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“Your Majesty,” Gawayn said, clearing his throat gruffly. “I will post Lyrena and Evander at your door. Inside, starting now.”
Her wicked smile melted away. “Gawayn, we have discussed this at length—that is not necessary.”
“But Your Majesty—”
“I agree with the queen.”
The captain’s surprised eyes swung to me, rebuff on his lips.
But I forestalled him, looking directly at Veyka as I said, “I will guard your door.”
24
VEYKA
“Iwill guard your door.”
Panic seized me. “You most certainly will not. My Goldstones—”
“Failed to protect you tonight.”
I waited for Gawayn to interject, but he said nothing.
“I can protect myself, as I’ve shown quite well,” I said, waving my hand at the bloody evidence laying on my balcony.
Arran did not bother to look. “At least you were wise enough to use a decoy.”
I had not wanted to. Gawayn had insisted. But I did not feel like sharing that information with Arran just then.
“But if you used a decoy, then you knew there was a threat.” His voice was menace wrapped in velvet.
My instinct was to raise the blade, still dripping blood, and cut off the entire damn ear that I’d nicked minutes before. Instead, I forced myself to keep my arms at my sides.
“Indeed,” I said, willing every drop of elemental fae blood in my veins to help me keep my voice even and clear of emotion.
Arran’s eyes said what his mouth did not—You should have told me.
Instead, he said, “Leave us.”
Guinevere, back in her fae form but still looking as dangerous as a lion, moved for the door immediately. My own servants were slower. Of course, Carly and Charis had been cowering against the goldstone wall since the moment the Brutal Prince had entered the room. But Cyara was not so easily cowed. Her white wings were quivering with defiance on my behalf.
She’d never been in any real danger, I told myself. She’d insisted, along with Gawayn. But I would never do it again, even though the threat had proven true. I would not let her die for me.
Arran cleared his throat impatiently. The urge to stab him resurged.
I inclined my head with what I hoped was agonizing slowness, my eyes fixed on Arran’s. If this was a struggle for dominance, he would know that I was not his to dominate. I belonged to no one but myself.
“Go,” I said quietly.
Cyara slid from the bed, clucking her tongue as she shooed her sisters through the door to their adjoining rooms. At least Cyara would be able to sleep in the comfort of her own bed tonight, I thought wryly. If she could sleep after a near death experience.
Gawayn jerked his head toward the door to the antechamber, summoning Evander and Lyrena. I resisted the urge to stick out my tongue at the former. The latter winked at me. Only Lyrena could find amusement in a scene like this.
Not true, I reminded myself. I’d enjoyed catching Arran’s stare.
He tried so hard to rein in the temper, the passion. But he was a terrestrial, and a powerful one at that. The most powerful of all. He’d told me himself, that first day in the forest, that he could not lie.
All the doors shut in unison. Leaving me very much alone with the Brutal Prince, once again. Well, besides the dead assassin.
