“That’s it,” she whispered, waving the bacon in the air. “Just a little further, you rascals.”
She lured the three dogs into the courtyard, shut the door, and parceled out the bacon. The greedy dogs scarfed it down, then happily scampered around the courtyard, swatting at the fish in the fountain.
Hands twisting anxiously, she paced beneath a palm tree, glancing through the breakfast room window every few minutes. It wasn’t long before Rangar excused himself. Baron Marmose stood as well, clearly intending to ensure Rangar did not attempt to enter the library. But then he frowned and called to his dogs. When none of them answered, he rushed out of the room.
Rangar was able to slip quietly in the library’s direction.
It wasn’t long before Marmose strode into the courtyard. “Ah! Petal. Daffodil. Rosebud. How the devil did you—” When he saw Bryn, his face went rigid. “Oh. I see. I thought you wereresting, my lady.”
“I find a stroll very restorative. Apparently, so do your dogs.”
“I’m sure you have no idea who let them out of the breakfast room.”
She shrugged.
He sneered and started back inside, but she quickly called out, “I know about the speed-of-dogs hex.”
He froze. He didn’t move a single muscle for a second but then slowly pivoted around with pursed lips. His eyes searched hers as though judging how much she knew. In a flat tone, he said, “I’ve never heard of that.”
She folded her arms, stalking toward him. “Oh no? That’s strange, because I found a reference to a Rumese mage who learned how to enchant dogs to attack. The hex left them with black tongues. And the berserkir wolves we found? They also had black tongues. Quite the coincidence, don’t you think?”
The baron’s hands tightened to fists at his side. He sneered, “That isn’t proof of anything. Look at my dogs. Sweet, harmless little things. They—and I—have nothing to do with vicious animal attacks.”
“You also train the Cheron family’s hunting dogs.Theydo hunt, and kill, and bite.”
Marmose went quiet as he looked her over. They were alone in the courtyard, and the privacy must have emboldened him to step closer and say, “Is this why you arrived early? To tell Amelia about my supposed sins? To get her on your side?”
“Yes,” Bryn said bluntly. “And you came early to do the same.”
His smile turned uglier in triumph. “Perhaps, and if that is the case, then I won. You were a day too late. Mark my words; the Wollin queen will side with Ruma during the grand parlay. Magic will be banned throughout the Eyrie. You and your husband’s scheming is for naught.”
Though her temper flared, she forced herself to remain calm. She knew confronting Marmose with her evidence was the only way to distract him long enough to keep him in the courtyard. So, she needed to provoke him more.
“We have the Baersladen, the Mirien, Vil-Kevi, and Vil-Rossengard on the side of magic,” she challenged.
He scoffed. “And we have Ruma, Zaradona, Dresel, and now the Wollin on the side of reason. The two forest kingdoms are insignificant—as sister kingdoms, their votes only count as half.”
She pretended to let out an audible curse. “Damn—I’d forgotten about that.”
He smiled cruelly at her small show of vulnerability. Stalking toward her, he took his time looking her over like she was another one of his prize-winning dogs. “You made a mistake in marrying that wild prince. You should have married me.”
She didn’t have to pretend to be disgusted. “You? You wanted my sister, not me! I read your note to our mother on the night of the Low Sun Gathering!”
“Ah, so you feel slighted because Princess Elysander caught my eye. You can hardly blame me—she was the picture of refinement and elegance, and you were like a skittish colt that just wanted to skip around the pasture. But you’ve always been beautiful. I would have happily taken you as my wife, even if it meant training you to behave.”
She let out an incredulous exhale at his audacity. “Howgenerousof you. And I’m sure the fact that I became crown heir to the richest kingdom in the Eyrie played no part in your renewed insistence at an engagement?”
Holding out his hands, he said, “Every man wants to be king of a land like the Mirien. Especially a baron who has little chance of rising in station in his own kingdom. And you were a fool not to accept my offer.”
“Well, as you said, I must be a fool, but at least I’m not fool enough to fall foryou.”
Angry now, the baron seized her arm. She tried to pull away, but he held her with a powerful grip. In a dangerously low voice, he said, “You cost me a throne, girl. Do not think that will go unpunished. Your parents intended for you to belong to me.” Scouring his hot gaze down her body, he growled, “One way or another, I’ll make sure that bargain is fulfilled.”
She narrowed her eyes. As much as she wanted to knee him between his legs, she’d learned something from her interactions with men like him and like Captain Carr, who thought they could take anything they wanted.
Those kinds of men always had secrets.
She grabbed his shirt collar with her free hand and tugged hard as though trying to pull out of his grasp. He sneered and captured her around the waist, pinning her to his side. But she managed to rip off his top button, pulling the shirt partially over his shoulder.
