He raised an eyebrow. “You should wear it on another finger. People will think we got engaged.” He said the words reproachfully, but there was hope in his expression.
“She’s not pretending to be engaged toyou, spoiled man-child,”said Nori with venom.
Scarlett glanced at Elestine, whose attention flitted nervously between Scarlett and her son. “I got married in Clair de Lune,” she said.
“What?Married? You can’t be serious.” Alastair’s face blanched.
Elestine covered her lips with one hand.
Scarlett raised her hands palms-up. “We fell for each other in Clair de Lune, and it wasn’t safe for me to return to Soleil alone, so we decided to marry.” Her gut twisted at having to minimizeher relationship with Brayden, but she ignored it. She didn’t owe Alastair the entire explanation.
“Tell me it isn’t so.” He grabbed her by the shoulders, his fingers digging into her skin. “Youmarriedthat forest trash you were always blathering to through that godforsaken mirror?”
Scarlett froze, shocked by his cruel words. She never should have told him about the mirror, but they’d been so close he’d known everything about her.
“Alastair.” Elestine’s voice was full of reproach. “You were raised better than that. And must you have this conversation now?”
Pressure bloomed behind Scarlett’s eyes, indicating the start of a headache. “He’s not forest trash, you bigot. Don’t forget, I’m from Clair de Lune too. If you want to be on speaking terms with me, don’t ever insult us like that again.” She tried to jerk out of his grasp, but he continued to grip her shoulders, making her wince. She couldn’t believe he was behaving like this.
“Are you sure he didn’t compel you with magic?” Alastair’s eyes were wild.
“Let me go!” She finally wrenched herself out of his grip and pushed him away. “And of course he didn’tforceme. I didn’t want to rub this in your face, but if you must know, he loves me, and I love him. More than anything.”
“How can you love him? You barely know him,” growled Alastair.
“You said it yourself. I was alwaysblathering to him through my godforsaken mirror. Things were obvious to us once I arrived in Clair de Lune.”
“So you married him after, what, a week?” Alastair turned from her and dug his hands in his hair, staring at the ceiling. “I can’t believe you don’t see hemusthave compelled you. We were together for three years and you still weren’t ready to get engaged, and now you’ve permanently tied yourself tohim?Please tell me you plan to get it annulled.”
“I was afraid for my life, and he wanted to be there for me. Iwon’t—”
“You could have come tome.” Alastair interrupted her, his eyes flashing. “Despite our fight, my family would have protected you. Surely, you knew that.”
“Then where were you when my little brother needed you?” she hissed. “WhenIneeded you? Maybe if you’d been there for him, I wouldn’t have been in a coma for weeks while Beni was sitting there alone thinking I was about to die!”
He recoiled as if she’d slapped him.
Elestine rose to stand between them. “Let’s pause for now, shall we? This won’t be productive with emotions running so high.” She looked between them both. “Scarlett, there’s a budget-committee meeting in half an hour that we should attend together, and if you’d like to have a working lunch together later—”
“They caught the shooter,” said Alastair, folding his arms across his chest.
Scarlett’s lips parted in shock, and Elestine gasped.
“Your father’s assassin—they caught him. I came in here to tell you, Mother. The bureau called to let Parliament know before they speak to the press. It’ll be public knowledge soon.”
Alastair paused for a beat, and it was Scarlett’s turn to recoil as she froze, waiting for him to go on as her heart raced.
“Soleil counterintelligence decoded some electronic communications between Sigur Viður agents and discovered detailed records of their assassination plans, as well as confirmation after he was shot.”
Scarlett sank into her chair, the shock of it making her unsteady on her feet. “Why would Sigur Viður do that?” It didn’t make any sense. She’d been so sure, deep in her gut, that everything was connected. Her mother’s death, her abduction,and her father’s murder. The news about Sigur Viður felt all wrong.
“Follow your intuition,” said Nori.“Push for more information until you’re satisfied.”
Alastair’s blue-eyed gaze locked with hers. “The motive hasn’t been discovered yet, but the agent I spoke to from the bureau thought Sigur Viður didn’t like the idea of an alliance between everyone but them, which may have occurred had your father lived. If the economic union eventually became a military alliance, for example, that group of countries would be a formidable player on the world stage.”
“Did they give you a copy of the communications between the Sigur Viður agents?” Were all her suspicions wrong?
“No. I spoke to them over the phone, but I’m sure they’ll supply the comms if we ask.”
