Page 74 of Deadly Maiden

My lord, the suspect has been questioned. She knows nothing of the whereabouts of the girl Wyntre or the dragonshifter. I will find the foster father and seek to bring him to justice and to my knife for more queries about her.

Kroll

“I am always impressed with how this message will be with the king in a blink of time. It gets copied to the skin of a sister at the palace? Amazing, yes?”

She nods, jerkily.

Before I dismiss her, I pick up the knife I used to skin Bethy and step to the partly flayed woman. Gently, I raise her head and look into her eyes with the knife point poised to the left of her throat.

“I will pray to Artreos for you. As will the young novice.”

“Please. No.” A whispered plea.

I smile at her.

Then I drop the point and slowly sink the knife into her chest at heart level, until I feel the beat of the heart thudding through the blade. There, I still the blade for a few seconds, savoring the moment. Her body stiffens, undulates. Her mouth parts in a silent scream.

“It’s remarkable how the heart still beats so strongly after such extreme damage to the body. Isn’t it, Sister?”

Only a whimper comes from behind me. Only a whimper comes from Bethy as I drive the steel fully into her and out the other side, anchoring it into the wood. She will die in seconds.

I return to the bowl to wash away the new blood, telling the enforcer, “Burn both bodies with the cart after the people have time to gawk and see what happened. And her.” I nod at the Sister, whose mouth has remained open as she stares and stares. “Get her to dress and take her to her tent.”

Chapter 23

Wyntre

“Behold, Langordin.” Rorsyd opens his arms wide, rocking in the saddle as Snake-eyes ambles toward the towering gates. The horse’s hooves clop louder as we reach the paving stones. “City of Sleaze, Sloth, Seediness, and Stealing.”

Guards are stationed about the gates—six or seven—and some must be enforcers, judging by the black and silver uniforms. When we get closer, the black-and-gold rose on the breast of their jackets confirms this.

“You missed sin and sex.”

“It has those too,” Rorsyd murmurs. “We should be fine. Notice the mage at the rear with a staff. He’s the one to watch. We should separate. I’ll go first. We’re visiting a friend who works in the Grippa Vineyard. He’s staying at the Rune Inn. Remember this.”

“Okay.” I don’t nod and try to look nonchalant. We hadn’t thought to share a cover story. Until now.

Snake-eyes and Rorsyd keep ambling along; he tags onto the end of a family of merchants. I can’t see anyone to do the same with. I stand out, but it’s too late.

He’s through. No problems.

“Okay. This is us, Blossom.” I tap her side, and she almost breaks into a trot.Too fast.I bet she wants to catch up to Snake-eyes. A subtle drag on the reins slows her.

A poster is displayed on the heavy timber supports of the gate, directly behind the mage.

That’s us.I may have gone a shade paler than I was a second ago.

The guards and enforcers study everyone who passes through this south gate on their way into Langordin. I think my heart stops beating as I run the gauntlet. I smile though.

Ker-thud, ker-thud,says my heart. Thank the gods, I’m still alive, just fucking nervous. Blossom clops onward, shakes her mane at a buzzing fly. Several of the guards cruise a lazy gaze over us.

Excitement trickles down my spine, joining the sweat that’s already there.

Some noise behind me in the column of people has three enforcers hurrying by, ignoring me and Blossom.

Have we passed this test? Pray, pray, pray.Not that I’m religiously inclined.

I draw a much-needed breath, realize I’ve been holding it. A few more strides by Blossom and we are in the shadow of the gate, under the yards-thick stonework, and no one has ordered us to halt. A glance over my shoulder reveals the mage has stepped out and has locked onto me.

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