“We received word that the passes are starting to thaw and the royal family has agreed to meet us at the base of the mountains in Pendralia. Which means, it won’t be long before you get to give your dear parents a hug.” He holds out his hand for Genevieve. She accepts it and for the first time, I catch the slightest wince from her when she touches him.
“Can’t she stay to help me?” I ask.
“I think you can manage with your other ladies. Besides, you can only bring one with you and we all know the one you want is probably dead.” He grins. “See you at the lunch tomorrow, dearest sister.”
I clench my jaw and ball my hands into fists. There’re so many things I want to say to him, but none of it makes much of a difference right now.
Then I catch the pink handprint on his cheek, and I smirk.
“What’s so funny?” he demands.
“You might want to get some ice on that.” I spin away from him with a flourish, eager to put my back to him. It’s a powermove, and I only wish I could see the look on his face when he realizes I’m not letting him get the last word.
“Let’s begin,” I announce. “I expect my husband will want to see me soon.”
I don’t glance back at the door until I hear it close. Thankfully, Ludis is gone, but so is Genevieve. I hope he doesn’t take his anger at me out on her.
The entire process of being fitted and measured happens in a blur. Antonia and Charlotte try to distract me, but I’m struggling to concentrate. I wanted to have a better plan before we left the estate. I certainly wanted to have Anya back.
Ludis’s words circle my head and I feel like folding in on myself. Does he know something? Does he know Anya is dead? Did he find out information and not tell me?
“Arm up, just there,” the tailor says. “Good. Now the other.”
I oblige, half listening while my mind continues to race. I wish I could summon Genevieve back and ask her to find out if Ludis knows about Anya. As I stand there, I start to replay all the things she shared with us. Not a single useful item.
Some of the tidbits she brought back might seem helpful on the surface, but nothing she heard makes any difference for us. After all, she was certain we wouldn’t be traveling to Iskvaland until spring had melted all the snow. That was the news she brought us a few days ago. Then today, he arrives with this, making it clear that was never the plan.
He’s using her.He knows.He’s feeding her what he wants us to know. If that’s true, we can’t act on anything Genevieve tells us. I suppose it was a matter of time considering what she was feeding him about me. He must know none of it was accurate.
Which means, it’s possible he wasn’t out chasing some lead she gave him. He left the estate, while Caiden and Brevan were gone, using me as an excuse.
Ludis is up to something, and it can’t be anything good.
Thirty-Six
Sabina
My ladies left hours ago and the fire is fading to embers. Still, I pace my room, expecting a knock any minute. Only, it never comes. With each footstep, my concern deepens. What if something happened to Caiden? What if he was injured and went to Matron Lara? What if he’s so hurt he can’t come see me?
What if he’s dead?
My heart hammers against my ribs, and I honestly can’t tell if it’s because I’m hoping for that outcome or dreading it.
What the fuck is wrong with me?
A few weeks ago, I was ready to drive my blade through his heart without hesitation.
And now?
Now I wonder if I could still do it.
I groan, then take another lap around the room, trying to shove the treacherous thoughts from my mind.
If he’s not here, something must have happened. And I should be happy about that. Encouraging it, even.
I stop walking and face the door. There is no way I’m going to be able to rest until I know either way. Wandering around worrying isn’t helping.
I grab my robe and pull it over my nightgown, then open the door. The guards straighten immediately. Nate isn’t there, but at least Alan is a familiar face. The other guard is different, though.
