“He is slippery, conniving, and dangerous. He appears to be a cad, and he cultivates his unsavory reputation . . .”
“Are you worried that my cousin’s reputation will somehow stain yours? Please have no fear. I do not intend to pursue you, my lord. I’d promise you that I have no desire to end your chastity, but as you’ve assured me, that dursan flew long ago.”
He blinked again. This conversation wasn’t going the way he had expected.
Leave. Go away.
Arvel leaned forward and fixed me with his gaze. Wow.
“You told Berengur that your father was touched by the horrors of war. I’ve met Brune Demarr. He’s a simple man who likes war because he is good at it. He has the depth and insight of a wooden spoon. In his wildest dreams, Brune could never raise a daughter like you.”
I had always wanted to say this. “How dare you?”
I stood up.
Arvel jumped to his feet. The pressure in his stare faltered. He’d realized he’d gone too far.
“Do you think, Lord Arvel, that only men like you have the monopoly on being scarred by the violence you unleash? Has it ever crossed your deep and insightful mind that I might have seen a side of my father he had not shown others? Or that I saw something in him even he himself didn’t acknowledge?”
I took a step toward him. Arvel took a step back.
“I have sat here and listened to you smear my cousin and question my parentage, but I will not tolerate an insult to my father. Get out. I may not be a Demarr by blood, but I had their training, and by the Aspects, I will draw blood. Leave my house.”
A golden glow flared in his eyes. For a moment they blazed with lethal radiance, and I felt a stirring of a power. It was like a distant hurricane waking up.
The glow died. He smiled and bowed. It was a graceful, deep bow, the kind a man of his position would offer to a woman he appreciated.
“Apologies, my lady.”
“You can apologize by leaving. Your welcome is withdrawn.”
He spun around and marched to the front door. Kaiden chased after to close it behind him.
Clover slapped her hand over her mouth and snickered into it.
Will leaned forward. His voice had a touch of awe. “You chased Doran Arvel out of the house.”
“He’ll be back.”
The look Arvel had given me wasn’t the look of a man who had given up. It was the kind of look you saw in the movies, when a skilled martial artist was trying to cool things down, and someone decided to sucker punch him in the mouth. It saidGood punch. Brace yourself.
I had to figure out some way to redirect him away from me and fast. I had too much to do and no time to waste.
I took an envelope out of my sleeve and handed it to Kaiden.
“Three Moons?” he asked.
I nodded.
There was a single piece of paper inside with a short note in the Shears’ cypher on it. It said,I have the contracts. Get me an audience with the Sun Margrave.
The last of the Shears background on the contracted people had been delivered yesterday, just before I left for that infernal dance. I would use today to finish organizing it.
With or without Everard, I would change the future of this kingdom.
The carriage rocked slightly, rolling through the streets soaked in afternoon light. Solentine sat on the bench across from me, wrapped in a nondescript cloak.
“I didn’t tell you that Ramond survived because I didn’t think about it,” he said. “I should have realized how worried you would be, but it didn’t occur to me.”
