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I ve got some sleeping weed in my quarters, I could go back and
Or you could tell them you re on official business of the king. he said, looking pointedly at her
uniform.
Oh. Yes. That could work too.
They made their way down into the oppressively dank dungeons in silence. She did her best to appear
calm, but her heart was beating so fast, she was sure he could hear it. When they approached the check
point, the room swayed gently around her. But she took a deep breath to steady herself.
Ho there. The guard s voice was cautious as he examined them. What business do you have in the
dungeons?
We re here to question one of the captives, she answered. It seemed plausible, yet vague enough
that it might work.
And which captive might that be?
Damn. She didn t know how to answer that one.
But Lord Quince, apparently, did. Anneleissa Dawnsfall, the Oracle.
My chart says she s not to be questioned until tomorrow.
Sara s stomach knotted painfully at the words. The Oracle was being held in the dungeons. Lord
Quince was at least partially right. I arrived earlier than expected. Captain Bellick wants me to question
her right away.
And you would be?
Lady Guard Raven.
He looked at the chart again, then back at her. It does say you re to be the one interrogating her.
The second part of his story was correct as well. It was enough to convince her to press on. She
wasn t going anywhere until she figured out exactly what was going on.
You could go ask Captain Bellick, if that would help. We can wait until you have his assurances,
Sara said.
I would appreciate that.
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Chandra Ryan
She smiled warmly. We ll be waiting for your return, then.
He looked at them cautiously before nodding. I ll be right back.
Elleum only waited for him to round the first corner before grabbing the keys and unlocking the door.
You were to question Leissa?
I was to question a traitor. They didn t tell me who it was.
And now do you believe me?
The moment I sent that guard to question Bellick, I became a conspirator. Isn t that testament
enough?
They raced down the corridor, glancing in each cell as they went. But the Oracle s was one of the last
in the row.
Leissa. Elleum s voice glowed with relief as he spotted her, but it didn t last. As she sat up on the
cot, the bruising and dried blood on her face chased away all of his joy. What did they do to you?
Sara felt her own blood heat with anger. Looking at the woman s face, she could feel the pain of her
own scar as if it were new. There wasn t time for righteous indignation, though. Soon, the guard would be
returning with reinforcements. She can be healed once we get her out of here.
But as Elleum put the key in the door, Sara stopped him.
Wait. Her gaze caught the Oracle s. I have to know. Are you a traitor?
You don t need me to answer that, child.
Closing her eyes, Sara pushed her way into the Oracle s mind but it was like jumping into an ocean.
There was so much history, too much, lifetimes of it. And pain raw and angry it consumed Sara,
threatening to pull her deep and never let her go.
She took a deep breath as she forced her consciousness to the surface of the Oracle s. Maybe if she
just skimmed the memories, she would be okay. If she just viewed what led up to her imprisonment, she
wouldn t get lost in the woman s lifetimes.
Steadying herself, she tried again, only wading through the surface of the woman s mind this time,
though. Lord Quince had been right. Though she had no love for the crown, the Oracle wasn t a traitor. In
the strictest definition of the law, at least.
The rules that governed Sara, however, were different. She was a guard and answered to the king.
And this was something he would want to know. Keeping the information from him was insubordination.
And the insubordination of a guard was treason. Lord Quince had been right. She was either going to have
to tell the king and hope he was honorable. Something that seemed improbable seeing as he had imprisoned
the Oracle without allowing her a trial, and without any evidence of her guilt. Or Sara was going to have to
knowingly commit treason.
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And then there was the other thing she had discovered while in the Oracle s mind. Yes, Oracle only
wanted to have the child well, to have the child and to die. But she was willing to do anything to make
sure she got what she wanted.
You tried to have me killed. Her voice was cold with rage.
The Oracle s smile was bitter. Ironic, isn t it? I almost killed my only chance at salvation.
Life s just full of ironies, but this isn t one of them. I m not your salvation. If the Oracle believed
for one second that she was going to help her, the woman was as crazy as she was diabolical. She may not
have actually held the knife or poisoned her wine, but she had ordered another to do it and surely that was
the same thing.
Why? Because the ideal of justice only applies to those you deem worthy? she asked.
You tried to have me killed, Sara repeated.
This is ridiculous. Elleum unlocked and opened the door, but the Oracle didn t move.
And you tried to kill a Livingston, the Oracle argued.
That was different.
I m sure it was. It was you. The Oracle lay back down on the cot. Leave me here. She s no
different than the others.
The words haunted her with their truth. Was she no better than the rest of the royals? Was she capable
of leaving a pregnant woman alone to be tortured and killed in a dark prison? She sighed as she accepted
what she was about to do.
Damn the woman for being right and damn her for caring. We aren t going to leave you here. Let s
go before we get caught.
The Oracle sat up but didn t get off the bed. Why?
Because you re right. Because you re not a traitor. Because you shouldn t have had to pick between
my life and the life of your child. Take your pick, but do it quickly.
The Oracle smiled. I always like being right.
I would never have guessed, Sara returned dryly.
She had just saved the woman who d tried to strip her of her magic and kill her. And, in doing so, had
just committed treason herself. But every fiber of her being told her she had done the right thing. It didn t
seem right or fair for the universe to ask for something of this magnitude from her, not after everything it
had already taken. But a belief isn t worth anything if it isn t worth sacrificing everything.
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Chapter Eighteen
Sara s heart raced with fear and anger as they ran down the corridor. There was no possible victory
for her in this. She was going to die this evening. She could feel it in the damp air of the dungeon that clung
to her. And, even if they managed to get out of the dungeons and hide until the baby was born, Kavin
would never trust her again. He was sworn to the king, the king she had just betrayed. She had lost
everything.
Her heart stopped at the inevitability, and for one moment the pain was too much for her to keep
running. Her legs just wouldn t listen to the command any longer.
The dungeon floor was cold and hard when she hit. It happened so quickly she hadn t even thought to
brace herself.
Raven, what happened? Are you okay? It was Lord Quince. He was looking back at her.
I don t& Sara sat up only to discover that her head throbbed with each movement. I don t know. I
was just thinking and& must have stumbled.
The Oracle had stopped and was looking back at her as well. Get up, then. We have to get out of
here.
When she didn t move, the Oracle came back and held out her hand. What were you thinking of
when you stumbled, child?
He s never going to trust me. I ve lost everything. Again. She took the hand and stood slowly.
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