“Marideth,” I start, not knowing what I’ll even say.
“I came by to tell you that Dover’s parents set a date for the wedding.” Her voice is cold as she eyes Jace suspiciously.
“I’m so sorry,” I breathe, reaching for her hands. She rips them away and walks Jace back into the room, her frame pressed close to his.
“How could you,” she hisses furiously.
“Marideth.” His voice is pained.
“How stupid can you be?” she snaps and glances back toward me. “Both of you. I knew, I justknew, from the way you two looked at each other, that something was going on. And if I noticed, then surely I’m not the only one. How long?” She crosses her arms. The two of us, ashamed, say nothing.
“How long?” Her firm demand shakes free the words hanging on the tip of my tongue.
“It just happened.”
“Well, itcan’thappen. If anyone else had seen this—” She slows her breath, closing her eyes and pinching the bridge of her nose. “You are courting the princess. Andyouare one of her ladies. You’re hercousin. You’re lucky she’s so blindly enamored with you, or else both of your heads would be on the chopping block.”
“She would never—” Jace starts.
“You don’t think so? I’ve known her a lot longer than you have, Captain. Long enough to know that she does not respond well when you take what she is not willing to give.” Her eyes slide to me. “You underestimate her. You see a bubbly little party girl who would rather sneak off to visit pleasure halls than sit in on her father’s council meetings. But that female”—she prowls closer—“is capable of more than you know.”
I let that sink in, wondering what she could mean.
“This was over anyway.” Jace sets his jaw, refusing to look at me. “Marideth, I know I don’t have the right to ask, but please. Let me be the one to tell her.” Jace wears a tortured expression as he begs the female.
“Are you mad? Don’t you dare say a word to her. Just agree to end this now,” she commands, eyes darting between our guilty faces.
“It’s already done,” Jace emphasizes as we exchange a look. His face is riddled with anger and disgust.
I’ve ruined everything. I want to run to him, to smooth that tension from his brow, to kiss his lips into a smile, to hold him until he breathes easy. But where we stood seconds ago, our bodies pressed together, we now stand on opposite sides of the room. It might as well be the other side of the world.
“Get out,” Marideth says to Jace, her voice sounding tired. He shoves his arms through his jacket and smooths his hair off his head as he makes for the door, the hardened mask of the captain easing onto his face before my very eyes.
“Jace,” I call. He turns halfway back to me and shakes his head with a sigh.
Did we ever really have a chance?
The look in his eye tells me what we both already know. This was doomed from the start. Realizing there is nothing more to say, he addresses me with a cold and removed voice.
“I’ll see you tomorrow.”
I stare at the door as it slowly clicks shut, his campfire scent still lingering sweetly in the air. A cruel tease indicating all that I cannot have. Marideth plops down in a chair, eyes roaming over me.
I turn to her. “Aren’t you going to give me the third degree? Or lay into me about how wrong Jace and I are?”
“I’ve said enough tonight. And I said it because I am yourfriend.” Her voice and eyes are soft as she repeats, “I am your friend.”
The words make my heart clench. Her brow knits together as she glances over me.
“And what the hell are you wearing?”
“Fighting leathers.” I sigh, throwing the shirt over my head and sinking into the seat across from her.
“The truth, please.” Her cunning gray eyes lay me bare as she leans forward.
Here goes nothing.
“I’m the last Blackblood witch.”
