Nikith kept his eyes on Parushi, but he shifted his body so he blocked everyone’s view of the desk behind him.
“Move again, and you won’t be running into the flat of my blade.” Parushi pointed the dagger’s tip at Nikith’s face.
Devi had calmed down, and her blinks were getting longer again as I bounced her behind the guards that stood between us and everyone else. “Parushi, report.”
“Nikith tried to stab you.” Parushi still had her dagger pointed at my brother-in-law, and she dared him to argue with her glare. She used her bloody left hand to point to the blade on the floor. “That’s his dagger. Luckily, Nallini had already pushed you out of the way, and I managed to disarm him.”
The guards tightened their knot around me.
“I was trying to protect you from the Banghervari assassin!” Nikith pointed at Nallini, and she would not meet my gaze.
Nikith’s eyes flicked back to the desk, but he caught himself and tried to redirect all the attention to Nallini. “See! She won’t deny it!”
I looked from him to Nallini to the desk. Most of it was covered with scattered papers filled with sloppy scribbles or long neglected food and drink. But on the corner nearest to me sat one pristine folded paper.
“Bring me that paper,” I commanded, convinced that this was the reason he’d called for a messenger. “The one on the corner.”
“No!” Nikith tried to stop the guard that fetched it but ran into a Parushi-shaped wall.
Holding Devi close, I unfolded the paper and skimmed it. Although it contained no signature, I was certain it was in Nikith’s hand. It had all the information about our latest trades as well as details about where Nikith was being confined and information about how many guards were posted around my chambers. I reread the last part carefully?—it was out of date! It would have been accurate prior to Devi’s birth, but Thevan had insisted on an increase in guards since then. Nikith wouldn’t have known that.
My body lit in a fiery rage as the depth of his betrayal sank into my bones. I looked down at Devi, who now slept peacefully in her aunt’s shawl. I had to be strong for her.
“She forced me to do it!” Nikith accused Nallini again. “She’s been working for Vishwajeet all along!”
I waited for Nallini’s denial. If she had forced Nikith to write the letter, she would have made sure the information about the guards was current.
Nallini took a deep breath. “It’s true that I have been in touch with Vishwajeet?—”
“You what?” I yelled so loudly that Trimuladevi’s eyes snapped back open, and she began to cry.
I patted her on the back as I bounced and made a quiet shushing noise. My little rajkumari snuggled into me, curling herself against my curves. Thankfully, she fell back asleep quickly, and I returned my attention to Nallini.
“Explain,” I commanded.
“When I was in the infirmary for my arm, I received a note.” Her voice was shaky at first. “I didn’t know who it was from?—it was lying next to me when I woke up?—but it made it clear that Vishwajeet still expected updates from me. And that he could make me suffer if I didn’t do as I was told.”
“A note? In my infirmary?” If that were true, it meant that someone in my palace was able to get a note to Nallini without being noticed or intercepted. It would need to be someone who was trusted and could come and go without question.
“I sent a few notes to Vishwajeet with things I overheard in the infirmary about how many soldiers were injured at any given time, but nothing important,” Nallini said. “I had no idea who had left me the letter until Nikith reminded me of my duty just now.”
“Your duty?” I repeated. My thoughts were flying. Nallini was definitely in touch with Vishwajeet; she would have no reason to lie about such a thing. But the question was whether she was being truthful about her motivations. Either she was loyal to Vishwajeet and was trying to find someone else to blame, or she had been forced to write, and Nikith really was colluding with Vishwajeet to pave the path to victory for the Porcugi.
“Vishwajeet was very specific with his instructions on the day he brought me to you.” Nallini kept her voice low, but her white-knuckled fists were balled at her side. “I was to offer you my best care during your pregnancy, and when the baby was born, I needed to ensure the firstborn heir was a boy.”
“But you couldn’t possibly control...” My voice faded as I understood her meaning. I clutched Devi closer and backed away.
The semicircle of guards tightened around me, and a few of them brandished their swords at Nallini.
Parushi reacted quickly?—she jumped in front of Nallini, placing herself between the healer and my guards, her arms outstretched to either side. Nallini put both her hands up and stepped away from me.
We stood, frozen and staring at each other as my heart thudded in my chest so loudly that I was certain it would wake Devi again. But she slept soundly as I stared at her would-be assassin. Assassin. Spirits. Parushi had been right when she guessed it so long ago.
Parushi spoke up as she watched my eyes flit between her and Nallini. “Nallini has had more than ample opportunity to cause harm if she wanted to. And she hasn’t.”
A fair point, but there was still no need for Nallini’s deceit. “If what you say is true, why didn’t you tell me? Why didn’t you show the letter to me when you got it?”
“I told Parushi.” Nallini seemed so small in this big room. “And Tara. They reviewed my letters to Vishwajeet before I sent them. Everyone agreed it was best not to upset you, especially in your condition.”
