Under the cover of night, Keitha Drach snuck into Celosia Lethe's house. There were no guards at the door. There were no servants in the hallway. Keitha silently made her way up the stairs, gripping a dagger tightly.

    She knew where she was going, thanks to some additional information from Kai. He'd told her the layout of the house, and she dredged up what she remembered from her own time there. When Kai had asked why she wanted to know about the house, Keitha gave a vague explanation about collecting ideas for a house of her own someday.

    She took a right near the library and came across a large carved door. Keitha let the door creak open. Celosia's bed was empty. There wasn't a fire in the grate and no candles were lit. Keitha entered the room and knelt by the hearth. She ran her fingers through the ashes lightly. They were cold. There hadn't been a fire here for days.

    Keitha lit a candle swiftly and began to go through all of the drawers in the room. She kept her ears pricked, listening for signs of life in the house. She paused and pulled a small bag out of one drawer. Within the bag lay several tiny crystals. She sniffed. They carried no scent.

    Keitha snatched up a piece of paper and jotted down her findings. She continued searching the room. In another drawer, she found several papers. She skimmed over them, realizing they were notes of some kind.

Hovel, two miles away from Offing. Likely northern.

Cadoc Rhys, assassin. History with Evren. Could be convinced to work for her.

Poison - failed, find alternative

Assassin is alive, believes he was hired by her. Keep it that way. May come in useful.

    Keitha pressed a piece of thin paper over the notes and traced them, securing them in Celosia's handwriting. She tucked the notes back where she found them and added the copy to her list of findings.

    Keitha searched the rest of the room, but found nothing more. She gathered up her papers and crept out of the room, closing the door behind her. She knit her brows, gazing down the empty corridors.

    Shouldn't there be at least a few guards or servants around? She wondered. Keitha made her way back downstairs and headed towards the servant's quarters.

    She paused outside the door and pressed her ear against it, listening intently. Not a sound came from within. Keitha pushed the door open. The beds were empty. There was no one but her inside the house.

    She breathed in deeply, detecting an odd scent in the air. It was both sweet and sour at the same time. Keitha crept further into the room. She held her candle up. There was a set of stairs near the back of the room. The smell grew even stronger as she approached them.

    Keitha swallowed and began the descent. The smell became overwhelming. Her heart pounded in her chest as she considered the possibilities of what she might find. Keitha reached the foot of the stairs and held her candle up.

    She had entered a cellar. Barrels of ale and several wine racks filled the area. A dark puddle leaked out from beneath one of the barrels. Keitha crouched beside the puddle and gingerly dipped her fingers into it. The liquid was thick and clotted. She held it to her nose. The coppery tang was unmistakable.

    "Blood," Keitha whispered. She stepped around the barrel and covered her mouth, biting back a scream. Duman Lethe's rotting corpse lay behind the barrel. From the looks of him, he'd been there several days, if not a week or more.

    Keitha stumbled backwards, wiping her fingers clean on her pants. Celosia's father was dead. Had she killed him or had someone else? Perhaps he'd learned something he shouldn't have and paid the price. Perhaps he was in on Celosia's plan and tried to betray her. Whatever the reason, he was dead in his own wine cellar. Keitha spun on her heel and raced back up the stairs.

    She didn't stop running until she was past the house gates. Keitha winnowed, carrying herself far away from the house. She landed just beyond the Forest House. Keitha winnowed a small note to Eris, asking him to meet with her. This information needed to be handed to him in person.

    She hovered in the trees beyond the courtyard of the house, waiting. Minutes later, Eris appeared. He didn't come right to her. Instead, he went to the stables and emerged atop a horse. Keitha caught a glimpse of a feminine figure on a balcony as Eris galloped towards her. The figure disappeared when Eris was safely hidden under the shelter of the trees.

    Keitha stepped out of hiding and Eris dismounted. "I had to come up with an excuse," he said. "A late night ride was all I could think of."

    "Duman is dead," she said, cutting him off. "I found his body in the wine cellar. He's been dead for days. There was no one else in the house. No servants, no guards, no Celosia." She handed over her notes and the copy of Celosia's notes.

    Eris read over everything, massaging his forehead. "So it is her. How did she learn about Cadoc, though? And how did she know where to find him?" He furrowed his brows. "This is going to be a long shot, but would you be willing to go to the Mortal Lands and see if Evren has gone back to Cadoc? If she isn't a hostage, she must be hiding somewhere. That's the only other place she could go."

