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“I didn’t know you were so adept at healing,” I whisper. I know he healed Cat, but I didn’t know he had more than a rudimentary understanding of healing.
“What need does a king have of healing? I’m not skilled in it by any stretch of the imagination.” The bitterness in his tone makes me flinch, and I suspect that’s something he heard a time or two or a thousand from Octavia and Titus. I have to disagree, because he does seem to know what he’s doing. “You might have a hip fracture, but I’m not confident enough to try to do something about it, not with the baby. You’ll be all right for now, but I want the healer to check you out first thing in the morning.”
“What did Posey want?” Helene asks.
I settle into my pillows, and both Finn and Cat jump up to plump the ones behind me so I’m more comfortable. Cat is still pointedly not looking at Xavier. Whatever personal progress they made during training has lapsed again. He’s also trying to focus on me and my tale of woe, but whenever Cat moves, I catch Xavier’s head twitching in her direction.
“She wants to cut a deal, and she seems to know that Octavia is working with us, so I’m not sure we can trust anything the Goddess Supreme has to say. She could be playing Benedict Arnold.” I tell them of Posey’s offer and of Cassius’s head. None of them seem the least bit surprised, nor are they chomping at the bit to accept.
Kai has folded himself into my reading chair. The long chaise lounge usually swallows me up, but he hardly fits. Helene is perched on the armrest, looking at her nails. Waffles emerges from whatever dark hole he was nestled in and settles himself on the giant’s lap. Kai immediately starts to pet him, and Waffles purrs so loudly I can hear him from across the room.
“I mean, obviously, no.” Helene looks almost bored as she says this.
“Obviously,” I respond dryly. “Does anyone actually know where my husband is?”
Glances around the room confirm that wherever he is, he didn’t wantanyoneto know. I hope he gets back fast.
“You really threatened to cut off her head? That’s not an exaggeration?” Finn asks with a laugh.
“I really did,” I confirm.
“She was right,” a new voice answers from the doorway. Zara is standing there’ with a book held close to her chest. When all eyes look to her, she shrinks back. I beckon her forward.
“What was who right about? I’m lost,” Dion whines, and sips directly from the bottle of wine in his hand.
“Lost in the bottom of that bottle,” Helene mutters. Finn throws a pillow at her that she explodes into feathers, but he anticipates the move and the feathers become birds that fly at her.
“Enough.” My voice comes out firm and commanding even as I rub my temples.
“Posey was right. Killing her will create a void. Gisella just brought me some old books that she dug out of her personal collection, and I was struggling with the translations, but this one deals with the creation of the Fates and the need for three. Posey’s death would create a void, but rather than risk the collapse of the world, Titus and Octavia built in a failsafe.” Zara’s voice has grown stronger.
“What sort of failsafe?” Cat presses.
Zara clears her throat, looking at everyone. “Whoever kills Posey will take her place as a Fate, unless someone else takes her place willingly.”
“Does your book cover how exactly to do that?”
At Finn’s question, energy and hope drain from the room.
“I’m not sure. I’m not there yet. Sorry.” Zara sounds it too.
I shake my head emphatically. “You have nothing to be sorry for.” Given the lack of volunteers, I assume no one in this room wants to be a Fate. We’re happy with our lives, and adding in this potential new power, this unknown, is like throwing dice into a board game and shoutingYahtzeewhen you’re really playing chess.
An uncomfortable silence descends on the group. We glance at each other, waiting for someone else to speak up.
I decide to drag the attention away from Zara, who is squirming. “If you think I fractured my hip, why aren’t I in pain?”
“Because your ankle was worse?” Xavier answers my question with a question. “Because you’re lying down? Because when I healed your ankle, what I did to numb it stopped you from feeling pain? Take your pick. I already said I’m unskilled. If that’s all, everyone should get out. We can regroup when Essos is back and see what we can do about what the she-devil knows and how we can attack the situation.” Xavier’s word is the last on the subject, because everyone complies, getting up and leaving.
Cat and Xavier stay behind. Cat’s already settling herself on the bed beside me, and I can see him watching her from the corner of his eye.
“I can stay,” he offers, shoving both hands in his pockets.
“No, go.” I swat at Xavier. “You’re being too nice, and it’s weirding me out. I like it better when you’re bitchy to me.”
Xavier acquiesces, dipping his head in a show of respect before making his way to the door.
“Wait!” I call, and he stops. “Can you help me get under the covers? I may have lied when I said I wasn’t in pain.” A lie seemed easier than having everyone clucking over me.
