The spy had given three pieces of intel: that Syrus and Norun had allied, that Darius was physically present in Norun, and that he’d summoned a fleet from Syrus. The first could be easily confirmed. They’d already suspected the alliance between Syrus and Norun. The second could soon be confirmed as well. As for the last…
Well, the fact that the prisoner had been silenced was proof enough that what he’d said was true.
But what if it wasn’t?
Larylis gritted his teeth. The whole situation felt like a mind game. A battle of facts versus instinct. He couldn’t call off his scouts. He couldn’t ignore the potential that the fleet truly was coming. But he wouldn’t sit around and wait to be made a fool of either.
“The corpseand the prisoner are not the same man,” the gaoler said, gesturing toward the cloth-draped body inside the cell. The burlap covering did nothing to hide the smell.
Teryn breathed through his mouth, desperate to get this meeting over with so he could leave the dungeon. He’d been in one of these cells before, and his stay had been anything but pleasant. Though at least there hadn’t been a rotting corpse back then.
“I’m not supposed to be here,” said a frail voice. Teryn did his best to ignore it, for it was coming from the pale apparition that hovered over the dead body. It locked hollow, pleading eyes on Teryn. “Please. I’m not supposed to be here.”
Teryn averted his gaze to the gaoler. The man was an inch taller than Teryn, which was saying something, for Teryn was used to being the tallest in most crowds. His arms were roped with muscle and scars, and his deep-set eyes were lined with creases. His lips were thin yet wide and he had a head of shaggy brown hair that reached his shoulders. Though Teryn hadn’t interacted with many a gaoler before, he looked exactly like a man who chained and beat people for a living.
He’d also been Teryn’s primary suspect for murdering the prisoner.Had beenbeing the key, for the gaoler had an alibi. Everyone, it seemed, had a damn alibi, from the guards to the cooks to the dungeon sweepers.
“That’s not the same man, Majesty,” the gaoler said again. “I’ve beaten the living piss out of the prisoner. I’d know him if I’d seen ’im.Heis not the same.”
Teryn shifted his gaze from the gaoler to Captain Alden, who stood off to the side. She shook her head. “He looked like the same man to me. I only saw him with bruises on his face.”
The gaoler nodded eagerly. “I put them bruises there. But not those ones. They ain’t even in the right places. Whoever put ’em there wanted the bastard unrecognizable.”
“I’m not supposed to be here,” the ghost lamented, stepping away from the body.
Teryn assessed the semi-transparent figure before asking the gaoler, “What did the prisoner look like before you, uh, beat the living piss out of him?”
“Older man. Gray hair. Slender. A real wily bastard. Bad attitude. Thinks e’s cleverer then ’e is.”
Teryn’s gaze flashed to the ghost. He could only assume the spirit belonged to the corpse, and even though Teryn couldn’t be sure the man’s hair was gray, for the apparition was colorless, he matched the physical description enough.
“I’m tellin’ ye, Majesty.” The gaoler crossed his enormous arms over his chest. “Not the same man.”
“Thank you for your time,” Teryn said. “You may go.”
The gaoler gave a clumsy bow and left Teryn and Captain Alden alone before the cell.
Teryn arched a brow and lowered his voice. “We’re sure he’s not our man?”
“He was off duty at the time the prisoner was murdered,” Alden said. “His wife confirmed it, as did the guards. The guards themselves patrolled in pairs, and each soldier has confirmed their partner’s presence. None saw any suspicious characters leave or enter the dungeon hall.”
Teryn had already been told as much. No one had seen anything strange. No unfamiliar servants. No delayed guard rotations. He had to acknowledge that much of the castle’s staff was relatively new and more positions were constantly being filled as the crown regained its wealth and stability. So could he truly trust that there hadn’t been a suspicious soul in sight during that time?
“I’m not supposed to be here.” The ghost approached the open cell door. Well, Teryn supposed there was one suspicious soul after all.
“Will you give me a moment, Captain?”
Alden’s brows knit, but she folded into an obedient bow.
Once alone, Teryn faced the ghost. “Who are you?” he whispered.
“You…you can see me. I knew you could.” His voice trembled, as thin and frail as a fallen leaf.
Teryn reworded his question. “What is your name?”
“John McMullighan, sir. Or…Majesty.”
That wasn’t the name on record for the prisoner. Not that anyone believed the name the spy had given. Vlad Samarus. The surname was one of the most common in Norun and practically screamedfake.
