‘No, but I should have known at least. I just assumed she was interested in me.’
‘Again, you are not the first to make such assumptions. I have learned, over the years, that those who show the most interest are often the ones not to trust. What was that message you wanted me to send?’
‘Forget about it. There’s one last thing you could help with though.’ Rising, I reached into my pocket and produced the sketch found within the book in Lacanta’s room. ‘What do you make of this?’
Lillus moved to catch the light of the sun, and scrutinized the document for what seemed a frustratingly long time. ‘Clever,’ he breathed. ‘Forgotten language, these symbols. The old tongue, dead letters. It’s the outline of one corner of our nation – the symbols spell out Detrata. The little triangles, I cannot say what they are for, but I have known them to be used to signify problems, perhaps places to stay away from.’
‘I found it in a book in Lacanta’s room.’
Lillus reconsidered his initial statements on the matter. ‘I think she was too clever and forgot where she had hidden this. She could have others, but remembered to take those.’
‘Where do you think she could have gone?’ I asked.
‘Where do you think?’ he responded, glancing down at the map once again.
‘There were books on Destos. It’s a holiday area for the rich. She might have gone on holiday there as a child, but—’
‘She might have fled there,’ he interrupted. ‘This looks like Destos now you have said the name. The coast is shaped just so…’ He outlined it with his fingers. ‘But if she has gone there, it is impossible to tell where.’
We conferred for a moment longer, but this was all I had to go on. A coded draft she’d left behind by accident.
I stood up, embraced Lillus, and thanked him for his company, his help and the favours. He said his messages would be spread quickly and with discretion, and I had to believe him – there was no one else to trust. He wished me luck and kissed my cheek.
It was mid-afternoon by the time we made our way back to the house. I seethed with anger and frustration. I had simply let Titiana walk into my life and there she was reporting my affairs to someone else. The irony of me spotting those con men in the tavern during dinner, while I was busy being conned myself, was not lost on me.
But that was not what bothered me the most.
I somehow felt that all her gestures and her words of affection had been honest. She had me seduce her all over again before she would forgive my past actions towards her. Surely she would not have bothered to go through all that effort if there was nothing genuine inside her heart?
Leana stopped me with an outstretched arm, and steered me towards a doorway of a pottery shop. ‘Look,’ she said. ‘On the gate.’
The entrance to my gardens, some fifty paces away, appeared slightly different, and eventually my eyes settled on what it was.
On one of the spikes was a human head.
A small crowd stood before it, pointing up in disgust. With discretion we stepped nearer and I saw, glistening in the late afternoon sun, that it was the severed head of Constable Farrum.
I immediately thought of his poor family, his now fatherless children. Someone in the gathered crowd vomited against the wall and while everyone was too busy avoiding the mess, we stepped along the pathway to my house. Leana drew her sword, as did I.
The door was open, the entrance was covered in blood.
We first stepped past what I assumed was Farrum’s body – he had been not only decapitated, but there were several wounds to his torso. He hadn’t even had time to draw his sword before he was killed.
I closed my eyes listening for anyone else in the house, but it seemed utterly silent. Under the open-roofed hallway, by the central pool of water, we found another dead man from the Civil Cohorts – his head, too, had been cleaved from his body, which hung half in the water, half out. His uniform was soaked and his severed head floated by his feet. Further into the study, two more men from the Civil Cohorts had been slaughtered, their heads still attached this time, but with several abdominal wounds. Bloody footprints trailed all around my house, slick on the tiles. There was so much of it here, it seemed impossible to gauge a sense of what might have happened.
Leana dashed from room to room, stealthily checking whether or not there were any more bodies. I stood aghast at the carnage.
‘No one else so far,’ she said. ‘Not even Bellona. Perhaps she has escaped?’
‘I hope so,’ I replied.
Leana moved to the open doors to the garden, while I took a look around: nothing had been disturbed from my study. Books remained on the shelves, papers piled neatly where they had been left. Leana called out my name and I ran outside into the garden.
She cautioned me before I stepped out into the sunlit space, shading my eyes.
‘Oh, Polla…’ I breathed, my voice catching in my throat. ‘Oh please, Polla. Please, no…’
I fell to my knees.
There, hanging by her neck from the edge of the rooftop, was Titiana. She, too, had been cut open and blood had pooled beneath, glistening in the light.
I am not ashamed to say I wept then – tears of rage and of despair. I heaved myself to my feet, dragged a couch up to her body and climbed up to cut the rope connecting her neck to the masonry.
Her beautiful face was covered in bruises, her eyes shut to the world.
Leana helped me lower her body to the ground.
I collapsed next to Titiana’s lifeless form, cradling her head, smelling her blood-soaked hair. I kissed her forehead, and rocked back and forth without a clue what to do next.
Leana stood over me, silhouetted in the blinding light.
Time seemed to lose all consistency, but when my control over myself returned I knew that I could not stay there holding her for all that long.
I wrapped Titiana’s body up in one of my finest cloaks, cleaned her face of blood, and left her in the garden along with a hastily prepared offering to Polla – hoping that it would be enough to see her through to the next realm. I kissed her lips one final time and forgave her – as she had forgiven me – for any of her actions that may have compromised my investigation. Now was not the time to bear grudges.
After changing from my blood-soaked clothing, and washing my hands and face, Leana and I quickly packed a few belongings and prepared to leave. I was about to step out of the door when she called me back once again. I dreaded what she might have found.
However, she had discovered Bellona hiding in a cupboard, huddling in shocked silence. Bellona did not say a word at first, but she had not been harmed and for that I was immensely relieved.
Eventually, she managed a whisper. ‘The soldiers came. King’s men. They dragged the lady into the house. They said where is he, where is he, and she screamed she didn’t know. I hid here and closed my eyes…’
‘It is OK.’ Leana held her so she might be soothed, and gave me a look of desperation that I shared with her.
But we urgently needed to go.
Leana lifted Bellona up to her feet. I gave her directions to Lillus’ salon, and told her that he would look after her. ‘Be strong. And for your own safety, you must be quick,’ I added. ‘Do you understand?’
She squirmed a nod, tears still streaming down her face. I wished I could guide her there myself, but I no longer had the time.
After she gathered her belongings, I guided her to the door and placed a small purse of coins in her pocket. ‘Tell him what happened, but tell him I’m safe.’ We steered her down the path and she wailed when she saw Farrum’s head on the gate.