A House Divided (Astoran Asunder, book 1)

by Nicole Ciacchella

  "What's a lie?"

  "That he did this to himself. He would never do this to himself!"

  Chewing the inside of her cheek, Cianne tried to find the right words. This was all so grueling, far more grueling than she could have imagined. She had to keep him in the dark. Whatever was happening in House Staerleigh, she didn't think he played any part in it, but his mother might. Lach would never agree to do what Cianne intended to do, what she had long done: skulk around, observe, and snoop, until she could winkle out everyone's secrets. He would want to go charging in, demanding answers. Such blunt methods would not only get them nowhere, they might get them killed.

  "You think I'm in denial," he said with a harsh laugh, before she could reply.

  "I don't know, Lach. Perhaps," she said, sighing.

  "Perhaps I am," he said, his anger fading, leaving him looking older than his years, weighed down with grief. "But I don't believe he'd do this, Cianne. Every fiber of my being rejects the idea. He wasn't sad, he wasn't upset. He was a valued and valuable member of the House. Yes, he seemed preoccupied lately, but he wasn't despondent. He was happy I was home. He and I made plans, for Cearus's sake! We were going to go on a voyage, spend some time together, before—" He bit off his tirade abruptly. "Why would he make plans with me, knowing he intended to do this horrible thing?"

  "What if he didn't want you to know that something was wrong?" she asked. As much as she hated herself for posing the question, he was irrational, that much was obvious. There might be something to his assertions, and she had already committed herself to looking into it, but she couldn't afford to appear to conspire with him. She had to behave as any other House member might when presented with his assertions.

  "Cearus's bloody trident, Cianne. I thought you of all people would understand."

  His words hit her like a slap in the face. Being the subject of his unbridled fury hurt.

  "I do understand," she said, her words fierce. "I understand that you're hurting, and I understand that hurt. I hurt too. But lashing out at me isn't going to make it better."

  "No, you're right, it isn't," he said, his voice breaking once more. His shoulders shook with dry sobs as he buried his face in his hands.

  "Please, Lach, please give yourself some time. I don't want you to stop talking to me, but I don't want you to make this worse on yourself or anyone else."

  His whole body shuddered as he inhaled. "All right. If you don't mind, I'd like to be alone right now."

  "Of course. Whatever you need." Giving his hand a brief squeeze, she rose from her seat. "Should I come back in the morning?"

  "No, the afternoon. My mother and I have to meet with the Elders, make arrangements." He had to force the words out, and his throat worked convulsively as he swallowed.

  "Get some rest," she said, kissing the top of his sweaty head.

  Reaching up, he caught one of her hands, squeezing it so hard she had to bite back a yelp of pain. He brought it to his lips and kissed it, then traced the veins running over the top.

  "I need you, Cianne. I don't think I can do this without you. I couldn't bear to lose you as well."

  "You won't lose me," she said, her throat aching, knowing the words were a lie. She wanted to pull her hand from his but didn't want to do anything to increase his distress.

  He loosened his grip and she slipped her hand free. "I'll see you tomorrow."

  Turning his back to her, he curled in on himself, his head buried in his pillows. She wasn't certain leaving him alone was wise, and though he might be angry with her for it, she decided to tell his mother that he had refused the draught. Moiria would ensure nothing happened to him.

  Cianne had heard the Enforcers arrive earlier. Lach had been asleep, and she had pressed her ear to the door but hadn't heard anything more than the sound of their footsteps fading down the corridor and disappearing behind another door. She had wanted to eavesdrop, but she hadn't wanted to leave Lach in case he woke and needed her. Kila could tell her what had happened, and she would tell him about her conversation with Lach.

  Toran's study door loomed at the end of the corridor as she left Lach's room, tempting her. She wanted to slip inside and have a look about, rifle through Toran's papers and see if she could find anything, anything at all that might help her. She didn't dare attempt it, though. Too many people were in the manor, and if someone were to see her entering or leaving the study, she would not be able to explain it away. She would have to content herself with waiting until that night, when she could slip into the house under cover of darkness.

