Flamecaster (Shattered Realms, #1)(35)

“For you?” Destin stared at her.

“I blame myself. I knew he was high-strung and entitled, but I thought he understood that there would never be anything between us.” She sighed. “It’s not like we had anything in common—no chemistry at all. He was all, study study study, talk talk talk, and, as you know, I like to have a good time.”

“Yes,” Destin said, like a dolt.

“He fancied himself a theologian.” Lila rolled her eyes. “Always ranting about the evil Church of Malthus and how somebody ought to keep the crows—the Malthusian priests, I mean—away from the Ford. He kept nagging me to join his little band of fanatics and blow up churches and such.”

She slid an apologetic look at the king. “I know you are a man of faith, Your Majesty,” she said, without a hint of irony, “but I’m just not interested in religious debates. Besides, I can’t afford to get into any more trouble at school.”

“Of course,” King Gerard said, his face all sympathetic understanding.

Destin cleared his throat. “Young Hanson sounds . . . tiresome.”

Lila nodded. “That’s what I thought—he was tiresome, but all talk and no action. Lately, he’d been chewing a lot of razorleaf so he could stay awake to study, and he got to acting crazy again. So I finally told him off—the night of Tourant’s party. I knew he was pissed. But I never expected this.” She shook her head sadly.

Destin was lost. “You never expected—?”

“I never expected him to start massacring priests,” Lila said.

Blood of the martyrs. She thinks sul’Han did the killings? Seriously? Destin studied her face. He saw no evidence of deceit, but he was beginning to realize that Lila was a master liar.

Well, he wasn’t going to call her on it in front of the king. Especially since Montaigne seemed willing to go along.

“So,” Destin said, rubbing his chin. “It was Hanson that did it?”

Lila shrugged. “That’s my guess, though I don’t know how he would have lured priests to the dormitory. I was confused, at first, because he didn’t use sorcery to kill them. But I think maybe he was trying to prove something—that he could get things done without magic.”

“Because—?” Destin cocked his head.

She flushed. “Because, well, I told him that I don’t really, you know, consort with mages—no offense, Lieutenant.”

“None taken,” Destin said. “So. Hanson wasn’t among the bodies, then . . . ?”

“I didn’t see him, but I didn’t do a thorough search,” Lila said. “Like I said, I was worried he might come after me. Plus, I had other plans, and I was afraid I’d be stuck there till Solstice, answering questions. So I left. Hopefully it’ll all blow over before next term.”

“We share that hope,” Destin said. He was still trying to get his arms around the fact that Lila Barrowhill had, in all likelihood, saved his life by surviving. Even better, she had deflected blame from Arden by suggesting that “Ash Hanson” had been responsible for the killing. The only way this disaster could have a better outcome would be if she’d shown up carrying the mageling’s head and an apology from the academy.

Destin cast about for something to say, some way to repay the favor. “I look forward to working with you again this winter,” he said. “As I told you the last time we met, there are—”

“Actually, I have other plans for you,” the king broke in, sending Destin’s gut into turmoil once again. “That will be all, Lila. I need to speak with the lieutenant in private.”

They both watched her as she walked away.

“That was a remarkable story,” King Gerard said, when she was out of earshot. “Do you think she really believes any of it?”

“It’s a plausible story, at least,” Destin said. “The mage, sul’Han, was a loner at school, which makes sense for a person trying to hide his real identity. He spent a lot of time with a Voyageur, a hedge witch named Taliesin Beaugarde.”

Montaigne’s mouth twisted. “Voyageurs are like rats. Despite all of our efforts to exterminate them, they keep coming back. They are impossible to civilize.”

Impossible to control, you mean, Destin thought. “We tried to find Beaugarde after the killings so we could question her, but she’s disappeared as well. That seems suspicious. I’d not heard sul’Han was a zealot, but maybe he picked up some radical ideas from the witch. If so, that’s good for us.”

“The deans at the academy don’t seem to be aware of any of this,” the king said. “At least, they’re not following that line of investigation.”

“I think they decided up front that Arden was responsible and so they haven’t looked further. Besides, apparently Lila didn’t report any of this history before she left.” He paused. “I would advise against sharing it with the school authorities. If she’s to be of use to us, it’s best if she isn’t connected to us in any way.”

The king considered this for a moment. “I agree,” he said. “The deans have their suspicions, but they can’t prove anything. As long as they continue to accept and train our cadets, I don’t care what they think.”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Destin said, beginning to hope that he might have dodged the heavy hand of the king’s justice.