“I’m not sure.Ramiel’s been in a foul mood since the attack failed.There’s been a lot of screaming and throwing things.Then, he found the spies.The executions were public.Before you ask, I don’t know how he found them.We were all careful.I honestly don’t know how he didn’t get to me, too, but I’m not going to stick around and find out.”
“Good.”
“There have been rumors since the executions, though.”
“What kind of rumors?”
“The servants heard Ramiel say that he had spies.”
“We already know he has someone close to Berith.”
“Yeah, but do you know that one of your own spies is working for Ramiel?”
Dimri sucked in a breath.He’d suspected that might be a possibility, but he hadn’t wanted to believe it.He should have.He couldn’t trust anyone right now, not when doing so might mean putting people in danger.
He had two spies to find.It wasn’t going to be easy.
* * * *
ROQUE WAS MINDING HISown business, walking down the hallway on his way to lunch, when he heard a crash coming from a room down the hallway he was walking past.He paused, wondering if he should do something about it.What was in this hallway again?Mostly, it was offices, which didn’t explain the kind of noise he was hearing.It sounded like someone was trashing the place.
His heart kicked up a notch.Was it the spy?Were they destroying things so that Berith would have a harder time defeating Ramiel?It didn’t make much sense, but it didn’t matter.Even if whatever was happening was completely random, Roque was curious, so he abandoned thoughts of lunch and turned into the hallway.
He winced at the sound of something breaking.It didn’t sound good, but maybe it had nothing to do with the war and Ramiel.Maybe this was just someone who’d found out that their partner was cheating.Living in a palace with so many people meant that there was always drama, which Roque enjoyed.He wanted to know everything about everyone.It was his job, after all.It helped him protect Berith better and more efficiently.
Or at least, that was what he told himself when he stuck his nose where it didn’t belong.
He found the office where the noise was coming from.No one inside was screaming, so maybe it wasn’t a cheating partner.When something else crashed, he decided it was his duty to check in on whoever was inside.There was no name tag on the door, but he was pretty sure he knew this office.It didn’t make sense, though.Why would Dimri be doing this?
Roque raised his hand and knocked on the door.The noise stopped, and for a moment, the only thing Roque could hear was silence.It was kind of eerie because he knew there was someone behind the door, listening to him.Did he breathe loudly?Should he say something?
“Who is it?”a voice called out.
That was definitely Dimri.Even though something told Roque he should leave the spymaster alone, he was too curious to do that.Heneededto know what Dimri was up to.“Roque,” he called back.
He heard Dimri swear.The two of them weren’t friends—they weren’t even acquaintances—but Roque grinned at the annoyance in Dimri’s voice.The spymaster was always so settled and cool that it was nice to know that he could fluster him.It made him want to do it again and again, but it probably wasn’t the right moment for that.If he wasn’t careful, Dimri might throw something at his face instead of at the door.
The door swung open.Dimri didn’t glare because that wasn’t something he did, but he did look Roque up and down as if trying to understand what he was doing there.Roque peeked into the room, not surprised to see a mess on the floor, considering the noise he’d heard.
“I’d ask if someone’s attacked you, but I don’t think there’s anyone in that office but you,” he said.
Dimri was good at schooling his expression.Roque could never tell what he was feeling, but just guess.Right now, though, there was a flicker of annoyance there, and Roque wondered if Dimri was thinking about slamming the door in his face.He wished Dimri would try, just to see what would happen.
“I’m fine,” Dimri eventually said.“You don’t have to worry about me.No one’s attacking me.”
“Maybe not, but it looks like someone’s attacking your files.”
“No one is.You can go.”
“How about I stay, and you tell me what the fuck is happening?”
“There’s no need for that.”
“Does it involve Berith?”
Dimri didn’t say it did, but he also didn’t say it didn’t.That was all the answer Roque needed.
He pushed past Dimri into the room.He was surprised when he felt a hand on his arm, and he acted by instinct, reaching with his other hand and grabbing Dimri’s wrist.When Dimri tried to push him away, Roque turned them around and slammed him against the wall by the door, surprising both of them.