    "I'll go," Keitha promised. "When?"

    "Tomorrow. The sooner we know where she is, the better. Lucien and I will keep looking for her here." Eris turned to go.

    "My Lord," Keitha called.

    He paused. "Yes?"

    "What should I do if I do find Evren?"

    "Return and tell me yourself. If we find her, we can coordinate a plan. If we don't find her, we have to assume that Celosia is holding her hostage somewhere. Good luck."

    "You need more luck than I do." The High Lord gave her half a smile, then remounted his horse and returned to the house.

•~ ❘ ۞ ❘ ~•

    "Revan is dead," Cadoc said. Evren kept sharpening Mortem's blade. "They say he was killed almost four days ago. No one found his body until today. Someone had peeled the skin from his arms and parts of his chest, but he died because of lack of oxygen. Someone smothered him with a pillow. You wouldn't know anything about that, would you?"

    Evren flashed him an innocent look. "He seemed perfectly alive when I went to go see him. He had a little street harlot already in bed and didn't want me so I went on my way gratefully."

    "It's not like Revan to turn down the opportunity to have two females in his bed," Cadoc sneered. "And no ordinary whore could peel a man's skin off."

    "People are capable of terrible things when they've suffered long and hard enough. Look at me."

    "I am looking at you. I think you killed him."

    "Perhaps his harlot had some family who found out about where she was and they decided they wanted revenge. Do you really think one person could skin Revan and smother him at the same time?"

    "You could." Cadoc watched her through narrowed eyes. "I know you could. I've seen you do worse to Fae."

    "Believe it was me if you like. I'll let you see it as a warning. Touch me again, and you might end up like Revan."

    Cadoc backhanded her and Mortem went flying from her hands. Evren screamed as he shoved her down to the floor. He gripped her by the throat and pinned her arms down, then held down her legs with his own.

    "You may have lived amongst Fae, Girl, but you are not one," Cadoc snarled. "You're still a rutting little female and you owe me your life."

    "Get...the hell...off of me," Evren choked. She gagged as the pressure around her throat increased.

    "And I think it's time I reminded you of that."

    "No. No. No!" Evren screamed and struggled beneath him. "Let me go, you sick bastard!"

    She managed to free one leg. She kneed him right between the legs and felt his grip loosen. Evren kicked him over her head, then twisted on top of him, recovering Mortem. She pressed the blade against his throat, panting with fear and adrenaline. Eris tugged on the Bond. She threw a shield over her mind.

    "You will not touch me again!" Evren rasped. Her throat felt raw. "You will not touch me! If you do, I'll cut you into so many pieces that they won't be able to find all of you! I will rip your heart out of your chest and shove it down your throat! I will..." She paused, recalling the stories she'd heard of Amarantha. "I will stake your body to a wall and let you rot there for the scavengers to feast upon."

    There was a hint of fear in Cadoc's eyes. "What kind of monster are you?" He retched.

    "The kind you made me." Evren released him and strode out the door. Tonight, she would kill Elmir. Tomorrow, Col. The next day, Donovan. And Cadoc... Cadoc would take the longest, so she would kill him last.

    First, she needed to check on Juliette. She mounted Asper and rode away from the hovel, aware of Cadoc watching her from the door. She'd have to sleep with one eye open now. She didn't doubt that Cadoc would try to kill her before she had the chance to kill him.

    Evren felt a small twinge of pride within herself. She had fought him off. He wasn't able to have his way with her. She was all right. She wasn't hurt. She had fought him off. Evren reached the hollowed out tree. Juliette sat just outside of it. Her hair was combed out and braided today and some of her bruises had faded.

    "How are you today?" Evren asked.

    "Feeling better. I was able to eat without throwing up," Juliette admitted.

    Evren smiled. "Good. I'm glad. Revan's body was discovered."

    "Do they know it was you?" Her eyes widened. "Do they suspect me?"

    Evren shrugged. "I only learned it from Cadoc and he believed it was me." Again, she felt a rush of pride.

    "What?" Juliette prompted.

    "I fought him off," Evren answered. "I've never been able to do that before." Juliette touched her shoulder lightly and smiled.