“Eventually we came back up to my quarters and found out Shara was still alive and that everyone knew she’d burned her attacker’s arm. There was nothing I could do for him, this I admitted. I had to report him. Of course he threatened to tell King Quince that I gave the order. I’m partially responsible because of the reward for Neeko’s death, but I never ordered anyone to kill Neeko.”
Swenn paused for a slow breath, finding Gram in the audience.
“The same can be said of Gram. I don’t know why he believes I wanted that woman dead. I specifically said to scare her, and I surely would never punish Gram for refusing to murder someone. It’s absurd. Though I can understand this reputation I have.” He looked at Quince. “A man’s reputation can carry him places he can’t get to through any other means. I’ve spoken with you at great length about this already, so I don’t suppose it comes as a surprise that I’ve fomented fear.”
He smiled wide, even gave a laugh. “I suppose it’s all pointless now. No one will believe I’m capable of anything terrible when this trial is over.”
I gritted my teeth.
Could the king actually believe this horse piss? Why aren’t the psychics saying anything!
“Luke attacked me when I showed my intent to report him,” Swenn continued, his voice utterly serious. “He stabbed me in the shoulder before I fought the knife out of his hands and stabbed him in the chest.” Swenn gave the appropriate, dramatic pause. “I didn’t want to kill him.”
Swenn finally stopped and waited for the king.
“That is enough about your squire,” Quince said. “The questions will shift to your involvement with the death of Faye Aquin, Neeko’s mother. You two will speak one at a time. Swenn is welcome to defend himself so long as he waits until Neeko has finished. Neeko, tell us about this incident.”
I tried to push away my feelings of frustration and anger, telling myself the psychics would pick up on his lies eventually. I just needed to tell the truth.
“Swenn entered my mother’s house to steal her money. I was eight and no longer living with her. He was seventeen. She must’ve caught him, so he killed her to keep her from reporting his crime.”
“Tell them how I entered Faye’s house,” Swenn said, a strange lack of derision in his voice.
“He had a key.”
“Because you gave it to me.”
“No, because you took it from me.”
The king held out his hands. “Are they speaking too fast for you, psychics?”
“No, sire,” Charlotte said.
Cedri agreed, “They are not.”
The king seemed nonplussed for the moment.
“I’m telling the truth,” Swenn said.
“You're not,” I said, looking to Charlotte.
Say something!
“They’re both telling the truth,” Charlotte announced.
“Are you certain?” Quince asked.
“Yes.”
People in the audience scratched their heads, others asking aloud how that could be possible.
“I have tested the psychics myself,” Quince announced. “They know when a lie has been told. We shall go on, and this should all make sense soon. Swenn, Neeko claims you entered his mother’s home to steal her money. Is this true?”
“Yes, but for good reason. What Neeko hasn’t mentioned is that he longed to see his father in Lanhine. We were in Cessri at this time and I owned a carriage. As a favor to him, I took him to Lanhine. His mother, Faye, wouldn’t have allowed me to if she’d known, so we kept it a secret. Neeko wanted his family to live together again, so I developed a plan to help him.”
“That’s not how it happened. He tricked me.” My voice held strong while my body felt weak with shame. But if this story needed to come out for Swenn to be hung, so be it. “He convinced me to pay him twenty-five silver of my mother’s money for the trip to Lanhine, and I was too young to realize this was far too much. He left me there in Lanhine to find my father on my own and went back to steal the rest of my mother’s money, killing her in the process.”
“That’s not how it happened,” Swenn said. “There were no tricks involved.”
“Wait,” Quince interrupted. “Psychics?”
“All true,” Charlotte said. Cedri, meanwhile, seemed lost in her own thoughts as she looked down at me.
