A Shade of Vampire 79 A Game of Death - Bella Forrest Page 0,21
the hedge maze. I’ve heard whispers… The attempt on Lady Crimson’s life was not the first time I’ve caught glimpses of Darklings in the palace.”
I frowned. “You mean to tell us the Darklings are frequent covert visitors?”
“Most of the time, I think they’re just scouting. Looking for the right entry angles. They know the golden guards’ movements. I warned them several times about Darklings, but they didn’t do much,” Beval explained. “I do know the fiends hang around the gardens a lot. Those of us on the night shift have learned to steer clear of the sections where we spot them. If we leave them be, they leave us be, too.”
Kalon’s jaw was practically dislodged as he listened to Beval.
“What about last night?” I asked the Rimian.
Beval motioned around us. “I saw them here and there, about twenty yards away. ”
My heart stopped for a moment. “Did you see Nethissis with them? My friend?”
“It was too dark, milady,” Beval replied. “But they moved slowly until they got to this bush. Then they ran off and jumped over the fence.”
“Did you see where they came from?” I asked. Tension gathered in my throat like a great ball of fire, threatening to explode and consume me. I needed to keep my wits about me.
Beval nodded slowly. “From the palace. One of the service doors, most likely. They probably had keys or broke the locks. It doesn’t really matter. If they want to get in, they get in.”
“Why didn’t you tell the golden guards about this?” Kalon demanded, a muscle ticking angrily in his jaw. A five o’clock shadow was growing, accentuating the sharp line of his high cheeks.
“I don’t know, milord. I worry some of them might be friends with the Darklings,” Beval whispered. “It’s why I fear for my life. Why I stay quiet.”
“You know, it makes sense. After all, the Darkling we captured was a golden guard,” I said to Kalon, keeping my voice down. I couldn’t risk any of the soldiers overhearing us from behind. The discovery had been confirmed earlier this morning, but given Nethissis’s death, I’d not had the time or energy to properly take that in. By this point, though, it was a plain fact—something we had to deal with. “I can see why Beval would be afraid to tell them what he saw.”
Kalon ran a hand through his silver-streaked hair, once again looking behind him. The guards were still watching us, but they hadn’t moved an inch. He smiled, then turned his attention back to Beval. “You’re safe with us,” he whispered. “If there are traitors in golden armor, I promise you we’ll get them all, Beval.”
The Rimian’s shoulders dropped, as if a huge weight had been lifted off him. “There is something more you should know, milord,” he murmured. “There’s word among the Rimians here in the capital that some of us have formed a faction. The Red Threads, they call themselves.”
“What do they have to do with Nethissis’s murder?” I asked.
Around us, the daytime gardeners were busy trimming the hedges, their shears cutting and snipping as they made their way through the central maze, toward the main fountain. I could hear the water trickling into its base vessel. A rushing sound that soothed my senses.
“They’re trying to make contact with the Darklings,” Beval said. “I don’t know any of them personally, but the rumor is they want to help them. They’re anarchists.”
Kalon was unsettled by this revelation, and he made zero effort to hide his reaction. “Are they crazy? Why would they want to do such a thing?” he replied. “Anarchy is the one thing that none of the Rimians and Naloreans should be looking for. They’ll be the ones to suffer the most if the empire falls.”
Beval nodded. “I know, milord. It’s why I’ve kept my distance. But that’s not the most troubling aspect of the Red Threads. I heard a whisper that Trev Blayne is one of them.”
“Where did you hear that? Who told you?” Kalon hissed, his brow furrowed. I could almost feel the anger coming off him in smoky waves. It made my skin tingle. There were many sides to him, and I was willing to bet that the worst had yet to reveal itself. What would an out-of-control Kalon Visentis look like?
“I swear, milord, it was just a whisper in a tavern. It was a busy night, a couple of weeks ago,” Beval said, somehow shrinking before our very eyes. The Kalon effect was clearly powerful.