Page 33 of The Empty Throne

"I don't think they 'get along' so much as myfather believes that killing people is the most expedient method ofdealing with his problems—problems he creates, mind you—and he'shappy to pay whatever Bittersea asks because he knows the job willget done. I don't think Bittersea is loyal to anyone or anything,except maybe those snake gods of yours."

"Snake gods? You mean Takar and Tamar?"

"Gods of Death and Dreaming," Lysa said witha slight nod. "He has them tattooed the length of his body, I sawthem once when he was bathing in the courtyard. I only rememberbecause it was strange he'd bathe in the open like that, whereanyone could have attacked from any angle. Well, and the snakeswere beautiful work. Whoever tattooed them put their whole selfinto the work."

"I would imagine so, if their only otheroption was death," Kite replied dryly. "Anyway, that's the sordidtale of Jethue Bittersea. He murdered his entire family, some ofthe servants, and then left. I think he must have been roughlyfifteen at the time. Didn't surface again in Cremisio until abouttwo years ago, when… " He gestured sharply, unable to betterexpress his lingering frustration. "Something happened at theLindquist estate. No one but Lindquist, Bittersea, and His Majestyknow exactly what. All I know is that His Majesty had Bittersearight thereand could have executed the bastard straightoff, but instead merely exiled him. Shatar alone knows what he's upto now, though we know he's back in Cremisio."

"I've rarely interacted with him, but I'm notsurprised that Bittersea is good at surviving. He would have to be.Do you know who he killed first? Here, I mean."

Kite shrugged. "No idea. Given how long thefather was tortured, he must have been killed after the others, butthe bodies upstairs were in slightly better condition than theothers, which makes me think they were killed later. If I had toguess… I'd say sister, then the mother and brother, then thefather, then the rest of the family and servants. Maybe theyweren't in the house at the time the killings started. I probablycould have figured it out, but at the time, my concern was burningthe rotted corpses and sealing the house."

Lysa regarded the stairs thoughtfully,tapping his chin with the side of his curled index finger. "I don'tthink he killed the sister. I would say she was the catalyst."

"Catalyst?" Kite blinked, then followed hisgaze, mind turning. "You think someone else killed her, and thatdrove him to kill everyone else. I never thought of it thatway."

"Broadly, there are two types of what we calldedicated killers. The first is remorseless in every way. They loveto torture, to kill, and they have no caring forwhotheykill. Some will develop a taste for a particular look, like onlyred-headed women or adolescent boys, but past that, all thataffects them is opportunity. The other kind of dedicated killer,the kind I think Bittersea is, enjoys killing, but there's morelogic to it. Restraint. A sort of blood code that only theyunderstand, but which they follow zealously. Taking up as anassassin would suit that type. For both, though, there's always atipping point, a catalyst that finally drives them to it. Sometimesall it takes is one bad day. Sometimes it's seeing a perfectopportunity. In dedicated killers like Bittersea, though, usuallyit's taking away the one thing that kept them from killing atall."

"His little sister," Kite said softly. "Heacted normal for her, and when she was killed, by accident ordesign, he snapped. That actually makes a lot of sense. Why wouldanyone want to hurt a little girl?"

"To punish her or punish Bittersea." Lysa'smouth twisted, a pained look in his eyes. "Abuse is a common themein the early lives of dedicated killers. It does not justify thechoices they make, but… but I also understand why so many of thembreak," he finished on a whisper.

Kite moved before he thought, sweeping Lysainto a tight embrace, burying his face in Lysa's hair. "Youescaped. You won't be going back."

Lysa tensed, and then slowly relaxed, all butmelting into his arms. "You can't make that promise. I'm the son ofyour greatest enemy, and you're Regent. You shouldn't even behere."

"I do what I want, as my brother and friendswill be happy to tell you." Kite withdrew and cupped Lysa's face inhis hands. "Whatever happens, however this fucking feud ends, youwill not be going back to that sadistic bastard. All right?"

Lysa drew a shaky breath, then gave a short,sharp nod. "All right."

Letting go, Kite stepped back, hating the wayhe could still feel Lysa's soft skin beneath his fingers. What inthe world was wrong with him? He should be thinking of Lysa as anally, at most as a little brother.

Not noticing how lovely his eyes were, howpretty he was when he wasn't angry and bitter, or screaming inagonizing pain.

"Come on," he said, turning away with moreeffort than he liked admitting. "We should return before the othersstart to worry, even though there's nothing here but dust and badmemories."

"And hopefully a bloodstone," Lysa replied,falling into step alongside him.

Back in the study, the rest of their partyhad stirred. Two were working on food at the fireplace, and anotherguard was packing up the bedding with Tal. Wishta was perusing thebooks and turned her head toward them at the sound of theirarrival. "I see nobody was able to sleep for long. Guess we alljust want to get to work."

"Any ideas at all where to start or whatwe're looking for?" Lysa asked.

Kite sighed. "Unfortunately not. Everyoneknows the story of the Vekketh family, how they obtained thebloodstones and cast a spell that was meant to give them power andprotection. Instead, it destroyed leagues of ocean and leftthousands of people dead, and though the main branch of the familywasn't responsible for it, still they changed their name toBittersea to acknowledge what their bloodline, if only a branchfamily, had done. If there are further bloodstones, they aresomewhere in or below this house."

"Certainly if I lived here," Tal said as hesipped at the tea one of the guards was handing out, "I'd make useof what must be countless tunnels and caverns beneath thishouse."

"It would be in keeping with the family tohave smuggler tunnels and forgotten caches, to be sure," Kite said."Regretfully, the only surviving Bittersea would just as soon setthe estate and its immediate surroundings on fire, so even if I didknow where he was and could reach him, Bittersea would be of nouse."

"A house like this, as immense as it is,seems most logical the bloodstone, or access to it, would besomewhere on the lower floor. Somewhere the owners had easy accessto, but not so much the servants. Tucked away where even thoroughcleaning wasn't likely to stumble across it," Lysa saidthoughtfully. "This study meets all those parameters, though thatfeels too easy to me." He frowned. "If it was a branch familyresponsible for the destruction, how did they do it here, rightunder the noses of the main family?"

"Most of them weren't here at the time;they'd trusted the branch family to attend the estate in theirabsence. I think only a young daughter or something was leftbehind, too young to travel to Cremin and who would have beencompletely miserable there. I believe she died in the fallout."

Lysa winced. "That's horrible."

"To be fair, the Kuluris motto isEven theocean fears us. Hubris, maybe, but no one denies their monstercrest suits them." Especially Bittersea himself, with as manyknives as the Kuluris crest had tentacles.

"Well, I'm not…" He frowned. "I can'tremember how you say it.Not fit to box others."

"My dagger isn't sharp enough," Kite repliedwith a smile.

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