“Whoever assassinated him was no novice, Valeris.They got in and out in broad daylight without being seen.They left no prints, no indication of who they were.One man claims to have seen a black-clad figure fleeing the woods on a dark horse, but they’ve yet to confirm his witness.”
“No one has struck here yet.”
He tilted his head.“No, but I can feel it in the wind, Valeris, and sense something dreadful is coming.Something we won’t be able to stop.”
Uncle always had his strange predictions.Some came true, some didn’t.I didn’t ignore them, but nor did I treat them as anything to worry about.It was a bit like his perception of enchantment.It didn’t seem useful to know something was off if you couldn’t determine what it was.
“What of my other siblings?How do their alliances fare after the fourth ball?”
“Zandyr is doing better than expected.He secured the alliance with the steel master at the last ball while you were busy making alliances with Analleia.”
I muttered a curse under my breath.I needed that alliance, and Zandyr, who I wouldn’t have ever expected to manage it before Ezrielle, had slipped it right out from under me.For wanting to protect the people of Paravellia from enduring a reign beneath the iron fists of my siblings, I wasn’t doing a good job of preventing it from happening.
“What of Ezrielle?”I asked.“Has she secured her alliances by tripling the number of visitors to her bedchamber at night?”I regretted the words the moment I said them, but it was an ongoing process to try to rise above and not treat her the same way she treated me.The fact was, I knew I would make far more progress following her methods.
My question agitated him.He knew of Ezrielle’s promiscuous ways, but he didn’t like to speak or listen to any negative conversation about it.I watched him out of the corner of my eye.He still cared for Ezrielle, even if she treated him contemptuously and wanted nothing to do with him.I had always guessed it was because he still saw her as the little girl who was once so sweet before the unfairness of the world turned her into a demon.
And he blamed himself for that transformation.
“Ezrielle is ahead of you, but she’s up to something else.She’s been overly secretive as of late.Usually she parades her triumphs around like trophies, but she’s trying another tactic this time.If I were you, I would figure out what it is—and quickly.”
I sighed.“Good thing I have a spy I can use now.Ezrielle would smell me coming from a mile away.”
My uncle ruffled his nose.“I would too.You need a bath.”
I scowled, throwing a pillow at his face before stalking off to write a letter and then—
My teeth ground together.
And then I would take a bath.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Analleia
Ezrielle is keepingsecrets.Find out what they are.The gossip states she is having secret meetings with a nobleman.Figure out who it is.I need an answer by tomorrow.
