Page 86 of A Trade of Blood

“I do,” said Ana. “And here I wish to ask you a rather crass question, sir. Am I correct in recalling that the Armentas preserve their dead?”

“Y…yes?” said Trikao.

“Stored in a sepulcher? Washed and treated so their bodies will resist all pestilence?”

“Yes, of course. We have long held the belief that there shall come a time when the arts of the Apoths grow so great they can even bring back the dead.”

“Well. This would suggest, then, that the three dead Armenta children are stored in some family sepulcher more or less in theexact same conditionsas their deaths.”

A chill swept through my rib cage.

“Oh, hell,” I muttered.

“I have hesitated a great while in voicing this request, sir,” said Ana, “for I couldn’t imagine any circumstances in which you’d accept it. Yet I suspect the stakes of this new strain of infection are now abundantly clear to you. This killer has killed among your clan and threatens you and all you love! As such, I ask your permission toexhumethe bodies of Lyimo, Sagma, and Gevma Armenta. We must study them for any evidence that could lead us to this murderer.”

There was a horrified silence.

“You…you wish toopenthe tombs of my nephews, my niece?” asked Trikao. “But…to despoil them would threaten their resurrection!”

“If they were infected, sir, then I worry there will be no resurrection, for they will be no longer whole. They would have fruited, so to speak, within their tombs.”

“By hell! I…I have never imagined such a wicked thing, not in all my years! Do you truly ask me this?”

“I do,” said Ana coldly. “We are far behind our enemies now. We must studyalltheir past works to catch up.”

Trikao shut his eyes and was silent for a long, long while. “I have never seen such a horror as what was done to Castus,” he whispered. “Did they hope that Castus might kill my son?”

“Perhaps. I suspect the same horrific phenomena didn’t also occur to Ippeas solely because the boy isn’t conditioned—but that is no sure thing.”

“And you think that there may be some clue within the tombs of my dead nephews and niece.”

“I hope there is, sir.”

He took a deep breath. “Then I will permit you to do so.”

“Youwill, Father?” said Ippeas. “Don’t you need Velona’s approval?”

“I am seneschal,” he said heavily. “I manage the family’s business—and Iprotectthe family. My sister can dismiss me or banish me for making the wrong decision as I attempt to fulfill that duty. But after what I saw, I can do nothing else. I will see justice done to those who inflicted this on my kin.” He reached over and squeezed his son’s hand. “And I…I will let no other perish that way.”

The two of them exchanged a wordless moment, father and son gazing at each other.

“How touching,” said Ana. She banged on the wall. “Commander Tauri! Might you bless us with your presence?”

There was a shuffling from the cell corridors. Tauri emerged, bound yet again in a warding suit, his eyes gazing blearily at Ana from behind the glass. “We are in the midst of dealing with the remains, Dolabra. I doubt if any have been infected, given that the fungus must mature in water first, but our work is still critical.”

“I’ve other tasks to put you to,” said Ana, “dealing withotherremains.” She then explained the request she’d just put to Trikao Armenta.

Tauri leaned against the wall, plainly exhausted, and removed his warding helm. “Grave robbing,” he muttered. “How lovely. After this and vault breaking, I feel you shall put me to murder and treachery soon enough.”

“When would be a good time for us to visit your sepulcher, Master Armenta?” Ana asked Trikao.

He swallowed. “T-tomorrow morning. As early as you wish. I…I wish to see this done quickly.”

“Very good. Take Din with you for this, Commander, and grant him the proper protections. He shall engrave all you witness. I believe the Armenta sepulcher is positioned in the southwest of their lands…?”

Tauri nodded, then froze. A look of great dread stole over him. “Ahh. The sepulcher is located to thesouthof Aimafall?”

“Well. Yes? I believe that’s what I just said.”