Fantasy of Fire (The Tainted Accords #3)(26)

“It turns to water,” Gerden stutters. Jovan continues to glare at him for a long moment. The man sags when Jovan returns his attention to the rest of the room.

“Half of our force will remain in the First Sector as security, with the rest returning here, or to their homes to conserve resources at camp,” Jovan concludes. The men murmur their agreement to this order.

“This problem aside for now, we must address the civil issues which Blaine has recently brought to my attention,” he starts.

Civil issues?

“There has been unrest in the Outer Rings since before my father’s rule. This has recently turned to mass unrest. Reports.”

His order meets silence.

“In front of her?” one asks.

Jovan stands for the second time. I’ve never seen his men question him like this. Outside of the council everyone hastens to his beck and call. Do they question him because they’re in session? Or because of how strongly they oppose me witnessing their civil agenda?

“The next person to question why the Tatuma is here will never utter another word,” he says. “You insult me by doing so. I do not tolerate insults well,” he warns softly. A shiver runs down my spine.

His threat seems to do the trick.

I sit back against the cold stone of the chair, astonished as I listen to Yate speak. The Outer Rings are uniting in rebellion and attacking the Middle Ring. Possibly gathering weapons. What started this? Was it the Dome? I lean forward, listening closely to the conversation around me.

“King Jovan, we have reason to suppose the whorehounds are close to the root of the trouble,” Blaine states, looking toward Jovan and then quickly around the group. The whorehounds were a criminal gang who collected young boys and girls for prostitution. I’d killed seven of them who tried to take me when I ran to the Outer Rings. Blaine leans forward and covers his mouth with a few fingers. “This group have been slowly strengthening for years. They’re involved in most of the crime rampant in the Outer Rings.” He covers his mouth again briefly, and points at Jovan. “Mark my words, the whorehounds are at the root of the trouble.”

Roscoe addresses the group next, but I don’t hear him because I’m reeling inside.

The quick head movements, the covering of the mouth, the pointing, and the word repetition. Blaine is lying!

Two sectors ago, I’d searched Blaine and Macy’s room, trying to find some evidence he was Prince Kedrick’s murderer. Instead, I’d found documents. Incriminating documents. At the time, I honestly hadn’t cared what happened to Glacium, so I’d hidden them away in my room and forgotten them. But the details of those letters flood back to me now that I’ve caught the greasy delegate lying to his king. Much of the content of those letters could be linked to what was now happening in the Outer Rings! On top of that, I’d seen Blaine’s relationship with Hale’s shady barracks, and then there was his presence in the dodgiest part of Glacium during his exile.

Blaine was behind this.

I should’ve shown the letters to Jovan. Then all of this could’ve been avoided. Now the letters were in the castle in the Third Sector, days’ travel from here.

“You need to be seen helping the Outer Rings in some way,” a man, Jak interjects. “This will calm them. Paint you in a favorable light.”

“Is it possible the instigator of this rebellion could be from the wealthier rings?” I interrupt. Silence meets my words. I press. “It seems odd that the Outer Rings has previously only caused trouble on a small level. I don’t feel as though these whorehounds you speak of would be able to spark such a movement. Surely if they cause the majority of crime in the Outer Rings, they’d be avoided, not followed.”

“I agree, Tatuma,” Roscoe puts in. “I’ve had the same suspicion myself. With the king’s reign still in its early stages and with war at our doorstep, it’s not unreasonable to suppose there’s disquiet in the general populace. A rebel may consider this an opportune time to take over.” Outraged murmurs fill the room.

Jovan is leaning forward looking across at me. Unlike the others, he knows I have firsthand experience living in the Outer Rings. He’ll read between the lines of what I am saying.

“We need to talk to a source.” Yate pounds his fist on the table. “A local.” It’s a good idea. I nod along with the others and murmur my approval.

He continues. “Whatever happened to that Frost woman?”

*

“I wish I could’ve seen your face when he said that,” Jovan laughs in my ear at dinner. I’ve been dragged up to the throne table despite my protestations. At least I got one meal down with my friends. Adnan is there tonight, Roscoe’s son. He must have travelled back from the front line. It’s nice to see one of my delegate friends. The others will soon be back as well, with Jovan’s latest order.

I grin, even though Jovan can’t see it. “It did shock me,” I whisper. “But now that I’ve thought of it, I think the idea has merit.”

Jovan chokes on his drink and I laugh, leaning in. I know Olandon listens on my other side.

“Frost can get your answers. I can get in contact with my friends in the Outer Rings and find out what’s really happening,” I say in a low, rapid voice. I want to find out what Blaine’s really doing in the Outer Rings.