Digi leaned forward slightly. “Which of my siblings share a father with me?”
“Your third brother, your sister, and your fourth brother are children of your parents.”
“Does the husband of my mother know of their parentage?”
Word choice was very important in the Okulan language. Not thetair, not my stepfather, the husband of my mother. She would’ve owed allegiance to thetairand familial respect and care to her stepfather. Thehusband of my mother, however, didn’t rate any consideration.
“Thetairknows. He found out when you took the first of the Heir Rights. The Grand Priest is not your ally. He also knows, and he has since tested the blood of all your siblings.”
Digi fell silent, pondering the implications.
“We have cleaned our house,” she said. “Thetairwas having my father poisoned. Small doses slipped into his food. My father had already noticed himself growing weaker. In another six months he would have wasted away. The traitor has been found and dealt with.”
“As expected.” Digi was meticulous. She and Clover would get along.
“My father is the First Sword. The defender of our clan. His death would be a huge loss to our people. It is a crime.”
Aha. Now I knew where she was going. She did this in the books, too, but it took her a lot longer to arrive at this course of action, and Mrest had died of unknown causes by then. I’d changed the future and maybe this time it would stick. Although was this change for the better or worse? How much bloodier would their quiet war get now that Digi was forewarned?
“You seek to accuse thetairof Blood-burning. Thetairwho betrays the clan in the name of self-interest burns the blood of their people and isn’t worthy to rule.”
Digi nodded. “You know our ways.”
“You need three crimes to prove his guilt. The poisoning of your father is one.”
“The corruption of trade is the other. Thetairhas put his sister, Tarak’s mother, in charge of the silk trade. She has embezzled funds and distributed them through the family with thetair’s knowledge. She has been clever about it, but she shared her scheme with my cousin. Tarak is a soft man, unaccustomed to any discomfort.”
Oh, there had been a hell of a lot of discomfort, I was sure. The Harzi were not known for their gentleness when it came to interrogating prisoners.
“You need a third crime. Is that your final question?”
“Yes,” Digi said. “Give me a third crime that thetaircommitted. Something I can take back to my people to prove the Blood-burning.”
Her stepfather had done a lot of shady shit. Let’s see, what would qualify and have the right emotional weight to enrage the clan?
Ah. That.
“There is a man named Amur among your retainers. Do you trust him?”
“Yes.”
“Amur’s grandfather travels to the Mountain Temple every year at midsummer, during the longest day. This year Amur should accompany his grandfather to the temple. You must secretly meet them there. Don’t tell Amur’s grandfather of this plan. Let it be a surprise.”
Digi nodded.
“Make sure the abbot of the temple is present for this meeting.”
She nodded again.
The Blood-burning required specific conditions. To prove a case in the clan’s court, one would need the injured party, a blood relative, or a sworn sibling who could speak to the impact of the crime, and an impartial witness to confirm the testimony.
“The abbot must be your witness,” I warned. “The Grand Priest will support the husband of your mother, and the abbot is the only one with enough sway to counter the Grand Priest’s influence.”
“Understood.”
“When you meet Amur’s grandfather, ask him if he still mourns his dogs on the longest day of the year. You must appear as if you already know the answer. Then let him speak. All you need to do is listen.”
Digi opened her mouth and closed it. She had asked three questions. Anything else would cost her extra.
