Grace Goodwin - Destiny

I had, but nothing useful. “From the tunnel I heard muffled noises, like fighting, but no talking. I ran this way, but when I came out the door, he was dead and alone.”

His frown told me in no uncertain terms that he was not satisfied with my answer. It wasn’t thorough, but again, I wasn’t in handcuffs. “I’m sure Elder Amandine will want to speak with you.”

Other guards appeared, knelt before the body.

“As will the rest of her guard,” he continued. With the body attended to, he continued, “Come with me.”

“But—“

“I said, come. Now.” He pulled me, none too gently away from the guards and Crayden’s dead body. The concern I’d first seen in his eyes completely gone, replaced with resolve and anger. I couldn’t blame him. I’d followed Crayden out of the building and now had his blood all over me. It didn’t look very good.

“I don’t know anything,” I insisted.

He ignored me and pulled. I curled my bloodied hands into fists and walked with him. I had nothing to hide.

Well, that wasn’t exactly true, but I had nothing to hide in regards to this murder.

Thank god this guy had seen me the moment I walked outside. If not, I’d have to call Trinity and beg for royal intervention. I wasn’t sure what the clerical order did to cold-blooded murderers, but if they executed someone for walking into the elder’s office without permission, I knew I didn’t want to find out.

And since the clerics ran the Optimus units, the legal side of things on Alera, I didn’t want to get locked in a cell before I could break Mom out of hers. Although, I could end up on Cell Level C, but this wasn’t the way I’d considered getting in there.

Who had killed Crayden? And why? Because he was digging around on behalf of Elder Amandine? If so, she’d just given him his orders last night. That was awfully fast for things to move from zero to murder. Because he knew something and had to be eliminated like it seemed everyone else I’d heard about on the news? Lord and Lady Jax, Lord Wyse. Had Crayden been next?

If so, then perhaps I was closer to the truth than I’d ever thought.

The guard pulled me along until I was in the very same office I’d been hiding in the night before. He pushed me down into the chair opposite the elder female, and I stared at the caked blood on my hands. Crayden was dead. I was pretty sure he was one of the good guys, so that really stunk. Or had he been? Had he been like a double agent, working for the bad guys and cozying up to Elder Amandine?

God, so many questions. And zero answers.

The guard updated Elder Amandine on what had happened. When he announced Crayden had been murdered, her lips pursed and her cheeks went pale, but she gave no other outward response.

When he was done, her gaze turned to me. “What were you doing this morning, Initiate? Why were you in the elder tunnels? Those areas are restricted to my personal guard.”

Oh, shit. The elder did not sound amused. She’d really freak if she knew what I’d been doing with Nix up against the corner right behind me. And also in the other room.

I crossed my legs, looked up and tried not to blush as memories flooded me, memories of Nix’s hard cock, my orgasms, the hot sex I’d stolen from him in this very room just a few hours ago. Staring into the elder’s eyes was like trying to lie to a very wise grandmother—or at least that’s how I imagined it.

Still, I was a princess. And now, thanks to that very same midnight escapade and overhearing her conversation with Crayden, I was confident that this woman was firmly on my mother’s side of things. Loyal to Queen Celene. Which meant loyal to my sisters.

And me.

We could use a few more allies. And I was tired of chanting and praying and sneaking around. That was soooooo not my style. I was more the smash and grab type.

“Young woman, you will answer me. Now.”

Oh, yes. Total pissed off mom voice. If she knew all three of my names, no doubt she’d be scolding me with every syllable right now.

“All right, but just a moment. I need to make sure we are truly alone,” I said.

“I dismissed my guard. I assure you—”

I held up my hand, pointer finger up in the just a minute signal as I rose slowly and walked along the walls in her inner office, listening. Listening.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

“Checking. Please, don’t make any noise. Just for a couple moments. I know there are no guards nearby. Which was foolish of you, by the way.” The Aleran language flew off my tongue easily, as it had for as long as I could remember. But I saw her eyes narrow at my implied threat.

“I may look helpless, child, but I am far from it,” she scolded.

That made me grin. “Same.”

Perhaps out of sheer curiosity, she watched me silently as I continued my journey around her office. I was less concerned with the outer rooms, as she and Crayden had spoken quietly. No, if someone had a listening device in here, it would be close to her desk. As close as they could get.

When I had circled the room, I asked her to stand. Looking annoyed, she did and I walked around her desk at a snail’s pace.

There. A buzzing so slight the bee making it would have been the size of a grain of sand. But I could hear it. Freaking amazing. I could hear everything . And the more I used it, the better I got at controlling what came into my head and what didn’t.

Sliding my fingernail beneath what looked like a natural whorl in the wood-like surface, I lifted a flake from the bottom edge of her desktop, midway between her chair and the desk’s corner. I began to peel the glue flake from the back of the small transmitter, but her wrinkled hand wrapped around my fingers and I looked up to see her shaking her head.

“Too small.”

I held it out to her with my finger over my lips.

She nodded and then pointed to a place on her desk and I set it down there, gently, in case anyone was listening. Speaking in a normal voice, I stepped away and sat back down in the chair opposite her desk. “I was just curious about the tunnels, Elder. I am new here. I am sorry. I didn’t mean to cause any trouble.”

“And yet, you witnessed the murder of Cleric Crayden.”

I shook my head. “Oh, no. I didn’t. I didn’t see anything. Just found the body. That’s all. You can ask the guard who brought me here. It was all a big misunderstanding.”

“You are coated in his blood.”

“I had to check. You know. Just in case I could help him.” I stared down at the caked blood on my clothes and hands. I wasn’t acting now. The shiver that raced through my body was very real. As was the sadness I felt in my eyes.

“Check what?”

“For a pulse. I touched him. I’m sorry. That’s where all the blood came from.”

“I see.” She swiveled in her chair and stood, motioning for me to follow her to the door. “I will confirm your story with the guard. You are free to go, for now.”

“Thank you. I’m so sorry. Thank you.”

She opened the door to her office. Loudly. “Don’t leave the fortress. I may have more questions for you later.”

“Of course not. I have nowhere to go.”

That caused her to raise a brow, but she waved me into the hallway and I went. To my surprise, she followed, and made a production of slamming her door closed. “Are there more transmitters out here?” she asked in a quiet voice.

I closed my eyes. Listened. Nothing. No guards. No buzzing. Nothing. “I don’t hear any.”

“Good.” She crossed her arms and looked me over like she’d never seen me before. Too damn smart. Reminded me of Trinity. “So, you’re the third princess.”

I gasped. How the hell did she know that? “I’m no one. Just an initiate.”