“I’m not telling any lies,” Swenn said. “Everything I did was part of a plan to help Neeko, and yes, get paid in the process. Some of my decisions were regrettable, but let me explain them. I returned to Faye’s home in Cessri, where I used the key Neeko gave me to take her money while she was out.” He extended his arms to silence the increasing noise of the audience. “With the intention to return it,” he added. “She still didn’t know where Neeko was when I’d gotten back to Cessri, and she’d begun offering people money for any information about him. A waste, considering I knew exactly where he was. I planned to tell her that I’d taken him to Lanhine at his request. However, I knew Faye and my parents would be upset, so—and I’m not proud of this—to make reparations, I was going to give Faye all the money Neeko had taken from her as well as twenty-five of my own silver…which actually was hers, and I would offer to take her to Lanhine. By taking her money, I would prevent her from spending it needlessly. Then when I returned it, it would appear that I was being munificent. I was seventeen, remember.”
He played the part so convincingly, a part of me wondered if this actually could be true.
No
, I told myself.
Swenn isn’t and never was complicated. He simply wanted money.
Yet the psychics still said nothing.
“Unfortunately Faye came home while I was there,” Swenn said. “I tried to leave through a window but she caught me, recognized me, and immediately accused me of theft. I began to explain to her what I just explained here.” He stopped for a long breath, full of deceitful regret. “I heard later that she hadn’t been sleeping or eating. She wasn’t the same kind and understanding woman in that moment. I believe a book was the first thing she threw at me as she yelled about how Neeko’s father would never let her leave with their son again. I didn’t know he was abusive. If I had, I never would’ve taken Neeko. I tried to explain this, but nothing would pacify her.”
Swenn’s head became unsteady as he blinked long and often. “I’m sorry. I’m still sluggish from my injury and the lack of sleep it’s caused. I’m almost done, but unfortunately I’ve come to the most difficult part to tell.” He leaned forward, shifting in his chair and shaking his head. It looked more as if he was trying to stay awake than demonstrate remorse. Unable to maintain his position, he leaned back once again, his eyes drooping.
“She ran to her kitchen. I didn’t want to leave until I’d explained everything, but then she returned with what had to be the biggest knife in her house. There wasn’t enough time to get out the window as she charged.” He lowered his head and held his brow, prying his eyes open. “I can’t remember exactly how it happened, but eventually I kicked her in an attempt to escape. She fell back and hit her head on a table. Still with knife in hand, she tried to get up, but dizziness overcame her. She fell forward and the blade pierced her chest.”
I was certain he was lying. My mother, even with a lack of sleep and food, would never behave like the aggressive animal he’d described. That was Swenn when he became threatened.
“Charlotte…Cedri…” I tried. “That can’t be the truth.”
“I’m not sensing anything that would mean it was a lie,” Charlotte said.
“My mother would never attack anyone.” As much as I wanted to shout, I showed my confidence and control through an even tone. “He attacked and killed her. I’m certain of this.”
“Neither are lying,” Charlotte told the king.
Quince was no help. He wore an expression of concern as he remained silent.
I looked at Cedri, pleading with my eyes. She shook her head.
Swenn appeared asleep, his jaw slack. He came awake, grimacing and squinting hard.
“He’s done something to himself,” I said, “to get away with lying.”
“Enough,” Quince announced. “Bring the master of coin to his quarters. His questioning is over.”
No!
I stood.
“Sit down,” Quince demanded. “I still have more questions for you.”
Anger forced my fingers to dig into my legs as I watched Swenn receive help from the guards. He left the dais and soon disappeared behind a door.
“Neeko, tell me what you know about the PCQ,” Quince said.
I heard him, but nothing could penetrate the rage that filled my mind. Swenn’s trial couldn’t be over. He’d lied.
“Neeko, answer the question.”
I forced myself to forget about Swenn…for now. PCQ. Falister had mentioned it. The psychics needed to be tested, though. “I’ve never heard of it.”
Both Cedri and Charlotte spoke at once. “Lie.”
Gods, they pick up on that but nothing Swenn said?
I spoke again quickly. “I’ve heard the name mentioned once, but I know nothing about its meaning.”
“Then there is no reason to continue this questioning,” Quince concluded.
I’m sure I would’ve been confused by his question if I’d been capable of anything besides anger, but Swenn had refuted the murder of Luke, his attempt at murdering Kayren, and even the murder of my mother!
The man had just deterged himself of three heinous crimes, all in the span of less than an hour.
