My growl slipped out. “If I flick a finger your way, you leave without looking back.”
“I’m not abandoning you if you’re in danger. Never ask me to do that. Sacrifice isn’t onlyyourmiddle name.”
Pray to the fates it never truly became hers.
“Behind me then,” I snapped, striding up the walk. I didn’t knock but used magic to open the door, stalking inside.
“Zeiger,” I bellowed. “Attend me.”
A woman stepped out of the parlor on my right, a duster in her hand and her mouth opening to release a brittle shriek. “What are you doing here?” She flapped her duster in my direction, her deep blue gown swaying with the movement. “Go away. You have no business here tonight,Viper.”
I could almost feel Reyla stiffening.
“Where is the exalted high lord?” I strode further into the foyer, peering around. Spying an office on the left, I walked toward it. “Tell him I’ll speak with him now.”
She shuddered and scurried down the hall, her long gray braid swaying on her spine as she darted dark looks over her shoulder.
I stepped into the office and walked around an enormous desk placed in the middle of the room with bookcases full of various volumes on two inner walls. A long bank of windows took up theright side, the darkness leaching through in inky bands staining the plush carpets. And on the final wall, near the arched entrance, I took in the long rows of mounted swords. Gifts from the king or other high lords, perhaps. Zeiger must be a collector. Lamplight winked off them as I turned away.
I sat in the chair behind the desk and hitched my boots up onto the lovely, smooth wooden surface in front of me, purposefully knocking things off to clatter on the floor.
Reyla glided across the room. I felt more than saw her, moving around to stand directly behind me.
“To your right a bit, if you please,” I said softly.
“Why?” she asked. “This place is as good as any other.”
Unless he threw magic my way. “You’re not being quiet.”
She huffed but moved.
“You,” High Lord Zeiger thrust himself into the room from the foyer. “Why have you come here tonight?”
“You know.”
He stalked toward me, a male still in his prime with broad shoulders, a narrow waist and only a touch of gray at his temples. “Leave my home this instant,” he roared.
“Now, now, there’s no need to be cranky.” I sensed Reyla biting back her snort. “It’s not like I’m sitting here in your office committing anything like…treason.”
I also felt her suck in a breath.
His lungs wheezed in and out, and he deflated before his posture tightened once more. His glare hardened as he stopped in the middle of the room, his feet planting on the rug as if he owned the world. “I don’t appreciate uninvited guests barging into my home,” he spat, his hands curling into fists at his sides. “Especially those making reckless accusations.”
Reckless? Hardly. The man reeked of calculation, each sneer and insult weighed carefully to needle me without pushinghimself too far. He knew what I was, what I could do. He also knew how precarious his position would be if he showed even a hint of fear. Zeiger thrived on power, and power didn’t stumble, not without dire consequences.
I leaned back in the chair, savoring how it creaked in protest. My boots, still propped on his desk, scraped along the polished wood with a groan. The sound dragged through the room in a deliberate insult.
“Accusations. Me?” I kept my voice low. “I'm here merely to ensure you're still loyal to the crown.”
His mouth twitched. “You’ve lost your way in the dark, Viper.” He forced his stance wider, an attempt at a show of dominance that didn’t land. “Whatever you’re searching for, it isn’t here. Go back to whatever it is you do with your nights. The king may tolerate theatrics, but I do not.”
“Humor me.” I tapped one finger on the arm of the carved wooden chair, the rhythmic knock slicing through the room. “Remind me where your loyalties lie, will you,High Lord? Are you still a friend to the king and queen or…” I dug my sharp gaze into his face, watching for the slightest crack in his façade. “Has your loyalty wandered elsewhere?”
His nostrils flared, and a flicker of uncertainty darted through his eyes. He crossed his arms over his chest and smirked, though it slipped at the corners of his mouth. “The king knows I’ve always served him loyally. I’m sure the queen knows as well. There’s no need for cheap games. You’d serve yourself better in asking questions outright, instead of poisoning my home with insinuations.”
I caught the faintest rustle. Reyla, listening. She wouldn’t interrupt, but knowing she was near sent my thoughts tipping out of balance. I kept my voice level, allowing only a hint of amusement to thread through it. “Let’s not insult each other like this, Zeiger. If your loyalty is steadfast, you won’t mind a simple chat.”
His jaw locked, and his expression remained venom laced.
