“I need to make Lilyanna leave.” My hand rose to my neck as I stared at the amniotic-colored skin that poked out of Lilyanna’s high collar. “She’s an innocent caught up in”—I waved my hand up toward the hovering gargoyle—“all of this.”
What would happen if she ended up in that box? If I left, there would be no one to protect her.
Clement fell silent, waiting until the prince and Lilyanna were at the far end of the courtyard. They both sat on a low bench half-obscured by a holly bush, its red berries plump and glistening against the gray stone.
“You’re not a very good judge of character.” He turned to look down at me. “Especially for a maid that moonlights as an assassin.”
I frowned. “That’s not?—”
“She’s almost got what she wants.”
“Yeah, but at what price?” I held his stare, cursing how beautiful his dark eyes were up close. I’d barely have to move an inch, and my lips could be pressed to his.
“Seriously, Tamara.” I flinched at my real name, drawing back. “I’ll get you out, no matter the cost. The other day could have been a completely different story. You may have been the one on trial and I...” He shrugged, frustrated.
I folded my arms across my chest and ripped my gaze away. The prince and Lilyanna were circling back toward us.
“Why is it just me you want to get rid of?”
“You’re the only one who doesn’t want to be here.” His hand skimmed down my side, coming to rest on my hip.
“And you?” I turned back, softening in his grasp. Just the lightest contact of his fingers against my skin and my mind cleared, my body blossoming to life.
“It’s my?—”
“If you say duty, Clement, I’m going to draw this sparkly dagger, drag you into the center of the town, and challenge you to a duel.”
He tipped his head back and burst out laughing. “I’ll have you on your back in seconds.”
I leaned into him, moving with the tightening of his fingers as he drew me closer. “Promise?”
He grinned.
“And what are you two laughing about?” the prince said. He and Lilyanna stopped in front of us, his arm slung around her shoulders. Her eyes were bright, smile full, but there was a wariness in her expression.
“I challenged Clement to a duel.”
Clement’s arm fell from my waist and hovered over his saber. Bryn appeared on the other side of the prince, cutting me a withered glare.
The prince ignored them both. “Well, go easy on him. It’s hard to find staff that lasts around here.”
“Mhm, yes.” I nodded. “And?—”
Clement clamped his hand across my mouth before I could say ‘women.’
“No, Clement.” The prince angled his body toward me, trapping me in his aura. “Let her speak. I do enjoy Tam’s questioning.”
It was now or never. Clement could huff in irritation as much as he liked.
“What happened to the woman prisoner? She didn’t leave with the other two.”
The prince raised his eyebrows. “You do manage to ferret out information, don’t you?” He glanced at Clement, and my insides froze. “More came to light after you both left. She decided to stay with us, to atone for her crimes here at the castle rather than journeying South.” His arm tightened around Lilyanna’s shoulders. Her collar pulled away from her neck, exposing the marks under the pressure.
“Crimes? But?—”
“Practicing magic, flagrant magic, is a crime. She may not have committed the act she was blamed for, but her actions condemned her all the same.”
“So, she’s still alive?”
