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He’s canvassing my room. But why?
Bash doesn’t stop at the bathroom. He runs his hands along the walls, searching for…honestly, I’m not sure what he’s looking for. “Someone will be here in the morning to help you dress and a guard will escort you to the village to get your things.”
“My things? I say, struggling to understand what’s happening. The Prince of Arcane is searching my room for potential threats, and I’m… “I’m staying?”
“Everyone is. No one‘s allowed to leave until we figure out who poisoned the wine.” He stops canvassing my room, seemingly pleased with what he’snotfound.
“You think it was me, don’t you?”
In truth, I have the skills to do something like this. Bash already knows I’m knowledgeable in horticulture. He also knows I tend to go places I don’t belong. But I haven’t been in Central Arcane long enough to learn the ins and outs of the palace. I don’t know when the wine was delivered or who would serve it. An attack this grand takes months to plan, maybe years, and would need someone on the inside.
These are all plausible accusations to make against someone who crashed the Culling.
Life-threatening accusations for a Cerise.
“Relax, little bird, I know it wasn’t you. Convincing the others won’t be as easy, which is why you’re not staying as a guest of the Crown. You’re staying as the Lady of the Court. As my future bride, no man can touch you without my permission and I promise I will never grant it.”
“Thank you.”
Finding reassurance in his words is dangerous. Minds can change. Alliances can shift, but for the time being, I believe Bash.
“It’s my pleasure. Sleep well, little bird.” Bash leans forward and presses a kiss to my cheek, then quickly steps back. “I wish it weren’t true, but tomorrow everything changes.”
Ilisten intently, my senses on high alert, waiting for the sound of fading footsteps to disappear before allowing myself to fall apart. I curl up, pulling my knees to my chest, and let the wave of emotions wash over me.
Last night, I was determined to find Graves and put an end to his life, regardless of the cost. I was in control, ready to face the consequences of our encounter, but tonight, everything’s been thrown off balance.
The stress of losing Ezra, seeing all the bodies, and the fear of being blamed for a crime I didn’t commit, seeing Graves… A tower-sized storm of emotions rages inside me, ping-ponging from anxious to worried and then back again. And then there’s the Culling. I run my fingers through my hair and pace the floor.
How am I supposed to play the part of a light-hearted doe-eyed damsel, desperate to be married with Graves looming over me?
Is it even worth it to stay?
Sneaking around the castle will be so much harder with him on guard. That man will make it his mission to see me stricken from the competition and taken into custody. Or worse.
I slide down the closest wall and crumble on the floor, tears streaming down my cheeks. I don’t know when they started falling again, but I can’t make them stop.
I drop my head back and stare up at the ceiling. I may have bitten off more than I can chew with this mission, but what can I do? I can’t leave, even if I want to. Everyone is aguestuntil the murderer is found. If they’reever found. If I were behind the attack, I would have stayed to ensure my mark was hit. But if this was a mass genocide and not a targeted assault, they could have escaped when the first person fell sick before the castle was put on lockdown.
They had a lot of time from when I felt the effects of the Belladonna to when the guards went into motion.
Too much time…
I sit forward and wipe my cheeks with the back of my hand, my thoughts rolling in a scary direction. As soon as the first person died and panic ensued, the guards should have been closing the ballroom doors. Yet, Bash and I had an entire conversation before Riot and I slipped out of the room. Even after, I crossed through the halls undetected when security should have been on high alert.
The guards should have been moving King Travers to a safe room as soon as they realized something was amiss. Someone besides Riot should have found Bash and ushered him away. He’s the only heir the king has. If he dies, the monarchy dies. Yet, Bash walked deeper into the chaos to search for my friend. No one cared what he did or where he went.
I clutch the pendant around my neck and close my eyes, praying to the stars that I’m wrong. Tonight’s murders were calculated, so much more than I initially assumed. I think…
I think the Crown may have killed everyone tonight.
An old anger simmers to the surface and I’m reminded of how much I hate this fucking monarchy. Tonight was about more than finding Bash a bride. The Crown wanted some, if not all, of the people in the room dead. The question is, why? And if I got sick, did any of the other girls?
Was it just the wine served in the ballroom, or was it in the courtyard, too?
Our waiting room?
Could the berry have been cooked into any of the food?
