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“I hope you’re right,” Mirilla said.

“What other reason could there be?”

“I don’t know. I was just asked to deliver a message for him.”

“What is it?” the warrior asked.

“I’m sorry?” she asked.

“The message. What is it?”

“Um, that he report to Sire Zha Quin’s residence at once.”

The warrior nodded. “I’ll give him the message when he returns.”

“Thank you.”

“You should go back to the palace,” the warrior said, not even looking at her anymore as he stared straight ahead.

“What will you do if he doesn’t return?” she asked.

The warrior pinned her with a cold stare. “Then we will be tasked with expelling the traitor from our ranks. If you are a friend of his, you will not want to be here then, either.”

“I hope that doesn’t happen. But I can’t imagine he’s been gone for this long when so many have searched for him and there has been no trace.”

The warrior didn’t verbally reply, but he nodded knowingly.

“Thank you for keeping us safe,” she said, then turned and walked away, leaving the warrior to face what she already knew… Mir’ Ahn was not coming back. He’d deserted his warriors, his post and her when he found out that his plans had failed. He didn’t even have the courage to remain and face those he’d betrayed. He simply ran, leaving everything and everyone behind. “And in the dust of his departure, he leaves me looking as though I was complicit.” She felt like a vice was wrapped around her heart. It had to have been him. He was the only one who knew that she had gone to the royal residence with the intent of befriending the Sirena. It wouldn’t be a great stretch to imagine that he had watched her coming and going and figured out that she was using an alternate entrance. That along with him having access to her room, and her passkey going missing from it while she was in the cleansing chamber, tied the whole thing up nicely.

She hurried back to the palace, sneaking in the same way she’d gotten out, and thankfully wasn’t seen by anyone at all. Mirilla sat calmly in her favorite chair, the one that was overstuffed and sat in the corner where she often spent her spare time, reading and drawing. She spent all night thinking over the conclusions she’d come to, and each time, she came to the same realization. Mir’ Ahn had betrayed her. And no one was going to do a thing for her but her. She’d be a fool to simply wait until whoever was sent to bring her to the Sire again came for her. And a bigger fool if she thought he’d even consider the factthat his Steward of the palace was responsible for the attack. The only way to prove her innocence was to find Mir’ Ahn. Once she found him, she’d contact the Consortium and the palace, and let them both know. But she wouldn’t wait around to see him brought to justice. She wanted no part of any of them anymore. The only one who even considered the possibility of her innocence was Eula, well, and perhaps the Sirena as well, surprisingly. It was almost dawn when she gathered every bit of money she’d managed to save over the years. It wasn’t much, because most of her pay was in credits, but there was some, enough to make a getaway if she had to. But that little bit of money coupled with the credits on her band were enough to hold her over while she searched for Mir’ Ahn. Assuring herself that she was doing the right thing by not telling anyone a single thing about leaving or why, she changed into clothes that she rarely wore; clothes that were not associated with the palace or her employment at all. She removed the spare passkey from her neck, and laid it on top of the uniform she’d left folded neatly on her bed. Then she opened her door, planning to get out of the palace the way she had before, using the secret exit in the linen closet then through the kitchen to the back door. But there was a problem when she opened the door; namely the large, charcoal-skinned male with the many piercings and tattoos.

“Oh!” she exclaimed taking a step back. “You startled me.”

“Why?”

“Because I didn’t expect you to be at my door.”

“Neither did I. But here I am.”

“Well, I’ll be happy to help you in any way I can. What is it that you need?” she asked, trying to smile at him pleasantly.

Ba Re’s smile was almost instant. “You’re lying.”

Mirilla dropped all pretense of pretending to be of service to anyone. It was the last thing she felt like doing at this point in time anyway. “You’re right. I just want to be left alone.”

“You weren’t lying when you said you had no idea who or how someone attacked the Sire’s youngling.”

“No, I wasn’t. But no one cared about that, nor did they even notice.”

“I noticed,” he said, tapping the side of his nose.

“You scented it?” she asked.

“Yes. I thought that maybe you didn’t give off a scent of a lie, so I came to find out. You do. Which means you were telling the truth before.”

Mirilla sighed. “Doesn’t matter. No one believes me.”

“I do.”

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