“What's that, my love?” Verin asked, his tone immediately going tender.
“Meilen.” I pointed at the woman. “You need to question her. She looks guilty as hell.”
Verin's stare shot to Meilen. The woman screeched, picked up her skirts, and tried to run. The men closest to her grabbed her arms and restrained her as she screamed and struggled. Her intricate braids fell, golden combs clattering to the floor, and her sleeves tore. The other courtiers drew in around her like sharks around wounded prey. She snarled at them and her limbs started to stretch.
“Shift, and I will kill you, Meilen,” Verin declared coldly.
Meilen whimpered, her body settled back into its womanly shape, and she fell limply within the hands that held her.
“Take her to the throne room,” Verin commanded. “And secure the palace. No one leaves until I find the assassin.”
Chapter Eleven
The throne room was down the hall. There were no fish tanks there, only dragons. Carved dragons swam up the columns bordering the dais and its thrones, painted dragons prowled across the domed ceiling, woven dragons snarled from tapestries on the blue coral walls, and golden dragons crouched over the back of the thrones—heads angled down and talons clasping the finials atop the spindles to either side. And, of course, there were the living dragons, only a few of which were allowed to enter the throne room with us. One of them distinctly did not want to be there.
“I did nothing!” Meilen shrieked. “Please, Your Majesty, you know me. I would never try to harm you in any way.”
“Where is the kitchen staff?” Verin demanded, ignoring his ex.
“Here, Your Majesty,” a guard said as he and several other men wearing the indigo tabard of the Palace Guard escorted a group of cringing servants into the room.
“Who made my consort's dessert?” Verin growled.
A man in a stained apron stepped forward and lifted his chin. “I did, Sire.”
“Chef Bei, did her cake leave your sight at any time before it was taken to the high table?”
“After I finished it, I put it on the pick-up counter with your cake, then I went to work on the desserts for the rest of the court,” he said steadily. “I never imagined there was any danger of tampering but I take full responsibility, Your Majesty. I run the kitchen so this is my fault.”
“For a minor mistake, yes, I'd hold you accountable,” Verin agreed. “For attempted murder, you are not responsible unless it was you who put the poison in Queen Elaria's food. Was it you, Chef Bei?”
“No, Your Majesty. I would never hurt a woman, especially not one who has brought you happiness. I worked especially hard on your desserts tonight, all to make Her Majesty feel more welcome. It grieves me that it was used to harm you both.”
Verin grunted in acceptance and looked at the kitchen staff. “You are all suspects so it would behoove you to remember as much as you can. Was anyone seen in the kitchen who should not have been there?”
The kitchen workers looked at each other warily. They wrung their hands. They said nothing.
“None of you saw anyone who should not have been in the kitchen?!” Verin roared.
The workers cringed.
“We are very busy during meals, Your Majesty,” Chef Bei said. “It's not unusual for maids to come in and grab things for their masters. They become part of the background. Most of us don't notice them.”
“But you did? You saw a maid?” Savassa asked shrewdly. “Whosemaid?”
“I don't know, Your Majesty. I couldn't even tell you what she looked like; they come and go so quickly.” Bei shrugged hopelessly. “I saw dark hair and a maid's gown, that is all.”
“That could be anyone,” Savassa muttered.
“But you're certain there was a maid in the kitchen while the desserts were waiting to be served?” Verin's voice went low.
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Bring me Lady Meilen's maid,” Verin ordered one of the guards.
The man ran off.
Verin hadn't bothered to ascend the dais. We were all standing in the space before the thrones, the Blue Dragon pacing as if looking for something to kill. Primal sounds rumbled out of him, his eyes twitched, and his hands clenched into fists. The skin on his face kept rippling in very disturbing ways. As if something were trying to surface.
