A Beast's Tale

Chapter 17

 Somebody tipped him off.

I didn't say it, and I didn't have to say it. Clavis and Nokto were sitting across from me in the carriage, each looking out their respective windows, and I knew they were thinking the same thing. Nokto had his arms crossed over his chest as he slumped against the backrest, the corners of his lips turned down the slightest amount. The bags under his eyes were even more prominent now than they had been this morning. He blew out a sigh, closed his eyes, and laid his head back, and Clavis turned to look at him with his ever-present smile.

"You look awful."

"Thanks."

"It wasn't a complete failure. Or a failure at all. We confiscated a shipment of Obsidianite guns, caught a very naughty merchant red-handed with enough gunpowder to make a fabulous fireworks display, and I'm fairly certain Chev made that one stock boy wet his pants without even drawing his sword." Clavis laughed. "Either that, or the boy had a questionable taste in cologne."

"And LeBeau came out squeaky clean." Nokto sighed. "Too clean."

"But with enough dirty business partners to warrant further investigation."

Nokto covered his mouth with his hand as he yawned. "I'll get a few hours' shut-eye before I hit the books again. He missed something. They always do."

"Good! That will give me time to figure out how much back pay our Duke Rotter the First owes his servants. Although I already put them all on the palace payroll and handed them each a big wad of cash yesterday so they could enjoy the festival." Clavis turned his bright golden eyes on me. "You don't mind, do you, Chev?"

"Do not mess up my system," Nokto warned Clavis without opening his eyes.

"The priority is locating the person or persons who warned the merchant of our inspection," I said. "The former duke's servants are now receiving adequate pay for their services. If any are still showing signs of financial distress, another bonus should tide them over until we can ascertain the exact figures owed to each person."

"Aw, Chev, you're almost human lately. I suppose we have a certain little dove to thank for that—a certain little dove you'll be seeing as soon as we get back to the palace, I suppose?"

A sly grin spread across Nokto's lips. He cracked his eyes open. "I never pictured you as the domestic type, King Highness."

"Oh, it was so adorable this morning," Clavis crowed. "Her making him breakfast and getting his clothes out for the day—I hated to cut it short."

"Now, why don't I believe that?"

"Maybe I'll stop by the library, too. The poor thing must be so terribly bored after being left alone all day, and seeing Chev certainly won't cheer her up."

I watched the city give way to the countryside and ignored Clavis' needling, as I'd done all day, focusing my thoughts on more worthwhile pursuits. Luke, for one. The timing was suspicious, but he wasn't the leak. I'd investigated him when he'd arrived at the palace, of course. His mother had been a maid in the palace years ago, and judging by her hasty departure, any relations she had with the king were not consensual. Luke had grown up in poverty in a town near the border until he enlisted as a soldier, and that career choice brought him to the capital city, where his striking resemblance to the king did not go unnoticed. Given that history, and Luke losing his family when Obsidian overran his village on Bloodstained Rose Day ten years ago, he had plenty of reason to be angry with the royal family—and plenty of reason to sympathize with Ivetta. He wouldn't warn her of danger and then ally with someone like LeBeau, who I now felt certain was behind the prostitution ring.