A Masquerade of Spiders

Chapter 30: The Game Room

But what was Pyren planing?

I decided to pry. If Waryn had a prior engagement for the night before, then maybe that could be an indication of what purpose me luring him to me served. "More importantly, would someone expect to see you after the ball?" I asked. "You have to think of a plausible story for your abesence."

"I don't have to think of any story, Yael," he said darkly. "No one will notice, not even my father."

"Were you supposed to attend him last night?" I asked.

"Supposed to? No..."

He didn't elaborate, and I already asked too much. More, and he would become suspicious. We didn't speak more about jealousy, or his father. The only promise he gave me was a kiss when he left my room.

***

Neither Leah nor Nava were harmed, or seemed particularly alarmed. I saw them briefly at the post-ball brunch at the Equidae house before I went to dally with Mica. What was it that Waryn had had to do last night that even Leah and Nava didn't know about? Or maybe something had happened, something important had been missed, and I just couldn't see into their hidden thoughts?

Trying to understand what Pyren did while I had held Waryn busy made me feel like I was slipping into a dark corridor in my mind, where doors of terrible possibilities kept swinging open and slamming shut.

The promised meeting with Pyren sat on my throat like a snare. I would have gladly spent my day hidden in my room, or in Waryn's. But there was an exclusive tea party I had to attend that afternoon at House Usi, hosted by the bear-masked Kiri.

"Walk with me, Dylana." Leah waited for me outside my room. We never had a private conversation, and my suspicion rose. Pyren did do something. Of course he did. He wouldn't set me on this task just to make me mad with paranoia, would he?

No. Actually, he would. If something noticeable would have happened during my night with Waryn, then it was my fault, and Waryn would have known.

If Pyren had more designs for Waryn, then he wouldn't want to server my ties with him.

"This is a surprise," I said.

"This talk was a long time coming."

"I think I know what you want to say." I took her offered arm without looking at her face. Leah smelled like lavender, not roses, but there was nothing soothing about her presence.

"Don't be so sure," she said.

"Well?" We walked down the corridor, it was mostly deserted at this time of day.

"Everyone gets weak for someone, sooner or later. That can't be helped. Even if he ends up secretly unmasked by you, I can find a way to put your dalliance this to good use."

"But now you'll be dealing with me directly and not through him?" I said

Leah stopped to stare at me. She was, as always, immaculately dressed, with a white gown printed with red roses and leaves. Unlike Waryn, who wore black because he didn't wish to be noticed, Leah projected an image of collective control that melded into the foreground. She gave me that same look Pyren had given me when I saw through his identity—or what I thought I saw.

"You knew?" she said.

"You're the actual master of spies and Waryn was only my operator." If I learned anything about spy-work, it was that the real master of the spies was the one who commanded the spy operator. Which meant, Pyren was working for someone, and Waryn had been working for Leah. But what was Leah's agenda? "Why not send Nava instead?"