Epona’s eyes widened. “Oh, you don’t want to find him. He’s somewhere inside Drunkard’s Pit. It is a hellhole and not safe for the likes of you and me. Oh! There is something else you ought to know. Have you heard about the tension between Prince Thane and his father—”
But Reyna’s attention had begun to drift again, her mind too focused on the new information she’d gained about this bloody dagger. She did not want to rely on someone else to do her dirty work for her, but it was a good back-up plan now that her situation had become much more complicated than she’d imagined.
Reyna might be trapped inside a cage for now, but somehow, she would find a way out. And her first stop would be Drunkard’s Pit.
13
Lorcan
Lorcan had grown so accustomed to seeing Reyna Darragh in a travel-worn tunic and dirt-stained trousers that he did not quite know what to think of her in a courtly gown. She was stunning, of course, in a way that most ladies and princesses were. Rosy cheeks, hips that swayed beneath the flattering cut of that sapphire material, and a demure smile intended to charm.
I still prefer the trousers, he thought.
The warrior stood guard beside one of the many Air Court banners hanging from the lofted ceiling, watching the courtiers whisper and scheme, smile and nod, laugh and scowl. It was all very tiresome, and he was glad he didn’t have to be involved. Most of their smiles were false, even if their words could never be. Reyna had joined in with apparent enthusiasm and had made great friends with Lady Epona. She’d been at this for hours. Lorcan could not help but be surprised. He thought she’d look down her nose at these things.
The daily court gatherings were drearily boring. Thane never thought so, but it was the truth.
Suddenly, Reyna waltzed to his side, slumped against the wall, and sighed. “I have had enough.”
Surprise flickered in his veins, but he kept his face a mask and continued to stare ahead. “That’s surprising. You seem to be enjoying this endless gossip.”
“Every single one of these fae are smiling,” she said, “but I would wager that half are not enjoying themselves at all.”
“Only half?”
“The other half are only enjoying themselves because this is the highlight of the day. It’s all the gossip. The room is thick with it.” She sighed. “And I have had enough for one day. I think I’ll take a walk around the castle gardens before the sun goes down.”
“I’ll escort you,” he said, pushing off the wall.
She frowned. “I meant alone. Privately. Just like I wanted my bath to be before you barged in.”
He tried his best to bite back his smile. “You cannot do anything in this castle privately, princess.”
Scowling, she whirled toward the door and strode away, her hands fisted by her sides. Lorcan fell into step beside her, giving a nod to each of the warriors they passed. The prince had tasked Lorcan with keeping a special eye on his new betrothed. That was the only reason he had decided to join her for the walk, of course.
“Honestly,” Reyna said when they stepped into the quiet corridor just beyond the Great Hall’s looming doors. “Why are you following me around?”
“I am merely offering my protection,” he countered. “I am a guard. It is what I do.”
“I thought you were theprince’sguard.” She stopped as they came to a set of doors that led out into the castle gardens. Before she could open it herself, he pushed at the wood and motioned her to go first. Narrowing her eyes, she shoved past him.
“Iamthe prince’s guard,” Lorcan said as they stepped out into the dimming sunlight. Orange streaked across the horizon, casting a brilliant glow on Reyna’s face. “And you are his betrothed. So, guarding you is well within my task.”
Reyna let out a low grumble beneath her breath and trailed over to the entrance of the castle gardens. Well, one of the many entrances. Set inside the interior castle walls, the gardens stretched between the six towers that surrounded Mistral Tower. Pathways led between the shrubbery in a maze of looping routes. In winter, there were few flowers, and much of the greenery had lost its leaves, but Reyna still seemed keen to look around. In fact, her entire body seemed to come alive now that she had escaped the stone walls of the Great Hall. He hadn’t noticed it before when she mingled with the courtiers, and he was shocked that he had missed it.
It was almost as though she had been muted before. But she practically hummed with energy in the presence of nature. So much so that he could not help but stare.
“Fine,” she finally said as they passed between two shrubs that rose as high as Lorcan’s head. “If I cannot rid myself of you, then at least make yourself useful. What can you tell me about the Bloody Dagger?”
Lorcan shot her a sharp look. “The Bloody Dagger? Why would you ask about him?”
She gave a delicate shrug. “Lady Epona mentioned him, but she didn’t know a great deal. I just find the idea of a Tairngire vigilante extremely interesting.”
He frowned. He bet she did. “You best keep your curiosity of this topic to yourself.”
“There you go again,” she said, throwing up her hands. “Monitoring my words. Doesn’t that get dull?”
“I’m only trying to protect you,” he said. And, somehow, that was the truth. Lorcan did not know why he wanted to shield Princess Reyna from the worst of this court, but he did. His hidden mark hummed, warning him, but he ignored it. “If you ask the wrong person about this, he—or she—might come to the wrong conclusion. If that wrong conclusion then reached the High Queen…”
