“You’re using it to kill them off?” I ask.
“See? You are smart.” He spins me again, and this time, I’m prepared and keep my balance. “And a fast learner.”
The song finishes and he bows to me. I respond with a curtsy, then turn to walk off the floor. He grabs me and pulls me to him, taking us into the next dance.
“This is dance number three,” I point out.
“Did I tell you how beautiful you look tonight?” he asks.
“Careful, all these compliments might go to my head,” I tease.
“I can tell my betrothed she’s beautiful, can’t I?”
“You almost killed me, and you threatened me and told me that I needed to fall in line,” I remind him.
He toys with the bow at my tailbone, then his hand moves lower than it did before. “And even after I did all that, you still fight me. You’re fascinating.”
“Fascinating?” I don’t hide my skepticism.
“And stunning. Even the hair is growing on me,” he says. “Who knew I’d actually want to get to know the woman I’m to marry?”
Twelve
Marian isn’tin my room when I return. None of my ladies are. It’s a welcome reprieve from all the people I interacted with all night.
After our fourth dance, Caiden introduced me to so many people that I can’t remember a single name. It was an endless barrage of shallow compliments and invitations that I smiled through while my betrothed kept me so close I was nearly pressed against him all night.
Being alone, without anyone touching me, is exactly what I need. Even if it is short-lived. I know Marian will return soon enough to help me out of my gown.
I fall to my knees in the middle of my room. Tilting my head back, I close my eyes and breathe. It’s the first time I’ve been alone in days, and the silence is stunning.
Something rumbles, and my eyes snap open. I look around the room, then I hear the sound again. Quickly, I jump to my feet and race to my bathroom. Lee is closing the secret door behind him.
“What are you doing here?” I hiss. “You can’t be here. They were chasing down rebels who broke in tonight. And by the way, they’re letting them in so they can kill them off one by one.”
“Them, huh? Notus? Have you so quickly joined the aristocracy?”
“This isn’t a joke, Lee. You can’t send anyone else in here.”
“Last I checked, the way the rebellion is run isn’t your decision,” he says. “You made that clear when you told me you were leaving.”
“Yet, here I am, deeper than any other member,” I point out.
He grins. “Yes, that’s true.”
“The emperor’s alive,” I blurt.
“What? You saw him?”
“I did. And he looks terrible. They said he hasn’t returned to the temple to replenish his magic in a while. I think maybe that’s how he stays immortal. And right now, he might be vulnerable. Can you get someone close enough to him to take him down? Before Darkfall. That’s when they give new people magic. That must be when he’ll refill whatever magic he uses.”
As much as I’d like to be the one who ends the emperor, this opportunity is too good to waste. Someone with more skills should do it so we don’t miss out.
“Darkfall. That doesn’t give us much time. We were hoping for more.” His brows knit and his jaw tenses.
“More time? No. It has to be as soon as possible. We can’t wait. And you should know that the prince has magic unlike anything I’ve ever seen. He can wield shadows that are corporeal and use elemental magic. Fire. Probably other types as well. He’s powerful, Lee.”
“That’s impossible.”
