Page 237 of The Poison Daughter
“Nonsense,” Colleen says, grabbing my hand. “This is exactly what Agony night is about. It’s about sharing memories to share the burden of our collective grief. Your sister sounds like a very brave woman.”
I swallow hard. The sudden shift from contrived storytelling to real sympathy throws me. “Thank you for listening. The more people who know what we have been through—who know the stories of the people we love—the more their memories live on. It makes me miss her a little less.”
I hear a chorus of greetings on the far side of the patio.
Rafe has finally arrived. If I were a true believer, I would see this timing as Divine. He shakes hands as he enters the party, but I notice it’s all men who greet him. The women of the high houses seem to shrink away.
Annie tracks my gaze and sighs. “I guess we have to go welcome the mayor with the rest of them.”
“You’ll find no welcome for him from me,” I say just loud enough to cut through the din of conversations. Several people outside of our group turn to see what I’m talking about.
Harlow is directly in my line of sight. She pauses her conversation and gives me the barest hint of a nod.
I wave a hand in dismissal. “Look, I have been living in the woods a long time and I know things are different here. There are political gamesto be played and that man has made himself indispensable in this community. I don’t want to speak out of turn.”
As Annie grabs my shoulder, I can feel Harlow’s eyes on us. I have no idea if it’s amusement or jealousy, but I hope it’s the latter.
“You must speak your truth tonight, especially after sharing that story. For Holly,” Annie says.
The group around us nods. I try to ignore the way the reminder that I’m doing this for my sister and betraying her at the same time feels like a blade slid between my ribs.
I take a bracing breath. My dread is no longer manufactured. “I told you how we’d never seen a horde of Drained that big. They were so coordinated and advanced compared to what we had seen in the past, like the ones who just attacked North Hold last week.”
They all nod and lean in closer. I’ve got them on the hook—it just takes the slightest tug to haul them in. This is the trickiest part.
Lowering my voice, I lean toward them. “When the Drained showed up, the blessed in our ranks sensed the distinct feeling of Polm’s influence.”
Colleen gasps. “You think that someone compelled them to attack the fort all at once?”
I cast a narrow-eyed glare at Rafe. “I know exactly who did. Rafe saw us coming and going through North Hold more frequently, and I think he sensed his standing with the Carrenwells was falling behind my family. With Holly set as heir of Mountain Haven, I would be free to move anywhere to marry into any family, and we all know the Carrenwells decide which families hold the gates. North Hold would be an obvious choice given our relationship with the Carrenwells at the time and our knowledge of the road north to Mountain Haven.”
I see my implication hit the group of them. I feel like a puppet master pulling strings. It’s easier than I thought to muddle my sister’s memory by mixing lies into her story—to speak words that make me feel sick. I know that Harlow’s right. There is no dignity in revenge. There’s only what I will do and what I won’t.
Once I remember that, the lie is easy. Because it’s not a lie I’m telling to anyone who matters, and it’s certainly not something I believe. I have always known who my enemy is, and one way or another, Harrick Carrenwell is going to pay for his sins. This lie is just another tool tobring me to the end game of this plan. When I really think about it, there’s something very satisfying about him thinking he’s getting what he wants, right before I rip it all away from him.
Colleen clicks her tongue, her eyes lit with anger. “This makes more sense than I care to admit. We already know discreet violence is a method he likes. How many times did we see that wife of his in long-sleeved dresses out of season?”
“I saw her fixing the glamour around a black eye once in the ladies’ washroom at a North Hold party—back when he used to throw parties up there,” Annie says, shaking her head. “It’s a wonder he’s still mayor.”
“It’s the common people,” I say. “It’s easy to see the sway he has on them—of course, that could just be that manipulation magic at work.”
The revelation dawns on their faces in a wave. I’m just planting seeds, but I can tell they’re taking root already.
“I can’t believe I’ve never even considered it,” Patrick says. “He could be doing it to any of us who don’t have Polm’s blessing.”
I step closer to and drop my voice lower. “This is why I didn’t want to say anything. We should all be very careful with him and very skeptical. We have it on good authority that Rafe sent the horde away. While it might have been done for the sake of the city, he could have just sent them off into the forest. He didn’t have to direct them at the fort. Anyone who can do that is powerful, and that kind of power would make them unstoppable. I would like to hold him accountable when the moment presents itself. Do you think—” I look down and blow out a breath. “No. I couldn’t ask that of you.”
“Couldn’t ask what?” Patrick asks.
I look up and meet their eyes one by one. “I know things are different in the city and you all survive on alliances with other houses. But if the moment came when I could finally hold him accountable—would you stand behind me, given all you know personally? I have tried to make peace with this knowledge for ten years. I have offered it up to the Seven Divine. But I couldn’t rest knowing he might be here doing the same or worse in Lunameade. It’s clear he’ll do anything to hold on to power, but after the breach at North Hold last week, I couldn’t hold my tongue anymore.” I wave a hand. “Maybe it’s just my old memories coming to haunt me, but it feels frighteningly familiar.”
Their faces are grave, and while I know I’m lying about the subjectmatter, I am confident about the implications I’m making. Rafe is dangerous, and if they didn’t know it before, they do now—and everyone will be better off for it.
Annie and Colleen are both already nodding.
Patrick steps closer. “You have my support,” he says as he claps me on the back. “If there’s one thing we loathe in this circle, it’s a grifter. I think we’ve all seen hints of it over the years, but this brought all these puzzle pieces together. You can count on our support for whatever you need.”
The rest of the group murmurs their agreement.
