Cold shock made me gasp. “A morgue? So they’re really putting souls into dead bodies to create Graces?”
He nodded. “The bodies of young women. It’s another reason why I’m worried about the stakes here and how far the empire will go. I couldn’t bear it if you were harmed.”
I looked down at the woven rug, vibrant with roses. “A morgue. I can see why tunnels might link it to the temples to transport the bodies to be resurrected. But why does there need to be a tunnel between the palace and the morgue? I’ve never seen a priest here.”
Ethen reached out and squeezed my shoulder. “Skanal will be watching it from now on to see if we can get any answers. I just hope it’s not because the palace is their main supplier.”
I swallowed. “There aren’t that many fatal casualties here. Or people who disappear.” The only ones I could think of were Serene and the ambassador, and I was pretty sure nobody was scurrying away down tunnels with his body.
“Yes, but the empress frequently retires Graces here.” He couldn’t mean…
Ethen shook his head as if clearing his own thoughts. “Regardless, I need to inform my father about what just happened at the banquet. I’m not sure if Charity’s motives were merely to disrupt your banquet, or if they ran deeper, but this could lead to a significant political incident.” He placed a quick kiss on top of my head, but his gaze lingered. “Be very careful. I still think we should leave before this goes any further. Think about it. We could leave first thing in the morning without telling anyone. No more hiding. No more having to constantly control your emotions. You would be free of all of this.”
I smiled up at him to reassure him. “I’ll think about it.”
His fingers brushed one side of my cheek with a pained expression as if he hated to let go of me before he turned and left.