“Enough.”
The only sound the soft crackling of the flames in the grate.
The king faced the window once more, and when he next spoke, his words were slow, tired.“Apollo Chester, you are Fordham no longer.”
“What…?No.”Both words seemed to lodge in his throat.They were frogs’ croaks.
“My word is final.”He flicked his hand at the doors.“Leave.”
“That is all?”Temple raged.“He tried to kill my wife twice!”
“He’s pitiful, Knightly.Without money or title now.He’ll take care of himself.”The king tilted his head.“Or his inability to do so will take care of him for you.”
Apollo stood with blank eyes and dragging limbs.He swayed once on his way to the door, and Diana fought the urge to help him.When he reached the hallway, he slumped against the wall, and Diana’s last sight of him was all heaving shoulders.His body collapsed, and he sank to the floor in a heap.She should not feel for him, but sorrow flooded through her.
“Lady Knightly.”The king considered her, stroking his jaw.“You’re a much more interesting figure.What to do with you?”
Temple stepped closer to Diana’s back, placing his arm alongside hers, weaving their fingers together.Giving her strength, as always.
“Until I figure it out”—the king flicked a hand at the door—“take her to the Tower of London.”
Two guards appeared in a shimmer of gold and pink.They’d been there the entire time, hadn’t they?Glamoured into invisibility.
Through the buzzing and numbness along her every limb and the decidedly mad laughter brewing in her chest, she thought, illusions could be dangerous indeed.A danger, to be sure, to think you know the truth when you do not.
“No!”Temple’s hand flicked, and his body tensed.His ring glowed hot.He was reaching for iron somewhere in the room.
She spun, cupped his cheeks.“Temple, no.Don’t.Please, don’t.”
The guards grabbed her, pulled her out of his embrace.
Temple lurched for her, but more guards appeared, the king’s glamours dropping off them like discarded cloaks.They were huge and well-armed, and they each grabbed one of Temple’s arms, held him fast.
“No!”He jerked and kicked.“Diana, do something!”He wrenched against the guards’ hold to no avail.
Use your glamour.That’s what he meant bysomething.But if she did, she would continue to ruin his life.Better this way.Better the Tower and whatever future followed that.
It would set Temple free.
And perhaps Apollo would receive his talent, his birthright, finally.Then the king would give his title back.
Everything she’d torn asunder would be put back in place with whatever unknown night followed the Tower.
