I hesitate, wondering if that’s a loaded question—especially since Verin wasn’t even there today. It makes me think of what Alek implied.
Lia Mara picks up on my hesitation and adds, “My sister can be too aggressive. If Verin is being overly harsh, tell me.”
Verin has broken my nose at least five times now, but I don’t say that. “No—it’s fine.” I hesitate again, but I was coming to tell her about Lord Alek anyway. I might as well jump in. “Lord Alek came to the arena. I . . .” I bite at my lip. “He took me by surprise. I thought he was being held for treason.”
The queen frowns. “No. Verin said she discussed Lord Alek with you.His feelings about my husband’s . . . ?magic. . . ?are no secret, but we have absolutely no evidence to prove that he was conspiring against us. He truly was by Grey’s side throughout the Royal Challenge. Even you yourself said that you believed that the king was Alek’s target—not me. Is that still what you believe?”
I feel hot and cold all over. There are too many things in that statement to figure out. Verindiddiscuss Alek with me—but she didn’t say he was freed. Is this another one of her tests? Did I pass or did I fail by mentioning this to the queen?
And why did the queen hesitate over the wordmagic? Or was she hesitating overhusband? Or both? What does that mean?
Maybe I look troubled, because the queen takes another sip and says, “You can tell me your thoughts. You don’t have to figure everything out on your own.”
She’s right. This is the whole reason I came looking for her to begin with.
I want to gulp my own wine. “It’s hard to talk about Alek,” I admit. “Because I feel like such a fool for trusting him.”
The queen is quiet for a moment, and the only sound is the distant giggles of the girls in the next room. Lia Mara glances at them, and then back at me. “When I first became queen, Alek’s older sister was one of my advisers. Ellia Maya. Their mother had been a general in the army, but like your mother, like so many others, she died in the early battles with Emberfall and that . . . ?that creature. But after I agreed to ally with King Grey, we attempted to stop the war with Emberfall. I thought all of my people were loyal, but Ellia Maya was caught selling information to the other side. She’d sold a weapon of Iishellasan steel to Prince Rhen, to be used against Grey.” The queen pauses. “She was later killed in battle as well.”
“Alek told me about his mother when we first met,” I say quietly. “And about his sister.” I frown, remembering the echo of loss in his voice whenwe spoke in the bakery that night. “Did he play me for a fool right from that moment? It was one of the first things we bonded over.”
The queen reaches out and puts a hand over mine. “His grief is genuine, Callyn. He lost his sister and his mother. Empathy doesn’t make you a fool.”
I stare back at her. “Aren’t you worried that he might plot against you again?”
She draws back her hand. “In truth, I’ve been worried that I haven’t been examining the actions of my people as clearly as I should be.”
I don’t know what that means. I don’t know what to say.
She picks up her glass and swirls the contents, but doesn’t take another sip. “I know my people are afraid, and they’ve been afraid for a while. Perhaps I haven’t been listening.” She pauses. “When Ellia Maya was killed, it was long believed that she was a traitor to Syhl Shallow—because she gave Emberfall’s prince the means to kill Grey. But Alek has always steadfastly maintained that his sister was not a traitor. That her actions were taken out of loyalty to Syhl Shallow. Out of loyalty tome.”
I can’t stop staring at her.
The queen finally drains the glass. “Alek is not subtle about his distaste for Grey standing at my side, and he rather openly hates Tycho for being a part of the battle that killed Ellia Maya. He hates Emberfall, and he hates magic, and I suppose I can’t blame him for either. Magic has . . . ? caused a lot of harm.” The weight in her voice is potent.
I swallow. I had my own reasons for hating Emberfall and hating magic. I think of the pendant that hangs over my heart, and it takes everything I have to keep from touching it. I wonder what the queen would think if she knew that magic flows throughmyveins now, too. I’m afraid of the answer, so I don’t ask.
Instead, I say, “He’s always said that to me, too. That he was loyal to you.”
She nods. “He’s never wavered on that, Callyn. So I don’t think you were a fool. And holding him for treason without any scrap of proof would not be viewed well by my Royal Houses. He has too many allies. This fear of magic has grown too quickly. There are already rumors of scraver attacks near the border, but I suspect that’s more deceit on the part of the Truthbringers, who were upset that their plan was thwarted.”
I gasp, remembering the scravers who arrived to help us in battle. One helped heal Nora’s wounds when she was nearly killed. “There have beenattacks?”
She winces. “I don’t know if they’re real. The Truthbringers tend to blame magic for everything. Spreading rumors that dangerous scravers have returned to Syhl Shallow would be one way to keep those fears alive. Especially since they also claim that the king uses his magic to silence his opposers. After what happened in Briarlock, the king has been interrogating citizens known to be associated with the Truth-bringers, but the outcry against his actions is growing loud. Locking up Alek would make him a martyr—and I’m still not fully convinced that he was a part ofthisuprising. His loyalty seems . . . ?steadfast. Does that makemea fool?”
“No! I would never—”
“Callyn.” She smiles. “Drink your wine.”
I take another gulp.
Then she adds, “Tell me what he said.”
“What?”
“You said he came to you in the arena tonight. Tell me what he said.”
I frown. “He might be trying to trick me again.”
