Page 107 of Queen of Legends and Lies
Agnar cracks it open, hand resting on the hilt of his sword. “Yes?”
“The foreigners, Helene and Elijah, as Her Majesty requested.” An unseen guard opens the door more to reveal the two people standing behind him. Both sport expressions of curiosity and skepticism.
I wave them in. They step inside, tension rolling off them in waves despite their obvious efforts to appear calm. Helene’s usually shiny black hair is mussed, as if she’s been running anxious fingers through it.
Elijah’s complexion looks a shade paler than usual. His broad shoulders droop, and a small part of me delights in seeing the man who tormented me at Flighthaven nervous.
Helene inclines her head as she enters. “What can we do to help?”
I stop pacing and face them squarely as I recount catching Celeste mixing eyril with some other substance in the apothecary.
“I’m only going to ask this once.” I study Helene for a beat. Then Elijah. “Have either of you taken part in Celeste’s traitorous activities in any way?”
Their calm facades shatter. Elijah’s eyes widen in shock, and Helene visibly winces.
“What? No, that’s not…we didn’t…” Elijah gapes like a fish out of water. “Why would we align with her?”
Helene scowls and props her hands on her hips. “We had nothing to do with this! You and I may not have been close at the academy, and I know we had our differences,” she gestures among the three of us, “but I thought we came to an understanding.”
I continue to study their faces, scouring for any hint of deception. They seem genuinely blindsided by the news.
My gut insists they’re being truthful. A lot has happened since our shared time at Flighthaven, and maybe the adversity they encountered changed them for the better. Maybe it convinced them to quit acting like utter fuck heads and expand their thinking.
A sliver of doubt still niggles at the back of my mind.
Have I grown too soft? Too trusting?
Recent events have proven that even those I considered loyal may harbor hidden agendas. I can’t afford to take anything at face value.
Not anymore.
Weary resignation sits heavy in my chest as I motion for Helene and Elijah to sit down. This interrogation is far from over.
I sit across from the pair, my gaze unflinching as I await further explanation. The silence stretches taut, broken only by the crackle of logs in the hearth. “Start from the beginning. Tell me everything you know about Celeste’s activities. Including anything about her time at Flighthaven and any interactions she had with King Xenon.”
Elijah clears his throat. “We truly don’t know anything about Celeste’s activities, either at Flighthaven or here in Tirene. As our instructor, she didn’t really associate with us. You were there long enough to understand that dynamic.”
Helene nods. “It’s the truth. Our interactions with her since arriving in Tirene have been minimal at best. Just casual pleasantries, really.”
I lean forward, hands clasped. “Why were you two with Celeste when she brought Prince Knox here? I thought we dropped you off at your families’ estates.”
They exchange an uneasy glance.
“Well,” Helene chews her lower lip, “our families were safe, so we decided to go back to Flighthaven and see what else we could learn about the drachen and the corrupted and Xenon’s plans. Celeste came to us and said she was doing the same thing. Attempting to get closer to King Xenon and gaining his trust. We never thought?—”
“We never thought she was working for him.” Elijah glimpses at Helene before continuing. “When she helped us escape Flighthaven and brought us here with Instructor Thorne…sorry, Prince Knox, we genuinely thought she was a good person.”
Helene shrugs. “She risked everything to keep us safe. That earned our trust. We never would’ve gotten through the patrolswithout her. She knew their schedule and paths, which allowed us to sneak right past them.”
The room falls quiet as I absorb this information, mind whirling. Beside me, Sterling shifts and crosses his arms. I can practically smell the tension radiating off him.
“Or…” Bastian’s voice cuts through the stillness. We all swing around to face him. He cocks an eyebrow. “Bringing Knox back was simply the best way to convince us…convince Lark…of Celeste’s supposed sincerity.”
I meet Sterling’s gaze and see my own dawning realization reflected there. “Or she wanted him indebted to her. For his freedom. Knowing he’d likely take the throne…”
Sterling’s jaw clenches. “Oryouindebted to her. Returning me while you were emotionally vulnerable during the ceremony would secure her position either way.”
Helene and Elijah appear stricken.
