Page 63 of Ties of Deception

I spoke before I could help it. “I didn’t do it.”

Constance nodded and gestured to a seat. “Of course you didn’t. Who would poison a guest at their own banquet? But still, you might’ve been more careful.”

I sat down, my heart still thumping erratically against my chest, which made it impossible to sit still. “How could I even guess something like this might happen in order to guard against it? Small sabotage, yes, but killing an ambassador?” I pushed back my hair with more force than necessary. Every place it touched my face and neck irritated me, and I wished I’d tied it up. “Would Charity go this far? Surely it would be too much even for her?” My voice broke. “I never thought I would have to guard against poison in my guests’ cups.”

Constance leaned forward and handed me a glass of deep red wine. I hesitated, not sure if I could drink anything now. “Purity, listen to me. Even though you didn’t poison the ambassador, as the host, you need to admit responsibility for not ensuring the safety of your guests—it’s what any reliable person in authority would do. There will be an official investigation into who did the poisoning. You don’t need to take part, if you don’t wish to. The empress will probably let you return to Yienna as soon as your name is cleared.” She leaned over and patted my hand. “But that is not what I meant when I said you needed to be more careful.”

I raised my eyes in question. What could possibly be more important than this?

“A servant in the banquet hall mentioned you spoke to the Aidis today, asking if he knew how to save him. I know it was short, but you were more informal than you should have been. Understandable with the stress you are under, but…”

Twisting nerves became a leviathan in my belly. I thought on my feet. “That’s the problem? That I wasn’t completely polite in an emergency? He’s a god of death. My Blessing didn’t work since he was already dead. I thought…maybe…”

Constance’s face was stern. “There are two reasons it was a mistake, Purity, and you must never repeat it. The first is this: the physician thinks the poison was nightstar. Have you ever heard of it?”

I shook my head. I hated to lie, but didn’t see how I had a choice.

“It’s only used in the Unseen Lands, and it is forbidden for it to be picked and transported. This alone makes the Aidis the main suspect. Second, the victim was the ambassador from Suza. They are not on good terms with the Unseen Lands ever since the last king of Suza died. He passed away unexpectedly before naming an heir and he had five sons by two women. The councilmen of Suza sent a request to the king of the Unseen Lands to let them visit the Vale and ask their late king’s soul who to choose as his heir to prevent civil unrest. The king of the Unseen Lands refused. He said the souls had to be left at peace. As a result, there was a rather bloody coup in Suza ten years ago. Many insults have been traded between Suza and the Unseen Lands since.”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I opened my mouth and almost defended him, saying Ethen would never do such a thing. Almost. Instead, I diverted my words, speaking a little too quickly. “But…isn’t he a god of death? If he didn’t like somebody, surely, he could just…you know…make them die in their sleep or something similar? There would be no trace.”

I glanced at Constance. Her honey eyes were fixed on my face as if watching every expression there. She spoke quietly. “Maybe he wanted to send a message.” She shrugged. “Whether or not he’s guilty, he will be a suspect. You need to not speak to him at all.” She stopped and angled herself fully toward me, looking down and rolling her lips as she carefully considered her words.

“Purity, before I explain more, I need you to tell me plainly: You’re not…courting him, are you?”

At once, it was as if I was underwater. Sound became muffled and it was hard to breathe. Pressure pushed in from all sides. What had I given away? “Courting the Aidis? Why would I want to be taken from my home to the Unseen Lands?”

Constance frowned a little, the wrinkles scrunching her delicate nose. “Just—forgive me for asking—but what happened when you two first met? When you cracked the walls of the balcony of the palace and were sent home until you learned to regulate yourself?”

I licked my lips and watched my hands, trying desperately to keep my face blank. I was close to panic. “Pris, the daughter in my family, told me to avoid the Aida at all costs. She said they were dangerous, that their touch killed mortals. When I went out on the balcony, it was dark. I didn't notice him until I was standing beside him. I’d already been feeling a little overwhelmed by the party, and I overreacted. I was worried he was going to kidnap me… I panicked. I know it was silly. He seemed quite amused by the whole thing at the time. I guess it happens to him occasionally.” I attempted a humorous, self-deprecating smile.

Constance didn’t return my smile—she was still studying my expression. “You need to be careful to never interact with him again.”

I sighed. “I know. Aida can be dangerous, and I understand he’s after a Grace.”

Constance shook her head. “It’s more than that. Do you understand what happened to Serene? She was talking with him, and then she ended up dead.”

Cold shot through my body. So Constance knew she was dead. More than that, she knew why. My voice sounded very small. “I assumed it was the stress of the palace. She never seemed to fit in.”

Constance leaned forward and lowered her voice. “Have you ever heard of the term ‘Fated’?”

I licked my lips. “Hermon once said it was a term for falling in love with somebody the moment you see them.”

She huffed a laugh. “Hardly.” She turned her eyes to me in an intense expression. “Most don’t know this, but the Aidis is seeking one Grace in particular—one he is ‘Fated’ to be with. She is more powerful than the other goddesses. If anyone suspects that one of the Graces could be her…well…sometimes things happen.”

The room didn’t seem to contain enough air. “What sort of things?”

She looked away, folding one knee over the other. “Whoever controls the Fated Grace has access to the most powerful Blessings. The Aida will want it for the Unseen Lands, but it’s a big loss for the empire.”

I frowned, trying to process the new information. “Then why do they let the Aidis here in the first place if they don’t want him to take a Grace?”

Constance shook her head slowly. “No, they are happy for him to take a Grace. But this time, they want him to identify the Fated one for them. It takes time for her power to grow, so she isn’t obvious to anyone but him for the first few years—sometimes longer.” Constance raised her eyes back to mine. “This is why you must avoid him, Purity. It’s not so much that he is dangerous—although he is—it’s that you don’t want people testing you to determine if you’re the Fated one. It is not…pleasant.”

I gaped at her, trying to piece together everything I knew. “And the result of being ‘tested’ is that what killed Serene? Or drove her to kill herself? Who is it? Who is doing the testing?”

Constance looked down, and I didn’t miss the slightest tremble in her fingers before she folded them on her lap. “I’m afraid I can’t answer that question, Purity. I’m just trying to help you. Don’t repeat any of this. But if you’re in trouble, I can help. If you gain his attention, let me know.”

I blew out a shaking breath, needing space to process this later. “And if I can find out who poisoned the ambassador, would that help make up for the fact it happened at my banquet?”

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