Finally, his shoulders ease, and he squeezes me tighter. When he pulls away, he’s frowning. “You have no idea how happy I am to see you, but it’s not safe for you here. If someone catches you, they’ll send you back to prison, and it won’t be so easy to escape this time.” Luc’s eyes widen as he realizes something. Hurriedly, he releases me to lock his office door.
There’s a chill behind me as the balcony door opens again, bringing with it a burst of cool air.
“You might want to sit,” I say to Luc’s back. “We have a lot to tell you.”
“We?” Finished with the door, Luc turns to face me. His startled eyes jump to Kaidren, entering the study over my shoulder. “What the hell is going on?”
“We know who murdered Arliss Vale,” I say. “It wasn’t me, and it wasn’t Kaidren.”
“Then who was it?”
“Flynn Sixmen.”
Luc stares at me.
Gently, I place my hands on his shoulders and steer him back to his chair, forcing him to sit. “Take a seat. Like I said, we have a lot to explain.”
Arliss Vale. How many times can a single man die?
Killed by his son, then killed by an Opheran, now killed by an Honorate. At this rate, I have to wonder: Is there a single person left on this mountain who didn’t want him dead?
The decurio claim they’ve finally caught the right man. This Queen of Shadows is less certain. Allow me to peel backthe curtain and let you, the people, decide whether our newest suspect is guilty.
Let’s hear the decurio’s evidence against him, shall we?
First: A servant in Widow’s Hall testifies to making a wax imprint and matching key to the bedchamber of the Honored Praeceptor’s own sister.
Did our new suspect use this key to frame the unsuspecting Kyler? You decide.
Second: A shopkeep in Ophera claims our newest suspect purchased a bottle of the same poison used to kill Arliss Vale only a week before his death.
Third: There is not a soul who remembers seeing our current suspect on the night Arliss Vale was murdered.
Who is this latest accused suspect, you ask? None other than Flynn Sixmen.
Flynn Sixmen now sits behind the very bars that caged Bastard Vale for no longer than one day. An end to a legacy, and a start to an election. Choose wisely.
Bastard Vale, his name cleared—for now—once again competes to become the next Praeceptor of Virdei. Come bear witness to the third and final trial of the Tournament of Thrones. I have it on good authority, it will be the most exciting event yet.
Dear readers, wish Bastard Vale luck for me. I have a feeling he’ll need it.
Fondly,
Shadow Queen
CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
TRAITORS IN THE SNOW
At this point, I might as well just join the decurio outright, considering the number of times I’ve donned their armor in the past month.
The third trial hasn’t even started yet, and I’m already out of breath. No matter how often I find myself in decurio armor, it never becomes any less nerve-wracking.
The field has been cordoned off into a square so that only the very center is available for use. Luc’s team of six stands opposite Kaidren’s as we wait for the event to start.
The arena feels tense. Possibly because this is the last trial—whoever wins this, wins the throne. Or possibly because it’s General Tarek Fain running this event, and he lacks Flynn’s natural charisma. He speaks in monotone as he goes over the parameters for the trial, and I find myself tuning him out.
Unconsciously, my eyes rake over Kaidren’s team. I tell myself it’s so I can assess them for weaknesses, but when my eyes pause on Kaidren, I know I’m only lying to myself.