  "Advisor Stowley, may I have a word?" Cianne asked, folding her hands demurely as she stepped into the sitting room.

  "Certainly," Moiria said, walking out into the corridor with her.

  "Lach didn't want to take the last dose of sedative," she said.

  Moiria frowned. "That may be for the best. He'll want to be lucid for what we have to do tomorrow." She slumped against the wall, passing a hand over her forehead.

  "He's not well," Cianne said gently. "He's very agitated. I'm concerned about him."

  "I'll see to him," Moiria said, a flash of dislike crossing her face.

  "He's asked me to come back in the afternoon, after you meet with the Elders."

  "You're always welcome," Moiria said. She couldn't have made the statement more perfunctory if she had tried.

  "My father asked me to tell you that if you have need of anything, don't hesitate to call, no matter the hour."

  The mention of Cianne's father was enough to smooth some of the lines from Moiria's face, and Cianne wondered, for one appalled second, if the woman was having an affair with her father. But, no, she didn't think that was possible. Her father conducted all kinds of meetings with all kinds of people at all kinds of hours, but she was fairly certain none of them were assignations. Besides, she kept track of her father's meetings, and she couldn't recall his being alone with Moiria more than once, and then only for a brief period of time. Every other meeting with her had included others as well.

  "That's very kind of him. Please offer him my gratitude."

  "I will. Good night, Advisor Stowley."

  "Good night, Cianne."

  Cianne lingered long enough to say good night to Lach's family, all of whom she knew. Some appeared to resent her presence, but others studied her with appraising gazes, their expressions knowing. It made her feel sick to her stomach. Were they anticipating planning a wedding once the funeral was done?

  Outside she drew in a deep breath of the evening air. The drizzle had continued unabated since morning. Dreary and chilly as it was, the moisture felt good against her skin, as if it might cleanse away the stain of her thoughts.

  It would make Stowley manor's walls slippery, so she would have to take extra care when she climbed them. First, though, she had to go home and put in an appearance with her father, little as she relished the thought.

  Fortunately for her he was tied up in his study. She popped her head in to pass along Moiria's message, and he nodded before sending her away with an impatient wave.

  She ate a quick, solitary meal in her room before dismissing Vivie for the night. She remained in front of her vanity for several more minutes, brushing her hair to a fine shine, until she was certain Vivie really was gone. Then she got ready, tying her hair back, dressing in her dark clothing, and assembling some of her necessities: three daggers hidden in various sheaths on her body, and a small pack containing some rope, powdered chalk, and several metal spikes.

  Leaving her room, she crept through the corridor, tucking herself into a tiny supply closet a few doors down from her father's room. Once his heavy tread had passed her she counted to five hundred and then set out, climbing through a small window on the third story. She knew the exterior of their manor so well that she could skim, eyes closed, along the narrow stone ledge ringing the windows without falling or alerting anyone to her presence. She had done it, several times.

  Guards patrolled the streets, so Cianne too
k a circuitous route to avoid them. The buildings in the enclave were spaced farther apart than those in the city, precluding her from traveling via the rooftops, as she did when she prowled the city proper. Instead, she wound a path through gardens, over walls, and along the upper story of a manor belonging to an elderly lady who retired almost before the sun set. The garden walls in the enclave were low, but one side of the Stowley garden was concealed by a voluminous lilac bush, and Cianne climbed with confidence, knowing no one would see her. From the second floor she made a circuit of the manor, ensuring no candles were guttering behind the windows. All was still.

  Jimmying open a window at the back of the manor, she slipped inside. Hopefully no one would ever discover that the latch was loose. She could probably still find another way in if they did, but that loose latch made her life a lot easier.

  Skulking through Lach's home made her feel decidedly unsavory, but she pushed the discomfort aside. She consoled herself with the thought that she was no thief. After all, she never took objects of material worth. Still, she couldn't deny that she was splitting hairs, as she freely stole information.

