She nodded and when I went to turn, she grabbed my arm. The skin-to-skin contact sent an unexpected rush through me. “What are you going to do?”
“Get rid of him. Now get inside.”
Once I heard the distinct click of the lock, I ran and grabbed the body, realizing there was nothing I could do about the splash of blood on the floor. Tossing the incense ball onto thedead priest’s chest, I dragged the body into the secret passageway and all the way back into my room.
Leaving the body on the floor, I ran to the door, placing my ear against it.
They must have all left.
Slowly, I creaked it open. The priests had gone and only my guards remained.
I needed Acaden and quickly.
Moving to the window, I opened it and whistled for a will-o’-the-wisp. There was always one close by.
A tiny orb of light flew down, hovering right outside.
“Bring me Acaden and tell him to use the passageway. No one must see him enter my chambers.”
The tiny creature bobbed up and down before buzzing out of sight.
Will-o’-the-wisps were one of many loyal fae creatures. The wisp would find Acaden, and then we would deal with the mess I had made.
Moving away from the body, I grabbed the wine, only to find the carafe empty. With a yell, I threw it into the fire.
What am I doing?
Why am I allowing a human to cause me such grief?
It was foolish of me to not continue the consummation.
“Why is there a dead priest on your floor? And where's the queen?”
Acaden appeared from the secret passageway and stepped in the middle of my chambers, arms folded.
I grabbed the shirt slung over the chair and wiped the blood off my chest. “There was an incident.”
Taking the soiled shirt, I tossed it into the fireplace. I’d made quite a mess of things.
“I can't help you if you don't give me all the facts.” Acaden kneeled by the priest, examining the area by his heart, the thinrectangular sliced wound a clear indicator it was one of my shadow blades that had made the killing blow.
“He saw something he shouldn't have.”
Acaden had been loyal from the day he agreed to be the head of my guard. He had given me no reason to doubt that loyalty. Over the years, I had trusted him as one would a friend.
“I couldn't do it,” I said, leaning on the edge of the bed, staring at the body bleeding out. “I returned the queen to her room.”
“You didn't consummate the marriage.”
It wasn't a question but a statement and one that had dire repercussions.
“No, I did not.”
Acaden nodded, standing. “I'll take care of the priest, but there will be questions. His brethren will want to know what happened. Where was he?”
“In the western hall, right outside of the queen’s new chambers. There may be blood there. I took the body and got here as quickly as possible, then sent a will-o’-the-wisp to find you.”
“Tonight is a night of drinking and fools.” Acaden took his blade and slashed at one of the curtains of my bed. He then took it and rolled the dead priest into it. “I'll head out back through the servants' quarters and leave him in the swamps.”
