Path to Destiny

Chapter 29

He held out his hands in a placating gesture. "No, I didn't. That was her." He sighed. "I did not plan for the cardinals plotting the assassination attempt. I did not plan to get stabbed." He rubbed his injured shoulder. "I was going to kill her the night following the ball. Then I'd planned to let you..."

I breathed deeply, feeling a hot pit of rage forming in my stomach. "Take the fall for her murder," I finished.

He nodded. Slowly.

I remembered his panicked words after his stabbing: Lannie, get out of here. He had known then, tried to tell me of Jada's treachery. I stared long and hard at him. "What is wrong with you? Why would you keep this from me and..." I trailed off because the rage inside of me was no longer my own.

"I knew you wouldn't agree to killing her," he said. "Keeping you in my sight on the mission and making you think it was the cardinals was the only way I could keep you out of it." He bit his lip. "It went wrong when the cardinals actually tried to assassinate her. I did not kill Jada in time."

Deep inside, I heard Eden's vengeful heartbeat in tune with mine. "And so you lied to me," I whispered. "You let me believe it was the cardinals. You were going to blame me for her death. You--"

I stopped, and all the emotion left my body. I sat down hard on the bed. "I was attacked by the Shadow, Ezra," I said. "We were all imprisoned. And you and Titus were almost executed."

There was a long silence in which I stared at him. "Why didn't you just trust me?"

"That was my one mistake," he whispered. "And I am here to ask for your forgiveness."

"Leave," I told him.

He rose. "Lannie--"

She told you to leave. Eden's command bit like fire through my mind, and I didn't stop to think what it did to Ezra's mind.

He stayed to take a deep breath. And then he left.

***

It took a long time for me to gather the courage to make it down to dinner. It was only because we planned to discuss the plans for Balua that I came. After I changed, I sucked up my pride and entered the dining room. The long oak table was filled with guests of all kinds. Ezra had invited the whole freaking Underground to eat with us.

When I entered the room, heads turned and conversation died down a fraction. I spotted an open chair next to Synnove and seized it within seconds. I sank gratefully down into the cushion, but when I saw who sat across from me, I wished I could melt into the seat.

Mayra, Ezra, Titus, and Clarice sat in a neat row next to each other. Synnove, Hadrian, and Baruch sat on my right.

I couldn't glare at Ezra without Titus noticing, so I just pretended like he didn't exist.

"How are you feeling, Lannie?" Synnove asked as she passed the plate with a loaf of bread.

I smiled at her. "Fine. How was everything here when we were gone? You contacted Mayra for us. So thank you."

Synnove smiled mischievously. "Of course. I was rather bored anyway."

I didn't want to know what would've happened had she not been bored.

Hadrian cleared his throat meaningfully. "Don't be rude." He leaned over her and whispered loudly: "She actually cares sometimes, you know." She whacked him, and he chuckled. "It was chaos when Clarice told us you were sold to the wrong bidders," Hadrian said.

Baruch leaned over to look at me. "Did you really get sold to Blod Glōria?"

"Yes," Ezra answered. "And it's her fault for getting purchased. If she acted like herself, no one would have purchased her."