Thalia turned in surprise. “What?”
Camilla ignored the passing servants carrying silver goblets. “Their House, House Gallinus, has been … difficult to work with recently. The last lord was a sadist, to say the least. Not to mention Lord Adrian and his son, Julian, are hotheaded. Much more inclined to bite first and ask questions later.” She nodded to the two Vampyrs. It made sense that they were related, given their appearance and personality. “Eventually, the prince realized they’d both be of better service elsewhere.”
“Yet he’s still a lord?”
Camilla pursed her lips. “It was a way to appease him. Lord Adrian has served House Lorenzia for decades. He has sway with many of the other Houses. If the prince banished him entirely, well …” She trailed off.
Thalia swallowed. Great. Here was another Vampyr who might be able to provide her more insight on the prince, yet he seemed the most inclined to kill her without a second thought.
“Where did His Highness go?” Thalia hedged. There were too many questions floating in her head, all jumbled together like wooden blocks.
Camilla shook her head, huffing out a laugh. “You really don’t let up, do you?” When Thalia refused to break, Camilla said, “There’s a small town up north that’s been hit badly by some storms. He went to check the damage to see what could be done.”
Thalia didn’t know why the knowledge didn’t settle her. Perhaps because the Vampyrs seemed more civilized than she had anticipated. Not even her mother would have gone to other parts of Agripa if something as damaging as a storm came through. No, that duty had been left to her. And she was glad to take it, if only because it made her feel better to try to help the people of Agripa … although what had she really done? Made note of which towns to send more food to? Tried to stop the growing attacks, to no avail? The thought sent a note of bitterness across her tongue.
Thalia brushed it aside, picking at her thumbs. “What about the forest?”
Camilla glanced at her. “What about it?”
“Is there something wrong with it?”
Camilla offered a smile though it seemed forced. “No. Lord Amadeus just worries about the springs. He claims we’ll all fall into madness if we don’t attend them.”
Thalia could sense the woman holding back. But Camilla’s eyes became guarded, and Thalia had a feeling that no matter how hard she pried, the woman wouldn’t divulge anything on this matter.
“I’d like to retire,” Thalia said.
The room spun slightly, but she ignored it as Camilla led her quietly back through the castle to her room and left her without a glance or word between them.
Thalia didn’t care. Too many things had happened. There were too many missing pieces, too many locks that had no key.
She couldn’t breathe. She needed to get this damned dress off.
Thalia shoved into her room, tugging at the ties on the back of her gown, but that damned servant had knotted them. Thalia’s breaths came out in short puffs as she wrestled to get herself out of the dress suffocating her.
She hissed, looking around to see if there was a bell or pulley that might signal a maid. The movement caused dots to dance across her eyes. Thalia swayed, her hand gripping the back of the settee as she willed the spots from her vision.
Thalia scrabbled to grab the dagger strapped to her thigh under the swaths of fabric, her world spinning.
“Did you think it would make you look powerful? Bold? To be so brazen in a court you’re sorely unfamiliar with?” Cassius’s voice growled behind her. She hadn’t even heard him enter. Not that she would have noticed, given the way the room danced a quadrille.
“Thalia, these courts are not what you think. The position you’re in as ahuman—what’s wrong?” Cassius came up beside her.
“What is wrong?” he growled again.
Thalia shook her head, jerking back. The movement caused her nausea to surge, but she managed to fight down the bile. “Go. Away.”
“Not until you tell me what’s wrong.”
Thalia’s hand shook as she held her dagger. At least she’d gotten it out of her dress. Now she needed to figure out how to move her arm to cut the ties.
He let out a disbelieving laugh. “Are you going to try and stab me?”
Thalia shook her head, more spots dancing. “This. Dress.”
Cassius’s gaze traveled from her wan, sweaty skin to the dress, which cinched her waist and pushed her breasts to an unnatural height. “Turn around.”
Despite her weakened state, Thalia managed a disbelieving laugh. “No.”
