Asli smiled with relief, but his sister averted her gaze. Her brooding was curious, but my focus was splintered by Nicolas’ trembling.
“F-forgive me,” he said as I took his hand and squeezed. “I’m quite famished. Duke Minnick! Let us join you for lunch.”
The duke turned toward the procession and smiled, clapping once. “Right. It’s no palace, but I hope you will enjoy my humble manor. Come along; it’s not far, and we could use the walk after so much riding.”
The duke’s guest chamber was well-appointed and lovely, but all I could focus on was the basin in my hands as another wave of nausea rolled over me. The smell of roasted pork was the final straw in my constitution, mixing terribly with the memory of that braid in Nicolas’ fingers. Brown hair, young and healthy…the witch had been someone’s daughter, once, someone’s friend.
Did that truly need to be said? She’d beensomeone, a girl who liked purple, and now she was ash and bone and evidence in a burlap sack.
I retched again, grateful I’d been able to dismiss myself from the table without drawing attention. If I’d made a scene like Percy…oh, gods.
“Your Majesty?” Marcy called, muffled by the door. She was a nightmare to behold, but insisted on returning to duty the moment we’d entered the estate. “I know you said no one was to enter, but Viscount Navarro wishes to—”
I couldn’t hear the rest over my own purging.No, no, not him!
Hushed voices argued behind the wood. Then the door opened anyway, and I wept. Of course the bastard wouldn’t listen. I heard his footsteps, and then his boots were in my peripheral vision. I tried my best to shield him from the sight of the basin.
“Siere Marceline, guard the corridor. Let no one enter.”
Marcy hesitated, but shut the door. Maybe she looked at me first, but I wasn’t lifting my head to acknowledge her. Not while my insides threatened to erupt again.
Quinn kneeled beside me and gathered my hair, twisting it away from my face with surprising efficiency for a one-armed man.
I shook my head, immediately regretting my decision as the room started to spin.“You can’t be in here.”
If he heard me throwing up, eventhatmight trigger the curse. A love tale for the ages.
He put his hand between my shoulders and rubbed small, soothing circles. “Just breathe, Lana.”
I sat back on my heels, mortified by the tormenting comfort his touch provided. Twice, I thought I would throw up again, but it stifled before it could rise each time. Tears welled in my eyes from the exertion.
“Here.” Quinn produced a handkerchief and patted the sweat from my forehead. “Was it the food, or the Banewight?”
I didn’t have it in me to act surprised. Quinn saw everything.“I’m barely pregnant. How long must I suffer like this?”
His hand went back to rubbing patterns on my back. I knew I should have told him to stop, sent him away. Instead I let him touch me, dropping my head.
“I’ll get tea from your parents,” he offered. “And I’ll fetch you some bread and get that basin changed out. Do you feel any better?” Admittedly, I did. At least for now.
Quinn smiled, then helped me up, walking me carefully to the bed. He set me down and tucked me into the sheets. I thought he might kiss my forehead, too, but he settled for pushing back my hair.
“Nicolas should be doing this,” he said quietly. My eyes widened, and he quickly rescinded the statement. “Forgive me, Your Majesty. Forget I said that. Would you like anything else?”
I mouthedno, touching his wrist in thanks. Then Quinn went for the door. He spoke a few orders to Marcy, letting her know who would be coming and going soon, and for what purposes. Marcy listened, and there was clear amusement in her voice when she spoke again.
“You arenotsubtle, Viscount.”
There was a pause, then Quinn replied. “Look after her tonight. If she worsens…”
“I’ll let you know.”
He hummed in approval, then hurried away. The door clicked shut. Marcy stood on the other side of it now, watching me breathe.
“What?” I managed.
She chuckled, wincing in pain. “Ah, the man burns for you.”
I puffed a single strand of hair from my face and closed my eyes. “I know.”
