“We’ll go through the list again,” Veris said. “With the masquerade being on this side of the river, there weren’t too many itinerant workers who had access to the western palace today, but a small number of caterers and entertainers did request tours. We’ll question them all again, along with the servants, until we get to the bottom of it.”
Kiva knew that if anyone could find the perpetrator, it was Veris, and she again prayed that her siblings had nothing to do with it.
She should have prayed harder.
Or rather, she should have added another name to her prayers, a different name, because just as everyone began to leave, a small, scared voice called out, “I n-need to tell you s-something.”
All eyes turned toward Tipp’s doorway, the young boy clearly having been eavesdropping. His freckled face was pale, his expression racked by guilt.
“It w-was me. I stole the B-B-Book of the Law.”
CHAPTER THIRTY
The next few minutes were some of the longest of Kiva’s life as she helplessly watched Veris, Naari, and the royals interrogate Tipp.
It turned out that while he had stolen the Book of the Law, he’d done so unknowingly.
They were still trying to understand what, exactly, had happened.
“Tell us again, buddy,” Jaren said, seated on one side of Tipp, with Kiva on the other. She was holding the young boy’s hand tightly, his skin clammy, his small body trembling, and it took everything in her not to grab him and run from the room.
“P-Peri asked me to get it, said she wasn’t allowed in the library, b-but that I wouldn’t get in any trouble.”
“Peri?” Jaren asked.
“Perita B-Brown, one of the s-servants,” Tipp answered. “She works in the w-western palace k-kitchens. She always slips m-me and Ori sweetcakes whenever we m-manage to sneak away from T-Tutor Edna.”
He looked guiltily toward the king and queen, but they had larger concerns than the two mischievous children.
“Did she say why she wanted it?” Jaren asked.
“She s-said Mirry asked for it.”
All eyes turned to the princess, whose only reaction was to arch her elegant golden brows.
“Peri was afraid of d-disappointing Mirry,” Tipp continued, “but she also d-didn’t want to lose her job if anyone s-saw her where she shouldn’t be. She knew Ori and I s-spend so much time in the library f-for our studies, so she just — she just asked me to h-help.” He looked around the room, his eyes wide with apology. “I didn’t know I was d-doing anything wrong. I thought it was for M-Mirry.”
“Princess, do you have anything to say about this?” Captain Veris asked her.
She sent him a bland look. “Why would I want to steal something that already belongs to me?”
“Technically, the Book of the Law doesn’t belong to us,” Caldon said. “It belongs to the people.”
Before Mirryn could reply, Jaren interjected, “I know all of the palace staff, but I don’t recognize the name Perita Brown.”
“I can’t recall her, either,” Ariana agreed. “It’s possible she gave Tipp a fake name.”
“Or us,” Jaren said.
“Or she’s not really a servant at all and found a way to sneak in, all so she could steal our precious Book,” Mirryn said.
“How long have you known her, Tipp?” Caldon asked.
“Since we first a-arrived here. Two w-weeks.”
“So she’s been planning this awhile, then, if Mirryn’s right,” King Stellan stated, rubbing a hand over his weary face. He didn’t look as if he’d be standing for much longer. Had things been different, Kiva might have considered trying to heal him once her magic returned, but that, she knew, was out of the question.
“I don’t know,” Jaren said, “something about this doesn’t feel right.”
“You think?” Caldon said, with clear sarcasm.
Jaren ignored him, returning his attention to Tipp. “Can you describe her for us?”
Sudden nerves hit Kiva, a horrible thought coming to her: what if Peri was Zuleeka? What if she’d worn a disguise and acted like a servant to earn Tipp’s favor, all so he could steal the Book for her?
But . . . no. There were too many flaws in that plan, not the least of which were that Tipp had met Zuleeka, and Kiva had only shared about the Royal Ternary last night, not two weeks ago.
When Tipp began to describe the servant, Kiva’s chest loosened even further, because the middle-aged woman had no features in common with her sister. Veris and Naari paid close attention, asking more pointed questions to glean as many details as possible, before telling the royals they would start searching for her immediately.