Mindful of my head, Asher pushed by him and barged into the kitchen.
“He was going to kill us,” I rasped, cheek lolling against him, pocket heavy with secret Glaith once more.
“Yes.”
“She—She stopped him. I thought she washisbut she wasn’t,” I babbled, reaching for the hard, prickly edge of his jaw. “Sasha saved us even though I saidterriblethings and accused her of—”
“Stop,” Asher murmured, setting me on a stool. Balancing my weight between his left thigh and the island counter. “Sasha’s death wasn’t your doing, Miss Tannovic. Do you understand me?”
“I watched his eyeballs pop,” I whispered, making concussive littlepop pop popsounds with my lips.
The front door slammed shut, separating us from the sounds of pandemonium echoing from the street beyond. “Are we alone?” Marco gasped, rounding the corner. And without waiting for a response, seized a pitcher of water left by the sink. He tipped his head back, throat working mechanically as water slopped all down his front.
Asher’s knuckles went white around the pendant, ki surging through a bond without walls as his senses whirled around the premises. As one, we turned blank eyes toward the stairs and the ceiling beneath his bedroom. “Alicia.” He dropped the pendant against his chest, letting it bounce. “Alicia’s upstairs.”
Swiping at damp lips, Marco took three gigantic steps toward the stairs, and hollered, “Woman! Get your fine ass down here!”
A yelp, followed by a thump of something heavy hitting the floor preceded Alicia’s cry. “Thank the gods!” Quick footsteps pounded down the stairs, and in the next moment the green-eyed traitor stood before us. Cheeks pink and streaked with wet. “You’re alright,” she whispered, wringing dainty hands. “I canna believe it—you’re alright!”
I bared my teeth, but it was Asher who voiced the suspicion writhing between us. “Alicia, what were you doing in my rooms?”
She blushed. “Hiding. The High Priestess—” she cleared her throat. “When General Tilcot woke, he wasna talkin’ sense. Rantin’ on about the wee lassie bein’ a witch. Madder than anythin’ I’ve ever seen. The High Priestess told me to hide, as I havena any power t’speak of and she expected him t’come for the two o’you. Said it would be best if I was outta the way.”
“How’d you get in the house?” Marco asked, half-smoked cigarette dangling from his lips.
She shot him a funny look, and said, “Back door,” as if it was the stupidest question she’d ever been asked.
And it might have been, considering her resume and just how accomplished a liar the brilliant Eloran was. She’d been prepared for questions—that much was obvious—but at the moment, I had neither the wit to catch her in an untruth, nor the energy to spare for the game. Not now, with my nerves frayed and my skin coated with a fine layer of soot whose origins I couldn’t stomach.
“I need to bathe,” I whispered, turning away. Peeling free from Asher’s borrowed shirt, I flung it away. Keeping the edges of my ruined dress closed in spite of the bandages and lacerations marking my palms.
“Wait!” Alicia said, taking three halting steps toward us. “What happened out there? Last I saw was the general throwin’ a fit.”
Running bandaged hand down my skirts, I paused over the lump of warm iron topped with Glaith, and said, “Dead. They’re both dead.”
Alicia went white, grabbing for the edge of the table. “No.The High Priestess is…dead?”
“Went out in a blaze of glory fit for a queen,” Marco said, tossing his spent smoke into the sink.
Claiming the seat on my left, Alicia turned liquid eyes on the captain’s soldier. “She said… she hoped it wouldna come to that. But she wanted the two o’you t’be free of suspicion. Said she had a plan to take the blame for everything that’s happened. T’shift it onto herself, so none would suspect there t’be truth in the general’s words.”
Marco snorted, cupping his hands around a fresh smoke, trembling hands making the flame of his lighter sparkle and dance. “Safe to say she accomplished that. Nearly shit myself when our little terror went and flung herself into the thick of it. Then again”—he blew a white cloud toward the ceiling in spite of Alicia’s presence—“when Captain Nobility here followed in her footsteps. Almost killed youmyselfwhen you came outta that green smoke, Lady Wildcat limp as the Emperor’s cock in your arms.” He sent a hand through his hair. “Thought forsureI’d have to avenge you, old man. Tarnish my good name and perfect reputation. But Sasha beat me to it.”
“She needed it t’be public,” Alicia whispered, swiping at her eyes. “Had t’make sure no one could question who drove the general mad. I didna think she’d suffer any consequences at all, bein’ bound to that prig of a general and Trila-Glís to boot. ‘Specially not—” Her voice faltered as ugly sobs cut her off. Sounds that would be hard to fake, no matter my inherent suspicion. Sobs that made my eyes burn in sympathy.
Marco stripped off his jacket and slung it over Alicia’s shoulders. “Tilcot’s dead,” he said. “But we’re not quite out of the woods yet.”
Nodding, Asher traced the hemline of my skirt. “There’ll be a formal investigation.”
“Right. And the curator himself’ll be here in three days. Or is it two? I can’t remember. Doesn’t matter,” Marco said, and clapped his hands. “Crack open a bottle of the good stuff, old man. I don’t know how we did it, but I’m going to celebrate somehow living through the day before we get down to figuring out how to make it through tomorrow.”
“It’s barely noon,” Asher replied, lips twitching. “But you’re right. I think we’ve earned a little rest.” Turning away, he left me to balance without him as he disappeared down the hallway.
Goddess, but rest sounded good. I wouldn’t say no to a full-blown hibernation, such was the strength of the bone-weary itch scratching at the backs of my eyelids.
As soon as he was gone, however, Alicia threw herself at me, looping her arms around my neck. Bawling. Noisy and wet against my cheek, I recoiled, unable to evade and too weak to push her away.
Sniffling, she rambled nonsense in an accent so thick, I hadn’t achanceof understanding let alone responding. I could do little more than submit, hands stiff at my side, inching toward Sasha’s ring to lend me strength.
