After many excruciating seconds, the door opens and Mirella walks in, her face impassive.
“Already?” Zorwal raises an eyebrow, clearly displeased.
She sits at the table. “Indeed. Here I am.”
“And yet he’s still alive and my bloodpuppets haven’t found him to trace his magic. You had one job.”
So Marlak escaped? I control myself not to exhale, not to show any relief, not even to draw any attention to me.
Mirella’s eyes seem to spark with a blue fire. “Marlak is notbondedto me. I can’t make him stay in a place if he doesn’t want to.”
“What about your impressive magic?”
“Healsohas magic. And isn’t patience a virtue? Look at the bright side. The guards in the plaza saw him running like a coward. Do you think they’ll respect him?”
Zorwal clenches his fists over the table then speaks slowly, as if addressing a child. “All you had to do was delay him until my bloodpuppets found him. Doesn’t he still consider you a sister? It shouldn’t be hard to draw his attention, to keep him busy. You could have made him angry, curious, you could have pretended you were thankful to him.”
She presses her lips together and looks down. “Isn’t his magic already being traced?”
Zorwal inhales slowly as if to keep his fury in check.“Not properly, no. All I needed was a few minutes.”
“We’ll have other chances. I…” Her voice is trembling. “He ran away like a coward, master. I thought?—”
“You’re not supposed to think. You’re supposed to do what I ask you. Don’t you want to get rid of Marlak?”
Mirella shrinks in her seat, her voice apologetic like a child’s. “He ran away. Doesn’t it count?”
“I’m wondering if I’m placing my trust where I shouldn’t. Do you want to see him killed or not?”
She shakes her head quickly, her eyes wide, fear clearly written on her features. “Not by my fault, no. I have no wish to kill the Crystal Court King and be cursed again.”
He pinches the bridge of his nose. “Bloodpuppets won’t count as your fault, Mirella.”
“He escaped.”
“Very well.” His tone suggests that nothing is well. “Next time I’ll come with you. Go rest now. We’ll discuss these things tomorrow, once we settle back in the castle.”
She gets up at once. “I’ll do that. And I’ll try harder next time.”
Zorwal nods, his eyes distant, and I follow her to the room I set up, where she’s already unlacing her dress.
“Let me help.” I approach her.
“No need.” She removes the dress revealing her underslip, then throws a pillow and a blanket on the floor. “Sleep here. And wake me up if anyone comes in.”
“If Zorwal calls me?—”
“Yes. Sure. Otherwise, stay here.” She lowers her voice. “Oh. Renel was there, with Marlak. They might be working together.”
That’s surprising, and there’s something else that intrigues me. “You didn’t tell Zorwal.”
Mirella gives me a nonchalant shrug. “He didn’t ask.”
“Is he in danger?”
“What do you think? But don’t worry. He won’t return to the castle.” She gives me an ominous smirk. “Now silence. I grow tired of voices. Tired of talking.”
She lies under the covers and closes her eyes, even if the rhythm of her breath doesn’t sound like someone about to fall asleep.
