Her words caught Kiva’s attention enough that she stopped arguing and demanded, “What did Mother promise King Navok? The men who abducted us said you have to pay her debt — that it’s overdue.”
Zuleeka looked to where Rhess remained crouched over the still-masked Torell, heedless of the bloody carnage surrounding them. “It’s none of your concern.”
“It damn well is,” Kiva ground out.
Zuleeka turned back to meet her gaze, noting how angry she was, and relented, “I’ll tell you, but not here. Next time we’re somewhere safe — and alone.”
Kiva wanted to push for an answer, but her sister was resolute, so she gave a sharp nod of agreement. Despite her capitulation, she wasn’t letting Zuleeka off the hook yet. There were other answers she still needed.
Jerking her head toward Tipp, Kiva asked, “Did you steal the Book of the Law?”
If Zuleeka was startled by the subject change, she didn’t let on. “Not personally.”
“Zul —”
“I might have had a hand in it,” Zuleeka admitted.
Understanding hit Kiva. “Perita Brown was a rebel. She was your palace spy.”
“One of them.”
“Did you kill her?” Kiva gasped.
There was no softness in Zuleeka’s expression when she answered, “She didn’t want this one” — she indicated Tipp — “to get in trouble and was planning to confess. I did what I had to do.”
Kiva recoiled. “But why? Why take the Book?”
Zuleeka wiped her bloodied hands on her pants. “Educational reasons.”
At the look Kiva sent her, Zuleeka huffed and explained, “You mentioned that hidden clause the other night, the Royal Ternary” — Kiva’s heart skipped a beat — “and it got me thinking: What else might be in there? What if there’s another secret clue that could help us?” Zuleeka shrugged. “I figured it couldn’t hurt to take a look.” She offered a sheepish look and said, “I’ll return it once I’m done. I swear.”
Kiva was appalled by the lengths her sister had gone to, but even so, she loosed a relieved breath at her response.
Before she could ask any follow-up questions, Zuleeka put her mask back on and pressed her fingers to her lips, giving a loud whistle. Seconds later, rebels started flooding into the warehouse. Many were splattered with blood, indicating there had been more fighting beyond the stacked crates. Just how many Mirravens had Navok sent? Kiva shuddered, realizing how gravely the northern king had intended to harm Jaren — and Evalon — today.
Another whistle, and the rebels started dragging bodies away, clearing up the mess. A few approached Rhess and Tor, listening as the young woman gave them quiet instructions before they took off again behind the crates.
“What about Mother?” Kiva asked, swinging back to Zuleeka.
“I already said I’ll tell you later about her bargain with —”
“No, what about her magic?”
Zuleeka stilled. “What about it?”
Kiva rearranged Tipp’s weight in her arms, before acknowledging there was no point in holding him anymore, so she gently lowered him to the ground. Meeting her sister’s gaze, she said, “Delora told me about what Mother did — how she used her magic to hurt people. Just like Torvin Corentine. That’s what killed her, not some rotting illness.”
“Mother made sacrifices for our family that you can’t begin to imagine,” Zuleeka said, her honey-gold eyes darkening. “Don’t for one moment think you can judge her.”
“Are you defending her?” Kiva asked. “She killed people.”
“Look around you,” Zuleeka said, waving to the bloodied space. “These people died today because of you. How is that any different?”
Kiva spluttered, “It’s completely different. They wanted to hurt us. From what I heard, Mother attacked innocents. A wave of her hand and they were dead.”
“Grow up, Kiva,” Zuleeka snapped. “No one is innocent. Not in this world.”
Kiva flinched at her sudden wrath.
Realizing she’d lost control of her temper, Zuleeka sighed and touched her forehead over her mask. “I’m sorry. I just — I didn’t like seeing Tor like that. I’ve never seen him like that. If you hadn’t been here . . .” She met Kiva’s gaze, her eyes haunted. “Thank you, Kiva. I don’t know what I would’ve done if I’d lost him.”
Kiva released a long breath, understanding her sister’s terror, if not her poor reaction. “I just wish you would stop keeping so many secrets from me.”