  Creeping to a door, she opened it a crack and held her breath, straining her ears. Nothing. Taking care not to allow the door to creak, she opened it wide enough for her to slip through it and pulled it shut behind her without making any noise. As a child she had resented her smallness. She had wished she were burlier, hale and hearty like her Houses' best sailors. As an adult smallness worked in her favor. Clad all in black, she was difficult to spot in the darkness, and she weighed so little that moving silently required far less effort than it would have for a hale and hearty sailor-type.

  She made it to Toran's study without incident. Was this a foolhardy effort? What could she hope to find in here? If someone had murdered Toran they would have known the Enforcers would trek through whichever room he was found in, so they would have to be devoid of intelligence to leave anything lying about.

  Ought to have thought of that sooner. Might as well take a look while you're here.

  After half an hour of searching, though, she found nothing. It didn't look as though anyone had done much since Toran's death. Parchment and ledgers littered the top of his desk, and she kept her eyes studiously averted from the carpet. She didn't like the pattern she saw in its crushed surface.

  Paging through the ledgers, her eyes glazed over at the endless columns of numbers. She detested accounting, long ago deciding it was better left to the Coin Masters. She had already ascertained there was nothing of interest in any of the drawers, nor did they have false bottoms or anything attached to their undersides. The parchments also yielded nothing, and she was on the verge of calling it a night when she halted. Paging through the ledger more slowly, she noticed something that struck her as odd. Toran must have devised his own system, because he never used words, just letters and numbers. Positive figures had been inked in black and negatives in red. It was all very neat, orderly, but Cianne studied one entry, brow furrowed in concentration, then flipped past a few pages. Sure enough, she saw it at that entry as well. So faint she had almost mistaken it for a random blot, there was a hash mark next to the entry, just as there were with at least six others scattered throughout the ledger. What if Toran had attempted to hide something but had done so in plain sight?

  Easing the ledger into her pack, Cianne decided it was time to go. It might prove to be a dead end, but it was all she had to work with, for the moment.

  Chapter 14

  "I've brought you something," Miss Wyland said as he emerged from his office on his way to make himself a cup of tea.

  "Do make yourself at home," he said in a dry voice, wondering if he appeared as taken aback by her presence as he felt.

  Brushing the comment aside, she said, "I've no wish to invade your privacy, but marching through your front door wouldn't be advisable. It's best if I slip in and out."

  "You seem to have become quite skilled at it."

  "I have," she said, her voice matter-of-fact.

  He didn't think the statement prideful, merely a confirmation of something he had already ascertained, and he liked her for it. He disliked braggarts but didn't see the point of being coy about one's accomplishments, and he found distasteful anyone who employed false modesty in an attempt to garner the favorable opinions of others. Straightforwardness was a virtue he appreciated.

  "What do you have?" he asked, his curiosity getting the better of him. He wasn't overly fond of the thought of her coming into and out of his lodgings at will. It was also no use denying that it was rather humiliating to know that she could get the better of his security. He ought to look into that.

  "No need to be ashamed of your security measures," she said, as if reading his mind. Her gaze was fixed on him, so perhaps she had seen the brief frown that had crossed his face. "They're more than sufficient to deter any common thief. In fact, your window latches and door locks are better than those on many of the enclave dwellings, and the wires you've rigged in front of the windows and doors are quite ingenious. It pains me to admit it, but I almost missed the hair you tucked into the window frame."

  He couldn't stop himself, he grinned, but he quickly schooled his features into an expression of gravity. "Thank you for that evaluation. I wouldn't have thought a young woman of high standing in House Staerleigh would possess such skills," he said, prodding a bit, waiting to see if she would bite.

  She shrugged, her face remaining a blank mask. "We must all develop what skills we can."

