Season of Sacrifice (Blood of Azure Book 1) Jonathan Michael (red novels .txt) 📖

There is more to the story.” She takes a long pause and fiddles with her thumbs on the table. “Much more.”

“That’s understandable, Astor,” I attempt to console her. “Death isn’t an easy conversation. Human emotion prefers to lock it away where it cannot cause any more pain than it needs to.”

“You don’t understand.”

She lowers her head into her shoulder. A subtle sniffle erupts into tears. She quickly smothers them and looks me in the eye. Her cheeks are red, eyes pooling, and amidst her sorrow, I want to comfort her. But I stay put across the table.

“There is something I must attempt to explain. The Taoiseach, that demon, has me in the palm of his hand. I didn’t only lose my father that day. I lost a sister as well.” She withdraws and stirs uncomfortably in her seat. “I didn’t lose her to Azure. She remains alive. The Taoiseach calls her a handmaiden and believes it to be more of a servitude with potential. But reality is she is a slave in his manor. The reason I know what that mark is…” She cups her hand over her mouth and nose to stifle a sniffle. “…is because he’s planted one of those marks on her as well. And removed her ability to speak. He confines her to his estate, and she obeys him. The only way I can explain her acceptance of servitude is that mark. He controls her. She is a prisoner, Stone. His pawn. As am I. He’s forcing my hand.”

I don’t know what to say. She has a sister? I say the next thing that comes to mind. “With his passion for etiquette, you’d think enslaving someone would be out of the question.” She leans back in her chair, but refrains from rebutting my stupidity. She’s much brighter than me.

“There is more.” Her eyes lower to the table where her fingers are fidgeting. Her agitation is making me uncomfortable. “I had no intention of ever divulging my secrets. To protect her, you see. My sister. You do this for yours. I do this for mine. And for all we know, he has Jay under his control as well.”

“Wait…” I pull the chair out and sit back down across from her. “You don’t know where Jay is?”

“I can’t do this.” She buries her face in her palms. More tears. Aggressive bursts of hysteria. Her words are muffled by her hands. “I cannot keep silent any longer. This is more than I ever signed up for. To tear down another’s life. That isn’t me. This isn’t what I do. I never intended it to go this far.”

She inhales a deep breath to subdue the hysteria. Like a praying disciple, she methodically pulls her face from hiding, palms flat together, held tight to her mouth. Her eyes snap from the table to mine.

“He is fully aware of your admittance into the Academy, Stone. I don’t know what his plans are for you, but I can only imagine—”

“It’s all a charade.” My thoughts are flying so fast, I cannot keep up with them. I rise to my feet, letting the chair crash to the floor. I start pacing, not knowing how I should feel. Am I supposed to be angry? She has been lying to me this whole time. What else has she been lying about? Was my sister kidnapped by the Woman-in-Red, or was Astor the offender this whole time? “Where’s my sister?” I demand.

“Stone, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I never meant to hurt you. I was being manipulated just as you—”

“Where is my sister?” I repeat.

“I meant it when I said she was safe. After we were kidnapped by Ellia, the story of me escaping was true. I knew nothing about that evil woman. I fled to the capital to visit Sasha, as I regularly do. He allows me to see her, you see, but in return for her safety, he has requests of me I cannot refuse. When he became aware of our acquaintance, he knew he had a grasp on you. That is when I approached you at the Shalesheep Inn. And thus far, it has played out as he anticipated. He pulls all our strings. But not always. Not all the time. Not right at this moment. Stone, I am so sorry.”

“You haven’t told me where she is.” I stop pacing and devour her evading tongue with a glare that will burn it from her mouth.

“Stone, please sit down.” She picks up the fallen chair. “Let me get you a warm beverage. Some tea.”

“So you can poison me? Test your medicinal experiments on me? That paraphernalia is likely the Taoiseach’s property as well. Where is she?”

“Stone, I will not use any of my medicines on you against your will. I promise. I do…” she pauses momentarily, pondering her next words. “Stone…” She pauses again. “Your sister is here. In the capital. She’s been boarding at the Martelli Manor for at least a quarter season now. She shares the same fate as my sister, Sasha.”

All anger flushes out of me. Jay is here. With the enemy. She’s been here the entire time, and I’m frolicking about with a young maiden who’s trying to fill my head with Harris’ teachings. What am I doing? “How long have you known?” I ask calmly.

Astor is not the enemy. Erupting won’t get me any closer to Jay. I don’t care why she lied about it. It doesn’t matter if she was protecting her own or if she is as malevolent as the Taoiseach. I just want to find Jay, and she can help me.

“Please, know I have only kept it a secret for my family. I must keep Sasha safe. My only option is to play his games.”

And my only option is to commandeer his pawns. If he has any semblance of control over me as Astor says,