I dipped my head, my smile stiff.
“Wonderful, in that case, why don’t you join me?” Arnel laughed lightly. “Silly me. I left it in my carriage. Would you like to walk with me on my way out?”
“Of course,” I replied automatically.
My father clapped Arnel on the back. “How thoughtful of you, brother, and best of luck procuring those tiles you’re looking for.”
Arnel laughed too. “Thank you. I shall need it.”
During the luncheon, I’d come to learn that my uncle had traveled to the capital in search of new tiles for his outdoor fountain. A very talented and coveted mosaic designer was said to be traveling through Whiteolf at this time, and he wasscheduled to meet with my uncle. Apparently, he was renowned throughout the continent for his artistic creations, and my uncle had been trying to set up a meeting with him for months.
I had no idea if a meeting truly was occurring today or not, or if the designer was truly in Whiteolf, but my parents obviously believed it to be true. Not once had anyone looked twice at my uncle or questioned his motives. Nobody suspected a thing.
And I would know. I could hear everyone’s heartbeats like drums steadily thudding throughout the room. But nobody’s pulse ever began to race, and nobody’s scent changed either.
They were all completely fooled by our insidious relation.
Arnel strode toward the door, and I obediently followed. Everyone else left the dining chambers too, the others going through the corner door that would lead to the central area of the palace. Only Arnel and I exited our door, but in the hall, Kole waited.
My gaze immediately shot to his.
He stood tall, his expression giving away nothing, and he dutifully fell into step behind us.
My uncle began to chat about the weather, commenting on the cooler temperatures making for nice days reading by the fire.
I nodded when expected to and kept pace beside him.
When we reached a converging area between wings, my uncle snapped his fingers. “Ah, I just remembered something. There’s a book in the library that I wanted to borrow from Russem. He’d mentioned it last time I was here.” He turned his attention on Kole. “Would you mind collecting it for me?”
Kole’s face stayed entirely impassive. “I’m afraid I don’t leave the princess, but I’m sure a servant would be more than happy to retrieve it.”
“Oh, of course.” My uncle feigned a frown. “Have there been any recent attacks lately on the palace by those horrid creatures?”
I stiffened. My uncle knew there hadn’t been. He was the vamfeers’ creator and commander after all.
Kole’s expression didn’t falter. “No, nothing new. In fact, there have been no sign of any creatures for several days now.”
“How wonderful!” My uncle clapped his hands. “I suppose that means you won’t be needed much longer if the threat is over?”
For a moment, Kole didn’t respond, but his gaze didn’t waver from Arnel’s. Not once. Finally, he said, “I’ll be staying until the crown says otherwise.”
“Of course, of course.” Arnel rocked back on his heels. “Well, no matter. I shall return to the palace and fetch that book from Russem once I finish my meeting with the tile maker.”
“You’re coming back?” I tried to keep my question light, but a tremor shot into it.
My uncle’s eyes narrowed, just slightly, but then he laughed. “Oh, I don’t mind. I’m in no hurry today. Now, as for that book I have for you...”
I followed along at my uncle’s side until we reached the cobblestoned courtyard at the front of the palace, and when his carriage came around, he gestured for me to get into it. “I know you’ve been wanting to see my carriage, Prim, and the book’s just inside. You can kill two birds with one stone.”
He opened the door for me.
I swallowed, my body moving of its own accord, and the next thing I knew, I was inside my uncle’s carriage, the door closed, as Kole stood watch outside.
“Did you visit Lordling Torleaf?” Arnel asked so quietly that I knew Kole couldn’t hear him through the carriage’s walls.
“Yes, Uncle.”
“Good, and how did it go?”
