She picked up a fuzzy coffee-colored blanket, tossing it onto a chair. Two things could be true at once, she reminded herself. His feelings for herandwhatever his plans were that she knew nothing about. Even if he hadn’t meant to, he’d told her himself that she couldn’t trust him. The reality check that was her conversation with Gage reinforced this truth. Topp had helped find and brutally eliminate her kind. It was as simple as that.
Whatever his feelings for her may be, it did not and could not matter more than that truth.
Elysia picked up a marine blue shirt and held it to her nose, breathing him in. Still clutching the shirt, her eyes drifted to his bed in the next room over. Between his scent in her nose and the familiarity of these rooms, a warm nostalgia rocked through her.
A longing for the days when this had all been easy. Days spent in a happy haze. Days when she was able to forget about her father and the curse all because she’d be seeinghimlater that night. Blissful delusion.
They had known each other since childhood. Been together since she was twenty. What did it say that neither of them was willing to trust the other?
She dropped the shirt—she didn’t want to know the answer to that question.
Besides, she needed to focus on her own plans, never mind his. She should be elated right now. Tonight had been a magnificent disaster. No one would point the finger at her about Scarzan, seeing as how the entire court watched the prince kill the man. Which meant no one would be the wiser that she had poisoned the entire guest list. Her debt was paid to the House, and with the entire castle distracted, she was free to pursue what really mattered: those idiots and their secret little rebel group.
Once more, her only true fear was the prince outing her.And that’s for me to worry about later.She paused, a decision settling like a rock in her gut. She would talk to him. After tonight, she would talk to him. She didn’t have to trust him to talk about what he already knew—and she deserved some answers. Like what he intended to do with her.
Tomorrow. Tomorrow, she would seek him out. Dangerous hope flickered in her, and tonight, she let it be. If he dashed it out tomorrow, then so be it. Tonight, she would hope.
That settled, Elysia slipped a hand beneath her skirts, popping open the small pouch attached to the holster for her knife. Conch shell from Mari in the palm of her hand, her brows rose in surprise. Empty before, it now housed a tiny slip of paper. She ran her thumb over the smooth shell in wonder.
It’s magic.She never allowed herself to think much about magic. What Kava used to be like, what it could have been like. But here was someone’s magic, right in the palm of her hand. Ever so carefully, she wiggled the paper free. Scribed in black ink was a simple message.
Below the docks where the sailors roam, but never does a fish swim.
Her hand flung down to her side, message in hand. They could not be serious. She’d poisoned the entire godsdamned court andthiswas their idea of giving directions? The paper crumpled in her hand. There was nothing but air and water beneath the docks! All this and they couldn’t bother to give her a proper address.
Grumbling, she pulled out the coin Rollie had given her, hoping they were connected. Coin in hand, she began to pace, stress driving her to movement. Suddenly, a small ball of fur lunged, tiny bandit fingers swiping like an expert thief. Elysia shrieked, darting back from the creature. Breath coming quick and fast now, it took her a moment to realize what had happened. Araccoonhad just stolen her ticket for entrance.
“You little asshole!”
She bounded after it, but the small raccoon scuttled away. Prize secured, it dove onto Topp’s sheets, making small pleased noises as it rolled.
For the love of the undead gods.That’s why it was such a mess in here. Elysia rubbed the edges of her eyes, smearing makeup she had forgotten about. The creature was holding the coin up to the light like it was gold. In anyone else’s chambers, a raccoon mugging you would be unexpected. But not here. Not in Topp’s rooms.
She had always found it charming. Coming into his chambers and finding a new creature to adore. The passion he lacked for politics could be found tenfold when it came to rehabilitating animals. Squirrels. Birds. A fox once—but he’d had to move the fox to its own special pen after it marked and tore up every square inch of his rooms. He hadn’t minded, though. No, he had sympathized with the beast, always commiserating with itabout what it was to be locked inside. Both a little wild, only one allowed to be.
But that raccoon had just stolen her coin.
She stalked softly toward the bed, trying to mimic whatever ease it was that Topp carried within him. The raccoon watched her with big black-rimmed eyes and a tilted head. It plopped back onto its haunches, and Elysia realized that it only had three limbs.
“You’re very nimble and extra cunning, aren’t you, little friend?” she murmured, creeping closer. A red collar with a wooden tag adorned its neck. Because, of course, he had given it a collar.Such a weird man.Grabbing a piece of fruit off a plate that had likely been Topp’s breakfast, she broke it open and waved it enticingly.
“Come here,” she breathed. “Nice and easy.”
The raccoon squinted and appeared to be considering her offer, but instead of dropping the coin from its one good hand, it merely stuck out a bottom foot as if she would place the fruit there. When she didn’t, it bared its little fangs and hissed.
By the gods.She was going to kill Topp. Elysia shook her head.
“Greedy thing, aren’t you?”
She dropped the fruit onto the bed where the creature gladly used its bottom foot to shove juicy chunks of fruit into its mouth. Fist in the air, the coin gleamed between its small black fingers.
New plan. She wasn’t Topp, born to woo woodland creatures. And she didn’t have time to benice.
Ripping open his wardrobe, she snatched a rough-spun cloth bag from the bottom. It smelled like hay and animals. She did not have time foranyof this. Glancing to the bed, she found the raccoon immersed in licking its dripping, sugared foot.
“Sorry, buddy.” As fast as she could, Elysia snatched the raccoon up by the scruff of its neck. It dangled there in surprise, blinking at her. “You’re just a big, thieving cat.”
She shoved it into the bag.
