A Masquerade of Spiders

Chapter 24: The One With All The Secrets

Chapter 24: The One With All The Secrets

"Let me tell you about secrets, Yael."

Pyren moods were inconsistent. Sometimes, he'd grow tired of me after a few short moments. Then he'd snap, until I grew tired of him. There was no cause to stay around a yelling man, so I would leave him and learn nothing.

When he was in high spirits, he would make a spectacle out of everything he did, like a prancing pony, showing off. In that sense we were both alike. There was something of a performer in me too.

"A secret is merely knowledge known by few. It can be as few as one. The more a secret is shared, the less it is, in fact, a secret." He narrowed his eyes at me. "Do you follow?"

"Yes," I said. I liked knife tricks more than his lectures. "Why's this important?"

"Because of people's motive in keeping information secret. What would that be?"

Pyren expected an answer. So I thought before speaking. My gaze focused on the clear stream that passed by his cottage at my feet, and then at my breaths rising in white puffs in the icy winter morning. "To hide their crimes," I began. "To hide their shame. To protect themselves?"

"Yes, what else?"

"To protect other people?"

"And?"

My mind was stuck. What other kinds of secrets were there? Papà always said that his wine-making was a secret art of our family. If everyone could make wines as good as he, our livelihood would be harmed. "To keep their riches," I finally said.

"What does being rich mean?"

"It means that... you have money."

"And what is the value of money when you have more than everyone else?"

I couldn't see where he was leading me, so I shook my head.

"Power, Yael, power. Secrets are kept for power," He was balancing on the balls of his feet, making outrageous gesticulations. "It can be passive power, it can be active, but it is always about power, over the situation, over other people. And now, can you tell me, who is the most powerful?"

I smiled slowly as understanding finally dawned. "The one with all the secrets."

***

"I'm going to share a secret with you, Dylana," Waryn said. We were in the small, square room lit only by a single candlestick. The grey walls ate away the dim light.

I was the only one sitting. Nava was leaning against the desk in a dazzling dress of striped maroon and white, while Leah stood with her arms crossed by the opposite passage. A large silk rose sat on her shoulder, and a path of smaller blushing red roses ran down her bodice, spreading out over the front of her pale pink skirts.

Waryn hovered by me with his trusted map—the same one he had shown me in his room in Velamia—rolled in his hand. "But this secret will put your life at risk."

"You mean, you'll kill me if I tell anyone?"

"I mean, if we so much as suspect you have spoken..." The candlelight on the table cast shadows over his face, making his eyes look like two bottomless pits. "We will have to silence you."

"And what made you decide to tell me now?"

"I want your cooperation," he said. "I made a mistake by telling you why I didn't expose you. You don't fear me anymore."

"You made a mistake by admitting that you made a mistake, Waryn," Leah said. "Don't you see? She's gotten to you. End this before it ends badly."

"I didn't realise that was up for debate," I said, getting to my feet. I would be slow moving with my dress and slippers. I did, however, have my knife with me. I had sewn a small pocket for it behind one of the folds of my skirt. I pretended to pull my skirt up from my shoes, so as not to trip, while my fingers found it.