Page 72 of The Court of Secrets
Adius squeezed my shoulder. “I’ll deal with him. Come on.” He turned me around, then walked me down the steps and into the dungeons.
“He didn’t know who you were,” Adius said.
I looked at him incredulously. “It doesn’t matter. He shouldn’t be grabbing anyone like that. Make sure you deal with him, Adius, or I will.” I scowled, trying to refocus on the task at hand, but he had blinded me with anger. Were all servant girls treated like that? “You can ensure disciplinary action for anyone doing anything like that in future. If I hear of it, I’ll be much harsher with my punishments.”
He nodded slowly, looking abashed. “Of course, Majesty,” he whispered and creaked open a second door. I followed him past wrought-iron bars and sniveling prisoners. Rats squeaked, running as our feet hit the stone near them. The only light seeping through came through tiny square windows at the top of the cells.
“We don’t have much time.” I quickened my pace to match his.
“Here.” He stopped next to a cell with the man I recognized from the coronation. My disguise was worth nothing down there.
His expression charged with anger when he saw me. “Come here to kill me yerself?” His nostrils flared. “False queen.”
I gripped the bars, looking down at the hunched figure shackled to the wall. “Who claims I killed my father?”
He snarled. “Someone who wouldn’t lie.”
“I can take a good guess who that is, but I need you to confirm it.”
He spat on the ground, his expression darkening as he stood. “I’d rather hang than help you.”
“You will.” My expression hardened. “Your death will mean nothing. You will feel the life squeezed from your neck for nothing but a lie unless you tell me who told you. I can spare your life and give you a lesser sentence if you only give me the name.”
“It’s not a lie.”
“I never killed my father.”
“Yes, you did. You were seen.”
Panic flicked my gaze to his, and he smiled sinisterly. “There it is. The truth. No man or woman can hide it, not from their eyes.” His eyes bulged, making him appear unhinged. “You can put that rope around my throat. I’ll be welcomed and rewarded by the ancestors.”
I scoffed a laugh. “You’ll be punished for attempting to murder your queen. I was appointed by them.”
“When everyone finds out you killed the great King Amos, you’ll face a far worse execution than me.”
My stomach knotted. “Even if it were true, which it isn’t,” I lied, “why do you care?”
“We are in service to the ancestors. They will reward us.”
I shook my head. I knew it already in my gut, but I wanted to see if he’d flinch. “Vahaga is not a good man, and the ancestors are not who you think they are. There is no peaceful spirit realm. We’ve all been lied to. Whatever promises he made you, they will not be kept. You will have died for nothing.”
Anger guided his tone. “Vahaga will see that you are dethroned and your head rolls.”
I smirked. “Vahaga.” I smirked toward the ceiling. “Thank you.”
The man cursed as I walked away. Adius walked to my side, looking pale even under the dim light. When we were out of earshot, he grabbed my shoulder and turned me to face him. “What did you mean by all of that? Was it a scare tactic?”
I closed my eyes for a moment. “Adius, I’m sorry, I don’t want to lie to you, but I know how religious you are.”
“Tell me.”
I inhaled deeply. “The spirit realm is just an energy trap for the souls who aren’t elders, or monarchs, or priests or priestesses. Their energy is drained to give us magic. It’s like torture for them. I went to the soul river, and so did my mother.”
Suspicion crowned his eyes. “What happened?”
“My brother told us the truth, at great cost to himself. He was in pain and was dragged from me. He took a risk divulging the betrayal. We have all been lied to.”
“Maybe he was lying.”
