Page 37 of Ties of Deception

I patted her hand. “Very well, it’s settled then. Tomorrow night, I will excuse you early. Hold a dinner at your house and maybe I will be able to come of my own accord.”

She managed another nod.

The stone hadn’t even finished skiddingacross the marble when I leapt to my feet, cloak already shadowing my face, and walked out into the darkness. “Ethen?”

A shadow moved closer to the dim light, outlining a man with his arms folded. “Going somewhere, are we?”

“I need you to escort me, please.”

He raised an eyebrow in question. “And where might we be going?”

I walked down the gravel path and handed him the paper with Flavia’s address. “I don’t know where that is. Can you take me? Now?”

He ran a finger across his lips as he read the paper, taking an annoyingly long time so I was forced to stop and wait. “What are we doing at this place?”

I straightened my back with resolve. “Something I should have done weeks ago but was too blind to see what was under my nose.”

He shrugged, pocketing the paper. “Well, this sounds like as good a courting opportunity as any.”

I snorted. “I just need your help tonight, Ethen. Not to be courted. I need to help these people.”

He took a little step away from me and swept his hand into the darkness. “After you.”

I wasn’t sure why he indicated for me to lead the way, when I was slow and uncertain on the dark garden paths, and he soon had to take the lead anyway. When we reached the wall, he made us wait for a few minutes in silence—I assumed to listen for guards—before leaping up and throwing me the rope to loop under my arms.

Quicker than should have been possible, we were on the cobblestone streets. I started to relax in his company as the excitement of being anonymous outside the walls flooded back to me. The night was still, and the air was warm and damp. We passed a house with an open door; golden light spilled into the street along with the sound of somebody playing a stringed instrument and singing badly. I peered in and saw a large family all gathered around a man who sat on the table performing. The scene evoked a strange pang of loneliness inside me.

Ethen hovered beside me, giving me space and not seeming to be in any hurry. “You used to love music. You have a lovely singing voice.”

I did? I hadn’t tried to sing, since professional performers had always been provided for me to listen to. And surely having a new body would change my voice. I certainly wasn’t going to experiment with that in front of Ethen.

As the streets became steep and winding, I asked, “How much is six denri?”

He glanced at me. “A denri is about a month’s pay for the average laborer.”

I winced inwardly. No wonder the petitioners I saw were all well dressed and able to afford extravagant gifts. How much of that income went toward maintaining my extravagant lifestyle, and how much did Hermon and Drusella keep?

Ethen stopped with a flourish, snapping me out of my thoughts. “We’re here. Your address.”

I looked up and saw a series of similar doors in a row of narrow terrace houses. Ethen was pointing to a door with peeling paint.

I hesitated and stepped up next to him with an apologetic expression. “Can you wait out here for me? Please?”

He worked his jaw and folded his arms, scanning our shadowy surroundings. “As long as you’re sure that you trust whoever you’re meeting. Shout if you need me. I’ll stay by the window.”

I knocked on the door. Flavia opened it, pale-faced. It was my first time seeing her out of uniform and with her hair down. She appeared so much younger. She looked me up and down in shock, even though I’d told her I was coming. Then she waved me in.

“Thank you for coming, my lady, but please, be careful. I’m worried somebody will find out you’re here.”

I touched her shoulder. “If I’m found, I will say you had nothing to do with this.”

She still looked uneasy. “It is not me who I’m mostly worried about. It’s you. Commonfolk have captured goddesses before to try to bring Blessings to overlooked parts of the city, and it’s not been pleasant. People could start fighting over you.”

I smiled to show her I wasn’t afraid. “Don’t worry. I’m being careful. Where is your husband? Did anyone else come?”

I pulled down the hood of my cloak as she guided me into a warmly lit room. It was furnished with beautifully carved tables and chairs, fresh flowers in vases—and little else. A man sat reading a book, his leg resting on a low table. He tried to stand in a hurry when he saw me, and the table almost toppled over as he pushed it away.

I smiled at Flavia. “You have a beautiful home. It must be hard for you to find the time to keep it so clean when you spend most of the day with me.”

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