Chapter 27 · A Believed Lie

The scream from the inner court cut off.

Wantang's lungs burned. The soul flame hadn't touched her skin yet, but she could feel it crawling up her spine, testing. The air tasted like copper and ash. She forced her shoulders back, kept her eyes on the witness stand.

A man stumbled forward, shoved by two guards. Mid-forties, thin face, servant's coat buttoned wrong. His hands shook.

"State your name," Sephra said.

The man swallowed. "Gareth Lowe. I—I was a courier. For the Vey estate."

Wantang's pulse kicked. She'd read the witness list twice. Gareth Lowe hadn't been on it.

"You served Lady Eveline directly?" Sephra asked.

"Yes, ma'am. For three years."

The flame brightened. Truth. Wantang's jaw tightened. She glanced at the gallery. Rowan was gone. The guards had closed the inner court doors.

"Tell the court what you saw," Sephra said. "The day the vial arrived."

Gareth's voice cracked. "I—I brought it to her myself. She was in the south parlor. She took it from me, held it up to the light. Then she told me to have it sent to the palace. To the queen's favorite."

The flame didn't flicker.

Wantang stepped forward. Her throat was raw.