Veixizhau was hardly forgiven by the other wives, but everyone seemed willing to leave her alone until she gave birth. No one knew what would happen to Veixizhau after the baby was born—it was entirely possible that Duke Kaen would still have her executed for adultery. Because of that impending threat, the other ex-wives overlooked her tantrums.
I avoided her whenever possible.
A week after Senera and I discovered the truth about Wyrga and her “pet,” a messenger told me the Hon wanted to see me.
The messenger found me in my room alone. Although Talea and I continued to be lovers, I firmly insisted on sleeping by myself. I didn’t want her or anyone else to realize that my nighttime slumber couldn’t be interrupted.
When I arrived at the Hon’s private rooms, I saw Senera and Wyrga were also present.
Wyrga was kneeling on the floor. For once, her polar bear cub was nowhere to be seen.
I exhaled. Senera had asked me to wait before going to Duke Kaen about her, and so I had. Apparently, however, Senera had only asked so she might deliver the news herself.
The question was: Just how much had she told him? Had she told him the cub was Cherthog? Had she told him who that meant Wyrga must be? Not a witch-mother, no. The Name of All Things had been right when it had told us she wasn’t one of Suless’s chosen daughters. No, she was much worse.
Wyrga was Suless herself.
“Close the doors behind you.”
Senera looked tense, nearly standing at attention, looking straight ahead, eyes unfocused. I had the feeling she’d been questioned intensely before I entered. Next to her, on the table before the Hon, sat the Name of All Things.
Several pieces of crumpled parchment had been thrown to the floor.
“Thank you for joining us, Janel.”
I bowed to the Hon. “Of course, Your Grace. How may I be of service?”
“I think you know.”
I straightened and tried to keep my face blank.
I pursed my lips for a moment. “I’m sorry, Your Grace, but I don’t wish to assume on this matter. It concerns Wyrga?”
The Hon’s expression didn’t change. His ice-colored eyes bored into mine. Angry. I had never seen him so angry.
“Yes,” he said. “Senera was kind enough to look into the situation that ended with you on the ice. She tells me I have Wyrga to thank. Indeed, I have Wyrga to thank for convincing my wives to rekindle the worship of Suless as well.” He walked out from behind the desk, and as he passed the old woman, he kicked her in the stomach.
She cried out and rolled up into a ball, holding her midriff.
I frowned. Had I been wrong? If she really was Suless, wouldn’t she fight this? Wouldn’t she lash out?
“If you hadn’t come to my wives’ defense, her plan would never have been discovered. Or discovered too late. I’d probably be facing open rebellion.”
“Then I’m even more glad I was there, Your Grace.” I tried to smile at him, but I couldn’t shake my dread. I’d seen his temper.
Senera looked worried.
No. Senera looked scared.
“Wyrga has been in my family’s service for many years,” Kaen said as he began to pace. The mountains shone behind him like a crown of glory, the sun reflecting off perfect blue-white peaks. “I have been warned many times not to trust her, but I have always dismissed those warnings because she has served us so well. Isn’t that right, Wyrga?”
The old woman groveled. “Yes, my lord. Yes, I have always served you. I have always done whatever you’ve asked of me.”
“You’re gaeshed, Wyrga,” Kaen said, hand around a necklace at his throat. “What choice do you have?”
“None, my lord.”
“Gaeshed? But—” I realized my mouth had dropped open. If Suless was gaeshed, that explained a great deal. I just hadn’t realized it was possible to gaesh a god-king.
“Do you know who the father of Veixizhau’s child is?” Duke Kaen asked me.
“I—” I hadn’t expected to be asked that. “No, I don’t.”
“My son. Veixizhau’s baby will be my grandchild.”
I blinked. “Really?”
“Yes, really,” Duke Kaen snapped. “Wyrga’s idea, of course. She convinced Veixizhau to seduce my son, Exidhar, fed the woman some drivel about being able to change my son’s child into my child. Lies. Wyrga fully intended to reveal what Veixizhau had done. I’d have killed my philandering wife and Exidhar for that, thus executing both my son and grandchild. Now that was an act fit to feed a goddess of betrayal, wasn’t it, Wyrga? Wasn’t it?”
Wyrga cried out, “Yes, my lord!”
I met Senera’s eyes. In that moment, I realized Kaen knew exactly who Wyrga really was.
He already knew Wyrga was Suless. He’d always known.
He sat down on the table’s edge, shaking his head. “Thank you, Wyrga. It’s always best when you tell the truth.” He looked … hurt. Disappointed. And still furiously angry. “But I hope you realize you will have to be punished.”
“My Hon,” Senera began. “I must advise caution—”
“I will handle this myself, sorceress. You’ve done your job. You are, in fact, free to leave.”
Senera reached down and picked up the Name of All Things, tucked the stone into her bodice. “Your Grace, please—” But she didn’t finish the sentence. Leaving whatever she might have said unspoken, Senera gave me a sympathetic look and walked out the door.
I felt rather abandoned, to be honest.
As soon as the door slammed shut, Azhen Kaen turned to Wyrga and said, “Pluck out your eyes.”
I wasn’t certain if Wyrga gasped or if I had. Maybe both.
I hadn’t truly understood how evil gaeshe were until then. And no matter how I felt about Wyrga, I couldn’t stand by while he forced her to do this.
“No!” I shouted, but her hand moved to her face.
I reached for her, grabbed her wrist, but Wyrga shoved me away.
“No,” Kaen said as he reached down and grabbed me by my laevos. “You won’t stop this.”
“Don’t do this and then be surprised when she plots against you and your family. What do you expect? Loyalty? Duty? You might have gained loyalty if you had freed her!”
“She has no honor or loyalty. She’s evil, a force of chaos, and I should have killed her years ago.” He pulled me back against the desk, and I didn’t fight him that time. He released my hair even as I heard Wyrga scream. I knew when I turned back, I’d see blood streaming down the old woman’s face.
It didn’t matter that Wyrga had tried to kill me or that she was thoroughly horrible. She was a slave, and she was helpless. I had to do something. I knew better than to attack Duke Kaen, so what could I do? What options did I have? What could I possibly use as leverage?
I did have something. One thing that Kaen evidently valued. I pulled my dagger from my belt and set the edge against the corner of my eye. “Order her to stop, Your Grace, or we’ll both lose our eyes.”
Azhen Kaen turned back to me, eyes wide with surprise. “You—what?”
I took a deep breath, ground my teeth together, and pushed the edge in.4
The sharp dagger ensured I didn’t register the result as pain right away. Cold and wet and unpleasant, a sharp icy claw reaching right through my skull. Something wet and oozing started sliding down my cheek.