No, this woman fell from the palace, likely from the fourth or fifth floor. Another murder at the feet of a senator who cannot be investigated.
The injustice of it cuts deeply as I grit my teeth. The senators do as they please, even when it’s murder, so long as they don’t get caught. This isn’t equality or freedom.
I look down at the victim. She seems familiar, but she wasn’t a servant or page here—I’ve interviewed all of them several times now and haven’t seen her. I stand still as surprise grips me.
This woman should not be here.
Where do I know her from? How did I miss an interloper at the conclave?
I kneel down and touch her wrist, fruitlessly searching for a sign of life.
I hold my breath and wait, hoping for a faint pulse, but there is nothing. She was dead upon impact—perhaps even earlier if she was stabbed. It’s hard to tell, as she’s wearing a black sweater and black trousers.
Julian circles around me and moves his torch toward the woman’s face. Then he gasps, so startled that he nearly drops the flame.
“You know her?” I ask.
“I do…” he says slowly. “That’s Mirial Bauman.”
The name sounds familiar, sticking in my brain like a nettle, but I’m not sure where I’ve heard it before or why Julian looks like that.
“Who was she?” I ask.
“She is…was…a priestess in the temple of truth.”
No.
Numbness soaks through my armor, and I shudder. Now I remember her. I have seen her scowling face in the Forum. She’s been a priestess for as long as I’ve been alive—longer, probably. She was always at the side of Osiris Vestal, and I saw her in the gilded carriage when Kerasea arrived at Jubilee. But I was so focused on the High Priestess that I didn’t think to wonder about her escort.
This woman was not supposed to be at the conclave. We have strict rules for who is and isn’t allowed. Any sentry or servant who saw the priestess had a duty to report her, but no one did. So, how did she get in? And who murdered her?
My mind returns to Kera. She looked so pale after the scream, but was it because it was so jarring or because she recognized the voice?
I count windows on the third floor to find her chambers. Out of all the lights that are on, her bedroom isn’t one of them. There is no chance she’s asleep, so I can only assume she left.
I sigh deeply. I now have to track down the High Priestess.
XLIX.
Kerasea
Zel opens the door to the divining room, and her face brightens even though she’s shivering in the cold of the room. Still, she curtsies to me.
“Excellency.”
I extend the fur I brought, and she immediately wraps it around herself, snuggling against the soft warmth.
“Thank you,” she says.
In her eyes is also gratitude for saving her from the Praetorian. But she shouldn’t thank me just yet.
“Zel, I need you to tell me who was staying in your room. Now.”
Her smile fades, and she shakes her head.
She looks like she might try to deny what I already suspect, but I am in no mood for this. I stare at her the same way I stared down Torren.
“I know you were lying when we spoke before,” I say. “Beyond being the conduit to the divine, I heard you talk to someone in your room at night. You lied to me, and you are fortunate that I didn’t disclose it to the Praetorian, but Iwillhave your honesty now. Confess before the god.”
