“Apparently so.” Edwin’s eyes met mine, and he somehow managed a wry twist of the lips. “I honestly thought you were being overly cautious and maybe paranoid when you bought these. I apologize to your instincts. You were dead right in what she would try next.”
I dearly wished I had been wrong, but never had I been so glad for the timing on preventative measures. If I had delayed buying those needles even by the space of a day, Edwin might be fighting off a poison attack right now. The fear that tried to creep in with that thought was both insidious and stubborn, but I had to shove the feeling to the side. I needed to be able to think rationally if I wanted to get to the bottom of this.
Everyone was watching us, seemingly holding their breaths for what I would do next.
“Stedman”—I made sure my tone was level as I spoke—“get Captain Rowan in here immediately. Also, alert Knight Commander Harland and have him come. I want answers on how this happened and who did it.Now.”
Sixty-one
Edwin
Part of me was still in disbelief. The knowledge of my murder in our first lives hadn’t felt real, not with me still actively breathing. It’d been easy to dismiss.
This, though…this was real.
Looking at my bag of candy, knowing a single piece of it would have likely killed me, was an awakening. If not for James insisting I testeverythingbefore putting it into my mouth, I’d have popped a peppermint without thinking twice. I’d always kept peppermints in my desk drawer, and the bag was from a shop I frequented; there was nothing alarming about it. Not even slightly suspicious.
The incident shook me down to my very marrow. Everything suddenly felt sharp, tenuous, my own faith in my normal routine shaken.
James, of course, was on the warpath, more enraged than I’d ever seen him—including last night, and last night had been a fiasco of the first water! But me in danger set him off in a way nothing else could. I think he feared he’d failed me, somehow, innot preventing this attempt. When, really, his forethought had safeguarded me.
I’d have to reassure him at some point tonight. This was clearly not the time.
Captain Rowan and Commander Harland arrived at the office at nearly the same moment, with equal amounts of concern on their faces. I told them the story, showed them the evidence, and Captain Rowan immediately used the needles to test some of the other candy.
I mean, I wouldn’t trust anything else in the bag and planned to turn the whole thing in for evidence.
“All of them are poisoned, it seems,” he finally said after using five needles. “Even peppermints not on top are poisoned.”
Oh, that was what he’d been checking.
“So, was this meant to be more of a slow-acting poison?” I mused. I hated my mind for being so logical right now, even as I panicked emotionally, but maybe it was for the better that I could still think. “Not an immediate death, but something that would kill me within the month or so?”
“We’ll need to ascertain which poison it is to know.” Commander Harland pointed to the bag. “Your Highness, may I ask why you have silver needles?”
Oh shit.
James smoothly answered, “I feared for myself and Edwin when Victor returned. He’s quite livid with me and isn’t known for using good sense, after all.”
“Ah, quite.” Commander Harland grimaced. “I’ll take charge.”
“Do, and report which poison it is. I should tell you I’ve handed silver needles to my siblings as well, in case of collateral damage, as it were, but someone should likely prepare food tasters for the king and queen.”
Commander Harland nodded grimly. “I will do so promptly. I can attest there were no troubling reports or unknown people in the palace for the past week, so I fear this was an inside job.”
I’d had a few minutes to think while waiting on these two men to arrive, and I felt I might have an answer. “The only time this office is ever unlocked without the secretarial staff being present is in the morning, generally around six a.m., in order for the cleaning staff to enter. They are here from six to eight; I generally pass them in the hallways when I come in. I was not here this morning, of course, so I don’t know who came to clean.”
“Seems a good place to start.” Captain Rowan headed out of the room.
Commander Harland trailed right on his heels, already muttering to himself darkly.
I had no idea what he planned to do next, but my priority was James.
His eyes met mine, and in those emerald green eyes I saw nothing but rage. “She did this. I know she did.”
“You’re likely right. We probably won’t be able to prove it.”
“No, she’ll have done this very cleverly. Still, I’d love to strangle her.”
