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“What?” Nerio’s eyes widened in horror as he regarded my soot-covered glove. “That thing was on me?”

“Yes.” I glanced around, and to my surprise, no one appeared to have noticed the inflammatory incident. “Someone really wanted to control you. How do you feel?”

Nerio gaped at me. “Clearheaded and light, much lighter than I have in a very long time.” Then suddenly his gaze narrowed. “Wait. Who did that to me?”

“I have no idea, but if I were you, I would set up some defensive measures about my person and my mate’s person. If you don’t have any prepared, Lord Greyson might be willing to arrange defense magic lessons for you.”

Nerio nodded solemnly. “At the very least. Which reminds me, where are you headed?”

“Why?” I asked.

“I—” Then he cut himself off, and a confused expression flickered across his features. “I don’t know.” He eyed my glove. “What exactly was that spell intended to do?”

“From the little I could see before I had to start defending myself from it, the intent appeared to make the victim susceptible to suggestions of a specific individual.”

“Could you tell who?”

I shook my head. “However, if you play dumb, I suspect that you will uncover the culprit yourself.”

That appeared to appease him. “You have my gratitude.”

My eyebrows rose. That was almost equivalent to declaring that he owed me a favor. If I were less principled, I could use it against him.

Nerio noted my expression. “I know. I know. And I meant it.” He eyed my burnt glove and the smudges on the tile at our feet. “I suspect you just saved my life.”

“Perhaps not. You would’ve figured it out, eventually.”

“I doubt it.” Nerio grimaced, a puzzled expression settling over his features. “Regardless, I need to check in on my mate. If someone has been doing that to me, she might be next.”

I nodded, suspecting the same.

With a slight nod to each other, we parted. I headed for the stairwell in the direction of the family apartments.

No one intercepted me for the rest of my trek though the corridors. Not a soul followed me, as far as I could detect. Still, I paused before approaching the door into the wing. “Any suspicious activity?” I asked the guard at the doors.

The gargoyle standing there in his humanoid form glared at me as though condemning me for the audacity of suggesting the possibility. “None.” His wings rose slightly from where he had them tucked against his back. Cold, hard magic tested my defenses before he stepped to the side. “You may pass.”

I nodded and ducked around him and through the now unlocked door. Closing it tightly behind me, I followed the sound of voices down the corridor to the main sitting room.

Opening the door, I spotted Mela explaining something in animated tones to Lady Lyra. The lady listened with a benevolently warm expression as Mela’s hands emphasized her point with large gestures.

I scanned the room but could not spot Rue. Perhaps she had chosen to rest in the quiet of her chambers instead of joining the children and Lady Lyra.

“Kent!” Mela exclaimed, launching herself across the room at me.

I caught her up and swung her around, relishing her delighted laughter. She sounded happy. She pressed her cheek to mine and began chattering about something I couldn’t quite follow.

Lady Lyra approached with far more grace, reaching me just as Jas called for Mela to rejoin the game she and her brother were setting up on the other side of the room.

“Where is Rue?” I asked as Mela wiggled to get down. Setting her on her feet, I released her. The child ran back to her friend. I watched her go.

“I don’t know.”

“What? I was told she was escorted here.”

“She was escorted here, but moments after she arrived one of the king’s servants came and said the king wished for an audience with her.”

Terror raged through me. “And you let her go—alone?”