Padraig had never hated another human being as much as he hated Vaughn Hargrave in that moment. His hands shook so that he clenched them into fists to stay the tremors from taking over his entire body.
The nobleman looked at him pointedly. “Well? Goodbye. I shall be sure to give your regards to the king.”
Padraig lifted his chin and turned away, his pride screaming out as he felt the stares of everyone in the hall. He could imagine their thoughts, slimy and dark and cold, brushing up against him as he passed.
Interloper.
Peasant.
Fraud.
Coward.
He was no longer lost in the maze of corridors that made up the interior of the castle and came to his door in moments. He found the old satchel he had carried to Darlyrede those many weeks ago—it seemed years—and he was embarrassed by its condition, filthy and patched. This place had made him embarrassed of what had once been his own contented life—negating his happy past in exchange for the lure of something noble and grand. But it had been nothing more than a glittering façade, hiding an oozing, putrescent core.
He opened the flap of his bag; there was nothing in it now, save the letters Lucan Montague had given him. Padraig unfolded the now-worn-soft messages, read each through once more with new eyes, wiser eyes, as he walked toward the hearth. One letter given on Caedmaray, luring him to this place of death and deceit; one letter the night he’d arrived at Darlyrede, dangling the hope of the king’s favor before hisignorant nose.
He tossed the pages and the ribbonto the flames.
Padraig located his father’s ragged shawl and folded it inside the satchel, along with the stoppered flasks of wine on the table. It was fully winter now, and the journey would be even harsher heading north, but this time he was well-nourished, well-clothed, and would be astride. He ducked his head through the strap of his satchel and then put on his thick cloak. He’d been a fool here long enough.
He was going home.
His door opened then, and Searrach slipped inside. She closed the door and leaned back against it. Her dark eyes flicked over his costume.
“You’re leavin’.”
“Aye.”
She came toward him then, holding out a piece of parchment that hetook from her.
“What is it?”
“Lord Hargrave wants you to put your name to it,” she said as he skimmed the words. “Before you go.”
Padraig turned back to the table, and in the next moment he was scrawling his signature across the bottom of the page.
“Did I nae tell you?” she said in a voice thatwas not unkind.
Padraig tossed the quill onto the page, where it skittered and sputtered ink, like a spurt of black blood across the words. “You did,” he acknowledged, and his heart was so heavy it felt like cold lead in his chest. He looked to Searrach and thought he glimpsed compassion inher dark eyes.
She knew the pain ofDarlyrede too.
“Neither one of us belongs here.” He saw her throat convulse as she swallowed, and then she whispered, “Take me with you.”
And Padraig’s hurt and disillusionment, his betrayal, was so deep, so blindingly painful in that momentthat he nodded.
Chapter 16
Iris left Lucan in the chapel annex, ignoring his harshly whispered demands to return. She swiped angrily at the tears that ran in rivers down her cheeks, each one like a silent condemnation that she only now realized the truth of.
Padraig had been right all along. Even Iris herself hadn’t understood how indebted to Hargrave her brother had become, hadn’t understood the depths of what he’d agreed to. But now that Padraig had revealed the truth to her, Iris couldn’t believe that she’d failed to see it herself. How else had Lucan Montague, a young orphan boy forgotten in France, managed to secure a position of authority under the king of England? Was there no place safe, no office sacred enough, to be out of Hargrave’s reach?
But now Iris knew the truth. And Padraig knew the truth. And Lucan knew the truth.
There was just one more person who must be put through pain today, and Iris knew that duty could fall only to her.
She made her way up the long, wide flights of stairs to Lady Hargrave’s wing, and was surprised to find Rolf and another house guard standing to either side of the corridor.
