At the entrance of the manor, dozen Odinatin knights and horses waited in the courtyard, the rest were likely inside. Erador no longer cared about his anger for Hawth. His chest felt like it would rip open from his racing heart. He ignored the staring faces through the metal helmets as he fixed his hair and he went up the steps. He pulled leaves from the strands as he continued down the rug past rows of knights. At the front, arch knight Oziah with the pearl white hair, scrutinized Erador.

  Erador tried not to let it bother him, though dirt was on his shirt and likely in other places. His head still throbbed from being hit on the temple. Sescina’s wide gaze was drawn to under his nose. He touched his lip, finding blood. He wiped it away with his sleeve before he sat on the throne.

  Dethil greeted him with a bow, giving him a concerned look. They had already been prepared, Erador just wished he could’ve been here and not bothering with Hawth.

  Oziah scanned down Erador’s body. As Erador ran his hand down his side, he felt a tear in his shirt. He set his chin in his hand, to seem relaxed, but sweat beaded on his forehead.

  Dethil leaned toward Erador’s ear. “They want to know about Saldrine Naal, that council member who asked about his son. They can’t find him.”

  Erador looked past him to Oziah. “We haven’t seen him.”

  “You’re aware those ex-Lucrethians took his son?” Oziah said.

  “Yes, but I don’t know anymore than that.”

  Erador tensed a fist regretting his response that made him sound guilty and Oziah’s suspicious stare proved that he thought he was hiding something. He tried not to think about Iviel in the dungeon. He couldn’t imagine what his father must be going through, but like with Emera, Erador wouldn’t tell.

  Oziah shifted his gaze to the Raven banner. “I see you’ve made an example out of a follower.”

  Erador stiffened, avoiding reacting to his comment, but the air was tense from the other Paradins. Oziah had to know the history of how the Raven murdered the royal family of Odinaty. It was one time he didn’t take Judgment’s identity to blame him for his crimes.

  “What do you know about this Raven?” Oziah said.

  “I don’t,” Erador said.

  Oziah lifted his hand toward the banner. “They must have taught you about him.”

  “You have to be a Lucrethian to learn that.” Erador looked him over with disgust.

  “Is this the same one that murdered Odinaty’s royal family? He must have caused havoc here for his mark to be displayed in such a manner. I assume he used to be someone of greatness with how large it is.”

  “Some think so.” Yuni’s voice echoed from the archway behind the throne, her green flame stamping out the shadows. Oziah cocked his head in intrigue. Erador fought himself from yelling at her to leave. He didn’t want to give more reasons that Lucrethia had domestic issues.

  Erador rose to his feet. “Dethil, have her leave,” he said, his voice straining to yell.

  “Now, now…” Yuni said. “The man has just come for answers. The Raven did hurt his precious kingdom, after all.”

  “Who are you?” Oziah said.

  “No one important,” Erador mumbled as he sat.

  “She presents herself that way,” Oziah said in a pleasing tone that made Erador’s stomach churn.

  It wasn’t genuine, just him playing with words since Yuni appeared more inviting and he probably didn’t want to scare her away.

  Yuni smiled. “It’s nice of you to notice. You can call me Yuni.”

  “What do you know about the Raven?” Oziah said, stepping closer.

  “He sabotaged Lucrethia,” she said. “That’s why it’s in this state.”

  “Not quite,” Erador cut in. “We already told you about New Akthelia.”

  “That’s what finished them off,” Yuni said, stopping next to the throne.

  Erador grabbed her wrist. “This has nothing to do with what he wants.”

  “Darling.” Yuni kneeled beside the throne, and leaned toward Erador’s ear. His skin tingled unpleasantly at her breath touching his skin. “I can make him go away.”

  Erador worked his jaw and rubbed at the skin her breath touched, feeling he would be her next victim. He let her go. If her poisonous words convinced his father and everyone else, maybe she could do it with Oziah too. Erador nodded and shivered at Yuni’s pleased smile.

  “The Raven had a vendetta for Lucrethia and its leader Judgment.” Yuni tucked her cupped hands in her skirt. “He was once a religious and devout Paradin.”

  “What changed him?” Oziah said.

  “He began to see corruption in Judgment’s practices and religion. The same goes for the ones invaded your kingdom. They turned against us.”

  Oziah stiffened his jaw and glimpsed at Erador. “How long did Judgment rule?”

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  “Judgment is a title. Anyone can have the throne.”

  While this was true for Retribution and Absolution who had been replaced at least once, no one else could claim Judgment's title. It wasn’t exactly about having the throne. This room was a disguise, to make Lucrethia appear as if it had a monarchy-like system to outsiders.

