Chapter 69 The Chase
Lilith knew she should let it go. Lucian had made his position clear, the Devil trusted Machala implicitly, and she had no actual evidence beyond a feeling that something was wrong. But every time she tried to focus on anything else, her mind circled back to that moment in the Devil’s chambers, to the way Machala had asked about accomplices before anyone mentioned them.
She started watching him again. Carefully this time, or at least she thought she was being careful. She’d position herself in corridors he frequented, pretend to read in the library when he came to consult records, and linger near the throne room when he conducted his daily briefings.
On the third day, she noticed him noticing her.
It was subtle, just a flicker of his eyes in her direction when she was supposedly absorbed in a book, a slight pause in his conversation with a guard when she passed by. He knew she was watching. And instead of confronting her or reporting her suspicious behaviour, he continued his routine as if nothing had changed.
That should have been her first warning.
The next afternoon, she was crossing through the east wing when she saw Machala slip into a rarely used corridor. Her heart jumped. This was it, this was the suspicious behaviour she’d been waiting to witness. She followed at a distance, keeping to the shadows, convinced she was finally about to catch him doing something he shouldn’t.
He moved through the palace with purpose, taking turns that led deeper into the servants’ quarters, areas Lilith rarely ventured. She stayed back far enough that she wouldn’t be seen, close enough that she wouldn’t lose him. Once, he paused at a corner, and she pressed herself against the wall, certain he’d spotted her. But he simply adjusted his robes and continued walking.
He was heading toward the lower levels, she realised. The same secure areas where they’d interrogated Theron. Why would Machala be going there unless he had something to hide?
She followed him down two flights of stairs, through a corridor lined with storage rooms. Her breathing was too loud in the quiet space, her footsteps echoing despite her attempts at stealth. Machala turned another corner, and when she reached it, he was gone.
Lilith stood there confused, looking down the empty hallway. There were three doors, all closed, no indication of which one he might have entered. She moved closer to the first door, pressing her ear against it. Nothing. The second door revealed only silence as well.
Before she could check the third, footsteps sounded from the stairs behind her. She spun around to find a guard approaching, his expression curious.
“Lady Lilith? Are you lost? This area is restricted to essential personnel only.”
“I was just…” Her mind scrambled for an excuse. “I was looking for the library archives. I must have taken a wrong turn.”
The guard’s scepticism was obvious. “The archives are three floors up and in the opposite wing, my lady.”
“Right, of course. I’ll just…” She gestured vaguely toward the stairs.
“Allow me to escort you back to the main levels.” It wasn’t a request. The guard waited for her to precede him up the stairs, effectively ensuring she left the area.
As they climbed back toward the populated sections of the palace, Lilith’s frustration mounted. She’d been so close to catching Machala doing something suspicious, and now she had nothing. Just another failed attempt that made her look incompetent.
When they reached the main corridor, the guard gave a polite bow and left her standing there feeling foolish and defeated. She’d spent days watching Machala, had finally seen him go somewhere unusual, and had absolutely nothing to show for it except looking like she’d gotten lost in her own home.
“There you are.” Sera appeared from around a corner, relief evident on her face. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you. You missed lunch, and dinner’s in an hour. Where have you been?”
“Nowhere important.” Lilith’s voice came out more bitter than she intended. “Just wasting time chasing nothing.”
Sera studied her with the particular intensity that came from years of friendship. “You’re still watching Machala, aren’t you? Even after Lucian told you to stop.”
“I can’t help it. Something about him feels wrong, Sera. The way he asked that question, the way he always seems to know things he shouldn’t…”
“Or maybe Lucian’s right and you’re seeing threats that aren’t there because Theron violated your trust so thoroughly that you can’t believe anyone anymore.” Sera’s tone was gentle but firm. “You’re making yourself miserable, and for what? A feeling?”
Lilith wanted to argue, but what could she say? Sera was right. She had nothing concrete, just instinct and paranoia and a growing certainty that everyone thought she was losing her grip on reality.
They walked back to Lilith’s chambers in silence. Sera left to get them both dinner, and Lilith sat by the window looking out over the Vestibulum’s twisted landscape. Maybe she was being irrational. Maybe Theron’s stalking had broken something in her ability to judge people accurately.
She was still sitting there when Sera returned with food, and they ate in comfortable quiet. Sera didn’t push, didn’t try to make Lilith talk about what was clearly bothering her. Just sat there being present, being solid, being the one constant thing in a world that felt increasingly unstable.
“I’m probably going crazy,” Lilith said eventually.
“Probably,” Sera agreed easily. “But you’re allowed to be a little crazy after everything that’s happened. Just maybe stop following the Devil’s most trusted advisor around like you’re planning to catch him in some grand conspiracy.”
Lilith laughed despite herself. “When you say it like that, it does sound ridiculous.”
“Because it is ridiculous.” Sera squeezed her hand. “Machala’s been loyal to this family for centuries. He’s not suddenly going to betray them now, right when they need him most.”
“Right,” Lilith echoed, trying to convince herself. “You’re right.”
But even as she agreed, even as she tried to let go of her suspicions and accept that she was being paranoid, a small voice in the back of her mind kept whispering that something was wrong. That Machala’s disappearance in that corridor meant something. That his knowing look when he’d caught her following him before had been significant.
She just had no idea how to prove it when no one would listen, and no concrete evidence existed to support what her instincts were screaming.
The next morning, she resolved to stop. Stop watching Machala, stop looking for conspiracies in every interaction, stop making herself look unstable to everyone around her. She would focus on preparing for her visit to Mammon’s kingdom, on training with whichever brother was available, on being the person the prophecy needed her to be instead of a paranoid mess jumping at shadows.
She made it until midday before she saw him again.
Machala was crossing through the main courtyard, moving with his usual unhurried grace, and when he spotted her watching from across the space, he smiled. It was a pleasant smile, professional and appropriate. But there was something in his eyes, something that looked uncomfortably like amusement, like he knew exactly what she’d been doing and found her attempts laughably inadequate.
Then he was gone, disappearing into the palace, and Lilith was left standing there with the sick certainty that he was playing a game she didn’t even fully understand yet.
A game he was winning.