Loving you is not the end, it’s the beginning of everything.
I closed my eyes, counted his breaths, and prayed to the Gods he was right.
30
Imogen
When I woke the next morning, it was to a shaft of white light on the stone wall, a quickly cooling hearth, and an empty bed.
I blinked, trying to clear my vision, and stretched a hand toward the side of the bed where Theodore had lain. It had been deep night when I’d fallen asleep against him, eyes tightly closed. I hadn’t wanted him to feel my tears fall across his skin, but I suspected he knew I had cried regardless. His hold on me never eased, even when my grip on wakefulness had finally loosened.
I propped myself up on my hands and scanned the chamber. The pieces of my borrowed gown were strewn about, but Theodore’s clothes were gone. A single blue flame licked around a thin, charred log. The sun was well up and the fire hadn’t been tended.
When I ran my hand across the rumpled bedding, it held the barest stain of his warmth. There was a small pain in my chest, like a tear, that I did my best to ignore by studying the room further.
It was then that I noticed two things: Theodore had left his crown upon the mantel, and the remaining vial of severing draught was gone.
I shot up from the bed, wrapping the loose sheet around me, and threw open the door. Four of my guards stood in the hall, armed and alert.
I locked eyes with the fine-boned woman to my right. “When did he leave?”
She looked to the floor quickly, then back to me. “About a half an hour ago, Majesty.” She cleared her throat. “His steward came to retrieve him. The king’s… well… his, uh, wife needed him.”
My heart gave a kick. “Where did they go?”
“Guards escorted them down to the courtyard. They’re leaving for the palace down by the water,” she offered quickly.
I felt suddenly like I’d been spun. “Now? Why?”
“Steward Gabros said that they were already preparing for the wedding party, and His Majesty and Queen Halla were requested for planning. The feast is tonight, Your Majesty.”
“Tonight.” I thought I’d have more time to search the place for Eusia. Had Theodore taken the vial to keep it safe? Or was it more likely that Markis had taken it? “Did you let anyone else in my chamber?”
She shook her head. “No, Your Majesty. Only the steward. And only briefly. The king threw him out here in the hallway with us. While he got himself ready, I mean.”
Hinges creaked and Agatha came out into the hall. “I heard your voice.” Her doe eyes took in my state of undress, my tousled hair, and widened. “What’s happened?”
My fingers gripped the sheet around me even tighter. “I’ll tell you in my chamber.” I tried to force the pieces of my circumstances together, and still, they remained incongruous.
“Your Majesty?” The guard spoke louder, trying to get my attention.
“Yes, what?”
“Carriages are coming this afternoon to take you down to thelower palace too.” Her voice had grown gentle, and I wondered if I looked particularly feeble like this, wound up in the dregs of sleep and lovemaking and terror. “When you dress, we’ll escort you down to eat.”
Half dazed, I nodded and turned back into my chamber. Agatha left the chamber she shared with Lachlan and followed after me. “Tell me.”
I fumbled with my chemise and its passion-inflicted tear. “Both of the vials of severing draught are missing.” My stomach turned. “The first is lost, somehow. I hope Theodore took the second. To keep it safe.”
“Let’s hope that he did.” Agatha worried her lip. “Who would have taken the first? Who would have known what it was?”
“Markis,” I said, thinking back. “He saw us carrying them onto the ship when we were anchored in Della. He could have asked the guards where they’d taken us.” I went to my trunk and pulled out one of the gowns Agatha had purchased for me.
She came to help me with the flowing skirt. “Butwhy?”
I blew out a frustrated huff. “I don’t know, Agatha. I can’t figure it out. But the wedding feast is tonight, which means Theodore will be occupied and unable to perform the spell against Eusia, and then we will be preparing to leave not long after. I need to find Eusia now.”
A twinge of anguish hit me at the realization that I might have spent our one opportunity to find Eusia making love.
