I grasped for a question I could ask. One that didn’t unravel me at the table. “Why did you accept it? Why believe a jeweler from Kavios?”
She laughed. “We both know he was not justajeweler in Kavios. He wasthejeweler in Kavios.”
The look she leveled at me pulled forth more memories I’d rather not relive. Alaric’s empty workshop. Him declared missing. My task to uphold his duties, to venture to the castle and mines on his behalf.
“As I said, his incentive was too strong. Rodric is a dangerous man, and as you’ve no doubt understood, none of us have been called by Chaos since Delphine. As a ruler, it wasn’t even a choice. This small act will protect my people better than any other single move I could have made.”
Fear flooded me, and this time, I felt Hart bolt back toward the dining room. Still, I reclasped the handle of my dagger in anticipation. What had Alaric done? How stupid I’d been to assume the adamas stone hadn’t left Kavios.
“He gave you adamas,” I whispered.
She touched her long silver braid. This was the first show of nerves I’d seen from the queen, but her movement also gave me a clear view of both of her hands. Neither held an adamas ring. “That is correct.”
“Why don’t you wear it?” I asked.
Her words were hesitant for the first time tonight. “Who says I’m not?”
My gaze snapped to her daughter. The queen would haveaccepted the adamas for her kingdom, but she wouldn’t have kept the power for herself. She’d want the future of Linia to have it. A chain dipped below the neckline of Blair’s dress. “She gave it to you.”
Blair glanced at her mother, but I’d already seen the truth pass between them.
“Adamas will bring nothing but destruction to your kingdom, as it has to Kavios.”
The queen steepled her fingers. “That’s not your concern. You know nothing about the threats we face.” She reached for her glass, but Hart hadn’t returned, and it remained empty. “Whatever entanglement you have with Sebastien, there is a way to free yourself.”
I swallowed. Why did everyone want me to kill him? “I’m not like your great-grandmother. I can’t do that.”
The queen tsked as she lifted her water glass instead. “I don’t believe that based on what I read.” She gave a meaningful glance at the papers.
It shouldn’t have surprised me that she’d read them all. She would have wanted to know what they said before passing them along, even with the proper incentive.
“But that’s not the only option. At least not as Alaric imagined it. Now, put those away. Read them yourself without the prying eyes of Order’s Champion.”
I don’t know why I listened. Maybe the small packet of papers felt like a final piece of my uncle that I wasn’t ready to share. Or maybe I wanted to keep information from Hart as he’d done to me. That thought soured my stomach, but I tucked the papers into the sleeve of my dress.
Lucinda glanced at the door, and Hart burst in with his sword drawn.
8
Themis's Champion will uphold order in all things.
— WHAT MAKES A CHAMPION OF ORDER
HART
Ihad seen Ember lie easily to every Blessed in Kavios. She’d convinced guards that their magic worked on her, and she had convinced Elias that she was nothing more than a talented jeweler.
None of that worked on me, and that was before I could taste her emotions.
So when I barged into the dining room with my blade drawn due to the fear that had bittered the back of my tongue only moments ago, I knew her response for the lieit was.
“I’m fine, Hart.”
With no attacker present, and only Lucinda and Blair seated primly, as if they had all waited for my return, I had no choice but to accept the declaration at face value. I would bide my time to learn what they’d done to her in my absence. What would have driven her to such fear?
It killed me not to know.
Thankfully, we left the hall shortly after. I didn’t taste one of the emotions that could fuel our magic, but the furrow of Ember’s brow illustrated her indecision well enough.
