Total pages in book: 142
Estimated words: 137017 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 685(@200wpm)___ 548(@250wpm)___ 457(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 137017 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 685(@200wpm)___ 548(@250wpm)___ 457(@300wpm)
“He was about to tell me who hired him, so I’m assuming it was related to the name of his contractor.”
“That’s quite possible,” Duke Trelawney said, concern flashing through his eyes. “It was a common use for this kind of spell even when they were legal. Assassins would often use it in place of poison—they would be branded with the spell and use it as a method of suicide before they could even be questioned.”
“Could the circle be branded on someone without their knowledge?”
“Theoretically, yes, especially if the receiver was asleep or unconscious at the time of casting. Why do you ask, Your Highness?”
“It took some coaxing, but he was willingly about to tell me the name of his contractor. He was a coward who was trying to save his own life at any cost, so I doubt he’d have tried to tell me if he knew he would die.”
“Hmm. It does complicate things.” He folded his arms across his chest, leaning back in his chair. “If one has it, then everyone involved with the incident does, too. It’ll make getting to the root of it difficult.”
“That doesn’t mean it’s impossible.” I tossed the paper down onto the table. “How frustrating. Tracking down anyone else is going to be tough. If they’re anything like Roderick Coleman, they’re all loners with no place to go to.”
“Why not get ahead of it?”
“What do you mean?”
“It might be too soon to profile them like that, but if Illusion looks into the known mercenaries that fit those parameters, then we could find any who had contact with Roderick.”
I leant forwards, pressing my fingers together. “You mean work backwards? Interesting. We might also find out information if we can send someone in. I knew there was a reason I kept you close, Your Grace.”
He smiled, letting out a little chuckle. “I’ll leave the infiltration to Ezra and stick to the magic.”
“Please do. If someone is practicing black magic, this is serious. You should investigate the forest with Sir Chester to look for further traces.”
“Of course, Your Highness.”
A series of knocks sounded at the door.
“I’ve told him not to do that,” I muttered. “Enter.”
The door swung open, and Ezra marched in before stopping and bowing extravagantly. “Your Highness.” He looked up and saw the duke, then dropped his head once more. “Your Grace.”
“Sit down and shut the door, Ezra,” Duke Trelawney said. “You’re making it look untidy.”
“Thank you for your kind compliment, Your Grace.” Ezra pushed the door shut. “I sent away those guards and left mine outside.”
“Where do you get off ordering my men around?” I asked, raising my eyebrows. “Are you here to interrupt or do you have something useful for me?”
He raised a brown envelope and grinned. “Preliminary report from Jinx regarding the Armand family.”
Duke Trelawney looked between us. “Should I leave you to it, Your Highness?”
I shook my head and opened the envelope. “No. This might be related. Allie ended up at the edge of the forest when she was speaking with Lady Armand, and I haven’t decided if it was deliberate on Lady Armand’s part yet.”
“Lady Lillia Armand? Vivian told me that Lady Alicia seemed quite upset after she visited the tent, then the incident happened. She expressed quite the passionate dislike for the young lady, I have to say.”
“The Armand girl has got a crush on His Highness,” Ezra said, sitting on my bed. “No wonder Lady Alicia was upset.”
“Get off my bed,” I ordered, opening his report.
Lady Lillia de Armand, born to Baron and Baroness de Armand from a small countryside village about three days away from the capital by carriage. Twenty-three years of age. Had no formal education outside that of a low noble until she reached the capital and was taught by Baroness Kilgard.
Baron Armand lost most of the family fortune when their business collapsed and spent many years attempting to recover it through various means, until…
“This is interesting,” I said, tapping one of the paragraphs. “She has no formal education on the level of a noble raised in the capital, but at the age of sixteen, was able to convince her father to purchase a piece of land that would eventually be part of a vital trade route between the Kingdoms of Faria and Vontis?”
“Everyone wrote it off as a lucky guess, but it’s a weird one. The baron used the last of his cash reserves to bid on it at auction, even overpaying, so she must have been pretty convincing.” Ezra dropped onto the couch and swung his legs up, making himself comfortable. “If she was wrong, she’d have screwed up their last chance at recovering their finances. Their other businesses are doing well, but not so well that it could save House Armand. But once the trade deal between the kingdoms was established a year ago, their options were to pay the landowner and construct a road or go all the way around.”