Page 96 of Ruling the Green

Memories from the trip to the lake surfaced, threatening to make me want to turn and run. But Nira moved closer to my side, whispering, “He can’t hurt you here.”

Right.

Unless he had enough allies to attempt a coup in the middle of a crowded event, there was nothing he could do to me.

And, I reminded myself, I was the one with the power. It was right there up my sleeve, pressed against my wrist.

That had my chin lifting as I approached, my spine pin-straight as he leaned in to press a kiss to my cheek.

Nira fell back against the wall to make way for another guest to pass, and Grimwood took the opportunity to shoot me a dark smile.

“I had a little visit from an old friend yesterday,” he said, making my stomach clench. “And I learned something interesting about the Prince. Something very interesting. And you can’t tell anyone…”

So he had gone back to Grimwood. Or Grimwood summoned him. Either way, Grimwood knew about Jet. And that couldn’t be permitted. Especially because he also now knew Jet was willing to use it for me. Which would make him a tool just like he would be to his own wicked father.

Discreetly, I reached with my other hand to free the tube from my sleeve, hiding it in my palm and carefully uncapping it.

“What? You have nothing to say?” he asked. “Oh, that’s right. You can’t. Don’t worry. I’ll put you out of your misery soon enough. My King!” he said, looking past me to plaster on a big smile as he bent forward to bow.

I took the chance, with everyone distracted by Cass’s arrival, to pour some of the poison into Grimwood’s wineglass.

I was smiling to myself as I straightened.

Until I realized not everyone was distracted.

Nira’s raised-brow gaze was on me.

My heart flipped.

But it wasn’t like I planned to keep this a secret forever.

I was always going to fess up to Jet.

So, Grimwood would get sick.

It wasn’t like anyone would suspect anything.

I moved over toward my guard as Cass passed us, wishing I could say something to her, to tell her that I knew what I was doing, that it was necessary.

“I noticed,” she said as Cass passed us, “that we keep collecting the Stillwater on our walks… but that the flowers never end up in the vases in your room like the others.”

I glanced at her, finding her already inspecting me. “I’m going to assume this wasn’t petty revenge—though we both know I fully support that as well—but was necessary because of whatever he said.”

I gave her a slight nod.

“Make sure you look surprised and worried when something happens to him,” she reminded me.

With that, Jet led me to my seat as the announcer’s voice filled the arena.

I was a mess of nerves—excitement over the games we were about to watch battled with my anxiety over if Grimwood would drink his wine, if he would taste the poison, if he would get sick so suddenly that it would be clear that he was poisoned.

Jet grabbed my leg under the table before pulling my empty glass down, filled it with the water from a flask in his pocket, then handed it to me.

He was so attentive.

And I understood from some things Vishen and Nira talked about that it wasn’t exactly characteristic for him. It seemed as though, before I came to the castle, all he thought about and cared about was the throne… and finding his way onto it.

Maybe I should have felt guilty for splitting his focus. But I couldn’t help but think it was for the best that his entire life didn’t revolve around nothing but ambition.