Page 62

“How do you sense magic?” I asked Rue.

She glanced up from her hasty scribbling. “People glow and their magic causes sensations within me and on my skin. Also—” She hesitated. “I see threads and connections between people sometimes.”

Both Piro and Greyson swung their heads toward her. Greyson narrowed his dark eyes, and Piro smiled.

“Now that is an intriguing combination.” Folding himself into a nearby chair, Piro propped his elbow on his knee and rested his chin on his fist as he leaned forward. Compressed like he was, he had managed to bring his head about even with Rue’s, his green eyes glowing with his interest. “Any ability to speak mind to mind? Or heal? Very little is known about Twilight Elves. The few I have encountered have been excessively secretive.”

“Probably because they were trying to kill or kidnap your charge. Stalkers aren’t interested in getting to know their victims.” Greyson spread the stack of papers across the desk next to me. “The council requires that you sign these.”

It only took a moment to skim the first page before me and realize I would do no such thing. Still, I read through all the documents before I tossed the last one on top of the pile. “And if I refuse?” I asked Greyson.

The scratching of Rue’s pen ceased abruptly. She straightened and both of us regarded Greyson.

For some strange reason, the Dullahan appeared pleased. “As a free fae, unaffiliated with either court, the council doesn’t have any hold over you.”

“Except if I sign these.” I motioned toward the documents before me.

“What do they say?” Rue set down her pen and crossed to pick up the top document.

I didn’t drop my scrutiny of Lord Greyson’s features. “In essence, my signature on that piece of paper would turn me into a puppet king of the council with no power, control, or say over any aspect of my political life. The second, if I haven’t missed the mark, would hand over the finances of the kingdom to the council in perpetuity. The third would give the council legal control over my choice of wife, the lives of my children, and choice of my heir.” I waved toward the pile of parchment. “Is this what they want? A king without power, money, or any say in any aspect of his life?”

“Yes.” Greyson’s expression didn’t change.

Rue stepped closer to my side. “Is this your test or the council’s?”

Greyson’s dark gaze shifted to her. “The council obviously hopes that the candidates sign. Power comes at a price.”

“The council’s power at the cost of any autonomy on my part. That is an unbalanced trade.”

Greyson shrugged. “That is their hope.”

“So, you knew it was a trap.” I glared at the Dullahan.

“Obviously,” Rue answered, eyeing him critically. “He reads contracts constantly in his work. He knew, but he bears you no ill will, though the authors of these documents clearly do.”

“My orders are to present these to you and act as you wish regarding them.” Greyson crossed to the desk and began collecting the pages, stacking them neatly before ripping them cleanly in half. “Lady Rue is correct that I would not have allowed you to sign before pointing out the very obvious contents.”

“The documents are still glowing. The spell is still active.” Rue glared suspiciously at the ripped documents. “When you ripped them, one spell broke because the glow dimmed, but they are still glowing.”

“Show me,” I demanded.

Greyson frowned at the pages in his hands. “You are right. There is still an active spell. Perhaps they utilized enchanted small print.”

I had never heard of enchanted small print. Clearly I needed to be trained even further in this arena.

Greyson unfolded the last page of the last document, spreading it flat on the surface of the desk. The document appeared normal with lines of script and dark lines marking the places to sign. Nothing appeared abnormal to the naked eye. However, if I focused, I could barely feel a tingle of something.

“It is the signature lines, is it not?” Rue asked.

“Well spotted,” Lord Piro said.

Lord Greyson held out a hand over the parchment and muttered a word in a fae dialect I barely recognized. The signature lines rippled and expanded, revealing a binding that would drain my life by tiny increments.

Lord Piro cursed in a foreign tongue. “Has the council gone mad? What were they thinking putting a wasting curse on their king?”

“Apparently, they have no intention of giving up the power they have gained in recent years. No surprise there.” Greyson muttered another word, and the parchment incinerated in a burst of silver flames that consumed only the council’s documents. “Now we know their plans for the heir.”

“Is the entire council corrupt?” Rue asked.