Lilyanna nodded enthusiastically as if accepting for them. I inwardly thanked the prince, my body sighing with relief.
The woman on the bench huddled over the parchment scribbled furiously, the quill scratching loudly.
“Send a message to the townsfolk,” the prince addressed the writing woman. “We are still hunting for the culprits, but we will find them. Our town has the finest resources in the queendom and justice will be served.”
Lilyanna sprang to her feet and pulled me up. “Let’s go, Tam.”
I turned to follow, my mind automatically seeking out Clement. He was my beacon. I had to search beneath the stoic exterior, but the warning shone clearly from him. He remained tense, nervous, his nostrils slightly flared. Why wasn’t he happy? Would he prefer they were executed for something we both knew was my fault? Or was it something else?
I let her drag me out of there. No one moved behind us as we left. I only hoped that once the door closed, the prince would be true to his word and release them.
I sat and listened to Lilyanna gush about how lenient and generous the prince was for the rest of the afternoon. I didn’t fully disagree, but I definitely did not approve of his theatrics. We didn't need to be there to witness his trial, and yet, the whole thing seemed to have been orchestrated just for us. He could have given a statement to the papers, or had the priestess assess the prisoners in private.
Would he keep looking for others? Maybe Clement would finally break, sick of seeing innocents dragged down into the castle dungeons and spew my secrets. He had many secrets of his own hidden deep in those dark eyes, but would mine slot easily into the gaps? Add to the weight of his burden?
I stared out of the thick window in the lounge as the night sky morphed to purple. I nestled deeper into the chaise, enjoying the plump cocoon before I’d be forced to lie between the murderous silk sheets in Lilyanna’s bed again. The houses lining the central street melted into distorted shapes. Their edges blurred with faint lights burning sporadically in a streaky haze up to the dark line of the wall in the distance.
Four figures crossed under the gargoyle beneath the window and left the castle perimeter. I bolted upright and pressed my nose to the cold glass. The middle two were the men from the trial. Their tattered brown clothes and shuffling gait indicated being recently tied up and not yet able to fully stretch their bodies. The accompanying figures wore the sapphire blue tunics of the guards, both gripping one of the men by the elbow.
Despite the darkness and the blurry window, it was clear the woman was missing.
I swung off the low chaise and darted to my room. Lilyanna was safely in the bath, away from all flames and bed sheets. The hearths were stoked and the ceiling surprisingly quiet like all the spectators had slunk to another part of the castle.
I ran down the metal staircase, my heart thumping in time with my feet. Would they have kept her in the dungeons? Maybe something happened after we’d left, and Prince Bellinor changed his mind about releasing her.
In two strides I passed through my small room and threw open the door. Reeling backward, I clutched at my chest. “What in the...bloody hell, Clement.”
“Sorry.” He looked anything but sorry as his lips twitched. He filled the doorway, hands on either side of the frame completely blocking my passage. “Where are you going, Tam?”
I straightened, my hands falling to my hips. “How in the Goddess’s name did you know?”
His dark eyes danced in reply. “I know you pretty well by now.”
“No, you don’t.” I didn’t care if I sounded petulant. I needed to wipe that smug look off his beautiful face.
“The prince was going to send her to the queens regardless of the outcome. She’d been flaunting her magic for months. She knew the risks. When she was caught, it was inevitable.”
“But he said he’d let them go. That nothing was proven.”
“You were there, you saw the rods. Magic was in that room, it just couldn’t be localized.”
I drew in a breath. Was he telling me the truth? He’d known I would go searching, and if I found out something had happened, I’d blame myself, who wouldn’t? He’d been very quick to make sure I knew she was separated from the Sheriff situation but guilty, nonetheless. Who was he protecting, me or the prince?
“What’s going to happen to her?”
“I hope you never find out.” He dropped his hands from the frame and reached to pull the door closed. “Goodnight, Tam.”
A key clicked in the lock.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
SOUL SEARCHING
The prince came to the rooms to spend time with Lilyanna in the morning, and I stood in my usual place beside Clement. He was smart enough to know I was furious and smarter still to keep his thoughts to himself. As he left, he shot me an apologetic smile, which had the irritating effect of thawing my frosty posture. He then made an overly dramatic scene of closing the door without turning the key in the lock again. Such an ass.
Lilyanna and I played checkers and twiddled our thumbs, awaiting a summons for dinner or some other orchestrated activity. I gave it an hour before I left her reading by the window and slipped out.
I stalked toward the kitchens, still irritated at being locked in all night. I needed to find the missing woman, to find out what was really being done with her. She had enough magic that the prince didn’t release her with the others.
