Readers,
I know I haven't posted in more than a week and I'm really sorry. Thank you for being patient. I'll try to write faster.
Edit: Thank you so much to the reviewer who pointed out my mistake in writing Danto's name two times in the chapter where it was supposed to be Sasha. So sorry for the confusion. Yes, Danto is dead and no, he's not the one talking to Cinder in this chapter. I corrected the error. Happy reading!
The air crackled with her disbelief. "What?" she managed. "What do you mean dead?" They can't be dead. Sage was not a murderer. He couldn't be.
Sasha sighed. "The Selkirk family was brutally slaughtered, Your Majesty. We've never had this kind of crime in Luna before with Levana..." He stopped and hesitated, proceeding with caution. "Traitor Levana glamoured us into compliance to prevent her people from rising up against her. Your Majesty gave us freedom of thought and action, which we are ever grateful, but it can also have major consequences. During our first sweep of the Selkirk's home, my officers and I found Danto in the kitchen as I had told you already. We also found a key clenched in his hand, but we had no idea what that key would fit into and where it would be. During the second sweep, one of my more talented," Sasha's lips twitched, as if he wanted to smile at the ridiculousness of what he was saying, "guards tripped over a loose pebble in the cellar. Imagine our surprise when this action unlocked the mechanism controlling the bookcase which we had previously deemed immovable and bolted to the walls."
Cinder's brows rose. "A secret corridor going down, I suppose." That's how it happened in all the stories. How had this been kept from her knowledge? "How... archaic of Danto to have one of those. Isn't it illegal to construct miscellaneous levels to the residences without consent from the judicial branch? What did Grayson have to say about that?" she asked, naming the head of her fifth-tier thaumaturges.
Sasha shook his head. "When I subtly inquired about it, he said he had never heard of such a case. I checked the application records, there was nothing. It wasn't in the records. Off the charts."
Cinder drew back, rubbing her temple, her headache back in full force. "So what you are telling me is that we are dealing with a band of felons. Not just one assassin. First Danto, then Sage and there might be an architect involved."
"Interesting, isn't it? Every one of them young and have some connection to the council. Anyway, we went off on a tangent. After my guard activated the bookcase, we obviously went down to investigate. My team was immediately bombarded with the vilest smell. Something akin to rotting meat. When we got to the bottom we found a small, well-lit alcove. The room was dug into one of the unmapped lava tunnels. Also illegal," he added as an afterthought.
"It seems that Danto was into all kinds of unauthorized activities," Cinder said musingly.
"Yes. The room was home to a variety of illicit Earthen drinks. Probably smuggled to Luna on all of Danto's trips to 'better our relations with our neighboring planet'," Sasha said scornfully. "We found broken steel manacles scattered on the floor and the Selkirk family with their throats slit. The murder weapon was nowhere to be found. The blood was congested, meaning that the massacre likely occurred about an Earthen day after you left for the Eastern Commonwealth. There were signs of struggle, all illustrated by the broken wine bottles, but the sharp glass was eliminated as the cause of death because their wounds were narrow and quite finely carved into the flesh. If the cuts were caused by glass the injury would have been more jagged. He clearly enjoyed whatever he was doing and is possibly insane." Sasha grimaced. "Sage painted words on the walls with their blood. He wrote and I quote, 'Remember me'."
Cinder reeled back in horror. "Sage couldn't have done this, could he?" But if the journal was correct and Sage was one of her former friends... He would have known that she lost all her memories from before. Remember me. "Stars," she breathed. "It is him." She bent double, dry retching. No. It couldn't be. Why would Sage give away evidence that the killer was him? Her head pulsed painfully.
Sasha reached for her, but Cinder held out a hand to stop him. "The architect," she gasped out. "What about him?" Her fourth-tier thaumaturge paused at the change of subject.
"It is highly impossible that the architect killed the Selkirk family, Your Majesty," he said.
"I know, but, just... What have you found about the architect?"
"We found the architect's signature on the building contract, also in your official stationery. But-" Cinder interrupted impatiently.
"Who is it then?"
Sasha rubbed at his hand absently and clenched it into a fist. "Seth Blackcrest," he muttered. "The architect was Darius Blackcrest's first son. The one that got disowned." Cinder frowned.
"What do you mean disowned? Reece has an older brother?" That was news to her. Sasha's mouth tightened.
"This was before you came to the throne. Darius's first son was a shell, and because of the infanticide laws, he and his wife gave Seth up to the authorities. I believe, Seth Blackcrest is in his mid-twenties now. Exactly nine months older than Scion-Elect Reece. According to the archives, Seth was one of the main builders you assigned to construct Ember city. He lived there for a while before moving back to Artemisia to train into the Ember guard."
