“Get in the closet,now.”
I grab my bag and tread to the giant chest on the far side of the room, and Lila closes me into the armoire.
Lord Hector Vandorne enters, grunting a hello. The chair creaks under his weight.
“Tea?” Lila asks.
“Not today, thank you. Lila, is it?”
My jaw clenches. She has served him her entire life in the Reign Household and he does not know her name.
“Yes,” she confirms. “How can I help?”
“I’m afraid I’ve come to you today out of great desperation,” he says. “The king—he is not the same since the incident in the library.”
“I am not the same, either, as you can tell.”
Hector coughs. “Yes, well—”
“Seeing that he took my hand.”
“Well, yes—of course, of course. And I hope you know that he has beenriddledwith guilt ever since. He…you see, he was not in a good place, as this is the week his mother died about a century ago. As you know, this time of year is extremely difficult for him, and I think he—and the kingdom as a whole—truly could use your kindness once more.”
He can’t be serious.
“The king has banned me from Reign,” Lila murmurs.
“I can invite you back—”
“He does not want to see me. He made that very clear last time.”
“Like I said, he has been struggling.”
“So have I.”
Hector clears his throat. “How much?”
“What?”
“How much do you need in your account to convince you to enter the Pith again?”
My nails dig into my palms.
“No amount. I am not for sale.”
“I can’t force you because Maxian will know it is Reign magic. I need for you to go willingly.”
“I will never go willingly.”
Hector lowers his voice. “The king has stabbed Lord Dominik.”
Lila gasps, and this is a real, genuine reaction. I have not yet told her—and I never will. No one will ever know the truth but Kassandra and me.
“We cannot bring it up to him, of course,” Hector continues. “It could’ve been a member of the Reign servants, but Lord Dominik heard Maxian’s voice, and no one else has been in and out of those rooms. We believe it was retaliation for bedding Rose Tunes.”
“Rose Tunes?”
“The king’s—well, as of last week, the king’s betrothed. I believe that arrangement has not yet been broken.”
