Page 23 of Between Wrath and Mercy

“I hear your heart racing, asshole, just tell me. She’s my daughter; I deserve to know.” I snapped at him, and his eyes shot to mine. He contemplated it for a moment, his face unreadable. He could look intimidating when he wanted to, with his strong brow and high cheekbones working with his expressions to make him seem unapproachable. His face was a handsome one, and his long straight nose gave him the appearance of nobility.

“We don’t think Faxon was being held prisoner. The rat mentioned he’d met him before.” He watched me, pity in his eyes—dark brown to go along with his onyx hair. I stared at him for a moment, willing him to tell me more, and his bronze skin darkened at his cheeks.

“What do you mean?” I demanded. My stomach writhed. I knew something was wrong. Faxon kissed me that morning when he left. That was when I should have known he had no intention of coming back. My skin crawled where he’d placed his lips to my cheek.

Dewalt heaved a sigh and brought both of his feet down onto the ground in front of him. He leaned forward, head down, and put his hand on the back of his neck. He truly didn’t want to tell me.

“Debt. He owes debts all over the city. Rainier and Lavenia are looking into them now.”

What? How could he have debts? Everything was paid for by my father. He went into Mira every couple of months, but it was to visit shops we didn’t have in Brambleton. What kind of debts? I started spiraling a bit, a list of questions about to tumble off my tongue. I couldn’t breathe properly. Steeling myself, I eyed Dewalt, knowing he’d see fire.

“Get out.” I ordered. He gaped up at me, dumbstruck and unmoving. “I just want to put my damn pants back on. Get out for a minute.”

He sat there for another second before he realized what I’d said. He made for the door just as there was a light rapping on it. He glanced over at me, as if seeking permission to open the door I had just told him to leave through, and I groaned in frustration. He opened it and stopped Lavenia from entering the room as he pushed out.

“Evidently, Emma doesn’t like to wear pants when she sleeps.” Dewalt couldn’t have been more annoying if he tried. I heard Rainier’s low rumble of a laugh in the hallway, and I felt myself flush.

“Just give me a minute.” I muttered as Dewalt stepped out and closed the door behind him.

I ripped out of the bed and caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror above the dresser. My hair was halfway out of the braid I’d worn earlier, so I finished the job and ran my fingers through it as my thoughts went to Faxon. Thatasshole. That absolute piece of shit. We were at home, relying on the stipend from my father, making minimal trips to stay hidden,sacrificesto stay hidden. And he was traveling to Mira, racking up debt gambling, no doubt. Did he say the wrong thing to someone? Did they find out about Elora? I was simmering. With fear, with anger. I reached down onto the floor and pulled on the breeches I’d left in a pile, doing the buttons with rage-shaking hands. I stalked to the door, a picture of wrath.

“Your Highnesses,” I gritted my teeth as I showed them into the room. I abruptly realized Dewalt may have some sort of title since he was Lavenia’s bonded partner, but I didn’t care enough to find out at the moment.

“There she is.” Lavenia gave me a lopsided smile that didn’t reach her eyes as she walked in.

“Be careful, Ven, she assaulted me. Don’t push her,” Dewalt warned, a small smile on his face as he entered the room.

“Assaulted you?” What was he talking about?

“You heart-checked me!”

“Oh, that. Not sorry.” It wasn’t as if I had hurt him by doing it.

Rainier had taken a seat in the armchair, one elbow on an armrest. His chin rested in his hand, and his eyes were simmering with an emotion I couldn’t quite place. I was embarrassed. He’d warned me not to marry Faxon, as if I had much of a choice. But here we were, years and years later, and he was seeing just how right he was. My pride was hurt. Rainier had rejected me, and then I’d married someone who gave me nothing but Elora. And now, whatever Faxon had done had taken her from me.

Dewalt stood next to him, leaning against the wall. I was sure he told them in the hallway that I knew some of what they had to tell me. Lavenia perched on the end of the bed and watched me as I paced back and forth between the window and the door. She looked tired. I wondered if she’d used her ability to compel anyone while they were out. She didn’t like to do it for a few reasons, the exhaustion one of them. She once told me that it felt gross, forcing people to do and say things against their will.

“Well? Out with it.” I barked at no one in particular. Lavenia cleared her throat.

“Faxon has been gambling. A lot.” I’d already figured as much. He must have been weaseling away some of the money from my father and bringing it here to waste. “He owed debts to—well, almost everyone.” I nodded, still pacing.

“Including libertines.” Dewalt felt the need to add insult to injury today, apparently. It wasn’t helping. I threw up my middle finger in his direction without sparing him a glance, and I heard Rainier stifle a snort.

“Yes, including libertines.” Lavenia’s tone was sad. I didn’t give a single rat’s ass who owned his debts. I didn’t care about his patronage of libertines. It’s not as if I had ever been amenable to his advances, and I wasn’t stupid. I’d already suspected he’d found his release somewhere else. I just figured it would be some girl from Brambleton. Someonefree. Lavenia watched me sadly, pity in her eyes, and I felt my face flush.

“I get it, not surprising. You’re not going to find me weeping about it.” It was embarrassing but not astonishing. Having to reveal it to the three of them hurt more than any sort of claim against his fidelity. I couldn’t help but notice Rainier adjusting uncomfortably in his chair. I exhaled, just wanting to know more. “Did someone take her to force him to pay?”

“That’s just it.” Her face was grim. “It appears he paid off most of them last night.”

“What? How?” I didn’t know the numbers, but I knew we didn’t have money laying around to pay off debts to every creditor in Mira.

“No one knew. He still owes money to a few of them.” Of course, he did.

“Where did he get all the money?” No one in the room answered, and my stomach hollowed out, dread filling me.

“He told the remaining creditors he’d send the rest of the money—that he had investments in Folterra.” There was sympathy in her midnight eyes.

My mouth went dry. What kind of investments?

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