“No.” I tug back. “Ineedthis …”
She grunts, an ember igniting in her otherwise flat gaze that rocks me to the core—that grips me by the spine and shakes me until every one of my muscles loosen.
Urgency.
My fingers go slack.
She takes the jewel from my hand and twirls her wrist, indicating for me to turn. I swallow and spin, catching a swift strike of my crystalized stare.
Murderer.
A stinging sensation flares across the backs of my eyes, and I squeeze them shut, tears tracking down my cheeks as Old Hattie lifts the weight of my hair, threads the necklace around my neck, and sullies me in the suffocating grip of Rhordyn’s lie.
My next breath is tight.
Constricted.
I hate it.
“Please don’t tell anyone …”
Hattie gathers my hair, tucks it down the back of my cloak, then turns me to face her, cupping my cheek with her warm, calloused palm. A wonky smile stretches her lips.
“You won’t, will you?”
She shakes her head, and a calm settles inside me. I offer her a wan smile in return—until a clunk at my wrist lures my gaze to my cupla now falling away with her nimble fingers.
My smile falls.
I stare, wide-eyed as she scurries back a step and waves it at me, eyes bright with mischief.
“What are you—”
She turns and dashes through the door into my suite with impressive haste.
My heart flips.
I dart after her, watching her scamper around my bed, trailed by her silver braid that drags along the floor. “What are you doing?” I whisper-hiss, glancing at the closed door that leads to the lobby. And then it hits me like a sledgehammer to the chest.
Sheisgoing to tell Cainon.
“Please don’t,” I plead, realizing there’s a very high chance I’m going to have to wrestle this old woman for my cupla before she reaches the front door, then lock her in my dressing room until I work out how to keep her from spilling my secret.
Oh, Gods. This is bad.
Reallybad.
All I wanted was to stick it to Rhordyn a little. Now I’m contemplating abduction.
She veers toward my dressing room and disappears into the depth of it.
I stop, frowning.
She walked herself right into that one.
Snatching my blade off the bed but leaving the stupid sheath behind, I follow, glancing over my shoulder before drawing the door shut behind me. She hobbles toward the long mirror mounted to the end wall, pries her fingers around the edge, and tugs it open on silent hinges. Mouth falling open, my curious heart ignites into a flaming ember as I look down the semi-lit tunnel beyond.
Wasn’t expecting that.
