“Remira Kyler,” General Fain says sternly.
My eyes flit over his shoulder, meeting Luc’s gaze.What the hell is going on?I try to silently communicate my question with my eyes, but all I get from him is blind panic. Which isn’t helpful.
I force a smile at General Fain. “Is something wrong?”
“This was waiting for me when I returned to my office.” He holds up a letter. His name is scrawled across the envelope in indigo ink. It’s from my imposter.
My stomach drops. “What does it say?”
“It’s from the Shadow Queen. She accuses you of colluding with Kaidren Vale in murdering his father and conspiring to put Kaidren on the throne.”
It’s as if all the air has been knocked from my lungs and my legs are bolted to the floor. I can’t breathe, can’t move, can’t force the cogs of my brain to come up with a coherent response. At long last, my brilliant reply is “What?”
“The Shadow Queen is accusing you of aiding the murder of Arliss Vale. According to her, we’ll find the poison used to kill Arliss Vale in this room.”
“You just found that in Kaidren Vale’s room.”
“This letter claims there was a second vial.”
Someone is framing me—the same someone who killed Arliss and blackmailed Selva. Someone whoisn’tKaidren. I have no doubt the decurio will find what they’re looking for. “I didn’t kill anyone.”
“Murder or not, kishori is a poison. Simply having it inyour possession is a crime. If you’re innocent, surely we can search your room to verify?”
There’s no use protesting. I move aside and let them look. My room is too small for all of them, so the General searches alone, while the others wait in the hall, watching me as I try not to let my nerves show.
It’s a quick search. He finds a vial of kishori beneath my mattress. It’s almost comical. It’s exactly where I had Sef hide the poison in Kaidren’s room.
I try to look shocked.
“Remira, can you explain this?” General Fain asks.
“Someone must’ve planted it.” It’s a paltry defense and I know it.
Luc puts a hand on my shoulder. “General, with all due respect, this is absurd. My sister didn’t kill anyone. Mira, just tell them where you were when Arliss was killed. If we confirm what she was doing, she’s no longer a suspect, right?”
Reluctantly, General Fain nods. “Yes, sir. We determined that whoever poisoned Honorate Vale did so the night of the opening ceremony for the Tournament of Thrones. Where were you that night, Remira?”
I sift through my memory, to the night before I visited the Vale household and found him dead. That night, I . . .
Oh no.
I remember exactly where I was that night—but it’s not something I can share.
I swallow. “Um—I’m not sure.” A weak excuse. It’s better than the truth.
General Fain addresses Luc. “Honored Praeceptor, did you see her that night?”
Luc opens his mouth to answer, but stops himself, frowning. “Sir?” the General prompts.
Luc blinks slowly at General Fain, then at me. “Clear the room.”
The soldiers give Luc identical looks of shock. Allowing him to speak privately with a suspect in the middle of an investigation goes against every protocol, but no one wants to defy the Praeceptor. With swift glances at one another, they obediently retreat into the hall.
Luc drops his voice once we’re alone. “I remember that night. You told me you wanted to be alone. I came to your room with a snack later, but you weren’t here.”
“Maybe I was in the library,” I say.
“You weren’t. You weren’t in the dining room either. I checked. And Sef left early that night.”
