Page 28 of Ties of Deception

We came to the wall that separated us from the city.

“There will be guards,” I hissed.

Ethen didn’t reply. He just ran up the wall, catching the top with his fingertips before hauling himself up as if he weighed nothing. I gaped. A few seconds later he lowered a knotted rope.

“Can you climb up that? Otherwise, tie it under your arms in a loop, and I could haul you up.”

As if I would accept that as an option. I eyed the rope, keenly aware that I had done no physical exercise in my short life.

I attempted to pull myself up to the first knot, but the rope swayed, and my feet slipped from the lower one.

Ethen’s voice conveyed his amusement. “Feet on the wall, hands on the knots. No, try not to swing. By all who are dead, can you not even hold your own weight?”

I bit back a retort and wondered if I was better off going back to my villa than subjecting myself to his taunting. Wasn’t he afraid that if he annoyed me too much, I would break something?

After a few more attempts I gave in and looped the rope under my arms. Then I leaned back and walked slowly up the wall while he pulled on the rope from above. When I reached the top, panting, I glared at him before he could say anything.

He grinned. “You always were so easy to wind up.” What could he possibly mean by that?

But before I could ask, he dropped down on the other side of the dark wall, equidistant between two flaming torches. His black clothes blended perfectly with the shadows. He beckoned for me to follow.

I knew I was going to mess this up, but I was no coward, and I couldn’t back down now. I lowered myself on my hands but could only hold my weight for a few seconds before falling.

Ethen caught me at an awkward angle from behind, the back of my head almost colliding with his face. His arms locked under my armpits, but my feet still hit the ground hard. I winced as the impact jarred my spine.

Ethen’s warm breath tickled my ear as he murmured, “I thought goddesses were supposed to be graceful? You’re even called Graces. What was that just now?”

I jerked myself out of his grasp. “Iamgraceful. I’ve just been designed to Bless people, not jump over walls.”

His smile remained, but something in his eyes was sad. “Maybe. Maybe not. But I think you know, Purity, that there is far more depth to you than simply being happy and Blessing people.”

His words made me feel strangely uncomfortable, so I stepped away from him, scanning for the guard patrols. “So where are you taking me?”

He gestured to the road ahead of us. “After you.”

I gave him a second glance, then began walking up the middle of the small road. Before long, a smile spread over my face, and I felt the weight draining from my shoulders, giving me a bounce in my step. Part of me had the strange urge to run, though I knew how well that would go when my muscles still ached from scaling the wall. But there was something incredibly freeing about being anonymous. Normal. I could simply walk down a road like everyone else and not worry about crowds of petitioners analyzing my every emotion or even what Drusella was thinking. There weren’t many people out this late, but those who were hurried past alone or in quiet groups, wrapped up in their cowls.

And though I knew I should distrust this man—this god—behind my back, it was so easy to feel safe in his presence when he was relaxed like this. His looming presence felt far more protective than threatening.

The shops and houses near my villa were large and decorative with hanging baskets of cascading flowers on their walls, the buds clenched tightly shut to hide from the dark. A few, however, bloomed as I passed, despite still appearing grey in the shadows. It seemed that Ethen’s own powers did little to counteract mine.

The Aidis spoke, and I was startled by how close he was behind me. His footsteps were silent, even on the cobblestones. “These people paid a lot of money to have residences and businesses near where you were going to dwell. You see, they knew they’d have good luck and prosper as a result of their proximity to you—the money would come back to them. Many fought hard to be near you. When your family got approved last year, the whole city would have taken you into account with their plans.”

I frowned, looking at the grand houses of the wealthy. “But won’t I bring prosperity to the whole Riverside region? Not just these few streets.”

He came to my side, his sleeve lightly brushing mine as he followed my gaze up a grand marble statue. “Yes, you will bring in more wealth, better trade deals, better health. But not everyone will benefit from that. Those who already have money will now be able to make more from it. Those in closest proximity to you are already blessed with the wealth to afford that honor. Like your family. Not only will they be constantly Blessed by you directly, but they will receive considerable income from your petitioners.”

I hugged myself as I stared at the obvious wealth lining the streets. But I’d already suspected what he was confirming. It was hard not to remember the wide-eyed girl at the Fertility Festival. At least Ethen had helped her, even if I hadn’t.

I spotted a messenger boy who gasped when he found a gold coin on the road near me, then clutched it to his chest and ran off. Determination to make a difference had been building slowly within me. Now, it was only growing faster. “Then I should make sure I visitallthe areas regularly in the Riverside District, and the rest of Yienna if I’m allowed, and bring them all happiness.”

The Aidis nodded, seemingly distracted by something only he could see ahead in the shadows between buildings. “The more you visit each area, the more it will prosper.”

The clouds above us cleared, revealing a night sky filled with dazzling stars. Could my influence even affect the weather? Or was it chance? A cool sea breeze made loose strands of hair tickle my face. The city seemed so peaceful at night.

“It sounds like such a simple thing to visit each area. I wonder why Drusella hasn’t suggested that I go around the province every day.”

He glanced sideways at me and raised an eyebrow. “Now that is a very good question, don’t you think?”

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