“No.”
We both know what a bloodlink is. A temporary connection, one way, lasting a day at most. This is something else.
“She was looking at a severed fae ear.”
His eyes narrow. “Didshesever it?”
“No.” I’m certain of that. The horror pouring through the bond was that of someone confronted with something thatappalled them. “Someone else cut it off and left it for her to find.”
Therin’s jaw tightens. “Fucking humans.”
TWENTY-THREE
ALLERIA
I findout the truth by overhearing a servant as she passes the door to my chambers. I’m standing at my window, watching the courtyard below, waiting for a sign that the scouts have returned. So far, I haven’t seen anyone.
“—came back at first light. The king ordered an emergency council session. Clancy was summoned to provide drinks and was there when the captain gave his report. Everyone is dead, and the fae are gone.”
The world goes still. My breath fogs against the glass.
Everyone is dead.
But I can’t claim I’m surprised because Iknew… I already knew that would be what they found. I watched it happen. But knowing and having it confirmed are different beasts.
I lift my hands and press them to the window. They’re not shaking. I notice that with a kind of distant surprise. They should be shaking. Instead, they’re steady against the glass.
The dream was real. But how?
My right hand turns over without my permission, and my eyes fall to stare at my palm. The wound there healed long ago,leaving nothing but a faint pink line. But I can still feel the heat of his mouth, the lap of his tongue. The way his eyes held mine while he tasted my blood.
A shiver runs through me.
You carry my blood. And now it seems you are tied to me.
My fingers curl, hiding the scar, and I press my fist against my stomach.
What does that mean?
The door opens behind me, and Nella comes in, a pitcher of hot water in her hand. She pours it into the wash basin, and glances at me over her shoulder.
“You’re still in your night clothes. Are you not feeling well?”
I shrug. “I have no reason to rush into dressing.”
I turn to watch as she lays out my clothes for the day.
“Have you heard anything this morning?” I already know the answer, but I’m curious if she knows more than what I heard.
Nella’s hands still on the dark green dress she’s spreading out. “The scouts returned from the Dell.”
“And?”Maybe I misheard. Maybe I imagined the voice outside my door. Maybe I was wrong.
Please let me be wrong.
She straightens and faces me, her face pale. “It’s worse than the mage said. They found burned remains. All the staff, guards … the huntmaster himself.” She swallows. “They say his head was mounted on a wall with the other trophies.”
The room tilts slightly. I reach back and grip the windowsill.
