Chapter 23
“Pleasant evening?” Hugo greeted me as though he were politely inquiring about the weather. Dressed entirely in black, he looked completely at odds lying on top of my cream and canary-colored coverlet.
“What are you doing here?” I blurted out. My mind was working hard to make sense of the sight before my eyes, while my body seemed to have frozen.
How had he found the vial? Unless… I must have forgotten to conceal it before hiding it away again. Shit.
The lit candle on the bedside drawers cast ominous shadows across his face. His long fingers absentmindedly toyed with the vial. “You know, my brother really does seem quite taken with you.”
Now that the initial shock had worn off, I was annoyed. More than annoyed—I was livid. He hadn’t just crossed the line, he’d obliterated it. And fuck him for acting as though I was in his space.
I glared at him. “What. Are. You. Doing. Here.”
Infuriatingly, he continued as though I hadn’t spoken. “At first, I thought it was just a little infatuation with the mysterious savior of our sister. You are, of course, quite striking, and my brother has never been one to resist a pretty face.”
As if my boiling anger wasn’t bad enough, I felt a stir from the green-eyed beast inside me. I tried to ignore its rumbling and instead focus all my effort into not throttling Hugo, who was still prattling on.
He placed one hand behind his head, making himself comfortable. “I told myself he would tire of you quickly; after all, he always tires of the shiny new toy eventually. But, to my surprise, his affections for you have only seemed to grow stronger.”
“And?” I said through gritted teeth, hands on my hips. I was about five seconds away from kicking him out of my bedchamber.
He swung his legs off the side of my bed and promptly stood, still tightly gripping my potion in his hand.
“And it’s unsettlingly out of character for him.
No other woman has held such an allure over him before.
” He took a slow step towards me. “How curious that you conveniently washed up from the sea sprouting a tale of heroism, thus endearing yourself to my family and enrapturing the heart of a prince. Amidst all this turmoil no less.” He made a disapproving noise with his tongue. “What are you hiding, Alara?”
My arms fell to my sides. “I’ve already told you, I’m not hiding anything,” I snapped.
“Of course, one of your kind hasn’t stepped foot in our kingdom in many years.” My heart rate spiked. “But I’ve figured it out. I know your secret,” he said quietly.
The thrashing of my heart against my ribs, the crackle of the hearth, a door shutting somewhere down the hall—these were all things I could hear quite clearly in the tense silence that filled the space.
The daggers in his eyes sliced into my core.
How could he possibly know? Did he write the note?
If so, that made him a murderer, which meant I was in danger. Very real danger.
Keep calm. I had to keep calm—I could not let him sense my fear.
I somehow steadied my voice as I said, “I cannot presume to know what goes on in your head, but whatever it is you think you know about me, I’m certain you’re quite wrong.
” I took a slow step backwards towards the door.
The creak of the floor beneath my feet was like the resounding bellow of an elephant seal.
He took another step closer, unsheathing a sword. A flash of its gold and silver hilt revealed that it was engraved with the Borealis coat of arms. He held the sword ready to strike and I stopped breathing.
“Don’t lie to me… witch.”
I gaped at him. Witch? He couldn’t possibly believe I was the murderer. It would be laughable, if I weren’t so shocked. “You can’t truly believe I’m responsible for murdering Lord Hywell? That’s preposterous!” I spluttered, my eyes never leaving the slender blade in his hand.
He narrowed his eyes at me. “Then tell me, why is it that a long-standing member of court was brutally executed shortly after you appeared?”
I shook my head, at a loss for words. “A coincidence. A horrible, tragic, poorly-timed coincidence,” I offered. I couldn’t believe he actually thought I was responsible.
“A coincidence?” he sneered. “I don’t believe in coincidences.”
“You’re wrong,” I insisted. “I am not a witch. And I’m certainly not a murderer. I swear it to Seru.”
“Then explain this.” He held the potion up.
Thinking on my feet, I said the first thing that came into my head. “It’s a tonic. A contraceptive tonic.”
“Why, pray tell, was it hidden in the back of your armoire, away from prying eyes?”
“People talk,” I said. “I didn’t want one of the maids happening upon it and spreading gossip. Such a scandal would ruin my reputation, so I hid it.”
“And the castle healers can verify this?”
“I didn’t… the castle healers didn’t prepare it for me.” He scoffed as I went on, “It’s a draught from my homeland, brewed in accordance with our traditions.”
“So, I am to believe you arrived at this castle with nothing in your possession save for a leather pouch containing a contraceptive?” he sneered. Without waiting for my response, he went on, “I have eyes and ears all over this castle. Did you really think I wouldn’t have them trained on you?”
I raised the back of my right hand. “If I am a witch, where’s my mark?”
“Do you think I’m some naive mortal dolt? I know your kind can glamor your marks so they’re not visible.”
I couldn’t argue with that. Dammit. “I swear, I’m not what you think—”
“Enough,” he said, holding up a hand. “You may have fooled everyone else, but your lies will not work on me, witch.”
The world around me started to spin. I tried to think of something—anything—to say, but my mind was completely empty.
“Now, I am going to take this potion to my father. I think he will be most interested to hear my theory.”
I shook my head helplessly. There was no excuse that could save me now.
He raised his blade threateningly. “I suggest you leave this kingdom immediately and never return, lest you wish to face the gallows.”
Sword still pointed at me, he slowly inched towards the door, his cold eyes promising death if I made so much as a move. “Or, you could always wait to see what happens.”
He gave me one final, cruel smile and breezed out the door, taking my potion and any hope I had of remaining at the castle.