The maid wasn’t lying. When Melina finally emerged from her bedchamber, her long braid was half unraveled and her cheeks were puffy from sleep. “What is it, child? It must be close to midnight.”
“May we speak in private?” I said, indicating her maid, but Melina waved off my concern.
“My maids can be trusted. I pay them well to be sure of it.”
“Is that how you know so much of what goes on within the castle?”
A faint smile lifted the corners of her lips. “Ceren isn’t the only one with spies.”
I sat down on a settee and motioned Melina closer. “I followed Ceren yesterday to the lake. I saw the device. I believe you now.”
She nodded, as if she’d expected this.
“Ceren also threatened to kill me, and he made it clear he harbors no love for you.”
“I told you he was dangerous.”
“He’s going to test the device on Tuesday, outside the castle. He’s invited me to go with him. I believe he means to conduct the test himself.”
She shifted her weight, impatient. “And how does this concern me?”
I lowered my voice further. “If I can tamper with the device somehow, ensure that his test fails, perhaps it will delay his plans.”
She arched a brow. “And possibly kill the prince in the process?”
While a part of me knew the easiest way to put a stop to all this would be to rid the kingdom of Ceren himself, I shook my head. “I’m not a murderer.” Most likely he would run out of air and swim to the surface. I couldn’t imagine any of the lakes here were that deep. And as much as I would have liked to destroy the device, doing so would mean I never had a chance to leave the castle in the first place.
“Is there a way to get a message to someone in the port market on Friday?” I asked.
Melina eyed me shrewdly. “What are you up to, child?”
“The Varenians need to know of Ceren’s plans. I intend to warn them, even if I can’t stop him.”
“If you can get to one of the villages, you can pay someone to get a message to the market. But I have no idea where Ceren is conducting his test, and I highly doubt he’ll take you to a village.”
“I have to try.”
“The prince does not make idle threats, Zadie. You need to be prepared to face the consequences of your actions.”
I swallowed the lump in my throat. “I am.”
“Then I will help you in whatever way I can.”
19
In order to sabotage the device, I needed a better sense of how it worked, which meant I needed Ceren to show it to me. But after our last encounter, I wasn’t sure if he would even speak to me.
To my surprise, he greeted me with a “Good morning, my lady,” as he sat down at breakfast. His eyes didn’t meet mine.
“Good morning, Your Highness.”
“Sleep well, did you?”
So he was going to pretend last night hadn’t happened? Fine. I almost ignored him, but Mother’s voice came to me then, reciting one of her lessons about men. Like most of her advice, it was rooted firmly in manipulation. The key to a man’s heart is his pride, followed closely by his appetite. Flatter a man, and he is yours for the taking.
Ceren claimed he didn’t find me beautiful, but I could see I’d managed to wound his pride nevertheless. I picked at a piece of honeyed fruit. “I was wondering if you might show me your device again,” I suggested tentatively. “I’m so curious to see how it works. You’ve said only that it’s an underwater breathing apparatus, but I don’t understand how such a thing is possible. It sounds miraculous.”
He spared me a brief glance from under his pale brows. “You’ll see it for yourself on Tuesday.”
I sipped my water to hide my annoyance. If flattery wouldn’t work, perhaps another insult would. “I’ve heard that the Ilareans are afraid of water. I gather you’ll test it in a shallow pond?”
He raised his chin. “My device can be used at far greater depths, I assure you.”
“But how is that possible? A snorkel only works a foot or two below the surface.”
Ceren set his fork down and leaned on one arm. “You really do have an interest, don’t you?”
I ignored the patronizing tone in his voice. “Yes.”
“If you’re so curious, I’ll show it to you now. Come with me.”
I didn’t like the idea of being alone with Ceren again, but I had to take any opportunities that were presented to me. I followed him to his study, where he unlocked the door with a heavy iron key kept somewhere in his tunic. I had no idea if there was another one, but I’d need it to get back into the study later.
“Here we are,” he said, indicating the device. “It’s relatively simple. This bag is filled with air, supplied by a double bellows. The hose is connected to the bag, and the diver breathes through the end of the hose.”
While Ceren went into more detail, I inspected the hose itself. It was nothing more than a hollow, flexible tube. A hole or kink would cut off the diver’s air supply. It seemed that everything depended on the integrity of the hose. Of course, at a depth of only ten or fifteen feet, it wouldn’t be a problem to go back up to the surface for air. But at fifty feet or more, where we found many of our oysters? An inexperienced diver could easily run into trouble.
I had no idea how often Ceren inspected his device, but if I returned Monday night and cut just a small hole in the tube, perhaps that would be enough. At the very least he’d have to find more supplies, and maybe that would buy me the time I needed to warn Sami of Ceren’s plans. Whether or not Governor Kristos would act on the information was out of my hands.
On Monday evening, I received an invitation from Lady Hyacinth to have tea in her room after dinner. I hadn’t yet managed to get a copy of the key to Ceren’s study, and I wasn’t in the mood for gossip and knitting, but Ebb insisted I go.
“Tea is a euphemism for wine,” Ebb explained. “And other beverages. It might help you sleep. Besides, you need to get out of your rooms more,” she said as she retied my corset with more force than seemed possible for such a delicate woman.
“Why?” I asked between breaths. “My odds of running into Ceren are a lot lower if I stay here.”
“Ah, but so are your odds of running into other people.” She tied the laces firmly and turned me around to face her.
“Other people? Like who?”
She smoothed the front of my dress and smiled. “You’ll see.”