“Is she carrying my child?”

Wyrga made her way to the wives, a polar bear cub tucked under her arm. She grabbed Veixizhau by the chin and looked her over. “She’s carrying a child,” she said. “But it’s not yours.”

“Damn you!” Veixizhau screamed, flinching back. “You bitch! You—” She put her hand to her throat then, as though choking while trying to say something.

Wyrga cackled and then gave a sly look to the duke. “Would you like to know who the real father is? You’ll just love it.”

Duke Kaen’s stare looked wary. “No.”

“Aw, but it’s—”

“Quiet!” Kaen snapped. “Not another word from you until I say so.”

Wyrga growled, holding the bear cub to her chest.

Ignoring that, the duke turned to Veixizhau. “Who is the father?”

She raised her chin. “You—you are.”

“Really.”

Veixizhau didn’t respond.

A minute passed, with no one talking.

“What are we doing?” Xivan Kaen finally asked. “Besides making the rest of the court very uncomfortable.”

“We’re waiting,” Duke Kaen replied.

“Ah,” she said.

So they waited.

After ten minutes or so, the soldiers who had left earlier returned, carrying a chest between them. “Your Grace? You’ll want to see this.”

The duke looked back. “What have you found?”

The men placed the chest on the floor and opened it. Brother Qown couldn’t see what the chest contained, but the duke’s expression turned murderous.

“Where did you find it?” Kaen asked the men.

“In a room off from the main gathering area, Your Grace. The door wasn’t locked.”

The duke reached down into the chest and lifted an animal skull—a carnivore to judge by the solid, sharp teeth. The skull had been singed black and carved with intricate patterns. Long ribbons decorated with beads had been tied to the jaws.

Duke Kaen showed the skull to the crowd. People gasped and then stepped back. Wyrga bared her teeth.

Brother Qown didn’t understand its significance. To judge by Janel’s expression, as well as the other girl who’d arrived with the duchess, neither did they. The Yorans sure did, though.

“Is that a Suless worship mask?” Thurvishar asked. “I’ve never seen one in person.”

Duke Kaen didn’t answer. He did, however, turn and give a hard look to his many wives.

“Is that a wolf skull?” Qown whispered to Janel, although he wasn’t sure why he thought she’d know.

“I suspect it’s hyena,” she whispered back. “Apparently, they used to be sacred to Suless.” She glanced over at the old woman, Wyrga.

“Who set up this altar? Veixizhau? Were there others? Which of you worshipped there?” His voice carried through the hall. “Tell me now.”

Silence.

Kaen tossed the skull back into the chest. “Kill them all.” His voice blistered with anger. “Then return their bodies to their families.”

The guards looked at each other. “Sir?”