Valeris crossed his arms, fixing me with an intense stare.“Doesn’t matter, whatdoesmatters is we arrested the suspect.The poor girl claimed it was a love potion, but love potions don’t exist.They’re fake, but they are undetectable.One would never notice it in their drink unless someone slipped it in, say, water?If it truly was a love potion, how could my uncle tell his punch had been tainted?”
A trail of sweat slid down my back as my brow grew moist.I considered jumping out the window and hoping he didn’t have the reflexes to grab for me, but if I had the slimmest possibility of success, I had to try to clear this up.
“I don’t know,” I said.“Perhaps the girl was lied to about the potion?”
He studied me, mind calculating, before his gaze drifted over my shoulder.“Have your friends put a safe amount of distance between us yet?”
I opened my mouth.Closed it.Too stunned to respond.
He had figured out our connection to Nadiyah and that we were here to break her out.I weighed my options.
“Don’t lie,” he said.“I watched them disappear out the window and caught you trying to follow.I also witnessed the two of you entering the dungeon and breaking the prisoner out.”
My heart hammered in my chest, my hands slick with sweat.We’d been careful.Desmond had scouted everywhere.It wasn’t possible.If he had seen us, why hadn’t he tried to stop us?
My gaze darted to the window ledge as if to flee, but the prince’s hand clamped down on my shoulder, holding me in place.
“We need to have a long talk,Analleia Kallistar.”
Two soldiers rounded the corner and stood to either side of me.Valeris led us forward.I could get away if I wanted to, but that would forfeit my chances of being able to return.My chances were most likely already forfeit, but there was a small one I could talk my way out of this.I was willing to risk it.
We entered a large study.The two guards remained outside, but the prince’s constant bodyguard followed us in, his discerning eyes drowning in suspicion as he watched me from the door.I didn’t move, awaiting instruction as I fought the urge to wring my hands in my skirt.
“Sit.”Valeris placed a hand on my shoulder and sternly pushed me into a chair.He leaned against the wall opposite me, any indifference he had displayed before replaced by hostility.“You have been lying to me from the moment you entered the first ball, Miss Kallistar—if that is even your real name.Is Allowyn your true home?”
My lips parted, but he didn’t give me a chance to respond.
“Shall we list your offenses?”He counted on his fingers.“You lied to me, sabotaged my alliances, rejected my offer of friendship only to come crawling back on your hands and knees, were involved in an attempt on my uncle’s life, assisted in the suspect’s escape—” He hesitated.“You’ve racked up quite a list and those are only the elements I’m aware of.You’re going to tell me the truth, or you and your friends will be locked up, tried for treason, and executed if not tortured first.Our tactic is to torture one while the other watches until they finally give in.You’ve got treason, intent to harm a royal family member, sabotage, lying, breaking and entering, aiding and abetting a fugitive, breaking said fugitive out of jail, intent to harm the royal guards—shall I keep going?”
I swallowed.
This wasn’t supposed to happen.I shouldn’t even be in a room with this man.He would be easy enough to evade if I wanted to escape, but I wasn’t willing to risk losing the chance to kill his father.Even if I was, the three of us would be hunted down, never to walk freely in public again without a disguise.Nor could I forget the consequences should I fail to complete my end of the bargain with the Enchantress.If I wanted this to work in my favor, I was going to have to tell him the truth, but admitting to him I had come to the Paravellian Balls to murder his father wouldn’t help my case.
Make sure any lie is always mixed with truth.
The headmistress’s voice echoed in my head.
I inhaled slowly in an attempt to ease my nerves and regain control.
“Who are you working for?”Valeris demanded.
“I’m not working for anyone,” I said.
His eyes narrowed.“Everyone works for someone.Don’t spew more lies.They won’t get you anywhere.”
“Someone has to be in charge, do they not?”
He frowned.
I lifted my chin, staring him straight in the eyes.“You’re right.I did lie to you, and I am guilty of everything you have accused me of.I lied to you about why I came to Paravellia.It wasn’t to represent Allowyn.”I paused, making sure I held his full attention, all too aware of how this conversation could end.“I came to the Paravellian Balls to kill someone.”
I had planned this for years, but stating it so bluntly sent a sinister chill through my limbs.
Valeris’s face betrayed no emotion.“Who?”
“I don’t knowwho, exactly, but I know which kingdom they’re from.”
His eyebrows rose.“You came here to kill someone, but you don’t know who it is.”A muscle feathered in his jaw.“Why?”
