Brenna finally rose and joined us.
“I must attend lunch with Ivenrail,” she said, clapping her hands. She walked over to the vanity and sat on the ornate chair. “I’m a mess. Fix it, ladies.”
Reyla left the closet, and when she crossed the room, Delaine held out her arm. Reyla ran right into it.
Delaine shrieked. “What are you doing?” She clutched her shoulder and whimpered. “She hurt me.” Her sly gaze met mine. She knew Reyla and I were best friends. “Punish her hard enough to make her remember not to do anything like that again.”
“I’m not sure I can punish someone who’s clearly not fully functional,” Brenna said softly, a frown wrinkling her pretty face. “It would be mean to hit her, and I promised Zayde I’d watch out for her. Try to stay out of her way, Delaine. That’s probably the best way to handle this.” Learning forward, she squinted into the mirror, flashing herself a smile before rubbing something off the surface of one tooth.
“That’sall you’re going to do?” Delaine asked. “Tell me to stay out of Reyla’s way?”
“What would you have me do, Delaine?” Brenna asked with lifted eyebrows, her hand dropping to her lap. Her tone made it clear that while Delaine held a high position in this court, Brenna would soon be queen and would outrank her.
Delaine grumbled and hung her head. “You’re right, my lady. Of course. We can’t punish a Nullen who’s this simple.”
Reyla continued to stare at the floor, seemingly oblivious to the conversation.
“You three may leave,” Brenna said graciously after we’d fixed her hair again and smoothed out the wrinkles in her gown. “After dining, I’ll be spending the afternoon in the throne room. You’re welcome to join me there if you’d like. You might be surprised at how savvy I am when it comes to makingdecisions, though I doubt Ivenrail plans to ask me to solve anything more complex than what we might serve for dinner tomorrow night. Or, if you prefer, you can retire to your rooms and rest. If so, please be here to attend to me two hours before the evening meal. I need to look my best, and I’m dreadful when it comes to arranging my own hair.” Her simpering smile suggested this was a joke. I bet she’d never arranged her own hair.
I chuckled, and she beamed, telling me I was right.
“I’d love to stand quietly beside you in the throne room, my lady,” Delaine said with a deep curtsy.
Since this wasn’t a competition, and I had no interest in exposing myself to Ivenrail’s attention, I deferred. “While I’d adore watching you make important decisions, I have a brutal headache. Retiring to my room sounds like the best choice for me.”
Reyla said nothing, just drifted from the room behind us.
“I’m not done with you yet,” Delaine hissed when the outer door had shut, and we stood alone in the hall. Alone except for the guards and Reyla who took a few steps before freezing in the middle of the corridor, her back facing our way.
Drask fluttered his wings and squawked.
As if she’d forgotten he existed, Delaine reeled backward. Would the guards notice if I told him to feel welcome to claw her face?
“I’m not sure why you’ve taken this sudden interest in my well-being,” I said in as formal a tone as I could project. I patted Drask, and he stilled, rubbing his head against the side of my neck. I was an actor on a stage, and this needed to be my bestperformance, because I knew that guards not only heard everything, they gossiped. “As I’ve said, I have a headache and would like to lie down in my room.”
Delaine reached out and pinched Reyla’s upper arm hard enough I winced.
Before I could respond, Delaine flitted from the hallway. Good to know she was able to cast this spell. I’d need to be even more wary than I was already.
“Are you alright?” I asked my friend, tugging her sleeve out of the way to examine her arm. A welt was already forming.
Delaine had just made it clear she wouldn’t seek vengeance on me, not when she could easily do so with my friend.
“Reyla? Would you like to come with me?” I asked brightly for the guard’s benefit. Had they seen Delaine hurt Reyla? Maybe not, she’d been standing between them and Reyla.
“No.” Reyla didn’t look my way.
“I’m sure you would.” I took her arm to guide her down the hall. I’d take her to a quiet location where I could talk to her, see if there was anything left of my friend I could somehow bring back from the ether.
Her body stiffened, and I felt something poke into my side.
She held a small knife and was pressing it hard enough against my ribs the tip sliced into my dress. “No.” Her hand trembled, and her gaze remained on the floral-patterned carpet underfoot.
“Alright.” I backed away from her, my hands lifting.
With a jerk of her head, she tucked the knife down by her side and drifted along the hall and around to the staircase.
My heart wrenched up into my throat as I watched her descend to the next level.
