Chapter • 36

♱ • 1750 B.C.. • ♱ • Callisto • ♱

"And the girl?" Asra asked me and it caught me by surprise.

I had been so distracted between her and Loren that I forgot about the prisoner.

"What's up?" I asked leaning back over the chair and the redhead in front of me smiled.

"I heard she came with you."

I snitched.

"Azrael's idea, he found it dangerous to leave her in the palace" I said shrugging "in the end... we have not yet got rid of all the priests, let alone the pope."

The pope.

He was the real problem. An ordinary human - as far as everyone knew-, but with so much sacred energy imbued in his body that a single touch of his would be able to make Loren a time bomb about to explode.

I've had nightmares about that bastard since the day Loren was put in my arms.

Asra nodded.

"Don't you know anything about the pope's whereabouts? Even after all this time?" she seemed to mean something, suggest something.

"We tried, but even if we kept a vigil over the villages, nothing was discovered," I explained and Asra laughed.

"The same vigil that failed to find out about the tributes?"

I looked at her, my body had stopped like a machine that jammed when it encounters a small problem, something insignificant.

"What are you suggesting?" I asked, although after those words I already knew, just wanted to hear from his own mouth and Asra allowed it.

"That there are traitors among your own, dear."

Traitors.

No.

It couldn't be true, well, at least I didn't want it to be, because in my kingdom there was no forgiveness for something like betrayal.

"Watch what you're saying, Asra," I warned "can't go around accusing people without proof."

She shrugged her shoulders.

"I'm not giving you names, am I? I'm just stating a fact after all... either they're cheating on you, or they're a bunch of incompetents." She played as she sat on the desk and crossed her legs giving me time to think.

It was like watching a predator play with a helpless mouse or rabbit - and for the first time -, I was the rabbit.

"Why would they betray me?" I muttered "I don't remember being a bad king, or a master..."

She smiled.

"And do traitors need good reasons?"

Ah!

The image of Quinn's smiling face popped into my mind, her hand resting on her belly that must have been bordering on 7 months.

There was not a single reason for betrayal, Quinn had dropped his sword for months, had given up much of his powers and with the little one in her womb, she could barely match one of the princes of hell to the level of power.

She wasn't a threat.

The child in her womb was not a threat and yet... yet they were betrayed.

My eyes fixed on the figure of Asra, sitting, smiling as she played with the paper weight in the shape of a heron.

"Why?" I asked as my throat closed.

I would kill, kill any traitor.

"Who knows?" Asra mocked "who was responsible for finding out the pope's location? Who was responsible for watching the villages? Where was the information lost?"

Why didn't I ask myself any of those questions? Where did I hang up? Where did I get lost?

"I don't know" I realized as I leaned my face against one hand "but Azrael must know."

Asra's eyes sparkled.

"Azrael..." she hissed.

"Yes" I said breathing deeply "he's the one I know wouldn't betray me."

Asra smiled, a sly smile - the communal smile that has always been on her face since she became my concubine.

The smile that brought me cold in the spine.

"Haven't you learned yet, darling?" She whispered leaning over the table towards me "you can't trust anyone, not even your shadow..., not even your lover."

I blinked, you unbeliever.

"What is it?"

Asra walked away and again her posture seemed perfect as she stared at me.

"Calisto, you're in a war and I know it's complicated for you, but... you're not trying to survive just by yourself" she reminded me "you're here to make sure Loren stays alive, you're here to avenge the death of the one you love" those words awakened something within my being "so why don't you stop playing house?"

My pride was wounded, in fact - it would be true to say that it had been destroyed, crushed by the words of the duchess of hell -, the merciless phoenix that swallowed the sun.

"And what should I do?" I muttered "doubt everyone and treat them as enemies?"

She shrugged her shoulders.

"Doesn't that sound like a bad idea, after all... would someone give their own life to save their son's?" His gaze was sharp, sharp as I had never seen him before.

"They're my people," I said.

"And among your people, there are traitors" she added "traitors who hurt your people in your name, who mistreat them, who destroys them and then incites hatred in their direction. There are traitors who plan to kill your son, who would arrest him without a second thought and condemn him even for the sins he never committed."

Those words hit me like a long spear, which was crossed carelessly in my chest, tearing me in two, dividing me between certainties and doubts, between being a good king or the one I promised Quinn would be: someone worthy of his love, someone who could protect our son. Someone who wouldn't miss a second time.

"How?" I asked looking at Asra "how can we find the traitors?"

She smiled.

"First? Investigate, investigate personally, each case" she said as she jumped to the ground and leaned over the desk putting her face next to mine "first, let's go to the villages, We'll interrogate the families I've talked to and then we'll go to the next village that's been taxed, go from one to one, until we find something useful."

"And then what?"

"After? We will go to the saint" he mocked and in his eyes there was a certain malice "and we will make her speak, after all... what kind of saint does not know where the pope is?".

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