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I nod, then swallow. “They didn’t know I was the king.” I pause. “I heard there was a meeting in the Wilds. I hoped to see who was working against me.”
Her eyes skip down to my attire. “So because Prince Corrick was unavailable, you slipped into the Wilds yourself.”
“More or less.”
She puts the needle against my skin, and I brace myself, but she doesn’t move further. “Do you want something to bite on?”
I have no idea. “I’m fine.”
She gives me a look, then utters a little humorless laugh. “The two of you must have a will of steel.”
“I don’t know what that means.”
“Prince Corrick pretended to beasleepwhen Tessa was stitching his face closed.” Then she pushes the needle through my skin, and I give a jolt. It takes everything I have not to cry out again. Hearing that my brother did this while feigningsleepis enough to keep me silent. Both my hands clamp down on whatever is close.
Karri makes a loop with the thread, then slides the needle through for another pass. I hold my breath and grip tighter with my hand.
I look down at the length of the injury. This is going to take an hour. A day. A year. A lifetime. Sweat gathers in the small of my back, and I have to choke back a sound.
“You said the soldiers were searching the shops,” Quint says, his voice calm at my side, as if I’m not a breath away from keening like a wounded animal. “Were they searching for the king?”
“And you,” she says, her eyes flicking up for half a second. “Mistress Solomon—she owns the apothecary shop—she told me that the delivery boy said the king was guilty of poisoning the people.”
“With the new medicine dosage?” I say. “Karri, I swear to you—” I hiss a breath as the needle goes through my skin again. My fingers clench tighter. “There’s no poison. Tessa came up with the new elixir on her—”
“I know,” Karri says, frowning. “That’s what I told MistressSolomon. But she said I was a fool, and she’s obviously talking about the poison that causes the fevers.”
I have to repeat that in my head because it doesn’t make sense. “What?”
“They’re claiming that you’ve been poisoning the people to cause the fevers.”
“How would the king poison all of Kandala?” says Quint.
“I don’t know.” She glances up. “But that’s what she said.” The needle slides through my skin again.
“Huxley told the people I was tricking them,” I say to Quint. “Just before they fled.” Another bite from the needle, and I force the words out. “Arella said she had proof.”
“None she’s shared with me,” he says. “But Arella and Roydan have been meeting privately for weeks.” He frowns and shakes his head. “To be honest, I have a hard time believing Consul Pelham would be involved in this.”
That’s true. The man is nearly eighty years old, and of all the consuls, he’s always been fond of me and Corrick. He’s the last one I would ever assume to be staging a coup against me.
But I saw Arella with my own eyes. I heard every word with my own ears.
“Done,” Karri announces, and I look down. A dozen stitches hold my thigh together, but the wound is clean. I feel a little dazed, and I begin to unclench my fingers.
Only to realize I’ve been gripping Quint’s hand.
I let go at once, then run a damp hand across my face. “Forgive me, Quint.”
Karri glances between us, then wets a new cloth and reaches for my face. “I’m assuming you’ll need fresh clothes. Lochlan stays heresometimes, so I have a few of his things. There’s a shaving kit in the washroom.” She hesitates. “If you like. Your Majesty.”
“Thank you, Karri.”
She cleans the blood from my face with care, and she’s gentler than Quint was. “Are you hungry?”
“No.”
“Well, I’m sure that’ll change by midday. I’m not sure I have enough to feed all four of you for long, though.” She hesitates. “May I ask what your intentions are?”
