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“I do not know who took her or where.” She gripped his arm, digging her nails into his flesh when he applied the pressure again. “But I know how to find them.”
Crispin stepped back and snatched the dagger from the floor. Ivy doubled over, gripping her throat and coughing. In an instant, he snatched her by the hair and threw her into the nearest chair. He ignored her pointed glare and held the blade to her neck.
“Do you take me for a fool?” he murmured, savoring the look of hatred and fear in her lovely eyes. Oh aye, this wench could worm her way into the hearts of any man she chose, bending them to her will. Such an enticing morsel. The perfect cover for treason. “Which poor soul did you corrupt? Hmmm?”
“I know not—”
“Such pretty lies,” Crispin hissed. “You have the ear of the queen as her personal servant, but that alone is not enough to secure your safety within these walls.” Recognition rekindled the fire in her gaze. “Whom did you seduce? One of my guards? A knight at arms? Did they promise you protection and profess their undying love?” Crispin twisted the dagger, drawing a droplet of blood from her pale skin.
She did not flinch. No cry of pain. No tears. No pleas or begging. The woman was either reckless or stupid. Crispin shook his head pushing both thoughts aside. She showed no fear at his promise of violence. Her gaze held his with challenge and determination as though she accepted her fate, or worse, gambled with it. If she had something to do with Ruby’s capture, then she would have required a way to escape retribution should it come back to her.
“Henry,” Crispin murmured the name upon the realization. “You seduced him with your lithe body and your sinful tongue.” He dug the blade harder against her throat. A trickle of blood ran over her breast and disappeared into her bodice.
He caught a glimpse of what could have been regret before she hid behind a mask of indifference. “I have my orders.”
“What orders? From whom?” He tightened his hold on her hair. She winced at the motion.
“Henry caught me stealing from your presence chamber. The queen offered me redemption in exchange for my loyalty.”
Confusion muddled his mind. What madness did she speak? Neither Henry nor Ruby brought him this news. Were they conspiring against him? Such thoughts paved a dangerous path. The two souls he trusted and loved beyond anything on this mortal plane uncovered a traitor in his castle and chose not to tell him of it. Impossible.
“Such lies will be your last.” The temptation to draw the blade across her throat battled with his resolve to draw the truth from her traitorous lips.
“I speak the truth. The queen released me with the understanding I would lead her to the man who purchased me from the Guild.”
He clenched tighter. “The Guild is a myth.”
“I know nothing but the Guild. They raised me. Trained me. They are no myth, but they work only in shadow.” Her voice rose in pitch as he tilted her head into an unnatural position. “I was sold to a faceless master.”
“A faceless master? A phantom cult?” Crispin scoffed. He removed the blade and released her with a rough shove. “You truly think I am a fool to believe such sensational tales.”
Ivy pressed her gloved hand to her bloody throat. “’Tis the truth. I have never seen his face. He leaves instructions in the forest, and I respond in the same manner. We have never met, but he holds my contract.”
“What of your free will?” Crispin taunted with a sneer.
“I know no other life.” She dropped her gaze to the overturned chair. “Should I fail, I will be killed. There is no free will for such as me.”
“Then why choose to barter with the queen?” He clenched the dagger in his fist prepared to use it should he need to do so.
“The queen has shown me nothing but kindness. I owe her a debt.” Her solemn words settled in the silent room with finality. “Kill me if you must, but you must rescue the queen. I forfeit my life for hers.”
Crispin trusted her even less than he had when she revealed she tampered with his wine, but he could not allow his beloved treasure to suffer at the hands of some faceless monster. These words could be nothing more than well-crafted tales to spur him into action. Regardless, he could not sit on his arse and do nothing. Too much time elapsed with nothing to show for their efforts. Such dire circumstances required a change in tactic. He regarded the maid for a long moment before exhaling sharply and sheathing his dagger.
“You will take me to the place where you leave communication for yourmaster.” Resolve bolstered him into action. “We shall discover his identity and demand he lead us to the queen.”
The maid rose to her feet tentatively.
Crispin gripped her jaw in his hand and forced her to meet his gaze. “If you are leading me on a merry chase, so help me God, I will ensure your final days are filled with endless pain and suffering.”
Her jerky nod solidified her understanding.
“Come,” he commanded, roughly taking her by the arm and steering her toward the wardrobe. “Help me dress. I have no intention of allowing you to leave my sight.”
She obeyed, but Crispin refused to give her an opportunity to draw a weapon on him again. One thing soothed his apprehension. He was closer to finding Ruby than he had been before. Ignited by the promise of finding her, hope burned like an ember in his chest and drove him to action.
