She nodded.
I started down the hall, aiming for Glim’s pen. I’d groom him and work my way toward the front, ending with Madrood. “Will seemed nice when I first met him,” I said over my shoulder. “But I guess you can never tell with some people.”
“Well, Willwasnice most of the time.”
I turned back, though I couldn’t see her face with the light from the entrance behind her. “What does that mean?”
“He’s dead.”
I blinked, my jaw dropping. “What happened to him?”
She crept closer, peering toward the entrance and lowering her voice to a whisper. “You heard they found Lady Delaine’s body at the base of the cliffs not long ago. Someone had stabbed her in her chest. They’re not sure if she died from that or the fall, but I guess it doesn’t matter.”
“Yes, I heard about that.”
“Since she died, so did he.”
“I’m not connecting the two events.”
Her head tilted. “I can’t believe you don’t know this. Doesn’t the controller tell youanything?”
“Just tell me.”
“When a fae lord or lady dies, whoever they collared dies along with them.” She backed away from me, shaking her head and releasing a long sigh. “At least it was quick. He was standing about where you are one moment, and then the next, he lay flat on his back, not breathing. We thought someone had poisoned him or something, but then we heard about Lady Delaine. She was the high advisor’s daughter. Her fiancé arrived for the king’s wedding not long ago. They must be horribly upset.”
“Yes, I’m sure they are. So terrible.”
“Right? I mean, Lady Delaine wasn’t anyone I’d choose to collar me. I heard she could be nasty at times, though I never saw her act that way with Will. I guess this means you need to take good care of the controller. If he dies, so do you.”
Why hadn’t Vexxion told me?
Airia pivoted and strode toward the entrance, still speaking softly. “I hope my lord lives for a very long time.”
My breathing stuttered. As she left, I leaned against the wall, trying not to slide down onto my butt on the sandy floor.
One mental blow after another barraged me.
If we didn’t get the collar off Brodine before I killed the king, I’d murder my friend along with him.
I’d stabbed Delaine and shoved her off the cliff, but she’d deserved it. I had no regrets there.
But when I killed her, I’d also killed Will.
47
TEMPEST
Grooming dragons was the exact therapy I needed. It was that or get weepy, and I was done with that.
I wouldn’t cry about Delaine, of course, but I would come close if I dwelled on what I’d done to Will. While he’d been snarly on occasion, he was a decent enough guy. He hadn’t tried to stab me like Prenton.
And I hadn’t purposefully killed him.
Why did I keep discovering one shocking reveal after another about these fucking collars? Since he must be in the dining room with the king, I wouldn’t bother Vexxion about it. This wasn’t an emergency, but we needed to have a talk about how we’d handle this.
I loved him. I’d feel like dying if he did, but that was different than actually keeling onto the floor if something happened to him.
And Brodine . . . The wedding was tomorrow, but we still hadn’t found a way to remove his collar.
