Page 27 of Ties of Deception

“It’s nice to be out of the palace, but I can’t stop thinking about what goes on there.”

He raised an eyebrow and sipped his wine, clearly expecting more. He leaned back against the table.

I knew it was a bad idea to give too much away, especially to him. But I was tired of hiding every emotion—every thought. And finally, here was a person not telling me over and over to simply be happy. The words came pouring out. “I’m not sure if I’m trapped in a dream or a nightmare. On the surface, everything seems so simple, so perfect. Iwantto make people happy and prosperous. I want to be happy myself. I get to live a life of luxury and help people by doing so. But…what I saw in the empress’s pavilion, and the way the other goddesses talk… I… Well, I’m guessing things aren’t quite as simple as they appear. Drusella wants to keep me ignorant of the politics and darker side of things, but I’m not sure she can. Everyone keeps tugging me in different directions. And Iwantto know. I want to understand so I’m not vulnerable, so I can do my job and make people’s lives better. A job I suspect other Graces easily forget while they're competing for Prince Sebastian or trying to please the empress…”

My words trailed off. Did I really want to admit to this man how lost I was in this world? Not that he was technically a man. I didn’t even know his name.

He sipped his wine, his eyes on the floor. “Some things are better shown than spoken. Do you trust me enough to let me take you into the city?”

I lurched. “The city? When? I’m in confinement and, even when it’s over, Drusella would never allow it. She says it’s too dangerous for me to leave my litter. A lot of people were pushing the guards last time.”

The god chuckled, and his lips curved into a relaxed, lopsided smile. At this moment, he looked far more like a god of mischief than a god of death. “We could go now. Lady Drusella would never know.”

My heart started to pound. “But the walls… And it’s dark…”

He cocked his head, and his expression fell, as if he were a little disappointed in me. The thought hurt me more than it should. “That won’t be a problem.”

I swallowed. Was I really considering this? If something happened to me, nobody would know who I was. “And you promise to bring me back safely here tonight?”

“Unless you request otherwise, yes.”

I hesitated for a moment longer. But this was what I wanted, wasn’t it? To understand what was going on. To have the knowledge to protect myself and help others. To enable me to see the world as it really was, not just the parts I was supposed to see. And not only the world, maybe myself too. What it meant to be a Grace. And whether I was more than that too.

Besides, I wouldn’t be trapped in this villa, which was an infuriating waste of my time.

I licked my lips to moisten them. “What’s your name? The empress called you Aidis.”

“The Aidis is my title as the son of the king of the Unseen Lands. We rarely use our name outside of our close family so nobody knows me as anything other than the Aidis here. But it’s Ethen.”

“Ethen,” I repeated. It was softer than I was expecting. My heart warmed in response to him telling me, while my head only became more confused. “But I should only call you the Aidis too?”

He shook his head. “No, in private, call me Ethen.”

I blinked at him in shock. “Why…?”

He interrupted me with a grin. “So do you want to go into the city, Purity? If you want to get any sleep tonight, we should leave now.”

I took the dagger from underneath my pillow and made a show of sheathing it in my waist sash, before finding the plainest cloak I had—still thick velvet—and wrapping it around my knee-length tunic.

Ethen raised an eyebrow. “Are you still planning on stabbing me, then?”

“I’ve not made up my mind,” I muttered.

He shrugged but used a lower gentler tone. “You won’t be in any danger tonight. I wouldn’t let any threat get near you.” He gestured to the huge sword strapped across his back.

I met his eyes with a glare, despite the fact that part of me appreciated his words. “I’d rather be able to defend myself. I don’t know why I should see you as a reliable defense.”

He shrugged and drained his wine before sliding the cup back across the table. “Oh, I don’t know. Maybe the fact that I’ve been extensively trained in weaponry and hand-to-hand combat, am at least ten times stronger than you—not to mention faster—and know this city well.”

I folded my arms. “I was talking about protecting myselffromyou. Or if we’re separated.”

He chuckled. “Defend yourself from me? I take it you didn’t hear a word I just said.” He held up his hands in a truce. “Well, I’m glad you’re prepared. Just don’t cut yourself.”

The heat rose in my cheeks. This insolent, rude, infuriating…

He strode to the gaping darkness between the pillars, the curtains billowing around him. “Are you coming? If you want to see everything before dawn, we’ll need to be quick.”

I pulled the hood over my hair and bit back a retort, following him out into the gardens. Despite the darkness, the air was still warm, and the cloak already felt stuffy. I pushed back my hood—it was too dark for anyone to recognize me anyway—and followed the god’s back at a quick pace, wishing I could be as quiet and sure-footed as him.

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