“Tell me what happened that night,” she whispered.
My hands clenched into fists at my sides. I knew by her tone which night she meant. “Are you sure?”
She nodded, her eyes already rimmed with silver. “I want to know the truth once and for all. I want to know why she had to die.”
I yearned to reach for her again, but that never seemed to end well anymore. I rubbed my hand over my bristly jaw. “I’ve never told anyone else the details before.”
“Not even Nikella?”
I shook my head. She knew the general information, as did Maz. But some bits and pieces I’d kept for myself, unable to bare such ugly pain to someone else. Until I found out who Kiera was.
Striding over to my bed, I cleared it of my bags. I sat down and gestured for Kiera to join me. She sat next to me, an arm’s length away. Her fingertips danced over her thigh. I almost smiled at the familiar gesture.
I clasped my hands in front of me. Words eluded me. How did I start such a story?
Ruru’s snores filled the lodge, like a creaky door that kept swinging in the wind.
“You said she was best friends with your mother?” Kiera asked, her voice strange and unsure, as if she didn’t know where to start either.
My shoulders relaxed an inch, something Brielle had said that night coming back to me. “Yes. Strange, isn’t it? That wecould’ve grown up together. We might’ve even been friends—you, me, Everett, and Delysia.”
A smile peeked around the corners of Kiera’s mouth. “I can hardly imagine it. You would’ve been like another older brother... or my first crush.”
“Definitely the latter,” I growled.
Her smile quirked higher, then disappeared. “I’m sorry for what my father did. I know it’s not my fault, but I am sorry for all the pain he caused. None of you deserved that.”
Something burned deep inside my chest. An old wound that never received much attention, but was grateful for the soothing balm of kind words, anyway.
“Thank you, Kiera. But as Maz told me, there’s enough pain to go around. My family wasn’t the only one to suffer.”
“No.” Kiera bit her lip. “Tell me what happened that night.”
I dragged in a long breath. I didn’t have to dig deep for the memories. They were my constant companions, a chronic pain I couldn’t ease.
“Two years ago, on Viridana’s Day . . .”
Chapter 23
Aiden
Two years ago. . .
One more hour. One last meeting. One final death. And then Rellmira would be safe.
I paced the dirt floor of the abandoned warehouse. The stale air still smelled like the barrels of wine Melaena’s merchant friend used to store. Now the floor-to-ceiling shelves stood like skeletons against the wall. Nothing else inhabited this building, save for the lone torch I lit while I waited.
I’d burned all of Brielle’s maps of the palace and her scribbled notes about her husband’s routines and guard rotations the moment I memorized them. I never wanted to leave any evidence of a meeting in case someone searched the building.
The thick wooden door swung open, and a hooded figure slipped inside.
I breathed a sigh of relief, my feet finally able to stand still.
She latched the door and slid the heavy crossbar over it before facing me. “Aiden.”
I dipped my head. “Brielle.” From our very first meeting, she’d refused to hear me call her by a queenly title.
“I didn’t see Maz on lookout,” she said, tucking some of her golden hair into her hood.
