Mermaid Tear (The Fated #2)

51 | Truths

"Which son?" Isidor retorted.

Kain winced. The ever-present urge to remind Isidor that there was a time and a place for snark swept through him. This clearly wasn't it.

Much to his surprise, Kostantia's gaze shifted to the witch without insult or pain. If anything, her eyes reflected simple weariness. Silence took the hall as she studied him for a long moment, before releasing a soft breath that seemed knotted with unspoken emotion.

"Both."

"That's..." Kain began, before hesitation stole his thoughts.

What she wanted from them was obvious. It contained the missing pieces behind her "kind" actions since their arrival.

The queen mother hadn't pushed them into uncovering royal secrets for their benefit. She had no reason to be invested in their lives.

No, it had been for her own peace of mind. Which meant she would want the full story--something they didn't have time to share. She was alone, however. What rule--beyond returning a favor in kind--said they had to answer?

As if reading his slowly building plan, Kostantia's attention shifted to Kain.

"I will not require you to stay and share the details with me," she informed them. Her voice was soft, lacking any inflection that might have helped him detangle her hidden thoughts. "However, I promise you will not like the results if you do. I can shout quite loudly--and killing me before I can call...well, the people have always liked me more than Alekos. But, chance their wrath if you must."

Tension gripped his shoulders. The warning anchored his gut with complicated weights. Her meaning was clear.

Until that moment, Kostantia had been spoken quietly despite the lack of other life within the annex. But who was to say that what they saw was truly the case? Would someone of her status wander so far from the main building without a guard? There was every chance that if she screamed, they would discover where all the missing knights had disappeared to. And, if they silenced her before it could happen...

It would be worse than if they'd killed the guard.

"You're threatening us?" Rhode asked.

The sound of Rhode's bell-like voice seemed to immediately soften the queen mother's countenance. Recognition, amongst other emotions, flooded her face.

"Only if necessary," she replied, then paused. "I have no desire to harm you, Asha, but I will if I must. As is the duty of a queen."

Rhode flinched. "I don't go by that."

"...forgive me, I had forgotten what was said before. The shock of seeing you, like this, sent me back in time."

When Rhode didn't respond, instead letting her expression fall blank, Kain cleared his throat.

"She didn't kill Akaikos."

A chill settled over the hall like a blanket as the queen mother studied Kain--as if searching for a lie in his words--before releasing a soft sigh. Her eyes closed. One of her hands twisted into the skirt of her intricate gown as the other lifted a fan, spreading it over her pursed lips.

"And I assume you have a different accusation if you speak so confidently," she paused, but not long enough for Kain to respond before pushing forward. "What did you find in the archive, Kain Okeanos? No--Kain Noumae."

He almost flinched at the sound of that name on her lips.

It was odd--he'd spent most of his life as Kain Noumae. Okeanos had been a title he didn't dare touch, not while exiled to the sea. But, never had he felt the weight of it until that moment.