She took it and compared it to the document Keryna had tried to give her. After a few minutes, she returned the two of them to the centaur she’d called Adsel. “What do you think of the signatures?”
He examined them carefully. “Looks the same to me.”
“Does, doesn’t it?” The queen walked up to Keryna again, and tsked. “You did such an admirable job forging Dash’s signature... except for one thing.”
Keryna’s heart stopped.
No, there was no way she knew she’d forged them.
Wasn’t possible.
Was it?
Didn’t matter. She knew better than to admit to what she’d done. “What are you talking about? I have no idea what you mean.”
“Don’t play stupid, girl. It’s unbecoming of you and insulting to me.” Meara held the papers up to Keryna’s face. “I will give you credit. You did an excellent job. To most, it would pass. But you forgot that Dash spent years in my court. I knew him intimately, and the one thing I know is that he’s decidedly left-handed when he’s human.”
She slapped the papers against Keryna’s cheeks. “The person who wrote these left ink smudges to the right where they restedtheir hand while composing them. So, I know it wasn’t Dash writing to my traitor, promising him troops to fight against me, or signing an order to say you would be left in charge.” She lowered the papers. “Oh, and Lorens is dead, by the way. I took care of him as I do anyone who threatens my crown.”
She smiled coldly, tightened the papers into a roll and slapped Keryna on the cheek with them so hard that she saw stars. “But you, girl... are another matter. Talk to me about this gold unicorn horn you claim to have?”
Outright terror seized her as she realized just how much trouble she was in. “I know nothing of any horn.”
Meara snapped her fingers and held her hand out.
Adsel exchanged the two letters she’d been holding for a poster.
Meara held it up for Keryna so that she could see the document. It was an advertisement for an auction.
Her stomach sank as she read it and saw that it listed literally everything she’d gathered for the spell to kill Dash.Everything!
More than that, it was going to be auctioned off? That had never been the plan.
At least not hers. She was the one who’d learned about the spell from Renata late one night when they’d been talking and drinking. She’d made the offhand comment that Dash was invincible.
Laughing, Renata had shaken her head.That’s what everyone thinks, but I know a secret. There is a way to kill a black horn. But you can never tell anyone. Shh!
That was the same night Keryna had begun to formulate her plan to overthrow Dash and take her place among the nobility. It’d never dawned on her then to take Renata’s horn. Only to use the spell against the king and then manipulate Renata after Dash’s death.
The imp would never have known about the spell had she not ingratiated herself to Renata. How dare he go behind her back with that slimy friend of his and do this!
Fools, both of them.
She was furious. Which one of them had betrayed her with this scheme? The idiot imp or the useless dragon slayer?
They were nothing without her.
Nothing!
How could I have been so stupid?Of all creatures, she knew better than to trust anyone.
Now...
Meara smirked at her. “So, you didn’t know about this auction.” She considered that for a moment. “Imbecile partner? Or a traitor inyourmidst?” The queen laughed. “How perfectly divine.” She held her hand out again.
Once more, Adsel provided her with some mysterious paper.
“Andthis?”
