He stroked a lock of hair off her forehead and tucked it behind her ear. “I thought you might want to skip it. Sleep a little. I’ll explain to everyone?—”
“What? No!” She flung her legs over the side of the bed and stood too quickly. Dark spots covered her vision, and she put her hand out to stop herself swaying, but Luka didn’t let her fall. He pulled her against his chest and held her, his beast rumbling loudly.
She held him for a moment, wishing it could be longer. Nothing was resolved between them. Were they friends now? Were they more than that? He’d kissed her, but then she’d fallen asleep. They needed to talk, but not now.
More than friends. A lot more.
A tiny bubble of hope lifted through her. Maybe. She straightened and rubbed her eyes. “I’m coming.”
Luka grunted and turned away, concentrating on lacing his vambraces and swinging his cloak over his shoulders. Eventually, he looked up. “Fine. I’ll meet Ryland while you get up. I’ll send a guard to walk with you. There’s a key on the desk for you to lock up with.” His voice dropped to a low rumble. “Be safe, Izzy. Please.” And then he left.
She twisted her hair into a new braid, then splashed cold water from the jug on her face and dried it with the still-damp towel. Luka had already tidied away the remains of their supper, so all that was left was to make the bed.
The bed that only she’d slept in. Where had Luka slept? Had he slept at all? She remembered his words from the night before, the look of vulnerability on his face. He was afraid, and she knew what it took for him to admit that to her.
Izzy dressed, pulled on her boots, and sat at his desk, looking at his room. It was less threatening now that she didn’t imagine beautiful, nameless women on every surface. It was all Luka: controlled, perfectionist, and centered around his work.
She had some time to kill before meeting the others, so she leaned back and considered the map of Hugaeb on his wall. The Kaylan River twisted and turned, sweeping across the north of the kingdom to spread across the western Hugaeb coast as it emptied into the sea through a vast delta of dense marshes. She’d lived there, among the long grasses and glittering azurite kingfishers, among the rows of canvas tents, listening to the drums calling the soldiers to training or patrol. She didn’t want to go back—didn’t want anyone to go back—because they’d failed to save the treaty.
Who benefited from the threat of war? Who would murder the niece of the archthane and point all clues at Shane?
She tapped her fingers on her lips, no longer looking at the maps or the room but looking inward instead. Remembering. Rayan left the guards so that he could investigate something on his own. That’s what he’d told her, and she’d believed him. Because he was her brother. Because she trusted him. Because she’d lost him so soon afterward, and she’d been too buried in her grief to challenge it.
And because Shane said so.
She stilled. Shane had reassured her. He’d promised her he’d investigate, and she’d let him, because she wanted to run away and leave it all behind. To leave Luka and his castle women far behind. But it didn’t make sense. Rayan didn’t join the physiks because it would be easier for him to run an investigation.
He suspected one of them of something.
Exactly. The Kwanam maid had muttered about Narya leaving with a physik. Perhaps the same physik Rayan suspected.
Why was Shane so determined not to involve the castle physiks in investigating Narya’s death?
Her breath caught. There was something more here… something worse. Rayan hadn’t told Luka his plans toinvestigate the healers. For whatever reason, he wanted Luka to stay out of it. But Rayan was a royal guard. He was devoted to Shane, Danikha, and Iona. He would have toldsomeone.He would have told his commander.
No, he would have followed orders.
Izzy stood and walked over to the small window, sensing the shape of a truly horrible idea. She was still there when a brisk knock interrupted her thoughts. A guard had arrived to escort her to the meeting.
She grabbed her physik’s bag, locked up, and followed the guard back to Shane’s office. The prince, Aiden, Kai, and Cori were already there, and Luka arrived just as they were greeting each other. Izzy said hello distractedly. Was she right? Could she have been lied to all this time?
Cori steered her toward a tray of soft cheese, honeyed oatcakes, and plump berries beside a gently steaming flask of tea—spiced apple by the scent. She helped herself to a plate and turned to Luka, but instead of coming to stand beside her as she expected, he turned away. Gods, she’d really wanted him to stand with her, to face whatever came next together. Especially if her suspicions were correct.
She watched him as he made his way to the other side of the room and locked his eyes on the carpet. Izzy stood alone, suddenly lost, holding her plate and feeling like an idiot. He kissed her last night… but then he’d stopped. He hadn’t slept beside her. He’d done his best to get away from her this morning. Now all the progress she thought they’d made was… not gone. It had never existed at all. Luka had already remembered that he didn’t want her.
Her tiny bubble of hope burst and faded. God of Chaos. She was an idiot.
Her beast twisted and sighed, unsettled. It wanted Luka to step up and claim them, but he wasn’t going to do that, was he?
Izzy sank onto a leather sofa and took a bite of cheese, trying to sort through her thoughts while the others grabbed their own chairs. Luka seemed to hesitate for a second, but then he sat beside Shane on the other side of the room. He set his plate on a polished side table and updated them on his meeting with the night guards.
Ryland’s team had searched Narya’s room and spoken to the guards both within the delegation’s apartments and on the walls. They’d checked with the guards at the front entrance to the castle and interviewed all the evening staff, but they’d found nothing new, and no one had seen anything useful.
“How did the assassin get her out of the castle?” Cori wondered. “Did Narya walk out with the person who killed her?”
Luka shook his head. “She couldn’t have. The Kwanam delegates were always allocated city guards when they left the castle. At the very least, the guards at the entrance to the castle would have seen her leave, and no one did.”
“Could someone have carried her out somehow?” Izzy pushed an oatcake around her plate. “Was she already dead?”
