Mersi’s jaw moves as she appears to chew on her response, staring at the necklace still dangling from my outstretched hand. “With all due respect,” she finally says, “you need to give that to her yourself.”
Blood crackling, I step toward her, jerking my hand forward. “Take the fucking necklace, Mersi. That’s an order.”
Lips clamped into a thin line, she meets my stern gaze, releasing a sharp exhale. “Pushy bastard,” she mutters, snatching the pendant.
I’m swift to pocket my clenched fist while she studies the debased jewel. The chain. Her attention seems to narrow on the clasp—perhaps noticing the color tone is lighter than all the other metal links. “Iron ...”
I nod. “You can remove the anklet I gave you when she arrived. I assume she’s been wearing it day and night?”
“Of course.” Her snippy response is quickly followed by a grave sigh. “I mean yes,High Master.” She dips into a half-hearted curtsey.
“Thank you.”
Spinning, I charge down the hall, barging through silver slants of moonlight.
“You save her, then insist on having nothing to do with her ...”
I halt at the bitter bite to Mersi’s words but keep my stare on the faraway end of the gloomy hall. Keep my hand firmly clasped around the fragile stem of the crystal goblet.
“Eight months since you brought her to the castle, and you’ve not seen heronce. You can’t just throw a fractured child at me and wipe your hands of all future obligations.”
Slowly, I turn to meet her wary gaze.
For the first time, I notice the dark smudges beneath her eyes, the disheveled mess of her hair, the lack of color in her cheeks.
“You look tired,” I say, voice lowered to soften its edge. “If you’d like to resume your full-time position in the kitchen, I can find a replacement to step in and tend to the child’s needs.”
Fists swinging at her sides, she stalks forward. “I’m not tired of tending to thechild’sneeds. I love Orlaith like one of my own. It’s myheartthat’s tired,” she chokes out, dashing away a tear.
I clear my throat. “I’ll find someone trustworthy enough to help. But if you’re asking me to be involved, I will not.”
“Stubborn man. She needs more.” Mersi shakes her head, stare beseeching. “There’s death in her eyes that doesn’t blink away. She’sbroken,Rhordyn.”
A vicious spark flares in my gut.
I stride forward so fast liquid sloshes over my hand. “You think I don’t know that?” She recoils as I arch over her like a rioting storm cloud heavy with a deluge of self-hatred. “I am herroof—the shadow that dims her light and keeps the world from seeing that mark on her fucking shoulder.Nothingmore.”
Mersi drops her stare to the floor. “The nightmares are getting worse.”
I open my mouth; close it ...
When she looks at me again, there’s fire in her eyes. “Sometimes I wish her screams weren’t silent, then maybe you’d notice.”
I notice. Feel her fear in the pit of my soul like a torched tree. It makes me want to rip the fucking world to shreds.
Makes me want tokill.
“I’ve taken to sharing the bed with her so I can hold her through the tremors,” Mersi continues, tone matter of fact.
Sighing, I look at the tower’s door.
I hate that fucking tower. This goblet.
Myself.
“She’s suffering, High Master. And you’re the only one who understands what she went through. What she lost.”
“I want nothing to do with the child.” I spear my gaze at the woman. “Nothing.”
