A Masquerade of Spiders

Chapter 35: The Tiger's Cage

Chapter 35: The Tiger's Cage

"No," he said, moving backwards. "That's not possible. The whole point of the plot was to eliminate the Fel."

"Not the Fel, Waryn, just the Somaer. "

"Plotting against someone in your own family...even for my father, that's going too far. Come up with a better lie, Yael."

"Why else would I be tasked with guarding you? You're his heir, a future prince. He doesn't want you to know the truth."

"That's only what you say your task is. I can't know if it's true."

He was being purposefully stubborn. He had no reason to believe me back in Velamia, but he was swept away by the novelty of uncovering a spy. He was elated by this strange new adventure.

It was before I betrayed him.

"I knew you wouldn't trust me," I said, slowly. "I knew there was only one way that could make you believe."

He crossed his arms, waiting for me to remove yet another guise and admit to another betrayal. "And what is that thing?"

"It's not a thing, Waryn," I said. I turned on my heel and began moving down the passage. He hesitated, and then followed. Maybe he assumed that I couldn't set a trap for him inside his own secret lair.

I continued to the passage that led to my old room. Leah had fixed metal bolts to hold the panel closed so it couldn't be opened from the other side. I slid them aside, and opened the panel.

"It's a person, Waryn. It's Marin."

I didn't take Marin to my room in the Cervi house where she could be discovered by guards or servants. I took her here, where she would be in a different danger.

Waryn walked into the room, and saw Marin, with her tangled hair and gaunt face, with the bruising on her neck and the chalky pallor of her skin.

"This is your sister?"

"They did something to her. She's very ill," I said. "I can't move her. If I could've I'd..."

"You'd be far from this place," he said quietly. The chill from his voice was gone, but it wasn't replaced by warmth. He took himself to a chair and settled down, letting his face fall into his hands.

"I don't want to believe you," he said.

Marin stirred in the bed at the sound of our voices. She opened her eyes and gazed blurredly at Waryn, and then at me. "Yael?"

"I'm here," I said softly, coming to her side. "Marin, this is Waryn. I'm going to have to leave for a few hours, but he'll be here..."

"He's..." Marin lowered her voice. "He's a lord. Where's the... the other man? The one who gave me the medicine?"

"Emil will be here soon, my love," I said. "He's gone to bring you more."

"Who's Emil?" Waryn asked. He was ready to disbelieve me.

"Emil is a turner."

"A turner." Waryn repeated. "That's—"

"He helped me save Marin."

"Why would a turner help you?"

"He said that it was because he wanted to."

"Turners don't want things," Waryn said. The thought of turners having a will of their own, like ordinary humans, disturbed most people, Waryn was not an exception.

"Maybe they do and they never tell us because they know we'd fear them," I said. "But either way—"

Marin was listening attentively to our conversation. She kept looking between us. "Yael, why do you look like a lady?"