Page 67 of By Mistake
"Probably too lazy to maintain them," Oresti said as he stepped inside."So what is Andrus up to?"
"He wandered into the back areas, I think to see how the servants lived, the state of the kitchen, and so forth."
Oresti smiled faintly as he swept his gaze over the study.It was entirely in dark browns and blues, with very little else to lighten the oppressiveness.Every wall save the one the door was on had been fitted with bookshelves, and they were full to bursting.The wall immediately behind the desk seemed to be entirely personal journals, from multiple people over at least a few generations.An odd choice, Farthing's family didn't seem the type to leave such damning information behind.But who knew, maybe the books were written in code or only included boring things.
Ignoring them for now, despite the curiosity gnawing at him, Oresti focused on the desk.There wasn't really anything of interest, just the usual financial ledgers, correspondence, and other miscellany you'd expected to find on a noble's desk.He'd started drafting a letter to someAunt Mildra, a name that sounded vaguely familiar but did not bring up anything in Oresti's mind.He'd have to ask Alina or Latasha later.
He checked the desk over for secret compartments, and found three, but even those held nothing of particular interest just: money, some notes on an illegal control spell he'd never finished working out, and some rather raunchy drawings of a woman Oresti was fairly certain would never let Farthing anywhere near her.Hmm.He'd give those to Alina and let her speak with the woman about possible betrayal in her ranks.
Setting those aside, he turned his attention elsewhere, not even certain what he was looking for, really.Farthing was dead, there was nothing they needed to prove anymore, no further schemes they needed to worry about.The loved ones of the murder victims would never see justice, but at least they'd know the killer was dead.
"Aha," Shimari said."Look at this."
Oresti abandoned the journals he'd just started to look through and rounded the desk to join Shimari at the bookcase directly opposite it on the far side of the room.Shimari kicked a book on the bottom shelf, and the bookcase swung open slightly with the faintest creak."No wards?"
"None at all," Shimari said in disgust as he pulled the secret door open and led the way into the room.
Oresti whistled.Here was the sort of thing he'd been looking for.Volume after volume of magical tome, some of them highly illegal.One wall was given over entirely to drawers and cabinets, the very same kind in Oresti's dressing room.His held jewelry, scarves, other miscellany required for all his many outfits, especially the fancy ones for formal events, like his crown.
These though…well, some of them did indeed hold jewelry, but all of it contained power of some sort.From the way Shimari growled, his eyes glowing red, that power had come by way of especially foul means."Some of these are minor demons, some of them are human.He ripped out the souls of actual mages.There are other beings here, as well.Two succubus, which is concerning for a lot of reasons.Brownies, not surprising.Nasty little fellow, even worse than I realized, and that's saying something.One would think having Renik of the Hunt in your pocket would be enough, but for some, there's no such thing asenough."
"Well, he should have learned it, because if he had, he might still be alive.All that and he still wanted Kressen."
"I wouldn't be surprised if his goal was to have all five of us," Shimari said, dumping the various bits of soul-containing jewelry into his pockets."He would not have been the first to try.None has ever succeeded."
"I'd wager because they don't secure you first."
Shimari smiled sharp as the blade of a scythe."I cannot express enough how remarkable it is our little pet summoned me by mistake.In lieu of a brownie.If anyone could capture all five of us, it would be him, and he'd just be annoyed about it."
Oresti laughed softly."Yes, yes he would."He poked around the rest of the cabinets, which had more books that Farthing never should have had, some more ordinary type valuables, and a disturbing collection of vials of blood, each one meticulously labeled with the person it had been taken from.Thankfully, Oresti did not see his own or anyone from his family, or Andrus's.He'd already known that, because if Farthing had possessed Andrus's blood, he could have gotten into the house whenever he wanted, but it was reassuring to see that for fact anyway.
Even though the man was dead now, and none of this mattered anymore.He didn't think Farthing's death would really get through his head for at least a few months.Leaving the room, he fetched a mage and a clerk and set them to cataloguing and packing up the secret room.
Shimari flitted off back to Andrus, and Oresti returned his attention to the journals.Specifically, he searched out which ones had belonged to Farthing's great grandfather, Elemus Farthing.The man who had initially summoned and bound Kressen, sent him to kill Shimari.When that had failed…
Oresti read, pausing only when someone needed his attention as the people he'd brought set to work in earnest cataloguing and packing up anything of even remote interest to him, investigators, or the crown.
When he'd finished, he set the book down.Shimari, you two should come up here.
They appeared barely before he'd finished speaking, and Andrus asked, "What's wrong?"
"Elemus Farthing killed Prince Kolik, and you'll never in a hundred years guess the real reason why."
Andru's brows drew down sharply, "What do you mean?It was because of the magic laws, right?Did he seriously write down that he killed him?"
"Yes, plain as day.He regretted it, according to his journal, said he succumbed to an anger he should not have."
Shimari scoffed."He didn't feel bad enough to confess and keep the Bothwell family from suffering for it, so I doubt he felt any such thing."
"A coward is a coward," Oresti said, "and killers are most often just the meanest sort of coward."He opened the book to the relevant pages and turned the book around for them to read."He never says it explicitly, but he says more than enough.He was in love with Prince Kolik, or at least obsessed with him, and couldn't stand that Kolik wouldn't spare him a look, was working on those magic laws that would make his life more difficult,andwas clearly having an affair with the man Elemus hated most."
Andrus's frown continued to deepen, sadness and anger etching deep lines, as he read.
"Cannot say I'm surprised," Shimari said."It did not occur to me at the time, as the changes to the laws pertaining to magic were reason enough…but looking back, yes, that would track."
"How depressing," Andrus replied, closing the book and setting it back on the desk."So much violence and tragedy because not accepting 'no' when they hear it seems to be a Farthing family tradition."
Oresti picked up the book and stood."At least we can clear your family name once and for all.I'll take this to my father later, and he can handle the matter from there.It will probably take a few months, as things have to be verified for authenticity and confirmed externally as much as possible, but honestly, that's all formality.The truth is laid out plain as day, with so many other journals to confirm this was a family habit.I'll have these packed up and delivered straight to my rooms.I'm going to read every last one and see what other dirty secrets this family has been hiding all this time, generation after generation.For now, though, I think we've done all we can here.Did you find anything interesting, Andrus?"
