The Crown Prince’s affair had been one of the many secrets I had extracted a while ago, but had kept tucked away for later use.
Unfortunately, it seemed like Madame Celestine knew this too.
I had learned early on that in this line of work, knowledge was power—and a currency. You had to know who to target, who to sell the information to and which kinds of secrets should stay buried.
And I had a feeling that the one I was about to share was one of the latter category.
“Please, Madame, I don’t think—” I tripped over my words.
Calm. Breathe.
I started again. “I don’t think the intel he gave me should be used. I don’t feel comfortable with it, something seems off,” I finished.
Madame Celestine sat behind her desk like a judge preparing to deliver a verdict. Her elbows rested on the polished wood, and her fingers formed a sharp, deliberate steeple, each fingertip pressed precisely to its twin.
The tips hovered just beneath her chin, casting a shadowover her pursed mouth.
Her eyes never left mine.
There was no need to raise her voice. The silence did all the work. She was in complete control, someone deciding whether to destroy or merely punish. I felt like a misbehaving schoolgirl again, waiting for the ruler to fall.
Celestine let her hands drop to the table and grabbed a pen and paper.
“Your reservations are noted. I will consider the information you have learned and proceed with caution. Nevertheless, I must remind you, that your stay here at ‘The Nest’ and my silence about your heka is contingent upon you handing over the information I seek. Now… Can we continue?” She asked.
I gulped. I didn’t have a choice here. I could try and distract her with another secret or give her false information. But what good would that do? She probably would find out and the Fates knew what would happen to me then. I needed her silence. Maybe this was the Fates way of testing me.
“All right. Do you remember that a few weeks ago a messenger from the King came through, asking questions about the location of the immigrants?”
Celestine nodded and jotted down a few words.
I cleared my throat, “The diplomat has found their location and is planning to sell the information to the highest bidder, which apparently isn’t the king.”
A slow smile curled her lips as her eyes turned to slits, amused, intrigued, and clearly expecting more. Would the part of the secret I had shared be enough?
I remained silent, watching her scribble down the information I had just shared.
Please don’t ask anything more. Please be satisfied with what I have shared.
“Nightpetal… Did the diplomat share the location with you?” she asked sharply.
She already knew the answer. I could feel the tears stinging behind my eyes. I pressed my tongue up against the roof of my mouth.
Larna had taught me that move the first night at ‘The Nest.’ It was supposed to stop the tears from falling. And it worked most of the time.
I couldn’t lie to her.
I had no choice.
No choice.
“Yes.”
I didn’t draw the sword, but the bodies would still fall at my feet.
Chapter 24
Iwoke up soaked in sweat the next morning. Theo’s visit and the recurring nightmare about that fateful night in ‘The Nest’ had been playing catch in my dreams. Focusing on Theo’s reason for coming to my room seemed the safer way to go. Nothing good would come out of me flagellating myself over the bad choices I had made in the past.
