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Aura’s foot slipped and she released a small yelp. Her body swung around, hands gripping the sheets, and her back hit the wall. She drew in a deep breath and, just as she was about to adjust her grip, she looked down. At Rush. Her eyes widened, lips parting on a gasp.
“Hello, kitten,” he purred. “I’d say I’m surprised to see you here, but that wouldn’t be entirely truthful.”
“I… I…” she sputtered.
“It’s a little disappointing that you chose such an unimaginative way to escape,” he continued.
“Stop talking,” she growled.
Rush arched a brow. “Let go. I’ll catch you.”
“As if I would ever trust you.” She managed to flip herself around and brace her feet again.
“A broken leg might make you more obedient. Regardless, trying to leave the palace grounds won’t be as easy as you think.”
She paused and glared down at him. “Another threat?”
He shrugged. Astor had a backup plan to keep Aura in Rush’s possession, that would link to the original spell, while they sorted the rest out. All it had taken was collecting a few of her breaths as she slept and ingredients stocked in the cellar. “Do it again and see.”
Her foot hit the lip of the second story window and her grip slipped. She screamed when she fell, her hair whipping in her face.
Rush extended his arms and caught her, as he’d promised. She was light when he’d carried her in his dragon form, but he’d expected her to be heavier. “Don’t they feed you in Starnight?”
She squirmed frantically in his hold and he dropped her. “I’m going to kill you,” she snarled.
“Sure, kitten. Maybe next week.” He chuckled and motioned one of the guards forward. “Lock her back in her room.”
“Mix oil with the valerian root,” Rush murmured to himself. “Add powdered chamomile.” He studied the labeled jars spread out before him, then lifted them to confirm the contents were as desired. They were. “Heat over a low flame until a layer of foam forms on top.”
If the flame had been any lower, it would’ve extinguished itself. And the foam had been perfectly even across the surface of the mixture before he’d added the dash of bergamot and the ingredients he’d collected from the different courts.Fuck.
Astor had done all of that correctly. It had congealed when he added a pinch of powder the sorceress had supplied along with the spell. Had Rush written something down incorrectly? Shifted a line on the diagrams just alittle, making everything worthless? The sorceress disappeared from Moonstone after their last meeting and he was unable to locate her again to verify his parchment. He thought she would’ve taken up residence in the mountains since she’d been so adamant about wanting the land in exchange for the spell. Perhaps hispinchhadn’t been enough. Or had been too much.
With a sigh, he rolled the parchment up and tucked it safely back into a metal box on his bookshelf. He peeled off his black jacket, now covered in yellow dust from inventorying powders, and pulled back the velvet curtain. Sorcha’s old spinning wheel sat in the corner—waiting. Waiting for what though? He couldn’t even touch the damn thing anymore.
Rush’s blood simmered beneath his skin, his rage begging to be unleashed. He drew the curtain back in place, shielding the wheel from sight, and stormed from the room. Aura would pay for Pax’s mistakes, even if her suffering here wouldn’t make a difference to the bastard prince.
“Where is she?” Rush asked Laird at the top of the staircase. He’d told the guards they could escort her through the palace after three days had passed.
“The kitchens, last I heard, Your Majesty,” he answered.
The kitchens.Hopefully that meant she was eating her fill of whatever the chef made. He needed her alive and well when he corrected the issue.
Rush navigated the stone hallways. It had been a long while since he’d visited the corridors where the servants worked. He and his sister, Princess Constance, used to play down there—running through hallways, sneaking desserts, while the servants went about their day. Some laughed at their antics, others scoffed—even dared to yell on occasion.
His boots thudded against the floor as he made his way to the kitchens and the scent of warm bread floated up to greet him. Men and women called to each other, asking for ingredients, giving warnings that they were behind while metal clanked together.
“Slice those thinner,” Marion instructed.
After a short pause, Aura asked, “Like this? I’ve always been awful at preparing food.”
“Precisely. Wonderful.”
Rush strode faster down the hallway leading to the kitchens where Tanix stood, guarding Aura as instructed. She wasn’t here to make friends or to be …mothered. And that was the very tone Marion used. Aura had a purpose here and the less people that cared, the better. One day, she would vanish, as far as everyone else was concerned.
Most people would disapprove of the extreme measures Rush was taking to get revenge on Pax, so the less she mattered to anyone here, the easier things would be later. He would lie if anyone asked, tell them he’d tired of his latest fuck, but ultimately he was the king. Kings did not owe anyone an explanation.
“Pet!” he snapped, stepping into the kitchens. Aura flinched at the sound of his voice and shifted closer to Marion. A table with a variety of savory meat pies stretched between them as five other servants worked around the space. Aura stood just out of the way, slicing an apple. “Who the fuck let you have a knife?”
