“Milady should stay away from anything with red pigment in it.”
“Why?”
“Because of your hair, milady.” Sally straightened the folds of my skirt.
I bit my lip, red was the color of my beast. The scales of my dragon were copper-red and I knew that as well as I knew my own name. While I followed Sally through the room, I meditated about the fact that I knew so little about who I was. I had no idea how I got to live in the palace or where my family was. Every time I tried to remember anything about my childhood or my parents, an empty void stared back at me from the other end.
There had to be something I could do to regain those memories. If only I could ask someone I could trust. I glanced at Sally and immediately banished the thought. She was feeding me poison. She knew what she was giving me, I was sure of it.
When Sally opened the entrance door, the first person Isaw was Kent. I had not expected to see him today, and my treacherous heart skipped a beat. My steps faltered and I paused in the doorway.
“Already back on duty?” Sally looked at him with a teasing smile.
Kent nodded, but looked straight at me.
“Milady,” he said in a low voice.
His voice was so soft, so intimate. My cheeks burned and I looked down.
“Mr. Kent,” I mumbled.
I hated myself for reacting that way. It was so humiliating that I could not control my body and appear cold and indifferent as I should have done.
At last, when I commanded myself enough to look at him, I watched as his eyes roamed over my face, my hair, before stopping on my bare shoulders.
“Alina, my dear child,” a familiar voice came from the end of the corridor.
Kent stepped aside and Sally bowed her head.
I had seen Lady Corliss many times before, but never had I truly been able to observe her like I did today.
She was a petite woman with an indistinct face, her age impossible to determine. Her dress was in a pleasant shade of grey and did not look too formal or too revealing. Everything about her was in half measures. I have never seen her too animated about anything. The tone of her voice, as well as the expression on her face, were average, undefined, and well guarded. I did not trust her.
“Lady Corliss.” I lowered my gaze, as my shoulder muscles tightened.
I had to keep playing the part of a person who was still unwell, with barely the energy to get out of bed, and behave as if every interaction with the outside world was too painful to bear.
She looked me over, and appeared satisfied. Probably because in her mind, I was still under the influence of whitebane, yet more presentable.
“My dear, you look so lovely.” She reached out and patted my hand. “That will be all, Sally.” she commanded, releasing my maid.
She was still holding my hand as we slowly moved through the hall.
“Lord Adger is one of the most powerful people in the capital. Securing one of his sons should be your priority. I am aware that Dayton has some family already formed, but, consider this, my dear; he would settle you immediately into his house, and send his wives and children away, if he could gain your affection. I know this because I happened to talk to him earlier. Although he is much older than his brother, what is more important, my dear, is we already know his seed can produce.”
I raised my eyes to her, not fully believing my ears.
“There are also others, but they are simply not on the same level.”
Lady Corliss looked straight ahead waiting for Kent to open one of the double doors for us to enter. When hestepped in front of us, I noticed a flush of pink on his cheeks, his jaw was clenched, and his lips pressed tight.
I swallowed and looked down.
Why would he be angry?He was not the one who was paraded in front of an already married man and forced to accept his advances. He was not locked in a room and forced to take poison. He was not the one who could not remember anything beyond his name or the color of his dragon.
Black . . . Black . . . His dragon is black.
I halted and raised my eyes to my guard. I knew who he was beneath the mask. I could close my eyes and picture the glorious shape of his beast, his inky scales, and the beautiful, dark umber of his eyes.
