“Oh, Alex.” I stumbled back over to the bed to sit beside him, taking his hands in mine. “Are you all right?”
“Better now that you’re home and in one piece…mostly. What did Mother say?” He patted at the pillows, beckoning me to join him.
“We went to the most marvelous tavern,” I announced, crawling over his frame and collapsing into the downy softness. “Your father has excellent taste in wine.”
Alex cocked his head, worry shining in his eyes. “Father was there?”
“Was he?” I fretted. “I didn’t see him! He’ll be so upset we didn’t say hello.”
Feeling wonderfully rid of inhibitions, I nestled next to him, snuggling my head against his chest. He smelled so…green. Like fresh-cut grass and sun-dappled leaves, a summer rainstorm and a forest hike.
His breath audibly hitched. “Tell me what Mother said. I haven’t seen Julien or Viktor at all today, and then with you gone for so long—I almost began thinking I’d dreamed everything about yesterday.”
The bed was impossibly comfortable and my eyes fluttered shut in a drowsy haze, lulled to relaxation against the warmth of Alex’s side. His fingers tickled at my waist with annoying persistence.
“Yes, yes. Your mother…Your mother…”
“My mother,” he prodded.
“She…” My mouth fell slack as sleep fought to claim me.
“Verity,” Alex murmured, his lips close to my ear.
“Hmm?”
He poked at my shoulder, pulling me away from blessed unconsciousness. “You know, I imagined our first time in this bed a bit differently.”
“So has your father,” I muttered. My stomach clenched, flipping over with a nauseous ache, and sweat broke across my scalp. My mouth felt thick and fuzzed over. How much wine had I drunk?
I vaguely remembered Dauphine calling for a third bottle but I didn’t think I’d had any of it. But she had. She’d tossed the empty vessels into the fireplace, cackling like a fool as they smashed in green shards. Bastian had rushed in shortly after, gathering us out of the tavern and into the coach. I struggled with what happened next. It seemed much easier to shut my eyes and forget it all.
“Verity Thaumas!” Alex exclaimed, his voice snapping me out of my daze. “What happened today?”
I pushed myself up before leaning heavily on a corner of his stack of pillows. I rubbed at the back of my neck, attempting to keep myself awake and present. “Water, please.”
He reached over to the side table and poured me a glass of water. “An excellent idea. Drink that, then another.”
I nodded, gratefully downing it all in a long, thirsty gulp.
He refilled it once, then twice, before setting the pitcher aside. “So?”
As I tried to focus, the room swam about, tipping and turning. “She knows.”
Alex bit his lip, looking grim. “You’re certain?”
I nodded. “And…there’s more…”
His eyebrows furrowed. “How can there be more?”
I paused, unsure of how to explain every revelation that had come to light in that tavern. “She knew about the experiments…on the women and her. She knew Gerard was trying to shape you all into something…”
Golden.
“…greater than you’d be.”
He frowned. “What do you mean?”
I licked my lips. “He’s trying to create a new sort of person. Not…not even a person, really.” I took a long sip of the water. “He’s trying to create a god.”
Alex scoffed. “That’s impossible.”
I wanted to agree but could not. “You didn’t see the babies… They had things about them that were so different. So wrong. So…”
Golden.
I shrugged helplessly.
“But if…if Father selected women with this special blood, with these divine parents or grandparents or second cousins or whatever it was…” He raked his fingers through his hair, struggling to get a handle on his thoughts. “Why are all the babies dead? Julien and Viktor and I…we lived. Why did all the others die?”
“Dauphine,” I murmured unhappily.
“Mother?”
“After seeing the powers that Viktor and Julien had…she changed her mind. She no longer supported what Gerard was doing. So she…she did what she could to stop him.” I took a deep breath. “She said that Gerard wasn’t the only one who knew what plants could do.”
Alex looked sick. “You think she poisoned the women? Their babies?”
“I’m certain of it,” I said, queasy.
“And Father didn’t know.”
It was a statement. Not a question.
“It’s why he keeps tinkering, trying out new mixtures, new bloodlines. He knows he did it right once before. He doesn’t understand why he keeps failing now.”
“Will Mother tell the authorities? Will she help us put Father away?”
“I think she could be persuaded.” I glanced up. “By you. She’s sleeping now, I’m sure. I think Bastian helped her to her rooms. But once she’s awake, talk with her. She loves you. So much. I know she’d do anything you asked.”
Alex nodded, not meeting my gaze.
“Is everything all right?”
He let out a bark of dark laughter.
“That’s a foolish question. Nothing is right, I know, but—”
“How long did you know about them?”
A shiver of alarm raced through me. “Julien and Viktor? Only, only a day. Not even that.”
He winced, clearly hurt. “How could you keep something—something so big—from me, for any time at all?”
“Alex, I wanted to tell you. I did. I promise.” I took both his hands in mine.
“He likes you, you know,” Alex said, his voice small and pinched. He still hadn’t looked at me. “Viktor. He flirts with you—so openly. Is that…is that why you didn’t tell me?”
“No,” I said, and I couldn’t tell if my answer was too hasty, giving off an air of guilt. “No, of course not.”
He blinked, his eyes distressingly bright. “I saw him standing beside you, walking beside you, and I just…I saw this picture of what we could have been like if it wasn’t for this chair. If I hadn’t fallen. There’re so many things we could have done, Verity. So many things I want to do and…” He wiped his hand over his face, pushing back the surge of emotions. “I’m jealous, I’m afraid. Bitterly jealous.”
I ran my tongue over the back of my teeth. It felt thick and heavy and incapable of expressing what raced through my mind. “I promise you, with all of my heart, there’s no comparing you two.” I cupped my hands to his face. “Viktor may have walked alongside me for an afternoon, but you’ll be with me all our lives. I’m so sorry you ever doubted you’re enough for me.”
“I feel like such a fool.”
“You’re not. But if you need to hear me say it—Alex, I love you. With all my depth and breadth. You’re the one I want. You’re the one I’m going to marry.”
His lips rose a fraction. He still looked so sad. “Even after all this, after everything my family has done…you want to marry me?”