Was this a villain who had stolen my children and had now come for me? From this position, I couldn’t see who held the weapon. They grabbed my hair and pulled back my neck, pressing the knife into my throat.
Chapter Two
Tallis
A lone spot of blooddotted the white fur rug in Laoise’s room. The only reminder that something wicked happened here. Moving to the door, I inspected the edge, searching for signs of forced entry.
When that proved nothing, I moved the table where Laoise had been having afternoon tea. The last time any of the servants saw her alive. The priests would give me a full report on her death: timing, cause. For now, I needed to sweep the room and search for clues.
Could it have been natural, a sickness like the last princess or something more insidious?
The queen seemed to think the latter.
What happened to you?
I picked up the half-filled porcelain cup of cold tea and sniffed the contents. Nothing unusual that I could detect. Placing Laoise’s cup down, I walked around the table and that’s when I noticed a second cup.
The second cup was still full, almost to the brim, as if whoever sat with her didn’t partake of their drink. But who?
The door had been locked from the inside when Laoise was found. When the princess didn’t answer the call of her handmaiden, protocol called for the guard to unlock it from the outside.
Who had Laoise met with?
A brown satchel lay on the floor right near her bed. Picking up the sack, I opened it and noticed the square sugar chews that Laoise loved. The fruity candy had become a staple in her diet, even when her mother refused to buy her anymore. The king must’ve snuck the princess another bag. He had a fondness for Laoise, and it was one of his few redeeming qualities.
Leaving the bag of candy on the nightstand, I moved around the room, searching for a break in the wall. Most of the royal rooms contained secret passageways and having grown up in this castle, I knew where they all were. A large tapestry covered the left side of the room. I pushed the thick material aside, running my fingers along the wall, searching for the groove.
My thumb landed on a divot, and I pushed in. The wall groaned and swung open. An unlit lantern hung on the wall just inside the secret corridor.
Making sure the passageway didn’t close behind me, I stepped into the shadows. The runes around my eyes glowed, the magical tattoo giving me the ability to see in the dark.
Something crunched under my boot and I stepped aside, kneeling down.
“What’s this?”
Shards of glass scattered the ground. A large piece stuck out. Carefully, I picked it up.
The top to a vial?
Did someone poison the princess? If so . . . Moira could be next.
Swirling around, I rushed out of the passageway, closing it behind me and ran to the queen’s quarters.
Two blade dancers stood outside the queen’s chambers.
“All quiet, sir,” one said as I approached.
“Very good.” I waited outside the doors, wondering if I should bother the queen. She had been distraught, and I did not want to disturb her if she finally found sleep.
I walked up to the door and lifted my hand to knock before a commotion inside caught my attention.
“Somebody’s inside the queen’s chambers,” I said in a low voice.
The fae standing by unsheathed their swords and flanked me. Taking out my rapier, I motioned for the guard on my left to grab the doorknob and open. When he did, I rushed inside.
King Kyros straddled the queen on the bed, a dagger to her throat, her face covered by her long silvery-blue hair.
“Your highness,” I said.
