to remind himself that he wasn’t a child being judged—they were the ones whose integrity was in question.
The eldest high augur stepped forward. Dar noted that he did not bow. “We have come on a serious matter,” High Augur Etar said.
“Yes,” Dar said heavily. I don’t want to do this. The augurs, especially the high augurs, were supposed to be as pure as the stars, the guiding lights of their people. If Raia’s allegation was true, this was going to gut so many Becarans. How could it be true? There had to be another explanation. “I was shocked and distressed by the serious allegations—”
High Augur Etar cut him off. “It is our belief that the late emperor Zarin, long may his soul thrive, did not die a natural death.”
Dar hadn’t been interrupted since Zarin died. And was the high augur admitting involvement? Dar’s hands curled around the armrests of his chair, gripping them hard, as the augur continued. He met the eyes of the nearest guard, who tightened her grip on her spear.
“It is a suspicion we have held for some time, but our resources did not lead us to the one responsible until today.”
“A credible source named you—” Dar began.
“A desperate attempt to cast blame elsewhere,” High Augur Etar interrupted. “She will be dealt with. The fact, however, remains that her outburst did direct us to examine one we previously considered above blame.”
Dar rose. “One of your own?” Perhaps this crime was the actions of one rogue high augur. Perhaps the council had been unaware of his or her actions. That could be the best-case scenario here. “I am deeply saddened—”
“Your Excellence, we examined your aura and have found you guilty of the murder of your brother, guilty of high treason against the Empire of Becar.” All the high augurs bowed their heads, their hands clasped in front of them in a sign of mourning.
Dar heard a kind of roaring in his ears. He felt himself begin to shake. This is absurd! Me? Of course I didn’t kill my brother! He heard gasps from his guards. “How dare you—”
“Your soul has been stained beyond recognition.” High Augur Etar signaled to the guards. “I myself have borne witness to its corruption.”
Dar backed up, thumping against his chair. “There’s been a mistake! Guards!” But there hadn’t been a mistake, he realized. This was intentional. Well planned, even. The palace guards were loyal to him, but only to a point. In matters of morality, the high augurs outranked him, and the guards would listen to them. He hadn’t expected them to flip the tables like this. “You killed Zarin. Or had him killed. Why? Zarin was a good man! A great emperor!”
As if on cue, the high augurs parted, and Lady Nori was standing there, framed between them. She had tears streaking her cheeks, blurring her eye paint. “Dar, how could you? Zarin loved you! He practically raised you! To turn on him because of your design for power—I didn’t think it of you.”
He stared at her. This felt like a second knife strike to the heart. “You too? Are you involved in this? I never thought you would betray me.” It was difficult to even say the words. Nori . . .
“You betrayed yourself,” Nori said sadly. “Your jealousy of your brother undid you. But your plan failed, Dar. The high augurs were clever enough to hide your brother’s vessel. Without him, you couldn’t be legitimized.”
“But . . . it’s a lie!” I found him! he wanted to scream, but he stopped himself. It was still possible that they didn’t know the black lion was Zarin. If he could keep that knowledge from the augurs, he could at least keep Zarin safe. And Raia, who would try to protect him. He hoped they’d fled far away by now.
“The high augurs do not lie,” Nori said. “Dar, please don’t make this more difficult than it already is. You know as well as I do that the high augurs are incapable of such an atrocity.”
She was right. Yet he knew they had done it.
He backed up to the edge of the dais. There was nowhere to run. The palace guards and high augurs were between him and every exit, and the aristocrats of the court were beginning to drift closer, listening and whispering. I trapped myself. He’d been so sure he was safe, here in his palace. Foolish. He’d been oh-so-cleverly outmaneuvered. “I did not kill my brother,” he said firmly. “I loved