Page 55 of A Deception of Courts

Her only discerning feature was the symbols across her now-greying skin – marks that would never reveal another human’s story again.

Rafaela’s fellow Nephilim had done well to fold the wings beneath Gabrial’s small, broken body. But there was no hiding the patches of missing feathers or the irritated gashes that sliced across the bone-like frame of the wings. Whoever –whatever– had done this to Gabrial, had made sure they left their mark.

And as if the horror she’d been through was not enough, it was believed her tongue had been gouged from her mouth first. The fey healer found only the stump of flesh in her mouth. Not that it made anything better, but it was believed Gabrial had died from suffocating in her own blood. I only hoped her death was swift and provided her peace from the mutilation she’d fallen victim to.

Rafaela had hardly made a sound since she brought the body to us. I had to convince myself that she’d not turned to stone from grief. Every time the Nephilim took a breath in, as though she’d forgotten how to do so for too long a period of time, I felt the chill of relief. The only noise she made was a guttural growl when anyone got too close to Gabrial. There was no denying the fear in the fey healer’s eyes as she tugged the white sheet up to cover the horror completely, finally removing it from view.

Gabrial’s body had been discovered when Rafaela went to tell her of the summons Kayne had sent, the note tied around Lucari’s leg. When Kayne was told of the circumstance, he paled so white I saw webs of blue veins beneath his complexion. Especially since Lucari hadn’t returned since.

He knew this looked bad for him, but there was something telling me that he wasn’t to blame. For Duncan, I’d keep Kayne safe from speculation until we all figured out what had actually happened.

“We are truly sorry for your loss,” Queen Lyra Cedarfall said, her strong voice settling across the deathly silent room. Her words were meant for Rafaela, who showed no sign that she’d even heard the fey queen. “It saddens me we have met one another under such circumstances–”

“Gabrial is notlost,” Rafaela spoke for the first time in what felt like hours. And she sounded as broken as she looked. “Gabrial is dead, returned to the arms of her maker before time. I do not want apologies. I wantanswers.” Slowly she lifted furious eyes, settling them on everyone in the small crowd. “Now, I ask you… why is my sister dead?”

Why?Such a clear question, to the point and precise. Yet why was it the hardest to answer? That word alone opened a multitude of further questions. None of them we could answer, no matter how we wished to do so.

“I don’t have the answers for you, Rafaela. But I swear it, with everything we have at our disposal, we’ll help find what did this,” I replied, tearing my mind from the haunting memory of Gabrial’s flayed, greying skin. “I understand our promise may mean little to you, but I swear it.”

Duncan placed a steady hand on my shoulder. I was thankful for how anchoring his touch was.

“This is Aldrick’s doing, I don’t think we need to waste time thinking otherwise,” he said, placing his spare arm around Kayne’s shoulder, protectively drawing him in close. A twinge of jealousy was born from his actions, and I couldn’t lie to myself, seeing it displeased me. But I swallowed my pathetic misplaced emotion. Now wasn’t the time for it.

“For our sakes, I hope you are wrong, Duncan,” Elinor added. “If Aldrick’s influence can reach this far, we have no chance against him.”

“I dare the Defiler to stand before me. In the Creator’s name, I will avenge her.” Rafaela trembled on the spot, standing so suddenly that her chair clattered against the floor. “By nightfall, I demand the culprit to be presented before me for judgement. Turn your camp upside down, I do not care. But you find me who did this to Gabrial, I demand it.”

“You think it was one of us?” I asked, sensing the accusation in her words.

Rafaela cast an accusatory stare across the room. Her full lips were drawn into a tight line, draining the colour from them. “I don’t know what to think besides how specific the murder was. It was to weaken us, to keep us on the back foot. Gabrial is dead because of what she can provide – could provide us.”

Rafaela was right. Gabrial had been killed because of the insight she could’ve provided regarding Aldrick. Without her, our ties to getting information had been completely severed. It was an unsettling thought, but not as damning as the idea someone in this camp was not working with us, but against us.

“Why did you request our audience?” Rafaela asked, snapping her eyes from Lyra, to Elinor, and then to me. “Was it to break bread and discuss unimportant matters, or was it because you recognised what Gabrial could do forourcause?”

I couldn’t find the words to reply, knowing what Rafaela was suggesting. It was Lyra who answered, and even her voice shook with knowing.

“Robin informed us Gabrial had access to insight on Aldrick, an ability to read his past and present.” Lyra kept her posture rigid, refusing to back down against Rafaela’s clear insinuations. “Yes, we required her for her gifts, but do you really believe we are the ones who… murdered her? As you said, she was an important asset.”

“She was more than an asset.” Rafaela’s cheeks blossomed with heat, staining her skin a rich crimson. Then she turned her attention on Kayne, just as I expected she would. “You sent the summons, where is your bird now?”

“I… don’t know.” Kayne stifled a sob, catching it in his fist as he, too, worked out why Rafaela believed Gabrial was murdered. “Lucari did not return.”

“Then I trust I do not need to explain any further as to where my suspicions have found themselves.” Rafaela’s jaw trembled as she gritted her teeth. Muscles hardened in her jaw, matching the fury in her bright, accusatory stare. My eyes flew to her hands as they were gathered like boulders at her sides, for a moment I feared for Kayne’s safety.

I stepped forwards, drawing out of Duncan’s touch and positioning my body before them both. “We can throw accusations around, or we can spend our time getting the answers you need, Rafaela. There is no good to come from pointing the blame. What is important is we ensure this does not happen again. Clearly, we are not safe here, not anymore. Perhaps we never were. Not with this unknown killer among us. It is important everyone is questioned regarding their whereabouts.”

“Unknown,” Rafaela barked, eyes widening at the word. “Find me that bird and let us see if it really is unknown.”

“Lucari wouldn’t have done this,” Kayne snapped. “If you think she is to blame, or even if I am, then why would I be stood here? If I was guilty, I’d be long gone.”

“Kayne has spent most of the evening with us,” Althea said, actually standing up for the Hunter. “In fact, there is someone who has suspiciously faded off into the shadows.”

Rafaela’s attention snapped to the fey princess, tongue lapping at her lip as if she hungered for the information. “Who?”

“The Asps. They haven’t been seen since we docked,” Althea said, looking directly at me. “This stinks of the bite of an Asp. Their loyalty lies with those who fill their pockets with coin. It wouldn’t take much of a price for Aldrick to pay one. Perhaps Seraphine would be the first person we should investigate, since she’s seemed to disappear at the right hour?”

“No.” I shook my head, the word practically exploding out of me. “Aldrick is behind the murder of Seraphine’s twin sister. Historically the Asps have not been the most trustworthy of people, but there is no amount of coin that Seraphine would accept to ever work for Aldrick.”

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