𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐈𝐒 𝐍𝐎𝐓 𝐀 𝐒𝐔𝐂𝐂𝐄𝐒𝐒 𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘. 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐈𝐒 𝐀 𝐑𝐔𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍.
It's the beginning of a new age when Jaylah Imperatrix seemingly returns from the dead to reclaim her throne. And in perfect timing.
In her absence, evil has be...
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Act 3 Chapter 56 ALEXANDER
As we hauled Pierre-Marie Lussier's body into a small cart meant to transport books or stacks of paper, I kept my attention focused on Jaylah rather than the stiffening corpse. Not because I was suddenly becoming squeamish, but because I was still trying to figure out why things turned bloody so quickly. I could normally predict Jaylah's next move with ease, but this...I did not see coming. Well, that wasn't entirely true. I watched on as Pierre's excitement grew, which fed something dark in her. She was notoriously stone-faced, only making shows of disgust, annoyance and disapproval, which I knew were saved specifically for me. But an odd look had lingered on her features. Its remnants remained even now in the set of her mouth, the tightening of her eyebrows. It was the specific fear of a fox caught in a trap left to chew off its own leg.
I didn't think she'd kill him. But I also wasn't surprised she did.
At first, as I watched the light leave the old man's beetle-black eyes, I knew if this happened months ago, I would have accused her of being hypocritical and bloodthirsty. Just like her father. But now... If I were in the same situation, and someone had my name? And what I was? Hadn't I lashed out before, and in worse ways? As soon as the thought popped into my mind, I hated it. I never wanted to be in a situation where I empathized with her weaknesses.
After a too-long period of stuffing the body all the way inside without getting blood all over ourselves, we wordlessly went out the back of the house. The cart's small wheels were steady on the street as we pushed it aimlessly in the shadows. There had to be a large body of water here somewhere. Runoffs from the Épinoît spiderwebbed all across the land.
At last, we found it by following the sounds of gently running water. It was a waterway behind the cluster of palatial homes, meant for travel by boat. There were even a few private docks protruding from the homes' backsides. But in this hour of the early morning, no one was around. I made sure of that every second we were out in the open.
Working together under the clouded moonlight, we tied rocks to the body's limbs and shoved it over the edge. It was just light enough that we could see the pale face disappear into the depths. If no one disturbed the river's floor, the body was weighed down enough to decompose there.
We returned to the house through the rear entrance to be sure no one peering through their front windows saw us. Jaylah was looking down at the shiny blood-covered floor as if it was her first time seeing it. "I will need a spool of fabric to soak this all up."
An idea bloomed. "I'll be right back." I took the winding staircase down to the kitchens, where Pierre brewed that terrible tea of his. As I hoped, there was a surplus of dishrags hanging neatly on the wall. I took a handful and brought them to Jaylah.
She crouched and began sopping up the top layer, so I joined her. We were nearly done when the clock chimed and I glanced out the window. Nearly dawn.
