But Deneya turned, and Eira was committed. “You’re still here?”
Eira ignored the curt remark. “You took the post of looking after Ulvarth yourself because you felt guilty for what you did, right?” Deneya merely grunted at her. Eira continued, “You’recertainUlvarth is dead, right?”
Deneya locked eyes with her and Eira could hear unspoken warnings. Eira saw the bitter and hardened expression Deneya had worn the night Ferro had slipped from their grasp. She saw everything she’d been hoping not to.
“I was there the night he fell from the tower we were keeping him in. He took his own life rather than live in captivity. There was no way he could’ve survived.” Deneya looked out the window again. But even in profile, Eira didn’t miss the doubt that twisted her face.
Deneya was Head Specter for a reason—she had her secrets. However, despite being new to this world, Eira was already beginning to unravel them. And if she could see the hidden threads stitching the fragile peace of Meru together, it wouldn’t be long until others could see them as well. Once they were visible, nothing would stop the dangerous forces at play from snipping and pulling at them until the whole order of the world unraveled.
24
Eira made it back to the arena without issue. Her friends questioned what had taken so long, but that seemed to be the extent of anyone’s suspicions. Most of the interest today was on the sorcerers from the Republic and their strange rune-covered bracelets. No one paid much notice to Eira disappearing for almost two whole hours.
Cullen stayed close to her for most of the day. He was the only one who seemed skeptical of the story she’d sold. But he kept any questions he might have to himself, focusing instead on running sword drills with Noelle. Meanwhile, Eira pulled Alyss aside to focus on practicing her ability to sense magic. It was still a basic skill. But Eira was committed to learning just how it might be able to serve her. After the events in the Archives, Eira was more convinced than ever that her senses had heightened to new levels.
For the majority of dinner, Eira kept to herself. She must’ve been more aloof than she’d thought because Cullen and Alyss both made determined efforts to strike up conversation. Eira played along, eventually underscoring that she was merely tired and had a lot to think about for the upcoming tournament. When she told them that by morning she would be back to normal, they seemed to believe her.
Excusing herself from dinner early, Eira retreated to her room, hoping to get a few moments alone to work through her thoughts—and nearly knocking down Mistress Harrot on entry.
“Apologies, dear!” The lady of the house stumbled backward, gripping her chest with a laugh. “You gave me quite the startle.”
“Sorry,” Eira murmured, eyes darting around. There was still something about the woman that left Eira unsettled. “Is there something I can help you with?”
Mistress Harrot ignored her question. “You’re back from dinner early.”
Eira glanced at the feather duster in the woman’s hands. “Do you usually dust in the evenings when people are at dinner?”
“I take care of all the rooms in the manor.” Harrot stepped around her and out the door. “It’s a time-consuming job, so I do what I can, when I can.”
Eira watched her leave, debating if she should inquire further about what the woman was doing. If she’d had doubts about Harrot working for the Pillars before, they were completely gone now. Harrot was watching her. Eira would bet her life on it. So she just had to make sure Harrot didn’t find anything of note to report back. She did a turn about the common area and her room, trying to figure out what Harrot might have been searching for, but came up empty-handed.
Still unable to shake the slimy feeling of the idea of someone searching through her things, Eira hunted through her room for a better hiding place for Adela’s journals and the stone. She had to keep the piece of plaster she’d taken from the Archives from falling into the Pillars’ hands before she intended it to. She had value to the Pillars because of this rock and her magic. And her magic seemed to only have value as long as Ferro vouched for her.
“I have to keep it safe,” Eira murmured, looking around her room. But where could she keep it that no one would think to look? Mistress Harrot no doubt knew every corner of the manor. Except—
Eira rushed to her bag and grabbed a leaf of paper. She had originally intended to scribble a note to Ducot explaining the small stack of books and plaster, but quickly abandoned the idea, realizing it futile. She’d just explain it the next time she saw him.
Before the others returned, she opened up the passage to the Court of Shadows. If anywhere was safe from Harrot’s prying eyes, it was here. Because if Harrot knew about this passage, they all had larger concerns. Eira put her things to the left of the door, where they would hopefully be out of the way, and then shut it, retreating to her room.
The dusk bled out into night and the stars found her still awake. Eira paced the room for what must’ve been the hundredth time. Deneya, Harrot, Pillars, shadows, they were all connected. If Deneya had been the one to take the Flame and frame Ulvarth, where was it now? Extinguished, yes, that much seemed true, but…
Her restlessness promised no sleep anytime soon. Sneaking out of her room, Eira treaded lightly over to the main door of the Solaris accommodations and slipped out. She didn’t know where she was going, but her brain was too full to rest. Downstairs, Eira stepped out onto the terraced gardens. Two knights patrolled them in addition to two more posted on the rooftop. Eira gave them a nod in acknowledgment and they did the same. They didn’t stop or question her as she made her way down to the river, leaning against the railing and staring out over Risen. Though, she could feel their attention on her, tracking her every movement.
No one wanted to be on duty the night another competitor slipped away. It was only natural for them to watch her like hawks.
A shadow grew near, heralding the presence of a man. Eira straightened from the railing and said, “I’ll go back in soon. I just couldn’t sleep.”
“Glad to know it’s not just me.”
“Ducot? I wasn’t expecting you,” Eira said, surprised.
One side of his mouth pulled into a wide grin. “You come here often? Can’t say I’ve seen you around these parts before,” he said with a flirtatious edge.
Eira burst out laughing. It released some of the tension that she’d been steeping in. “I don’t come here regularly, no. You come here often looking for women?”
“Only the sort with loose morals and a penchant for scarred, blind men who will most certainly be gone by morning.” He still wore a grin as he spoke. But there was a lingering self-depreciation in his words that was a little too real.
“How’s the hunt for said women going for you?”
