‘They know I murdered my father and the three queens.’
‘But not that you didn’tmeanto,’ I say, frustrated.
‘That doesn’t matter.’
The fierceness in my tone takes me by surprise. ‘Ofcourseit matters.’
At long last, Fox looks at me. Green eyes gaze into mine, unblinking. ‘Careful, Storm Weaver,’ he murmurs. ‘Anyone would think you cared.’
I swallow self-consciously, then change the subject. ‘You said you won it?’
‘What?’
‘The dagger,’ I clarify.
‘Ah.’ Fox runs his finger along the blade. ‘Yes, it used to belong to Magnus Aurelian.’
Recognition stirs. ‘Is that –’
‘The Prince of Thaven,’ he finishes. ‘Sadistic brute. Soon to be brother-in-law to the emperor – that is, if Haldyn can drag himself away from our friend the Shadow Mage.’
‘Elva,’ I correct stiffly.
‘Elva, yes. Honestly, I’ve never seen him so smitten. But even he wouldn’t be stupid enough to jeopardize the alliance with Thaven over an infatuation.’
I don’t respond.
‘I wonder how he’ll manage it,’ Fox muses. ‘Juggling them both.’
‘It’s not like he hasn’t had the practice,’ I snap, unable to help myself as I recall, with a dull pang of humiliation, the night I learned of Hal’s betrayal, when I found him on his knees in my darkened chamber, cradling Elva to his chest.
Fox frowns, as though he’s remembering it too. ‘About what my brother did –’
I cut him off. ‘It’s getting late.’
I might have forgiven Hal his deception, but it appears it hasn’t entirely lost its sting. Though if the Earth Cleaver suspects I’m still harbouring any unrequited feelings for his brother, then he’s mistaken. I only hope Princess Mirade will be smarter than I was.
Fox tries again. ‘If this is because I knew and didn’t tell you –’
‘It’s got nothing to do with you,’ I say bluntly.
He leans back against a tree, one hand on his chest. ‘You wound me, Storm Weaver.’
I scoff, using a branch to pull myself to my feet. ‘Goodnight.’
‘I can’t protect you from over here, you know,’ he calls as I snatch the blanket from his bedroll and make my way to the other side of the clearing.
‘I can protect myself.’
‘Not without your water gifts you can’t.’
I grimace. The temporary absence of my magic makes me feel uneasy. Off-kilter, as though I were missing a limb, or rather something far more intrinsic – a part of myself I can no longer live without. For seventeen years I was utterly defenceless, and I resented it.
Fox folds his arms behind his head. ‘Look, you’re still weak, which means your powers are weak. Right now, you’re a sitting duck.’
‘And you’re insufferable,’ I grit out, grudgingly edging back towards the fire and lying down with my back to him.
Cedar nickers quietly, as if to say,She’s got a point.
