Page 132 of Of Masks and Fury

“I loved you before I knew your name, and I’ll love you even after the stars forget mine.” He stroked his fingers through my damp hair. “Rest, love.”

As sleep pulled me under, I could feel his magic humming beneath his skin, a counterpoint to my own.

Two separate songs finding complete harmony.

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

TREW

The sun was slipping below the horizon by the time we approached the island with Syllavar Court.

Isi sat in front of me on Lakast’s back, her body warm against mine, her head resting on my shoulder. The steady rhythm of the dragon’s wings created a lulling cadence that most would find peaceful.

But my mind refused to rest, racing through everything we’d discovered in the tower. The poison ingredients. The Skathe research and experimentation. The maps of my castle with Isi’s routines marked in bright ink. The evidence of someone torturing Fenmark and Addie.

And the notes about controllers. Plural.

My arm tightened around Isi’s waist. She was safe, but for how long if someone in my own court wanted her dead? The thought kept my jaw clenched hard enough to make it ache.

Kyreth flew parallel to us, close enough that I could make out our friends’ profiles in the starlight, all three of them exhausted but alert.

They’d protect Isi if something happened to me. That knowledge eased some of the worry spiking through my chest.

Isi shifted against me, tilting her head to look up. “You’re brooding.”

“I’m thinking.”

“Same thing.” She traced her fingers along my forearm where it wrapped around her waist. “What’s bothering you?”

Everything. Nothing. She couldn’t remain at Caldrith but bringing her to Syllavar might be leading her straight into another trap.

I didn’t need to name it. She already knew and still wanted to be with me.

“We need to talk about what we found in the tower,” I said. “And about what we dare tell people when we arrive.”

“You want to keep some of it a secret.”

“For now.” I kissed her temple, breathing in her sweet scent. “The Skathe research and Addie’s possible traveling. The torture. The fact that someone has been intently studying our court. All of that stays between us and our friends until we know who we can trust.”

“You don’t trust your own advisors?”

Did I trust them? A few weeks ago, I would’ve said yes, without hesitation. Grayson had been my father’s most loyal advisor. Coralee was family. Malcolm had trained me since I was barely old enough to hold a sword. Kira… Well, she was the one I trusted the least, but her recent actions had been motivated by jealousy. I doubted she’d betray our court in this way.

“I don’t know,” I said, the admission tasting bitter. “And until I do, we can’t take the risk.”

She was quiet for a moment, her fingers continuing their absent pattern on my arm. “You suspect someone in Syllavar was involved with the attempts on my life. That it wasn’t someone infiltrating your court.”

“The assassin knew things they shouldn’t have. Your schedule. Where you’d be at any given time of day. When you’d be mostvulnerable.” Hoarseness filled my voice. “That information had to have come from inside my court.”

“Or from Caldrith. My father could have spies?—”

“He’d be a fool not to try.” I turned my head enough to brush my lips against her hair. “But the level of detail in those maps we found took time to gather. And someone has been watching you specifically.”

“Do you think one of your advisors could be working with my father?”

“I can’t ignore that possibility just because they’re family or because I’ve known them for a long time.” The words came out bitter. “If anyone in my court harms you, family or not, I’ll end them without hesitation.”

She turned in my arms as much as the position allowed, meeting my gaze. The starlight caught in her pale blue eyes, making them glow. “Then we’ll investigate carefully.”