  “So you’re called Judgment?” Oziah said.

  “No. I didn't want that title.”

  “Why not? Judgment is a god to be feared.” Oziah smirked. “Wouldn’t any leader want that?”

  Erador leaned forward. “We don’t run like a monarchy, belittling the impure, stealing money for ourselves, if that’s what you mean.”

  “That’s right. Lucrethians rule by terrorizing those who don’t agree with them.”

  Erador tensed his jaw. “You think Odinaty doesn’t have that reputation? They burned down an innocent Cheeokwa village. Hundreds were slaughtered in the name of purity.”

  Oziah’s lips flattened. “It was not by orders of our king.”

  “Why don’t you take a look?” Erador rose to his feet, aiming his arm toward the doors. “The evidence is there.”

  “One of their own burned it. If you found any flags, they were placed to blame Odinaty. I heard the one who burned that village had rare golden eyes, like that Cheeokwa woman at the ball.”

  Oziah’s rising lips set Erador’s skin on fire. He lunged toward him, but Dethil grabbed him.

  “Don’t do it,” Dethil said, tugging on Erador who resisted. “It’s what he wants.”

  Erador pushed Dethil off and sat, the blood pooling in his legs.

  Oziah furrowed his brow at the animal banners. “Lucrethia covered for the Raven, claiming he was not a civilian anymore like you did for those Paradins who breached our walls. You know more about the invasion then you claim.”

  “They could be doing it to sabotage us, like the Raven did before them,” Dethil said.

  “You lost wealth,” Oziah said. “Then ruined your contracts.”

  “How do you know about that?” Erador said.

  “Because Lucrethia tried to make an agreement with Odinaty’s current king, but he declined.”

  “Is this… true?” Dethil said, looking to Erador.

  “Why is that hard to believe? Money talks,” Oziah said, looking around. “Clearly it did for Lucrethia, but I wonder if it will now?”

  Erador shifted at Oziah’s hard stare. “You think we were paid to terrorize some rich Odinatins?”

  “Lucrethia does have that reputation, and in desperate times… people will do anything.”

  Erador glimpsed at Yuni. They hadn’t needed much of anything for years, but arguing that wouldn’t make a difference.

  Oziah stared at the Raven banner. “What happened to the Raven?”

  Erador leaned forward and studied Oziah. “Why do you care so much?”

  “I think you know why,” Oziah said, stepping across the rug. “He seemingly disappeared after he slaughtered the royal family. Was Lucrethia not worried he would return?”

  “Of course,” Yuni said, tucking her hands at her sides. “Did you know they caught him?”

  “Really?” Oziah said, cocking his head. “Why was Odinaty not informed?”

  Erador clenched his jaw. “He escaped.”

  Oziah laughed. “Your people are good at that, aren’t they? The Raven must’ve done more than sabotaged a few contracts to deserve that,” he said, nodding to the banner.

  “I think stopping our only source of income was deserving enough,” Erador said.

  “It wasn’t that.”

  “You’re speculating,” Erador said.

  “Did he kill someone?” Oziah said. “Your father, perhaps?”

  “If anything,” Yuni said. “He did worse than that.”

  Oziah looked from Yuni to Erador and back. “He took something from him?”

  Erador blinked and looked at this lap Yuni wasn’t helping, just giving him more information he didn’t need. He shouldn’t have expected otherwise.

  “It’s time for you to leave,” Erador said.

  “I’ll go if you answer my last question. Was there more than one raven?”

  Erador looked at him questionably. “What does it matter to a knight who never saw one?”

  Oziah said nothing and looked at the banner one last time and signaled with a hand wave for his knights to leave.

  As they went out the doors, Dethil said, “What was that about?”

  Erador rubbed his chin. “Let’s hope the Raven didn’t meet with him.”

  “He could be trying to find clever ways to get rid of us,” Sescina said, moving to the throne. “Odinaty is one place to start.”

  “You think New Akthelia was first?” Erador said.

  Sescina raised her shoulders. “He stole Judgment’s identity. Maybe he’s returning to those kingdoms and telling them about Lord Judgment’s rebirth.”

  “Fuck.” Dethil grabbed his head. “They’ll come for us!”

  “I wouldn’t worry,” Yuni said.

  “Why,” Erador said.

  “After what he did, Odinaty wouldn’t trust him. He would be an idiot to ask for help and I doubt he would. The Raven didn’t earn that banner for nothing.”

  He hoped Yuni was right.