“I needed to check you were all right.” She gave Bastian a meaningful glance. “Are you all right?”
“It’s a long story,” I murmured. “Just don’t touch me.”
Bastian widened his eyes at me.
“I’m telling them,” I shot back at his unspoken warning. “Surely that’s safe.”
Jaw flexing, he exhaled. “Fine. But wait until you’re inside—somewhere secure.”
“Our rooms?”
His eyebrows shot up, and a private smile crept over his lips. “That sounds perfect.”
The look he gave me was intimate, but I couldn’t work out what had surprised him.
“Sorry to leap on you with business first thing in the morning, Bastian.” Asher stepped out from behind Perry, though his hand remained on her shoulder. “But we have some things to discuss.”
That private smile dimmed a little. “We do,” Bastian said, not taking his eyes off me.
My fingers curled as they had into his hair only minutes ago.
As Asher headed inside, Bastian backed away, giving me a slow nod, gaze lingering until he had to turn.
I couldn’t touch my friends or my sabrecat until Elthea had a cure for me. And not all things could be cured in the Hall of Healing, but maybe Bastian and I had mended the worst of the rift between us.
29
Bastian
Asher led me into the palace, gestures clipped and tight. Bad news.
We kept quiet until we were in our side of the building. “What is it?” I murmured. “What happened?”
“Multiple things. Only one of them good. Things are smoothed over with the human queen, for now. She’s sending a delegation to continue the rekindled relationship between our countries.”
That was something. “And the bad?”
“His Majesty had several Dusk folk arrested for ‘aiding and abetting’ Ascendants.”
“Fuck. Let me guess—with flimsy evidence?”
“The flimsiest. And Faolán recognised one of the women who was taken—she’d witnessed some Ascendants painting outside her house?”
The woman we’d interviewed. “Her, an accessory? She came straight to us. Reported everything.”
“I know. I took it to Braea as soon as I heard. Even Cyrus tried to speak sense into the king, but…” His head bowed. “He had them all executed.”
For several steps, I couldn’t speak. Dusk folk who’d trusted their court to keep them safe, killed, and for what? For the king to discredit the queen? To score points over us?
“How many?”
“Twelve.”
Twelve more marks on my soul. Twelve more people I’d failed.
I nodded, every movement tight. “What else?”
Asher hesitated. “An attack. Gael.”
I swallowed, throat suddenly tight. “Are they—？”
“Injured. But on the mend. I arrived yesterday and checked them over—the healers did a good job. In a couple of days they’ll be fine. But they demanded to see you as soon as you returned.”
The note. I’d left it with them to decode while I was away. The attack had to be related. There was no other reason for someone to come for Gael. Either the attacker wanted to retrieve the note or silence them from revealing what they’d discovered in it.
I eyed the next set of guards we passed—there were more than usual. Good. They were taking this seriously.
Either Dawn had operatives on our side or one of their people had snuck through a lodestone. I needed to check the courtyard. I’d left threads of spidersilk on the doors so I would know if they’d somehow been opened.
We arrived at Gael and Brynan’s suite where we found Gael pale and laid up in bed with their partner fussing around them.
“You’re back.” Gael’s eyes widened as they pushed up on their pillows.
“Don’t…” Brynan eased them back, throwing me a tight smile.
“He’s right. Don’t.” I raised my hands and nodded towards the pillows. “I’m sure this can wait until you’re feeling—”
“No.” They sat up, swatting away Brynan’s protests. “I’m not as bad as he thinks. Really, darling, you’re fretting now. I can’t tell you here.”
“You’re worried someone may be listening.”
“Brynan told me your offices are secure. Once we’re there, I’ll explain.” They swung their legs out of bed, ignoring Brynan’s protests.
I would’ve voiced my own, but Gael moved with ease, only seeming stiff when they bent over and pulled on a pair of shoes. We filed to my office in tense silence.
Once we were sealed inside, I gestured for Gael to explain. “No one can hear us now. What happened?”
“I was working on…” They raised their eyebrows and eyed Asher.
“He knows about the note. Carry on.”
“It had grown chilly, so I went to close the window, and… there was someone there. In our sitting room.” They pressed their lips together, and Brynan squeezed their knee.
“Go on, darling.”
“I caught the movement out the corner of my eye and turned, but it was too late.” They rubbed their stomach, pale skin turning even paler. “I barely managed to twist away from another strike. I don’t know how long I dodged them, trying to get to a weapon, but they got me again before I could. Then… Then”—they covered Brynan’s hand with their own—“he came back early from reporting to Her Majesty.”
Brynan’s mouth twisted. “I think I pissed her off, so she sent me away. Thank the Stars she did. Someone was standing over them, all in grey, face covered. I couldn’t see anything of use.”
I worked my jaw side to side. “Let me guess—average height, average build, no sign of masculine or feminine features.”
Brynan nodded. “Their dagger had a bronze hilt, that’s all I can say.”
Asher made a soft sound. “A perfect assassin.”
Eyes gleaming, Brynan bent closer to Gael and touched his head to theirs. “They were ready to… finish things. But I…”
Gael chuckled darkly. “You blasted in. I thought someone had unleashed a Horror.”
“If I get hold of whoever that was, I’ll feed them to one.” He scowled. “I only managed to get a slash in.”
“Only?” Gael raised their eyebrows. “You sent them running. You should’ve gone after them, though.”
Brynan’s refined features scrunched up—an exaggerated version of his more customary thoughtful frown. “I had to check you were all right.” He shot me a look. “By the time I made sure this one wasn’t about to bleed out, there was no sign of the attacker. I’m sorry. I know I should’ve—”
“It’s fine. I understand.” If it had been Katherine, I’d have done the same.
Eyebrows rising, he exchanged a glance with Gael. Asher looked away, a smirk edging his mouth.
The old Bastian would’ve rebuked Brynan for not going after the assassin. Capturing them would’ve given us vital information. And while many watched my shadows with mistrust and fear, they weren’t my true power.
That was knowledge.