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I nearly screamed his name, tears blinding me in the dim candlelight as I ran over and wrapped my arms around Beric where he knelt at a prayer bench.

“Cali?” he whispered. He tried to pry me off to look at me, but I buried my face in his neck tighter. “What’s this, little sparrow? Are you all right?”

I love it when you call me by my name. But I could hardly enjoy it, the dread of reality pressing in on me so hard it threatened to suffocate me.

“No,” I whimpered, unsure of whether it was an answer to his question or a plea for him to stop as he disengaged my grasp.

At that, Beric moved me more firmly away. He took my chin in his hand, his brows lowering when he saw my face. “What has he done?” he asked, his voice dark, as if he might avenge me as soon as I gave the word.

“W-we can’t talk here,” I whispered.

Without a word, he scooped me into his arms and carried me to a quiet corner lined with benches. Gently he set me down on one and removed his jacket, draping it over my shoulders.

“Did this happen right after I left you?” he asked.

I shushed him, then leaned closer to whisper. “A few minutes after, yes.”

Beric swore. His expression was a mix of ferocity and heartbreak. “I should never have left you alone. I’m sorry.”

I cradled his face with trembling fingers. “It’s not your fault.”

“Of course it’s my fault.” He ran his thumb over my bruised lip. I loved that he cared so deeply when I was injured, even knowing I could heal any wounds. “I’m your protector.”

Seeing Beric almost made me forget how terrified I’d been, but the realization was washing over me anew. “Beric, I really want to argue with you, but there’s no time. The king expects me to bring Kat back to life within the hour or he’ll kill me.”

Beric looked at me as if I’d suddenly spoken a foreign language. “What?”

“I know. I tried to make him understand, but he—” I felt myself wanting to cry again. “What do we do?”

Beric chewed on his lip. “An hour, you say?”

“From when I left him. So, less now.” I played with the hem of Beric’s shirt, trying not to panic. “Perhaps he’ll forget and go to sleep?”

“No,” Beric said, running his hand through his hair, agitated. “He’ll probably be sitting up drinking his tea, waiting for you.”

“Tea?” That single word was my saving grace. I gripped Beric’s shirt, and I worked through my sudden thought. “Beric, you’re brilliant. If I tell you where to find it, would you be able to slip a tincture into the king’s tea?”

“A tincture?”

I grinned, nodding with satisfaction. “A sleep draught.”

CHAPTER38BERIC

I slipped into Cali’s room, pausing when I saw that both the doors between hers and the king’s were open. Quiet as a mouse, Beric. I opened the medicine cabinet as carefully and silently as I could, cringing as it squeaked despite my efforts. The tincture was easy to locate, thank God, exactly where Cali had said it would be. Unlabeled but in the dark green bottle she’d described.

I put it in my pocket and quickly entered the adjoining hall, closing Cali’s door behind me.

As expected, the king was in the process of brewing tea. He looked up and smiled at me, as if he hadn’t just abused the love of my life. “Ah, Beric. Were you looking for our muse? We sent her on an errand.”

I stuck my hand in my pocket, worried the bottle would be apparent. “I just wanted to check on things,” I said, forcing anger from my voice.

“You’re a good lad.” He gestured for me to join him. “We do, however, wonder what there is to check on at this hour. Nothing holy happens after ten.”

I blushed at the implication, clearing my throat. “I missed her, that’s all.”

“That’s puppy love, for you,” he laughed. “Though, we must say, she is rather … obstinate.”

I forced myself not to look at the teapot. “She speaks her mind.”