Alec let out a shuddering breath. “It’s true.”
“Why did you lie?” Iarion asked.
“Well it doesn’t look very good, does it?” Alec said with a grim chuckle. “Pol dropped dead after I left for the night.”
“You don’t know what you’re saying, Alec,” Viola blurted as she clutched her hands. He met her gaze for a moment before shying away.
“Wait. You were the one to tell the lie first, weren’t you?” Barlo asked her. “Last night is a bit of a blur, but I seem to remember that much.”
Viola winced.
“When I heard what she had said, I went along with it,” Alec said. “There’s no point in hiding it now.”
“Why did you tell us Alec had gone to get your aunt’s shawl?” Iarion asked Viola.
She gave a helpless shrug. “I knew it looked terrible that he had left.”
“So what really happened?” Barlo asked.
