Chapter 323 (1/2)

Chapter 323

My eyes snapped open and I twisted to look at the “guard” Sitting next tohair les He let out a belch, filling the se with the stench of his alcoholic breath

“Alaric, how…” I trailed off, waving the fuentleis joked, chuckling inside aveto let you get arrested without paying what you owe me now, did you?”

I shook my head in wonder “You can’t foolinto that armor just for a few pieces of treasure—”

“But you did get soht?” he asked, his bloodshot eyes widening “Not to put too fine a point on it, but you’re in deep shi+t, pretty boy—and a little gold would go a long way to turning the right ears Or a lot of gold, if you’ve got it”

I rolled e rune for one of the items Caera and I had taken from the Spear Beaks’ hoard of treasures It was a sheath for a shortsword, e

Barely looking at the “accolade,” as the Alacryans called the treasures unearthed from the Relictombs, I tossed it into Alaric’s lap “Consider it a down payet out of this ly along the leather, pausing greedily at the gemstones “Well then, this will do nicely” Alaric shot ot h, not wanting the driver to overhear “Enough to keep you drunk until your dying day”

Alaric’s eyes closed and he leaned back, a serene peacefulness falling across his face “Just what I’ve alanted to hear…”

At least he’s easy to please

‘But what can this drunk really do to help us out here?’ Regis wondered

“Now,” I said soberly, “what do you know about this trial? There has to be ”

Alaric’s face fell and he shot me a dirty look, like I’d just woken him from a pleasant dream “The Granbehls are about tops for a nahbloods, but they’ve been pushi+ng for highblood status for years—sponsoring ascenders, buying up property in the first two levels, currying favor with the Sovereigns, that kind of thing

“This Kalon boy was the rising star of Blood Granbehl, froood instincts both in and out of the Relicto hat Alaric was saying “Likely to be the future head of the house?”

Alaric nodded in return as he stored the sheath in his diainst the side of the carriage so he could get more comfortable “A shoo in, yes His death is a hard blow for Blood Granbehl”

“But ascenders die in the Relictombs all the time,” I said, half to ence zone Most of the es who entered that place didn’t leave”

“Aye, but an experienced ascender who doesn’t want to take on too ood will and a na preliely

For a reed to ith the old drunk in the first place Despite his lack of grace, Alaric was very perceptive Then he belched loudly, and I wondered, not for the first time, if it wasn’t all just blind luck and alcohol-inspired overconfidence

“da at the edges of the blackened steel chestplate

“So they’re angry about losing their heir apparent, but how does pinning his e at Alaric

“Not sure yet, to be honest, but this”—he tapped his di the jeweled sheath—“will help h It doesn’tmurder in the Relictombs…well, it’s damned tricky, especially with only one eyewitness”

“Two,” I said,to let Caera act as a witness on led his thick eyebrows up and down, an expression that reis for sohblood beauty in the Relicto beasts, then cuddled by the fire, still crusty with blood froht of ht, don’t pop your cork, boy All I’ death every day No one would blame you—”

“Alaric,” I said,with an obvious threat even he couldn’t h then, shall we?” he said quickly “Highblood Denoir is ry and punching above their weight What would the Denoirs gain by allowing their precious princess to be entangled in this whole trial fiasco?”

He paused, looking at me with unfocused eyes “What was the question?” He scratched at his , that’s what They don’t want it getting around that the adoptive daughter of the noble Highblood Denoir snuck off into the Relictombs with some bloodless rookie It looks bad All they have to do is let the Granbehls eat you alive and, for theoes away”

“But what do the—”

The carriage swerved and our driver exchanged shouted insults with soain by puttingaround in circles now,” he said “Perhaps they’ve hedged that there’s s You’re freaky powerful, enough to alter the difficulty of any level you walk into Depending on what young Ada’s said, they hblood that they can recoup losses froes”

Thatback from Kalon’s death, I mused

‘But they still have to prove it was is pointed out ‘Which they can’t do, because, y’know, it wasn’t’

I echoed this thought to Alaric

“That’s what’s gotBlood Granbehlto all this trouble”

We sat in silence for a e crunch over the stone streets “So,” Alaric said, “how h?”

“Three,” I said, a little bitterly I should have just kept going

‘And get yourself killed because you were distracted by the genocide of your girlfriend’s entire race?’ Regis asked ‘Cooling your heels in a jail cell is probably not a bad thing for you right now’

You were telling ht incredulously