Page 27 of Salt in the Seas
Who else knew as much about Mayvus as her mother? Sylmar. But he hadn’t been around her for years. His knowledge was outdated.
One of Mayvus’ former soldiers passed by Aeliana on his way into the kitchen, giving her the three-fingered salute, his bow and lowered eyes almost more shameful on his end than respectful of her. Her stomach flipped as she nodded in return. He probably knew more about Mayvus. He may have been compelled to follow her, but he’d still followed her.
She’d interviewed most of the men on her mother’s list, but they’d all been dead ends, the men’s memories too hazy thanks to Mayvus’ control over her brands. Or maybe because her mother’s memory was too hazy, and the names she’d given Aeliana weren’t really men in Mayvus’ trusted circle.
Aeliana stepped into the kitchen and bit her lip as she surveyed the various men sitting at tables as far away from the boisterous winex aspossible. Were there others here who had known Mayvus the best? Would she have to interrogate everyone?
“Here, love,” Iris said, passing Aeliana a plate with biscuits and smoked meat. The portion was noticeably smaller than the week prior, making Aeliana wonder how sustainable their fortress was. Several of the soldiers had headed to their various homes, eager to start life fresh once more. But even more had stayed, hoping to reestablish the Wyndren family’s right to the throne—Aeliana’s mother’s right. Not to mention the families who’d lost husbands and fathers, arriving to take Sylmar up on his offer for refuge.
“Thank you, Iris.” Aeliana smiled at the older woman, but her thoughts still lingered on questioning soldiers and ferreting out secrets.
“You’re taking it to your room again, aren’t you?” Iris’ voice held disapproval, but she sighed and set an extra biscuit on the plate. “Don’t be late for your training again. Kendalyhn gets just as testy as Sylmar when that happens.”
“Sorry.” Aeliana ducked away from Iris’ swat, then headed down the hall. Once in her room, she set her plate down and flipped through pages in one of Mayvus’ journals, nibbling on a biscuit while she searched.
She’d never been a great student—not that Arvid and Vera had allowed her much schooling—and Mayvus’ handwriting was going to be the death of her. For the millionth time, she wished Cyrus were there. He would have read the papers without any problem and likely explained them all to Aeliana far quicker than she could read.
Three names kept popping up: Tychus and Piorre—two men she’d never heard of who likely hadn’t survived—and Brogdon. She bit her lip again, knowing she probably had to go see him. The soldier had been quiet in his self-assigned prison, which seemed like a waste when his voice could ring with the same authority that Jasperus’ had. She swallowed past the lump in her throat, hating the way her mind so easily recalled the way Brogdon had killed his own father at Mayvus’ command. She couldn’t fully blame him when he was under Mayvus’ control as her brand, but he’d also taken the brand willingly.
“I wondered if you might be in here,” Velden said.
Aeliana turned in her chair to find him leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed over his loose vest and bare chest. With his exposed arms and shaved head, she felt cold just looking at him.
“Is it time for my training already?” Aeliana rubbed at her eyes, which still seemed to focus a handsbreadth in front of her.
Velden shook his head and pushed off the frame. “Not yet.” He pulled up another chair from the small table and spun it around so he could sit backward and lean over it to face her. “I just thought I should check on you.”
She raised her eyebrows and leaned back. “Usually it’s Iris trying to mother me.”
Velden chuckled. “Until Emeris grows stronger, we all need to mother you a bit. What are you looking for in here?” Velden pulled some of the books on the table closer to him, studying their titles before flipping through the pages. “Is this Mayvus’? I thought Sylmar told you to stop all this research.”
She ignored his fake shocked expression. “My mother swears there’s a curse on her, not just blood magic done by Mayvus but maybe something done by someone else. Orra gave me some cryptic comment about everyone having secrets. I’m trying to find out who might know something, but they’re all too scared to talk.”
Velden grinned and set the journal down. “I happen to agree with Orra on that one.”
“You’re an open book,” Aeliana scoffed. “You don’t have any secrets.”
His smile fell and his gaze grew distant. “You’d be surprised.”
Orra’s warning came back to Aeliana, but this time it held more clarity. Somehow Velden’s secrets didn’t hold much threat. Probably because, like Orra had said, Velden wasn’t desperate to discover everyone else’s secrets.
“Mayvus stored a lot of blood throughout the fortress,” Aeliana said. “Her notes are at least helping us find and destroy most of that. I doubt we’ll catch it all.”
“Do we really need to if she’s dead?” Velden cocked his head.
Aeliana’s face heated. “I suppose not.”
“I heard you didn’t quite believe the evidence in Durriken’s cave.”Velden rubbed his hands together, flicking water on his lap as he leaned in conspiratorially. “Tell me more.”
A spark of hope gave her courage. “Would you help me talk to Brogdon? He might be able to tell both of us more.”
Velden’s brow furrowed. “Why do you need help? He’s as soft as Holm even if he’s as loud as Jasperus.”
“I want to ask him about Mayvus’ research, but I haven’t gone to see him yet. It’s starting to feel like I waited too long.” She twisted her hands together. “I’m not sure he’ll want to tell me at this point.”
Velden rubbed his neck, leaving water that trailed down the back of his shirt. “I know Sylmar already questioned him a lot.” A sly grin spread across his lips. “But he’s much more likely to tell a pretty young woman what she wants to know than a scary old man.”
Aeliana let out a groan. “You always think people can be charmed into cooperation.”
