Chapter 36
Still dazed from my confusing interaction with Varius, I strode into the bathing chamber and began to disrobe. When my cloak fell to the stone floor, a heavy chink sound echoed in the room.
My heart seized. The gemstones. I’d forgotten they were still in my cloak pocket.
I knelt to the floor and grabbed the pouch. I was about to tuck it back inside my cloak when I recalled what Azure had said. The strange black stone had emitted the same ringing sound as the gleaming red-jeweled rose in the Noxen Forest.
But they were clearly different stones. The black stone was quite different from the ruby-like features of the rose buried in the earth.
If I pulled out the dark stone, would the ringing noise return? Would other fae nearby hear it?
I certainly was feeling bold tonight. Despite the warnings blaring in my mind, I overturned the bag, dumping my gems onto the cold stone floor.
It called to me at once. The black jewel gleamed in the low light of the bathing chamber.
And once my eyes locked onto it, the searing ringing sound split the air .
With a yelp, I snatched the stone on instinct. I didn’t know why I did it; all I knew was I had to silence it.
As soon as my fingers closed around it, the ringing stopped. The jewel began to warm my palm, sending heat up my arm and into my chest. I gasped from the intensity of it, prepared to drop it to the floor again.
But I didn’t want that sound to return. I was sure Varius or Clermont or someone would come bursting in at any moment, demanding to know what was going on.
“She agreed,” said a soft voice.
I jumped, whirling around. My hand went behind my back in an attempt to hide the stone from whoever was here.
But the bathing chamber was empty.
Heart racing, I looked around, wondering if someone was using magic to hide themselves.
“Are you serious?” asked another voice, this one female.
“See for yourself,” said the first voice.
I wet my lips, my frantic pulse fluttering. The voices sounded so close . Once more, I surveyed the room, and my eyes snagged on the large oval mirror hanging on the wall.
It wasn’t a mirror, but a window . I peered into it and made out two familiar figures: Varius and Tislora. He was holding out the vial to her.
Tislora’s silvery eyes darted up to meet his. I quickly ducked to the side, worried she would see me.
But she didn’t even glance my way.
With a frown, I glanced around the bathing chamber a third time, trying to figure out why Varius would have a looking glass in here.
But… it had been a mirror before. I was almost certain.
My breaths came in short spurts as I slowly lifted my free hand and waved it around my head, trying to get Tislora’s attention.
She didn’t even blink .
She couldn’t see me at all.
I sucked in a sharp breath, unsure if I was hallucinating or if this was some strange magic I didn’t know about.
Then, my gaze fell to the stone in my hand.
Holy shit. Was that its power? It allowed me to see through mirrors?
“How did you convince her?” Tislora asked. My gaze snapped to the mirror, my attention fixing on the scene before me.
“She offered it willingly,” Varius said.
Tislora took the vial from him, uncorked it, and sniffed its contents. I held my breath, waiting for her to recognize the scent of my fae blood.
But she only wrinkled her nose. “Human blood is so foul. I don’t know how you stand being in the same room as her.”
Anger and shame washed over me, boiling my blood and cinching my chest. What a bitch.
“I hadn’t noticed,” Varius said.
Tislora snorted before pouring the contents of the vial into the cauldron in front of her. “Is she making you soft, Varius? I thought you hated humans.”
“I only hate the ones who inflict harm on my people,” Varius said. “And that does not include Sybelle.”
Tislora laughed without humor as she stirred the liquid bubbling in the cauldron. “You really think she’s much better, just because she’s not on the front lines? She was raised to despise us, Varius. She believes us to be monsters.”
“No, she doesn’t.”
“If you believe that, then you are a fool.”
Varius growled, the sound low and threatening. “Watch yourself, Lor.”
“She will murder you in your sleep,” Tislora snapped. “That vile human brat is charming you, waiting for you to let your guard down. And when you do, she’ll shatter the fragile remains of our kingdom.”
Varius’s black wings flared wide, his claws extending as a roar burst from his lips. “She is my wife , Tislora,” he snarled. “You will show her the respect she deserves or I will slice open your throat.”
Tislora’s silver eyes flashed as she pinned him with a glare. “I’d like to see you try, oh great king.”
“My lady?”
I yelped and dropped the black stone. It clattered loudly to the floor. In an instant, the scene in the mirror vanished. Heart pounding, I turned to find Enzira poised at the doorway of the bathing chamber, a small frown on her face.
Had she seen? Had she witnessed the magic in the mirror?
