After a few moments, she was permitted into the office. Steeling herself, she swept inside.
He was seated at his desk, his papers arranged as if this were an ordinary day he’d devoted to paperwork, instead of a day when the city was falling apart. She noticed, though, that the windows behind him were shuttered and barred. Plus, his glorious mustache was slightly less coiffed. It drooped instead of curled.
“You surprise me, Lady Evara. I didn’t think you would dare show your face here, in my office. You know we had an agreement, and you did not follow through. The lion not only lives, but he won.”
“Mmm, a few other events have occurred since then. You may be aware?”
He snorted. “I’m aware of everything.”
She doubted that. But she knew that as a gambler, he was considered to be an expert on the Becaran Races. And she was certain that every other member of the palace court knew that as well. They’d expect him to know every detail of the racers he bet on and to be privy to the most exclusive information. Such as a the nugget she was about to share. “I have discovered that the kehok who won the Becaran Races bears none other than the soul of the late emperor Zarin. That is why Prince Dar obtained him.”
He gawked at her, which was satisfying.
“You know this . . . how?”
“The augur who purchased him from me confided in me, before Prince Dar’s arrest.”
He shook his head. “Not possible. Emperor Zarin was a good man.”
“He was,” she agreed. “Which is why it took an artifact that functions as the opposite of a victory charm to influence his rebirth. As you may have heard, the high augurs used it on Emperor Zarin when they murdered him.”
“You can’t possibly believe that nonsense your rider spouted.”
“If you doubt that an augur can be corrupt, then tell me: Who told you that I’d failed to meet the stipulation in my parents’ will? Only the augurs and I knew.” It was a risk. She couldn’t be certain that the augurs were to blame. But it seemed likely. If the augurs were behind all the murder attempts, it explained quite a bit.
“I cannot reveal my sources.” But his mustache twitched.
“Then let me reveal what I know: Emperor Zarin was murdered and reborn as a kehok. You tried to blackmail me into killing the kehok so that this fact would never be discovered. Which means that you were in on the plot. Either you were working with Prince Dar to help hide his crime, or you were working with the high augurs to hide theirs.”
“But—but I wasn’t!”
“Of course you weren’t.” She flounced into a chair and spread her skirts wide, as if she planned to stay for a while. “You and I both know that you couldn’t have afforded to pay me the amount you promised. You were working for someone. Your ‘sources.’ But the people of Becar don’t know that. They’ll blame you.”
His eyes bulged as the implications of what she was saying sunk in. “It was Lady Nori. Her idea. Her information, obtained from the augurs.”
“What a pity she’s dead and can’t confirm or deny that.”
He was sweating. “She’s . . .”
“Oh my, Lord Petalo,” Lady Evara mocked. “I thought you were aware of everything!”
“Are you trying to blackmail me? I already have info on you—”
She gasped as if offended. “I wouldn’t dream of spreading unsavory rumors about you! Unless, of course, you were to spread unsavory ones about me . . . But truly, there’s no need for us to threaten each other. I have come to you with a gift of information.”
He narrowed his eyes. “What do you want from me?”
Goodness, he was dense.
“Spread the truth as widely as you can, as quickly as you can.” She smiled at him, knowing the power of her smile. She’d charmed much more intelligent men than Lord Petalo before. “You’re a clever, resourceful man. You have connections throughout both the court and the racing community, which makes you the perfect mouthpiece for such news . . .” She trailed off, letting her request sink in, along with the compliments.
His eyes widened, as if understanding were blossoming. “Ah, so you are giving me this information, in exchange for my secrecy about your personal situation?”
She was fine with him thinking that was the reason. Even her own parents hadn’t been capable of seeing anything virtuous in her.