"I appointed him to oversee the building of Ember? But I didn't hear anything about a Seth Blackcrest."
Sasha looked at her strangely. "He changed his name, obviously. He wouldn't have advertised his family name. After all, they abandoned him."
Cinder glared at him. "No, that fact was not obvious." Her thaumaturge shrugged.
"He's known as Aiden Finn nowadays."
"Oh," said Cinder, the name triggering a mild recollection of a shy man with perpetually messy blonde hair. "Sage's boyfriend," she murmured. Interesting, very interesting. Sage absolutely despised Reece but had no qualms with dating his older brother?
Sasha raised a bushy eyebrow. "Pardon?" Cinder bit her lip and waved a hand.
"Just talking to myself. Do go on."
He shook his head. "That's all we have for now. I'll contact Your Majesty when we have anything more. For now, we will arrest Sage Sablewood and Aiden Finn."
"No," Cinder ordered. "Arrest Sage. Leave Aiden to me. I would like to question him, myself. If the building contract was in my personal letterhead as you say, he was probably ignorant of his partner's deception." Sasha stood and bowed deeply.
"It will be as you have said, Your Majesty. Stay safe. Would you like me to send some of the Wolves Guard over from Luna for your protection?"
"That will not be necessary, Sasha. We have traitor Sage in custody already. Thank you for all your help."
Sasha frowned in disapproval, but didn't argue. "It is always a delight to aid Your Majesty." He bowed again and backed out of the room. When the door closed behind Sasha with a click, Cinder slouched back into her seat. Sage. Aiden. Sage. Oh, stars. What was she going to do? How was she going to explain to the Lunar council and Atticus? The door slammed open and Reece barreled into the room.
"Sage," he gasped out. "He's..." Reece bent over trying to control his breathing. Cinder rubbed her head, scrunching her perfectly placed curls.
"I know," she said heavily. "I ordered it."
He froze, before words poured out in a torrent. "What! But why? I thought you guys were friends. Did he do anything? Hurt you? Stars, I'm going to kill him." He paced heatedly, like a caged animal. "I knew he wasn't good for you. He was always acting so familiar with you. I swear I'm going to tear him apart if he touched you."
Cinder attempted to smile weakly. "He didn't do anyth-" she started to say, then stopped. Sage did plenty. Almost killed her several times. Massacred the Selkirk family. He didn't deserve her pity, or her lenity. Sage was a turncoat and there was no clemency for such actions. "I have my reasons," Cinder said dispassionately. From the look on Reece's face, he was probably imagining something much worse than murder.
"Did he-"
"No," Cinder snapped, then softened her voice. "Sage didn't do whatever you are thinking, Reece."
Seeing the look on her face, Reece hesitated. "He hurt you." It wasn't a question.
"Sage is the traitor," Cinder said on an exhalation. "It was him all along. I feel like such a fool. You had warned me about him for so long, but I thought it was just because of your stupid feud." Cinder gazed up at him, eyes filled with confused betrayal. "Why him?" she whispered. "Why? What did I ever do to make him hate me enough to want to kill me?" Reece shook his head helplessly.
"I don-"
Scarlet strode in green eyes burning a fiery emerald. Cress followed behind her, wringing her hands. Cinder stood to greet them with a weak, tired quirk of lip. Cress opened her mouth, then shook her head and snapped it closed. Her jilted expression broke Cinder's heart.
"Exactly what kind of things have you've been keeping from us?" Scarlet demanded. She was furious. "We are your friends, Cinder. You can't just keep us in the dark like that. It is our job to serve and protect you and we can't fail in this task. What would Medora say?!" The redhead snapped her fingers at Reece. "You, out."
Reece glowered at Scarlet's brusque dismissal. "You are not my overseer," he bit off. Scarlet glared back mutinously, her fingers inching forward the handgun she kept on her belt. Reece bared his teeth into a sneer, gold eyes smoldering with animosity. The tension in the air was tangible, sparks of bioelectricity flaring and simmering. It was close to a roiling boil.
Cress slid in between them, uncomfortable, her pristine white uniform swishing. "Guys, cool down. Reece, I think you better leave before Scarlet explodes. And, Scarlet, you should know better to pick a fight in circumstances such as these."
Reece and looked to Cinder for her permission. When Cinder nodded, he started to the door. "Yeah, that's right," Scarlet couldn't help but taunt. "Go on obeying the queen like the little puppy dog that you are. When are you going to realize that Cinder is nev-" Cress slapped a hand over Scarlet's runaway mouth and smiled at Reece through gritted teeth.
