“Two months ago, I passed information to one of his men. Four days later, I found the man by the side of the road. Dead.”
Helene gasped and covered Isabel’s ears. “Please don’t say such things in front of my daughter.”
Nikella pressed her lips together, aligning her scar. She didn’t say anything, but her silence spoke loud enough. There was very little Helene could shelter Isabel from anymore.
“What information?” Aiden asked in a low voice.
Firelight danced in Nikella’s eyes. The dark blue was different than Renwell’s, but they held the same hardness. As if they had known nothing but brutality. Yet, Nikella had raised Aiden. She was a Teacher. There must be a softer heart in her body than the one that beat in her brother’s.
“About the Calimber mine,” she said. “Garyth had his men poking around for months. They were raising suspicion, so I toldone of them what I knew. That Dracles moved several patrols to guard the river where large shipments of wood float from Twaryn to the mine. Larger than usual. And they cleared out the village. It’s nothing but Dracles’ men now.”
It was the most Nikella had ever spoken, and several things became clear.
Nikella was a spy, not unlike me.
Delysia’s lover was telling the truth. Father was building something near the mine, taking more than his share of wood from Twaryn. I’d heard him say once that the trees grew back, so Viridana shouldn’t care how many he took from her forest.
But the kingdoms had signed a treaty before the gods disappeared, never to invade Twaryn and never to take more than their share of the goddess-grown trees. It was part of Garyth’s duty as Master of Commerce to see that the treaty was enforced.
Why was Father breaking it now? And why had he kept his Master of Commerce in the dark about it? Had he suspected his true—and treasonous—alliance already? Because of Renwell. Because of me and my own poking around.
No one spoke after Nikella’s news. Aiden scowled into his water as if more answers swam there. Perhaps he was hesitating to kill my father, not knowing what sort of nefarious plans Everett would be inheriting.
That could be my key to this particular lock. I could convince Aiden to capture my father and force him to tell us what he was doing. Get him to order Dracles and his men away from the mine. Maybe even replace Dracles with someone who would be loyal to my brother. Delysia’s lover, perhaps?
“Weylin’s plans will die with him,” Aiden said.
Helene gasped again, and Isabel’s mouth dropped open. I inwardly cringed. Nikella frowned.
Aiden sent Helene a piercing stare. “I’m only sorry it wasn’t sooner. Then I could’ve saved your husband.”
Helene’s chin crumpled, and her gaze dropped to her untouched soup. “I wish that as well,” she whispered.
Isabel snuggled into her mother’s side, and they held each other, mired in a grief so thick no words of comfort would penetrate.
“We should carry on,” Nikella said, dropping her spoon into her empty bowl. “We have a few more hours of riding ahead of us.”
Helene nodded and ate a few spoonfuls of her soup before pushing the bowl away. Nikella stuffed the extra bread in her pockets while Isabel dumped the rest of the lettuce and apple chunks into her lizard’s crate.
We all stood.
Helene stepped forward and awkwardly embraced me. “I will never forget your kindness and bravery. I pray the gods will protect you. All of you,” she added, inclining her head to Aiden.
Isabel rushed forward and clutched my hand, pulling me closer to her. “Save my father if you can,” she whispered in my ear.
I jerked back. Had she remembered me from the study?
But she gave no other hint of recognition. My chest burned as I squeezed her hand. “Take care of Captain and your mother. And yourself, Lady Isabel.”
She nodded solemnly and followed Helene and Nikella out the door. I sank back onto my chair.
“I need to speak with the bartender a moment,” Aiden muttered and disappeared.
I tried to swallow a few more bites of soup, but it felt like mud in my mouth. The clamor of the patrons that had been comforting moments before now felt like needles in my skin.
I stood abruptly, looking for Aiden. But I didn’t see him anywhere.
I staggered away, the room blurring as my emotions threatened to overwhelm me. I bumped into someone who spilled their drink and cursed at me. Finally, I reached the door and flung myself outside.