I pressed a hand to my chest, trying to calm my breathing. I carefully angled my body so I was blocking her view of the gemstones on the floor. “You scared me,” I said breathlessly.
“Forgive me.” She pressed a fist to her chest. “I thought you might need assistance.”
I swallowed around the fear knotting in my throat. “I—I have had quite a rough night. I was going to bathe and get some sleep.”
Enzira nodded with a hesitant smile. “I’ll ready your sleeping gown.”
She turned to leave, but I stopped her. “Enzira?”
She paused, not quite meeting my gaze. “Yes, my lady?”
“I’m sorry for my behavior toward you after the revel. I should not have yelled at you like that. I—I know none of this is your fault, and you have been nothing but kind to me. Please forgive me.”
“All is forgiven, my lady. I do not harbor any ill will toward you.” She met my gaze at last, her eyes guarded and full of despair.
My mouth opened to ask her what was wrong, but she left the chamber before I could. I heard the door to the bedroom creak open as she no doubt went to fetch my clothes from the queen’s suite.
Assuming they were still there and the thief hadn’t ripped them to shreds.
When I was sure she was gone, I crouched to the floor, hastily sweeping the gems into the scaled pouch and drawing the strings tightly. Then I tucked it into the pocket of my cloak, which I folded and slid under a pile of fresh linens in the corner of the bathing room.
When Enzira returned, I had already undressed and lowered myself into the gaping hole that contained the hot spring below. The steam coiled around my bare skin, making me shudder. When I eased into the steaming water, I let out a groan of satisfaction.
“I’ll never get used to this,” I told Enzira as I leaned my head against the black stone behind me.
“You have a letter, my lady,” she said.
I looked up and found Enzira with a strangely solemn look on her face, holding up a sealed envelope. I recognized the blue insignia of the Winter Court.
It was a letter from Eira.
My heart lifted, and I grinned. “Oh, thank you! Can you place it on the desk, please?” I was eager to see what Eira had to say.
Enzira nodded and smiled, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. She moved toward the bedchamber, but I stopped her.
“Enzira?” I straightened and looked up at her. “What’s wrong?”
She sniffed and looked away. “Do not worry about me, my lady.”
“Enzira.”
“I—I will be fine.” Her voice trembled.
“Are you still upset with me?” I asked. “Stones, I’m so sorry. You have every right to be angry with me. I?—”
“No, no, it isn’t that,” Enzira assured me.
When she finally met my gaze, her eyes sparkled with tears.
“I—I failed you, my lady.” Her voice cracked.
“My duty was to remain by your side, to protect you during the revel, and I failed. I—I should be reassigned. It isn’t right for me to keep serving you. ”
“Enzira, no .” With a splash, I tried to climb out of the spring so I could reach her. But she waved her hands at me.
“Do not trouble yourself, my lady,” she said quickly. “Please, tend to your needs. As I said, I will be fine.”
“Enzira, you did not fail me. Would you say that Varius also failed me?”
She flinched. “Of course not.”
“Well, he couldn’t protect me, either. So please do not blame yourself. It isn’t you who threatened me or ransacked my room. None of that is your fault. No one can possibly predict where our enemies will turn up. I couldn’t, and neither could you. I do not blame you for any of it. I swear.”
She pressed her lips together, and a tear raced down her cheek. “Those are kind words, my lady. But they do not ease my guilt.”
“I understand. But please don’t leave my service. I consider you a dear friend, and it would be devastating to lose you.”
Her eyes shone, and she sniffed again. “Thank you, my lady. I do love our conversations.”
I grinned. “So do I.”
Her smile was genuine this time, and I relaxed in the springs once more.
I heard her bustling around the bathing chamber for a few minutes. Then, she went into the bedchamber to place my letter on the desk. With a sigh of contentment, I leaned my head against the stone and closed my eyes as the hot water bubbled around me .
I must have dozed off. Someone cleared their throat loudly, and I jerked awake, sitting up so quickly my head started spinning.
Varius stood in the doorway of the bathing chamber, leaning casually against the wall with an amused smile on his face. “Enjoying the springs?”
My face heated as I struggled to come up with a response. My brain felt like sludge, and I couldn’t even form a coherent thought. “I—uh?—”
“It’s been an hour. I thought that would be long enough for you to dress for bed, but clearly, I was wrong.” He sounded like he was trying not to laugh.
I rubbed my head. An hour ? Stones… What the hell was wrong with me? “Sorry,” I muttered. “It was just so comfortable.”
Varius chuckled. “No need to apologize. I’ve done it myself a handful of times. I’ll give you a moment.”