Chapter Five

  Part Eight

  Line was standing underneath a patch of trees. Behind her, slightly off the road to let others pass, was Vax’dian’s carriage. Line had asked for all the guards to disperse and to leave Adel Tilley with her in the carriage. She was taking a risk here, but if she didn’t, she doubted the full truth would show itself.

  Vax’dian walked up behind her “are you sure about this?”

  “I am”

  “alright. I trust you”

  She turned to face him. Even though Line was tall Vax’dian was still slightly taller than her “what did you do to him? You calmed him somehow”

  He smiled. Line realised that that smile was quite charming “my good Inspector, I’m sure you’ve seen all those runes about have you not?”

  “You’re a Rune Sage?”

  He gave a nod “but I don’t really learn all the offensive runes. I’m not that keen on violence”

  “How complacent you are”

  “I wouldn’t call it complacent, but... hopeful”

  She smiled “a pacifist Prince? That’s a new one” her head tilted “did you not basically torture Kidd for no reason?”

  “That was different”

  “how so?”

  Vax’dian opened his mouth to speak but was cut off by a “-Inspector?”

  Line looked past Vax’dian to see Adel Tilley stepping out of the carriage “... can I... Can I talk with you?”

  “Of course” Line glanced at Vax’dian, this conversation would have to continue at another time, before moving past him to help Tilley back into the carriage.

  “what is it” Line asked.

  Adel Tilley was pulling at the hems of her sleeve “...umm...”

  “Miss Tilley, if you wish to co-operate then you should start speaking now” Vax’dian had followed them.

  She nodded “I understand” she took in a long breath “I...I promise you, I did not kill anyone. But, but please. Don’t hurt my father”

  “elaborate”

  “a few weeks ago, I saw my father burying something out behind the slaughter house. I didn’t see what it was, it was too dark”

  “thank you for your honesty-“

  “if I confess to something, will you lighten his sentence?” so it seemed Tilley knows that her father is in fact a criminal of some sort.

  Line frowned “that depends on the confession”

  Tilley pulled a few strands of stitching from her sleeve “I-I’ve been working for The Sect!”

  Both Line and Vax’dian froze.

  “Our farm doesn’t make much money, it costs too much to keep livestock. So when I overheard two people in The Back Flow talking about a way to make some money, of course I listened. The Sect was looking for people to make some kind of drug for them. You didn’t have to be skilled or anything, they just give you instructions on how to make it and where to deliver it too. I know The Sect is bad, but we needed money! I had too!”

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

  Line’s heartbeat quickened “Where do you deliver it too?”

  Tilley shook her head “it changes every week, and I’ve already delivered this week”

  “Who picks it up?”

  “I don’t know. I just leave it there”

  Knowing The Sect, they’ve probably already taken the drug that Adel Tilley has made. They probably even know that that batch would be their last from her. Tilley also doesn’t know what the drug is, but that’s not right. It should be a poison that she’s making. Also, if this is how The Sect has been operating, then there should be more people like Adel Tilley making this.

  “Is this all you know about this?” Line asked.

  Tilley nodded “I don’t know anything else”

  Vax’dian muttered to himself and made his way out of the carriage.

  “miss Tilley, stay here”

  “Are you going to shorten my father’s sentence?”

  Line looked into the bleary-eyed woman sat across from her “I’ll see what I can do” then left the carriage.

  She wasn’t that surprised to see Adel Tilley’s father standing before Vax’dian. But what she was worried about was the Knife in his slightly shaky hand.

  *

  Vax’dian raised his hands “hello”

  The grip on the knife strengthened “where is she?”

  At the sound of her father Adel poked her head out the carriage door “father?”

  “Adel. Come here” Mr Tilley’s voice was eerily calm.

  “Put the knife down”

  “Shut up!” Mr Tilley raised his free hand to his ear, while the knife raised and pointed at Vax’dian.

  Line eyed the knife, this is definitely the knife she had surmised.

  “father! I’m alright. See, I’m fine” Adel stood next to Line, trying to change her father’s attention to her “father, did-did you... did you kill those people?”

  “they deserved it!” he snapped.

  Adel shook her head “no. No they didn’t. They weren’t the ones who took Celia away”

  “they’re all noble. What’s the difference!?”

  “father...”

  Under her breath Line whispered so only Adel could hear her “what happened to your sister?”

  “She was sexually assaulted and killed by an Earl”

  “A tax collector?”

  Mr Tilley took a step closer to Vax’dian “you wanted to take my other daughter. I can’t let you do that!”

  Mr Tilley lunged, and so did Line. She had already gotten the second prince in a hostage situation without his guards standing by, so she couldn’t let Vax’dian take a knife. Line crashed into Mr Tilley, grabbing the wrist that held the knife. Now on the ground, Line’s priority it to disarm Mr Tilley.

  But Line had forgotten how strong Mr Tilley looked and was slightly surprised as he rolled on top of her. He raised the knife and brought it down to her face. Line only just about stopped the knife from plunging into her head, but didn’t stop the knife from running through her already bandaged hand.

  Fresh blood trickled down her face as her fingers brushed against the knife’s handle. Her free hand reached up and grabbed Mr Tilley wrist again, pushing against his strength.

  Vax’dian snapped his black hand fan and flicked his wrist, sending a wall of wind straight into Mr Tilley’s side. The knife in Line’s hand pulled to the side as Mr Tilley was thrown off of Line, Line barely managed to grab hold of the knife before it moved any further through her hand.

  Line got to her feet before Mr Tilley had even got to his knees. With one hand clutching her wrist, Line twisted and sent a kick into the side of Mr Tilley’s jaw. When she was sure he wasn’t getting back up again, she turned back to see Adel. Her eyes were wide and teary, but she didn’t say anything.

  Now that everything had calmed down, Line now only just started to feel the excruciating pain in her hand. She looked at her extremely bloody and messed up left hand, the long butcher’s knife still wedge in it. Vax’dian came forward and took her wrist in his hand.

  “I’m fine” Line muttered “restrain Mr Tilley”

  “he’s unconscious. He’s not going anywhere”

  “did you get hurt?”

  Vax’dian stared at her “you have a knife in your hand, and yet your still worried if I’m injured? Are you crazy?”

  She smiled at that “maybe”

  “Line!” it was Ali’s voice. Ali and Hyde had just appeared from behind a few trees “Line!? You have a knife in you!”

  “restrain him” she gestured to an unconscious Mr Tilley who was now being held by a crying Adel.

  “are you alright?”

  “I’m fine”

  “Hyde, take some men to dig behind the slaughter house. There might be a body there”

  Hyde gave a nod “on it”