“Serafina.” His eyes were dark. “When did he poison you?”
A direct question. I swallowed, keeping my teeth clamped shut as the truth tried to force its way out of my throat. I held my breath and my chest burned.
Derrick turned his shoulders to me, his chest rising and falling with his furious breath, but his voice broke. “When?”
I closed my eyes as my breath escaped me—and so did the truth. “The Darkest Night.”
The log in the fireplace cracked with a sickening pop. I peeled my eyes open—Derrick’s face was completely white.
I reached for his hand. “Derrick, you had no way of knowing.”
He jerked his hand away like his touch would burn me.The muscle under his left eye feathered.
“Derrick, no!” I tried to grab his arm but he rose from the couch. “Your father hurt me, not you!”
He walked to stand in front of the fireplace and I leaped to my feet.
“I cannot lie!” I pleaded. “Listen to me,youdid nothing wrong.”
“But my body did.” He glanced over his shoulder, the orange firelight dancing in his watering eyes. “Just like with Brietta, right?”
My hand pressed against my heart and I thought my chest might cave in. Tears stung my eyes. “Derrick, how could you think—?” No point in explaining. If I got into his head, I couldfix the cracks in his castle walls. Regardless of what either of us felt, he still had to release Fraleigh from servitude.
I might have already lost Derrick, I couldnotlose Riyan too.
My hand shot out, beckoning him to take it. “Come on, we need to go to bed.”
His eyes dragged up from the fire and settled on his father’s portrait. His jaw clenched. He did not move an inch.
Only after convincing him that someone might attack me if I went upstairs alone did he leave the portrait room. He silently escorted me to the Hyton bedchambers with his eyes bolted forward and his jaw set tight.
I nearly tripped over my feet when he stopped abruptly in the middle of the blue-carpeted hallway.
“Stay in your room tonight,” he said, low and clipped.
I glanced at the familiar door, but I did not dare move. Ihadto get into his mind and fix what I broke. “Derrick, do not do this—”
“That is an order.” He would not even look at me. “And lock your door.”
His shoes thudded on the carpet as he retreated to the carved wooden doors at the end of the hallway. I wanted to chase after him and try to get him to see sense, but my feet were glued to the rug.
He…he had never ordered me to do anything before.
After Derrick’s chamber doors slammed shut, I resigned myself to bed. I had not even bothered to take the Hyton dagger off my garter, I just fell on my back and crushed a pillow to my chest.
I refused to admit defeat. The full moon was only three nights away, but I could still save himandRiyan.
Even though sadness weighed on my chest like a damp, musty cloud, my eyes fluttered closed.
I could free us. I could fix him. Everyone would be happy…
Then the sting of smoke filled my nose and my eyes popped open.
If there was smoke, there was fire.
I leaped out of bed as the rest of my limbs caught up to my pounding heart. I had no idea how long I had been asleep.
I flung open my door and the stench of smoke was even stronger.
