Page 85 of A Conduit of Light
“Ido apologize.Ishould not have stayed to listen.ButIdid, and nowIam quite curious about your inquiries,Karus.Whyall these questions?Andwhat’s with the gloves?”
“Iwill tell you, but you have to walk with me.Ineed to get this basket toMoirabefore training starts.Andif we don’t hurry, we will be late.Again.”
Hetook the basket from her hand and slid his fingers into hers, bringing them to his lips to kiss lightly.
“Don’tthink you’re off the hook for eavesdropping.Thatdiscussion can wait, though.”
“Ilook forward to you chastising me.”
Sherolled her eyes, his beguiling grin forcing her to look elsewhere as they left the dining hall and began their ascent up the unyielding black stone staircase.
Shekept her voice low and close, nodding to the servants as they passed, going about their duties. “Ispoke toBaronHeimlenafterIleft you inViridis.Sylvashowed me to his rooms.”
“Behindthe painting?”
“Yes.Ididn’t know that they were there or why they are hidden.”
“Honestly,Ihave no idea either.Imuch prefer ours, away from all these stairs.”
“Well,Irealized something asIwas waiting, looking at the ridiculously large portrait of him as a youngBaron.”
“Oh?” he mumbled through a mouthful of bread and butter that he had somehow managed to get to his mouth with one hand holding hers and the other holding the basket.
Shetook the basket from him and let it rest on the crook of her elbow, ensuring its contents would not be completely devoured before they reached the top of the staircase.
“Irealized that something was strange about the portrait.Hewas much younger in it, yes, but he was also not wearing gloves.”
“Thisis a very odd conversation.”
“Butthat got me thinking,” she continued, ignoring his comment. “HaveIever seen him without gloves?Doesn’the wear them at all times of the day, inside theFortressor not?”
“Maybehe likes the feel of them.”
“Or, asIconcluded, he’s hiding something.Andthat got me thinking about theBlackFever.”
“TheBlackFever?”
“Yes.Yousee,Idon’t know how much of the details you’ve been told, but theBlackFeveris called such because the victim, once infected, is bedridden with a fever and the tips of their fingers turn black and are riddled with thin lines of markings that run down the length of them.”
“Yes,Iknew that.”
“Evenwhen the victim dies, they keep these markings.”
“Andif they survive?”
“Yes, if they survive as well.ThePrince’shands were marred and discolored even when he was cured.”
Hesqueezed her hand in acknowledgement. “Andso, you’re asking around to see ifBaronHeimlenhas always worn gloves.Yoususpect he has these black fingers—why?”
“Istarted to think—wasn’t it extremely convenient that theBlackFevercame toHyrithiaafter theQueenhad told him that she would not give me up?Afterhe understood thatIwould never willingly leave?”
“Convenient, yes, but why would you thinkBaronHeimlenhad anything to do with it?Hewould never cause something so destructive.Hewould not kill thousands of people, no matter how much he needed you here.Notto mention how much power that would take.Toorchestrate something like that—to create such a deadly disease—I’venever heard of such a thing.Andwhat?Heproduced this disease and then caught it himself while also curing himself?That’sridiculous.”
“Butthe timing—”
“Thetiming was advantageous, yes, but that doesn’t mean—”
“Haveyou seen him without gloves,Revich?”Shestopped on the umpteenth staircase landing, pulling on his hand wrapped around hers so that he had to face her.