"I think you better leave now, Reece," Cress said with a strained look on her face. Reece nodded and left. The door slammed behind him. Cress slowly let go of Scarlet. To prevent them from starting in on her Cinder held up both hands, pleading. "Please," she whispered. "Just talk to Reece about it, okay? I have enough to think about as it is." Cinder hugged her arms around her waist, her sanity and calm gradually dissolving. "Please," she swallowed. "Just leave me alone." She felt them shift, unsure. Cress' thin arms enfolded her in a brief hug. Scarlet stayed in place, still mad at her probably. When there was no response from her, they both left.
Cinder buried her head in her hands. What was she going to do? Cinder sank back into the chair, but when the door banged open a third time in the span of three minutes, she jumped. An icy glare ready on her face, Cinder swung her head to aim a dirty look at...
"Oh!" Cinder said, blinking in surprise, her glower melting away. "Sasha?"
He gave her a somber bow. "Your Majesty. I brought you Scion-Elect Sage and Aiden Finn. Would you like to see them?" She stiffened, and looked down twisting her hands together. Her knuckles whitened from the force of her grip. Oh, stars. She was acting like such a sentimental fool. There was a tugging pang of... something in her gut. Why did she feel so guilty? It was not as if she was doing something wrong? Was she?
"Does Sage have anything to say?" Cinder asked coolly. There must something. Some excuse he could make that would prove his innocence. Because Sage couldn't have done it. He just couldn't have. This coming from the boy who had been the first friend she had made once she ascended to the throne. The one who didn't act as if he were at all cowed by her elevated status, who made her laugh. Who was utterly ridiculous, but adorably sweet when he wanted to be. Sage didn't make her heart patter, or her mouth go dry. Not like Reece and Kai could. No, their relationship was perfectly platonic, but there was something she and Sage had shared. Something like what Cinder had with Thorne. And when Thorne and Sage were ever together... It was a riot.
"Your Majesty?" Sasha cleared his throat. Cinder snapped out of it, her head jerking up. "I thought you would like to interrogate Sablewood himself? You usually check up on all the prisoners." Cinder nodded distantly.
"Send him in," Cinder said quietly. She rearranged her skirts, steeling herself for the inevitable confrontation. She smoothed a hand over the fabric restlessly, inwardly cursing herself her stupidity. Cinder should have told Sasha to just send him back to Luna for his trial. What would she even say to him? Sage will hate her forever for this. Not that Cinder cared, she couldn't care, not for another traitor. A person she had once been proud to call a friend.
Two of the Wolves Guard entered with an irritable flick of Sasha's wrist. Sage stood between them, his usual vivid turquoise eyes dull. Aiden, no, Seth, stood a little behind Sage, panicked, and more than a little worried. "Why did you bring me to her?" Sage asked listlessly into the silence, completely disregarding her presence. Cinder waved away the guards. They obeyed, but she didn't doubt that they would snap Sage's neck if he made the slightest move in her direction. From the tense way Sage held his shoulders, Cinder didn't think he missed the threatening vibe her Wolves guard sent out either.
"Why?" she questioned simply.
Sage stared at her as if he had never seen her before. "Why?" he repeated. "Why?" He started to laugh. Aiden reached for him, concern etched on his face. The two Wolves guard growled at him simultaneously and Aiden flinched. Sage kept on laughing. "Why? I come all the way here to tell you why when I, myself, have no answer?" He shook his at her. "You are a fool, Cinder." Cinder felt Sasha step toward him and she waved a hand to keep him back.
"What are you saying, Sage? That you didn't do it?" Cinder leaned forward. "When all the evidence points to you?"
He smiled at her, a wicked, beastly thing. "I will say no such thing. But when the world rains fire around you, when the walls bleed red and all your friends turn against you, come to me and you will have my answer." Cinder froze, the hair at the back of her neck prickling and standing on end, just like how it had just before her date with Kai. How had he described her nightmares so distinctly? Cinder shook her head and opened her mouth.
Fire, fire, fire. It was always about fire. She pressed her lips. There was nothing to say, nothing that would ever pardon him. So Cinder nodded mutely and turned away. She watched the snow fall steadily outside and didn't look back. Not as the guard clipped the tracker cuffs on his ankle and wrists. Not when Aiden begged the guards for clemency and pleaded innocence for his beau. Not when Sasha droned on about Sage's list of transgressions and restricted rights as a criminal. All through this, Sage stayed silent and gave no inkling of dissent, even as he was dragged from the room.
Cinder was empty.
As always, I hope you liked the chapter and review!
-Silverleaf