The True Culprit

"No!" I yell. "Everyone stay back."

The guards close ranks, barring anyone from joining the king and me on the dais. I try to think. I need to keep people from touching him. We don't know who the murderer is yet

And— Except we do.

It was Vasco who proposed the toast and had everyone's cups filled. We knew one of Kassian's council members had to be in on it. I'm torn. I have to get the little girl out of here, but I don't want to leave the king's side.

And then Kastien, Damien, and Tristan are trying to get past the guards.

"Let them through," I order.

The guards part just enough to let the three men by.

"What do we do?" Katien asks. "He needs a physician."

"Don't let anyone touch him!" I shout. "No one. Stay here with him!"

I leap from the stage and kick off my heeled boots before running for that little girl. When I'm upon her, I lift her into my arms and sprint for the exit. She drops her dirty dishes and grips me for dear life, fearing I will drop her. She makes little protestations, but I ignore her.

Run, run, run.

How far is far enough? What did Kastian say? Fifty yards?

We duck through the kitchens, swerve around overworked kitchen staff, and bound through the back doors. My feet step over rough pebbles and other refuse on the streets, cutting into my skin, but I don't let that stop me.

I have to get her away from Kassian. I'm not counting my steps. I'm too frantic. I have no clue where I'm going, but I don't stop until I'm exhausted, which admittedly, isn't that far away.

It's not often that I have to exert myself.

We collapse on the ground, and only then do I register that the girl is sobbing, her little hands grasping my neck.

"I didn't want to be there," she's saying. "They told me to. I didn't know why, but I knew something was wrong. First they had me touch him and then—and then—"

She bursts into more tears, her wracking heaves making it impossible to hear anything else she says. I don't want to listen to her crying. I want to go see if Kassian is all right. But I can't let her get away. She must know or be able to point out who is behind everything.

"Who are they?" I ask. "Who told you to be here tonight? Who made you touch him?"

She can't get any words out. She's still so shaken from the way I dragged her away from the party and from the sight of the dying man she must now know is partly her fault. I want to shake her, to get her to listen. But I know that won't help. And I know it's not really her fault. She's been used by people older and far more powerful than she. I just want her to say Vasco is behind it and have the whole thing done with.

"Loralie?" It's Kastien.

"Over here." I bother to actually look around to where "here" is. We're in some sort of gap between the stables and a small runoff from the mountain.

When Kastien comes into view, I ask, "How is he?"

"He's all right, but he's asking for you."

I look down at the girl. "I can't leave her."

"I'll stay with her. She'll be here when you get back."

I hand her over, and the little girl allows herself to be held by a new stranger, though somewhat reluctantly. "It's all right," I tell her. "He's a good man." At those words, she lets her face fall into his chest and resumes her sobbing.

And then I take off again. This time, I actually feel the pinpricks of pain that go through my feet with every step. The scenery is a blur around me as I hurry back in through the kitchens and into the ballroom, a nice streak of brown coating the bottom of my once-yellow dress.

Kassian is standing, his back to a wall, no shadows in sight, but I hope that is a good thing, not a bad one. His council is trying to order about the guards, escorting party guests away.

"Are you all right?" I ask.

Seeing me, Kassian grabs me and pulls me to him. "I'm fine. Look at you! Are you hurt? Where did you go?" In as few words as possible, I explain about the little girl and how I rushed her from the room. I tell him Kastien is with her now.

"Thank goodness for Kasien and this lot." He points to Tristan and Damien, who stand on either side of him. "My councilors kept trying to approach me. Vasco has already been carried off to rot in the cells until I'm ready to talk to him. My father's best friend…"

I'd forgotten what this means for him. It's not only about catching the person who is trying to kill him. It's about obtaining justice for his dead parents.

"There was more than one," I say. "I couldn't get much out of the serving girl, but she clearly said there was more than one person involved in this plot. I'll go back and question her as soon as we're done here."

"Someone else can do it," Kassian says as his arms tighten around me.

"It can't be you. You must stay away from her. We need to figure out what to do with her. But later. For now, we need to know what she knows, and there are too few people to trust. Where are your shadows?" I tack on at the end.

"Once I healed from the poison, I wanted to hit things. Vasco's face, in particular."

I resist an eye roll. "You should go upstairs. Rest from this ordeal. I'll join you as soon as I have more information."

He sighs. Then he looks over at the men flanking him.

"Go with her. Help her with anything she needs." Somehow, my chest warms at the absence of him telling them to protect me. He knows I can protect myself. He doesn't even need to mention it.

I sit upon the dais and hastily brush off my feet before shrugging on my boots once again. Now that haste isn't required, I can afford to wear them. Then the three of us return to where I left Kastien and the girl, who appears to have finally calmed down.

I kneel down to her height. "What's your name?"

"Drea," she says after a sniffle. "Please, I didn't know he was the king until today. I never saw him before."

"It's okay, Drea," Kastien says, stroking a hand through her hair, "tell them what you just told me."

"There were two of them," she says. "That man, the one who announced the toast to the king and queen. And the lady."

"What lady?" I ask. There's a woman involved?

"The one who's always wearing black. But tonight she's in green."

What. the. Fuck.

***

I feel my brows shoot up to my hairline. "Lady Zervas."

Of course. Poison is a woman's weapon. She hated Kassian's father for not choosing her. Of course she would have him and his wife murdered. And of course Kassian. She tried to warn me to stay away from him because he wouldn't be long for this world. Her hatred must run so deep that she would want to kill the offspring of the romantic union that should have been hers.

Kastien hangs his head. "My uncle. I'm so sorry, Loralie. I had no idea."

"I know," I say. "It's all right. We've already apprehended him, but I need to alert the guards to Lady Zervas's treachery as well."

"No need. I'll do it. You—Will you just take care of him and tell him I'm sorry?"

I place a hand on his shoulder. "You have nothing to be sorry for."

"I should have noticed something, surely. I could have—"

"Stop it. There's nothing to do but let it go. You helped Kassian today. And you two as well," I add, turning around to where Damien and Tristan are keeping a lookout. "I'll make sure the king remembers it. It's time he stopped pushing his friends away. Especially with his parents' murderers finally caught."