“Ah, the one who lives in the capital?” I asked of her—the Maiden.
The tension in her jaw eased a bit, and then she nodded.
“Poppy,” I repeated. “I like it.”
The corners of her lips turned up. It wasn’t much of a smile, but it was something.
“Is there a threat of stray crystals we need to be aware of, or is there something you need, Hawke?” Tawny asked.
“There are many things I’m in need of,” I said, giving the Maiden a grin. I was immediately rewarded with a faint flush spreading across her jaw. “But we’ll need to discuss that later. You’ve been summoned by the Duke, Penellaphe. I’m to escort you to him at once.”
I hadn’t been around the two that long, but I noticed their moods change immediately. Tawny’s teasing vanished, as did her grin. The Maiden had stilled again for a few heartbeats, and then a smile appeared as she rose. A tight, practiced smile.
“I’ll await you in your chambers,” Tawny told her.
Their reactions had alarm bells ringing as the Maiden eased past me. I followed behind and walked slightly at her side as we entered the foyer. Her hands were twisting once more, but no servants moved about as we neared the staircase. The alarms continued going off.
“Are you all right?” I asked.
She nodded.
I didn’t believe that for one second. “Both you and your maid seemed disturbed by the summons.”
“Tawny is not a maid,” she responded and immediately sucked in a sharp breath.
She hadn’t meant to respond to me.
I hadn’t expected her to be so defensive regarding her companion. Her friend. I thought of how the Duke had claimed the Maiden had a habit of not setting boundaries. I was really glad to hear that was apparently the truth. It made things easier for me. But why in the whole wide realm of fucks did it matter if the Maiden had a friend?
Either way, I wanted to shout in triumph that I’d gotten her to speak to me and now knew how to get her to respond.
Irritate her, and that tongue of hers would move.
I kept my expression blank as I asked, “Is she not? She may be a Lady in Wait, but I was advised that she was duty-bound to be your lady’s maid.” I had been told no such thing, and I also knew the difference between a maid and a lady’s maid. The latter held rank. The other didn’t. “Your companion.”
“She is, but she’s not. She’s…” She turned her head in my direction as the staircase curved. “It doesn’t matter. Nothing is wrong.”
I looked down at her, a brow raising.
“What—？” Her foot snagged on the gown, causing her to misstep. I caught her by the elbow, steadying her. “Thank you,” she muttered.
There was that…spunky attitude—the fire I’d seen in her. “No insincere thanks are required or needed. It is my duty to keep you safe. Even from treacherous staircases.”
She drew in a deep, audible breath. “My gratitude was not insincere.”
Noting the irritation in her tone, I grinned. “My apologies, then.”
We reached the third-floor landing, taking the left that led to the castle’s newer wing. She was quiet once more, as usual, and I used the time to plot what to say to her next. She was clearly worried I’d recognized her and would report it, which was just silly. But did she really believe I didn’t recognize her voice? Or hadn’t seen enough of her features that night at the Red Pearl to know it was her when she was unveiled? She didn’t strike me as being that foolish. Perhaps she wanted to believe I hadn’t recognized her, despite what she had said to Tawny.
Reaching the wide, wooden doors at the end of the hall, I purposely made sure my arm brushed hers as I opened one side. Her lips parted slightly in response. I held the door for her, waiting for her to enter.
“Watch your step,” I said, even though the spiral staircase was well-lit from the numerous oval-shaped windows along the wall. I didn’t think she’d trip again, but I was confident I’d get another response out of her. “You trip and fall here, you’re likely to take me out on your way down.”
She huffed. “I won’t trip.”
“But you just did.”
“That was a rarity.”
“Well, then, I feel honored that I bore witness to it.” I eased past her, fighting a laugh. “I’ve seen you before, you know.”
Her breath hitched.
“I’ve seen you on the lower balconies.” I held open the door to the fourth floor. “Watching me train.”
“I wasn’t watching you. I was—”
“Taking in the fresh air? Waiting for your lady’s maid, who is not a maid?” I caught her elbow once more, stopping her. I lowered my head until I was a few inches from her veil-covered ear. “Perhaps I was mistaken,” I spoke, my voice low. “And it wasn’t you.”
There it was again, the catch in her breath. Those tiny reactions were a good sign. “You are mistaken,” she said, her voice softer but not in that submissive way.
One side of my lips tipped up as I let go of her arm. That veiled head tilted toward mine, a ghost of a smile on her lips. One not as tight. Nor as practiced. I stepped into the hall, spotting two Royal Guards stationed outside the quarters where I’d first spoken to the Duke. I waited for her, but she had gone still again. I looked down, finding that she wasn’t looking at me but at the two Royal Guards down the hall.
“Penellaphe?” I questioned.
She jerked slightly and then took another deep breath. She clasped her hands together and moved forward. The two Royal Guards stared ahead, not looking at her as she stopped before them. One started to open the door, but she turned her head back to me.
Something about that made me wish I could see all of her face. Those warning bells renewed as my gaze flicked to the doors of the Duke’s office.
“I’ll wait for you here,” I assured her.
There was a moment of hesitation, and then she nodded, turning away. The Royal Guard opened the door wide enough for her to enter, just enough for the Ascended’s faint, stale-sweet scent to waft out. As she left my line of sight, the urge to follow hit hard and unexpectedly. More of those warning bells I’d been experiencing. They were even louder now.
I strained to hear anything beyond the doors, but there was nothing. The walls in the newer parts of the castle were thicker.
My hand tightened on the hilt of the sword as I eyed the two Royal Guards. I didn’t recognize either of them. “Is this common?” I asked, nodding at the door.
The darker-skinned one answered after a moment. “Not too common.”
That wasn’t much of an answer. “How long do these…meetings take?”
Again, the one who spoke hesitated. “Depends.”
I glanced at the other guard. He stared straight ahead as if he heard nothing of the conversation. I looked between the two, sure they had witnessed some horrific shit.
Atrocities they had decided they could live with knowing.
I could force them to tell me what they’d seen—the things involving her—but using compulsion was too great a risk. Some mortals were resistant, remembering everything they were compelled to do.