Page 65 of Ties of Deception

He took my hand, squeezing it in his. “Don’t apologize. I want you to say these things to me. When you learn information from other sources, I want to discuss things with you as we figure it out together.”

I nodded, dragging in a deep shaking breath. “All right.”

He stood hesitantly. “There’s something else I wanted to tell you. I’m not sure this is the right time with everything else on your mind, but…well, the banquets left the palace rather empty, so Ben and Skanal have been snooping all day.”

My breath caught with curiosity. “What did they find?”

He licked his lips. “They finally found a tunnel. It’s behind a hidden door, but there are signs that it's frequently used. It goes to two places. One is a large temple in the center of Fierro. The other is a morgue.”

Cold shock made me gasp. “A morgue? So they’re really putting souls into dead bodies to create Graces?”

He nodded. “The bodies of young women. It’s another reason why I’m worried about the stakes here and how far the empire will go. I couldn’t bear it if you were harmed.”

I looked down at the woven rug, vibrant with roses. “A morgue. I can see why tunnels might link it to the temples to transport the bodies to be resurrected. But why does there need to be a tunnel between the palace and the morgue? I’ve never seen a priest here.”

Ethen reached out and squeezed my shoulder. “Skanal will be watching it from now on to see if we can get any answers. I just hope it’s not because the palace is their main supplier.”

I swallowed. “There aren’t that many fatal casualties here. Or people who disappear.” The only ones I could think of were Serene and the ambassador, and I was pretty sure nobody was scurrying away down tunnels with his body.

“Yes, but the empress frequently retires Graces here.” He couldn’t mean…

Ethen shook his head as if clearing his own thoughts. “Regardless, I need to inform my father about what just happened at the banquet. I’m not sure if Charity’s motives were merely to disrupt your banquet, or if they ran deeper, but this could lead to a significant political incident.” He placed a quick kiss on top of my head, but his gaze lingered. “Be very careful. I still think we should leave before this goes any further. Think about it. We could leave first thing in the morning without telling anyone. No more hiding. No more having to constantly control your emotions. You would be free of all of this.”

I smiled up at him to reassure him. “I’ll think about it.”

His fingers brushed one side of my cheek with a pained expression as if he hated to let go of me before he turned and left.

Chapter

Twenty-Five

Isat alone in my room for an hour, rolling the vial of poison between my fingers. Then I made up my mind—I had to confront Charity. She couldn’t get away with this. Even if I didn’t have enough evidence to publicly accuse her, I could still lay the blame on her privately and remove her as a threat. And maybe somebody else would find additional evidence later. Maybe they could get the servant to talk about who had given her orders, though I couldn’t imagine who could be more effective at interrogation than an Aida.

I kept my eyes down as I entered Charity’s room. One wall was mostly taken up by an open balcony offering stunning views of the palace garden, city, and distant azure sea. It let in a cooling breeze and the odd scarlet leaf from the vines that climbed the walls.

I bowed my head and waited to be offered a seat, but Charity left me standing. “I must say, Purity, that your visit is most unexpected. Especially after the mess you made of your banquet. What is it you’re after?”

I held out a box of ebony and mother of pearl. “A gift for you, Charity.”

Charity didn’t speak for a moment, and I lifted my eyes, catching the flicker of confusion that crossed her face before she smoothed out her expression. She motioned for one of her maids to take the box. I handed it over, and the silent maid took it to Charity, then opened the catch for her. Inside was the single vial, half full of dark purplish liquid.

Charity’s brows dipped. “Is this what I think it is?”

I smiled sweetly. “It’s distilled nightstar.”

Charity went pale and stood up, jabbing her finger at me. “How dare you present this to me. Is this a threat? Will it be in my drink next time? How did you even get hold of it?”

I sat down, though I hadn’t been invited to. “I know this was in the ambassador’s drink. And I know it was you who ordered a maid to give it to him. This is merely what was left over. I am returning it.”

“This is ridiculous.” Charity went very still. “And what makes you think it’s mine?”

“I have a witness and a confession from the person who put it in his drink,” I lied.

Charity gave the slightest frown and licked her lips. “If that is the case, why did you bring this to me and not the empress?”

I gave a small shrug as if it was a trivial matter. “I thought we might be able to solve this amicably. I’m returning the incriminating evidence. In return, withdraw from Fierro and never interfere with other Graces or the palace again. The servant girl will take the fall alone and refuse to say who gave her orders. I wish for our final result in this competition to be fair. If you continue to use immoral means to attempt to destroy me, I will tell the empress everything I know.”

Charity looked at me for a long moment, and I wondered if she believed I had truly cornered her. A flicker of fear crossed her eyes. “You’ve made your point clear, Purity.”

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