Page 85 of This Monster of Mine

“Like Tetrarch, like Petitor,” Tullus snarled. “Tibi gratias agofor the summons, though this wasn’t the sight I expected. Sending her to do your dirty work, Kadra?”

It was on the tip of her tongue to say that she had damn well made her own decisions when Kadra squeezed her shoulder.

“No less dirty than what your friend’s been up to,” he said mildly, with a glance at Helvus’s corpse being moved to a pallet.

Tullus’s eyes flashed. “There’s no authority on which to believe those accusations. Yourgirlis deluded.”

“Then you’ll have no complaint if I seek authority by cutting open a scutum to see if the accusations hold true.”

“Producing scuta will be slower than ever now, and you want to chop them up? You would deprive people of a shield for your ego?”

“This ismyQuarter.” Kadra’s voice was soft. “Mine is the only authority here. If your friend wanted to market lightning rods as shields, he should have conned people on your land. Seeing as you don’t seem to mind.”

Sarai’s pulse thudded at the gimlet stare Aelius leveled on Kadra.

“Let’s put the issue to trial then,” he said coldly. “You have a month to bring anything to support your suppositions. If you fail, the appropriate decision will be rendered.”

Tullus’s eyes filled with disgust when they found her. “As to the matter ofyouractions, there will be charges. When the Metals Guild files a petition, we will act on it in accordance with the law.” His eyes said,As you should have.

A buzzing rang in her ears as both Tetrarchs stormed out. Sarai could barely bring herself to look at Cisuré. The other girl looked like she’d aged a year, new hollows under her eyes.

I’m sorry, Sarai mouthed. Cisuré’s expression hardened before she left as well.

A slight movement of Kadra’s head, and Helvus was unceremoniously dragged out of his home. The ridges of his spinal column peeked through the hole Admia had blown.

Four years ago, hers had probably looked similar, broken in so many places that the healers had groused that she was more work than she was worth. She realized that Kadra’s hands were still on her shoulders. Withdrawing, she steadied herself against a wall, following it out of the house perfumed with blood.

She’d known that the law served the needs of the powerful. Truth and fairness were only raised for crimes by regular folk. When the wealthy butchered their way through life, the only words used were “necessary” and “profit.” Justice was a game of who could tell the better story in courtand pay off iudices and vigiles. But she’d hoped that the Tetrarchy was different. Because if their leaders were different heads of the same monster, then this was a land without hope.

She could still feel Tullus’s fingers on her throat. A room crowded with Tetrarchs and Petitors, and only Kadra had stopped him.

A weight draped over her shoulders. Black and gold robes slid across her skin.Speak of the Wretched and they appear.

“Thank you for stopping him,” she said hoarsely.

Something that looked oddly like conflict twisted Kadra’s face and vanished. “You may regret saying that.”

“Because I’m in more trouble now that you can shield me from? You’re right. Perhaps it would’ve been better if Tullus snapped my neck.” She blinked back tears. “It’s ludicrous. Everyone was too scared to question Helvus, too fixated on the gods to search for a tangible explanation, or too eager to believe that everything he said was true. And despite Helvus admittingeverythingin what I Materialized, the Tetrarchy cares more about me procuring evidence illegally than what the evidence says.”

Wrath save me, I’m going to be on trial.A month from now, her life could be over.

“If only Aelius and Tullus hadn’t arrived, I—” She halted as Tullus’s comment returned to her.Tibi gratias ago for the summons, though this wasn’t the sight I expected.

Her blood went cold, eyes rising to the silent man across her. “Did Aelius and Tullus get here so quickly because youaskedfor them?”

Kadra watched her for a long moment. “I did.”

“Why?” She didn’t care that her voice had gone thin with dread.

He raised an eyebrow, silently asking her if she really didn’t know. She stepped back, wanting him to speak, to banish the horrible conclusion she’d reached, but he was motionless, gaze half-calculation, half-emptiness, and all power.

“You let me come here alone on purpose,” she whispered.

“I did.”

Truth.There were no coincidences with Kadra. He hadn’t sent any summons while riding with her or in the midst of the chaos at Admia’s domus, meaning he’d sent for Aelius and Tullus beforehand. But for Kadra to have warned them to get to Helvus, meant he’d known the Guildmaster was in danger, and that could only mean …

“You knew,” she said in dawning horror. “You knew about the iron dust in the scuta before I found out. But you needed proof.” The conclusion crystallized and stabbed deep. “So you sent me off, knowing that I’d be angry and foolish enough to fish it out of Helvus’s or Admia’s head for you—” She stopped before her voice cracked. “You godsdamned manipulator.”

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