I glance up at her, neck craning from the awkward angle. For a moment, she’s softer, younger. More innocent.
It’s a mask.
All I can do is nod my way out of the room. Once the door’s shut behind me, I blow out an exhale.
And then jump damn near out of my skin when that man—Mary’s secretary?—peels away from the wall.
Before I can get too defensive, he gives me a sympathetic smile. “I can show you to the meeting room. I’m Joseph Rizzio, by the way.”
My shoulders straighten. I’m still coated in travel grime, but if I didn’t get a beat to clean off before meeting the queen, I doubt it much matters now.
I nod at Joseph. “I’d appreciate it. Do you know if Alyth—”
I bite my cheek.
Doesn’t matter if Alyth’ll be at this meeting. She was sent to summon the lords, but that doesn’t mean she’ll be there too.
Why was my first thought about finding her?
She’s my best bet at searching Mary’s rooms. She’s probably got keys to them, knows when Mary will or won’t be in there. Probably even knows of any hidden compartments.
That’s the only reason.
Joseph grins at me. “Yes, she’ll be there. Why?”
How do I want to play this? The suave, confident man come busting into court, womanizing his way through ladies? But the best lies play on truth.
“We traveled together from the border. I wanted to thank her. Didn’t get a chance to, for helping me find the way to the castle.”
Joseph nods slowly and sets off down the hall. I follow.
“I’m sure that’s the reason,” he says. “Good luck with that.”
My gaze locks to the side of his head at his tone. “Do you know her?”
Joseph fiddles with something in the book he’s holding, seems to be notes with missives tucked in the pages. “I do.”
That’s all he gives me. For several beats as we twist through the castle.
Until he cuts a smile. “That’s why I said ‘good luck.’” He winks. “Our Alyth’s about as open to…being thanked as a feral cat. You may want to direct your thanks elsewhere.”
I can’t help but grin at his teasing. Maybe he’s a way into Mary’s chambers too, as open as he is. The queen really should do a better job of getting a more discriminating secretary; this man’s far too open, far too friendly.
“That feels accurate from what I know of her,” I say.
Joseph laughs. And I wonder briefly if he’s directing me off Alyth because he’s sweet on her himself, but I don’t get that intent from him, not as he starts telling me about the parties he’s helped arrange for the christening and how pretty girls will be aplenty at them.
In another life, that’s all I’d care about. Drinking and dancing and flirting. Finding Alyth and saying something to get that smile of hers to dawn again, seeing what I can do to make her cheeks stain that lovely shade of pink.
No—not in another life. Inthislife, once I break my curse.
I’ll get this purely one day. I really will come back here, relive this somehow, andenjoyit. Same as I’ll make amends with Hal and Oskar. I’m stacking up promises to myself, prizes sitting at the end of all this, a siren calling me to do whatever it takes to reach the other side.
If I want that, I’m going to have to play this game better. Not just to get the fae item I came here for but to get out of this alive at all.
One slip, and everything comes crashing down around me.
11