I glanced at the faces of the audience to find an overwhelming number of them looking surprised at what they’d just witnessed. Then I found Shara, her dark hair full of curls framing an expression of worry. Had she known this would happen? It couldn’t be over. Swenn needed to pay.
“The trial is over,” Quince announced. “I will come to my decision by the end of day.” The audience rustled. The monarch held up his arms. “I have some news while all of you are gathered here. Two of our platoons will be returning to Arish in two weeks. Marteph refuses to let the sacrifices cease, and we cannot remain in defense for the rest of this war. Therefore, many of you will join them as well as our other soldiers in Glaine in marching south.”
Applause broke out, though only about half of the faces I glimpsed showed genuine excitement. Being on the dais, I felt forced to join them, clapping my hands together while unable to feel anything but panic. I wasn’t scared of battle. It was the idea of leaving Swenn not only alive but deemed innocent that made my stomach twist.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
As the great hall cleared, I asked Charlotte and Cedri if I could speak with them. Knowing I didn’t have more than a moment before I needed to be training, I practically dragged them to the edge of the room where we could talk without interruption.
“Explain how psyche is used to detect lies,” I requested in a hurry.
“When people lie,” Charlotte said, “the act of deceit causes stress and nervousness, sometimes even other emotions we can sense.”
“Swenn must know this. Did you mention it to him?”
“I explained psyche to him, King Quince, and others when I first came to the castle with Terren.”
“Swenn doesn’t feel emotions in the same way most people do,” I explained. “It’s probably harder to detect lies when he speaks. Did you feel any emotion from him?”
“Some,” Cedri said, “a sense of calm and pleasure.”
Charlotte agreed with a nod. “I felt the same.”
“He took something to hide his true feelings.” I was sure now.
I have to figure out who was with him before the trial.
“You’re feeling rushed,” Cedri said.
“I need to leave soon.”
“Then let me ask you about my sister while I have the chance.”
This was not the time, though when I looked into her eyes and saw Callyn’s, I couldn’t bring myself to disagree.
“What is that I’m feeling from him?” Cedri asked, looking at Charlotte for guidance.
“Many emotions. Perhaps it’s guilt you’re not recognizing?”
I felt like a pig whose plumpness was being discussed right in front of me. “There is guilt,” I said. “I was with Callyn when she died. A red priest of the Southern army was trying to use her to bring me out of hiding. She was brave and yelled for me not to show myself.”
“And he…?” Cedri couldn’t say the words.
“Yes, I’m so sorry. It was the same man who led the attacks on Lanhine and Cessri and tried to attack Antilith. If it’s any consolation, I later took revenge, removing him from this world with the help of diymas and a friend.”
Unless his men came back for him, he’s still encased in that sartious block in the woods.
Cedri turned away as she cried. Charlotte put her hand on her shoulder. “Would you like me to use psyche to make you feel better?”
“No. Never for my feelings about my sister.”
“I didn’t know Callyn for long, but one encounter was all I needed to see how brave she was. I’d be proud to fight beside anyone half as honorable.”
“Thank you.”
I felt someone staring at me. I turned slightly and caught Jaymes’ hard glare. He stood across the room, Laney beside him with her hand pointing in my direction.
“I have to go.”
With the rain still beating against the walls, Jaymes brought us to the armory to train instead of the courtyard. Restacking the blocks of straw to get them out of the way was our first task.
It didn’t take long before Laney’s excitement became irritating. “I’ve wanted to use py for days!” She laughed as if being tickled, picked up a block of straw, and juggled it before putting it where it belonged off to the side.
When the room was eventually clear, Jaymes told Laney to disarm him in the same way he’d made me during my first session. Immediately it became clear she didn’t have any accuracy in using the energy to grab anything farther than a few yards from her.
About an hour passed as I gave her instruction, and eventually she could get the py around Jaymes’ arm half the time. It made me uneasy thinking back to her plucking the crossbow out of Storell’s hands. There had to have been luck involved.
Although she was inaccurate, she matched my strength, gleefully twisting Jaymes’ limbs until he yielded and dropped his weapon. She’d shake her fist as she wore a proud grin.