Trynne’s mind was whirling, but she knew the words were intended to provoke her, to make her defensive. She felt the power of the medallion and blinked with surprise, experiencing the user’s intent to give her the emotion of jealous rage.
But the magic could not force her to feel it. She understood the cause.
“You’ve always known this about him and you didn’t tell me?”
Trynne said in challenge. “I thought you were my friend.”
Morwenna smirked. “Yes. I know you did.”
The door opened without a knock. Morwenna’s eyes flashed daggers at the interruption. “What is it, Mariette?” she asked, barely bridling her fury.
“I’m sorry for the intrusion, my lady,” Mariette said. She had been assigned to protect the queen after the battle in Dundrennan and was still serving her. “King Drew wishes for Lady Trynne to join him at the Ring Table at once.”
Morwenna glared at the Oath Maiden with barely concealed frustration. “By all means take her there.”
Trynne backed into the hallway, her eyes fastened to Morwenna’s body, especially her hands. When she was out of reach, she turned and hastened to Mariette, who had joined her. There were six Espion in the corridor. They hadn’t been there before.
“Mariette, what is going on?” Trynne asked in a low, frantic voice.
“I think the baby has been poisoned,” Mariette said in an undertone. “Everyone is praying to the Fountain for her, but something is wrong.”
“Indeed, it is,” Trynne said. She noticed that while the Espion had allowed them to pass, they’d begun to shadow them immediately. She saw them exchange the subtle hand signals that allowed them to communicate without words. “Have you noticed a change in the queen’s behavior?”
“A pronounced one,” Mariette said with concern. “She’s slow to respond to any questions, and her personality seems to have transformed overnight. It happened two days ago.”
“It’s not the queen,” Trynne whispered.
Mariette’s breath hissed. “Who?” she mouthed, giving Trynne an alarmed look.
“Morwenna,” Trynne replied quietly. “She’s in disguise. I imagine Genny is being held captive . . .” And she knew instantly where.
Marshaw. A place that could not be reached by use of ley lines.
Morwenna wasn’t imprisoned in her manor. With a Tay al-Ard, she could come and go as she chose. Obviously she’d managed to hide it from her captors. And she had clearly used the medallion to seduce Fallon into his fiery impatience to marry her. Trynne boiled with fury.
Morwenna was using the people Trynne loved like puppets.
They were approaching the doors of the audience hall, but Trynne felt like she was walking in an enemy fortress. Even the guards were watching her with suspicion.
“That baby will die if we don’t save her,” Trynne whispered to Mariette. “Do you know where the Espion tunnels are?”
“I do,” Mariette answered.
“I’m going to cause a bit of a disturbance in there, Mariette. I think Morwenna will come after me. I’m hoping she does. You need to get Kate to the sanctuary of Our Lady. I will try to meet you there and bring you both to safety. If we don’t act now, it will be too late.”
“Would she really kill a baby?” Mariette wondered with horror.
Trynne turned to look at her as servants opened the doors to the audience hall. “Yes,” Trynne answered emphatically, her gaze burning into Mariette’s with a silent plea to trust and obey.
Mariette bowed to her and then turned and walked back the way they had come. Her heart afire with emotions, Trynne strode into the audience hall. She immediately noticed there were additional guards in the room. Many more than was usual. There were already several people seated around the Ring Table. Kevan Amrein was slouched in a chair, drinking from a cup and waving off a servant who offered him bread and cheese. The deconeus of Our Lady and Duke Ramey were also present.
Upon seeing her, Drew immediately rose from his chair. The seat next to him was conspicuously empty. The king looked haggard and soul-sick. His eyes were bloodshot and he had smudges beneath his lids. He looked like a man tormented. The warmth and kindness in his eyes were gone, replaced by distrust and apprehension. He looked at Trynne as if she were a danger to everyone in the room.
This was an even sharper turnaround than the one she’d experienced with Gahalatine. Drew was not himself. She could almost smell the effects of magic on him.
“My lord, I came straightaway,” she said, taking a deliberate path through the middle of the room. She couldn’t help but notice that all the doors were guarded. The king glanced at his captain, an Atabyrion swordsman named Thasos, and gave him a subtle gesture with his hand, as if to stop him from pouncing on Trynne.