Fantasy of Fire (The Tainted Accords #3)(71)

She shakes her head, avoiding the area where Blaine sits. “They’re not just recent,” she says. “He’s been doing it for as long as I’ve been with him. He always complained about King Borin’s rule. Said he was a-a stupid bastard who didn’t know the First Sector from the Second.” I dart a quick glance at Jovan, who still stays remarkably silent.

“Blaine disappears all hours of the night from the house. That’s why he stays there while I stay in the castle. He doesn’t want his activity noticed by the watch.” She takes a gulp of breath, eager to hurry through this.

“When he does make me return to the house, all sorts of people come to the door. Thugs, criminals, cut-throats. He takes them into his office and shuts the door so I can’t see anything. But he’s doing something wrong. I know it!” she finishes. I thank her as she leaves, and watch as Alzona wraps her arms around Blaine’s wife. I ready myself for Blaine’s retort.

It’s dry when it does come. He tries to feign disinterest. “So I beat her a few times. If she stopped sleeping around I wouldn’t have to.” There’s a shocked sound, while Macy just hangs her head, long devoid of fighting back. “The men coming to my door are the men I use to gather my intelligence. They need to look the part to fit in the Outer Rings. She’s a foolish woman who doesn’t understand what she was seeing,” he rebuts.

“If this is the case, you shouldn’t have anything to worry about,” I say smoothly.

“Sanjay,” I call.

The red-haired man strides into the center of the room and glares at Blaine, radiating fury. The young delegate has an explosive temper. I hope he keeps it in check.

“Blaine has been blackmailing me for several months,” Sanjay begins abruptly.

“How so?” asks Jovan. He shows interest for the first time.

Sanjay explains how he came to be left at the whorehouse and how Blaine has used it to question him about the recent advances he and Adnan have made in weaponry.

“My source tells me Blaine himself paid the mistress of the establishment to have Sanjay awaken in the presence of two naked whores. Understandably, Sanjay has thought he was disloyal to his wife this whole time.”

Sanjay bows to the king. “I am sorry to have divulged the secrets of your army. I accept whatever punishment you decide upon,” he says, staying prone before his king.

“I will decide on this at a later time, if I deem there to be substance to these accusations against Blaine,” Jovan says in a cold voice. I squeeze my friend’s hand as he returns to his chair, not even bothering to respond to Blaine’s protests about lack of proof.

“The eyewitness can be brought in if necessary, though I doubt we’ll need to go to the trouble,” I add. I beckon Ice forward and start when I’m greeted by Shard instead.

“Forgive me, Tatuma Olina, but I would like to present my own information on what I know of the accused,” he says with a bow. I wave him forward, nervous about what he will say. This isn’t part of the plan.

“I was born in the Middle Ring, the son of a very successful whorehound, their leader, in fact,” he says. I tense at this unknown fact.

“I ran from my father ten years ago at the age of seventeen, seeing that my only future there was to follow in his footsteps.” He paces the room as I did earlier and stops in front of Blaine. “But for several years before I left, I remember this man meeting with my father. I remember this vividly because my father spoke often of how he now had the backing of a rich assembly member. He would brag about it to his friends over brew. Or while one of them was raping a girl in the back room.” I flinch at his graphic words.

“Let us speak to this man, your father. Have him identify me,” Blaine yells, slamming a fist on the table. It doesn’t bother the pit fighter in front of him. The sharp featured, sharper-witted man leans close to Blaine with a somber expression.

“I imagine you only offer because you know he’s dead,” Shard says in a wry voice. “He’s been dead for a whole sector or more, along with six of his top workers.” He hesitates and stands straight. “Frost killed them.”

It’s as though someone has punched me in the stomach. I can’t help a small sound of despair escaping my lips. It’s lost in the sounds of interest Shard’s comment has generated.

I killed Shard’s father?

How could he even look at me? I blink back my shocked reaction as Shard moves past without a glance my way. Has our entire friendship been a lie?

“I grow bored with this,” Blaine drawls. “You’ve never liked me, Tatuma. I must say, the feeling is returned. I find you selfish, sulky, and immature. However, you do not see me deliberately attempting to discredit you to your family and your friends.”

I push thoughts of Shard aside. I’ll have time to process this news later. I need to stay in the game or Blaine will worm his way out of it and Jovan will never trust me again.

“You are certainly entitled to your opinion of me, Blaine. And if you wish to discredit me, be my guest. And though I can’t say you’ve done anything much to me at all, I’m thankful I’ve never been alone with you. From what we’ve learned today, I would be beaten, blackmailed, or dead.”

Ice slinks up to me, darting looks around the room.

“Frost had this man spying for her in the Outer Rings,” I say. “Ice, tell us what you’ve seen with your own eyes.”