  "True enough." He would let it rest for now. He sensed a frontal assault would garner him nothing. She was no doubt used to maintaining the utmost discretion, and if she felt he were pushing her she was likely to shut down. Gaining her trust by increments would yield better results, if he could manage the feat. Though she was eager to share everything she could about her House, she was certainly cagey when it came to details about herself and her somewhat shady skills.

  Sliding a dark brown leather tome from her pack, she handed it over to him. "I found this ledger on Toran Stowley's desk."

  "Dare I ask how you obtained this?" he asked, raising his brows.

  "I'm certain it goes without saying that Moiria Stowley didn't offer it to me for my perusal."

  "You know I can't do anything with this on an official basis?"

  "Yes, I am aware of that. It's hardly relevant, anyhow, is it, as Enforcement has closed the inquiry."

  "That's true as well. Our Chief Anatomical Examiner confirmed that Toran Stowley died of self-inflicted injury. An overdose of sophoria caused his death, and his body showed no signs of any other trauma. Both his wife and the House Healer confirm that Advisor Stowley took an occasional dose of sophoria to relieve his chronic headaches, and Burl and I spoke with the Apothecist who made the compound."

  "All wrapped up as neatly as a gift."

  "Which isn't an indication that anything is amiss."

  "Nor is it an indication that anything isn't. Do you think Burl wouldn't stoop to helping the House cover up a crime if she were asked?" Miss Wyland's tone was confrontational.

  For a second he was tempted to protest, but he'd be doing so on principle alone. The thought of another Enforcer aiding and abetting a crime was beyond sickening, but he knew Miss Wyland wasn't insulting his profession in general. She was better acquainted with Burl than he was, and she seemed to have a finger on the pulse of whatever underhanded activities were going on in House Staerleigh, even if she didn't have all the details. She was testing him, determining if he was open to the possibility that Toran Stowley's death and the subsequent neat inquiry were the result of a conspiracy.

  "I know nothing about Burl," he said, which was the honest truth.

  She accepted it. "Allow me to fill in some details as to how Cearova works. The trade Houses run the city—unofficially, of course. All three Houses have made an excellent show of swearing their allegiance to the royal family, such as it is. They are staunchly loyal subjects of the regents, trust
ing in their wisdom at determining the line of succession, and eagerly awaiting coronation day.

  "I needn't tell you how well that affair has gone; the claims are still disputed and seemingly no closer to resolution than they were twenty years ago. Does it matter, at any rate? Astoran's next monarch will be a fourth cousin of the former king, twice removed; a distant relation of the former queen, the provenance of whose line seems dubious; or the king's third cousin, an infant too small to travel with the royal entourage at the time, or he surely would have been slain as well. Every advisor of value also happened to be with the royal family at the time of the massacre, which means Astoran is, in essence, being led by a pack of headless chickens.

  "Meanwhile, the trade Houses have been free to do as they please. Cearova has become almost a realm unto itself, for all its talk of being part of Astoran."

  Kila had to admit he hadn't kept up on royal politics. He was aware, of course, of the upheaval caused by the royal massacre, as well as the chaos that had ensued. Yet the fact of the matter was that people had to continue on with their lives. When he'd last been in Cearova, there had been talk of what was happening in Vyramas, the royal seat, but he had paid it little heed. He wasn't an Astoran, and though he liked the realm well enough, he could return to Myrsha if Astoran's position became untenable. Once he was in the remote regions of Astoran the problem had seemed even more removed from daily life. After all, it wasn't as though the royal family had paid that much attention to the tiny forest villages on the outskirts of their realm. King or no king, queen or no queen, not much had changed for the residents.

  For the trade Houses, though, royal affairs would be of great interest, so it didn't surprise him that Miss Wyland was so well-versed. The likelihood that the trade Houses had Intentionists and Obscurists galore embedded within Vyramas was high. Most of the Adept Houses, in fact, enjoyed various benefits as a result of the lengthy instability that went along with Astoran's lack of a Head of State. Without a clear leader to dictate what they should and shouldn't do, to command them to curb their excesses, and to keep them in line, they could conduct themselves however they saw fit.