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“Your eyes.” Thana said, climbing from the bed to retrieve the small silver mirror from my dressing table.
My reflection looked the same as always, though I’d admit, the skin around my eyes was swollen, and a bit red. “I don’t see any—”
Wait…The blue of my irises shifted, the deep shade swirling into a lustrous lilac, and then fading to a metallic silver which darkened to a shade near black. The mirror fell from my hands. My pulse quickened, “What does it mean?”
Finn pursed his lips, “We don’t know.” And from the set of his jaw and the perturbed look in his eyes, I gathered there wasn’t much Finndidn’tknow, and not knowing this tormented him. “I’ve spent hours going through books and scrolls for two days trying to find out.”
Two days?“How long have I been like this?” I struggled to make out the position of the sun in the sky outside the curtained balcony.
“Nearing three days,” Alaric answered, and my back stiffened. He took my hand, sending waves of calm through me.
Thana brushed my hair back, running her fingers through the silvery strands like she used to when I was a child. “You’ll have to make a formal address to the court.”
“Why?”
She sighed, “They’re demanding to know what happened… Wondering where you are. A few nobles have petitioned the council to put Edris on the throne.”
“He’s been trying to enter your chamber since the ceremony, but we didn’t know what to tell him,” Alaric said, “He wanted to see you were alright.”
I balked, “You mean to see if I’ve been Graced so he knows what his chances are of winning the crown?”
Not one of them disagreed with my statement. Edris was beloved by the denizens of my court. The nobles respected him. But there was something about him—something ingenuine that set my teeth on edge. I didn’t trust him.
Alaric shared a meaningful look with his sentries, all three of them stone faced, eyes blazing, “We won’t let that happen.”
I let go of Alaric’s hand, allowing the anger to seep back in, “Find Edris. Bring him to me.”
I sat in the parlor,awaiting Edris’ arrival. Alaric stood at my side, and Thana lounged in an armchair. Kade left to continue following Selbi, and Finn returned to the library.
My mood had brightened tenfold since leaving my bedchamber. Darius had been hard at work while I slept. The room looked nothing like it had before. Thick, luscious curtains in shades of blue, purple, and silver draped every window. Dark plush carpets covered the floor, and every piece of furniture was reupholstered to match the tasteful summers-night décor.
I couldn’t wait to see him, so I could thank him. He would return soon with the decorator to complete the task since no one would allow him entry into my bedchamber.
Not moments after I sat down, still weakened from the ceremony, Edris arrived, following a servant into the room. He seemed rattled by the change in décor, and I wondered if the ghastly white was his idea, or if the King Consort even spent much time in the royal chambers.
He came back to himself, regarding me with a delicate stare, “Liana,” he breathed, as if he’d only just noticed my presence, “Are you alright? I—we’ve been worried about you.”
“Have you?” I challenged, reigning in the urge to lash out at him like a petulant child.
Edris had the decency to be taken aback at my question, his thick brows dipping low over his eyes. “Of course, I have,” he countered, taking a few more steps forward. “It wasn’t me who instigated the petition to be put into power, if that’s what this is about. I wouldn’t attempt to dethrone my own daughter.”
“Oh, but you would send me away to live on that godsforsaken island for twenty-three years. And you would have left me there longer, hundreds of years maybe, if Enya hadn’t fallen.” I couldn’t help it, I wasfuming.
His hands balled into fists at his sides, “That was for your protection. There have already been two attempts on your life since your return. Do you not think it was wise of us to send you away—to—to send you somewheresafe?”
“One,” Alaric said, and it took me a moment to understand what he meant, “There was only one attempt on Liana’s life, and the wraith’s can’t get to her on dry land… unless there’s another incident you know of?”
No one outside of my captain and sentries knew someone tried to poison me. Well, only them and Rin, who was guarded at all times.And the person responsible,I thought, and watched as Edris’ face registered shock before it reverted to confusion. “One, yes, that’s what I said.”
He was lying. And I was either about to do something incredibly stupid, or incredibly smart.
“You were right the first time. Thereweretwo attempts on my life. It’s a good thing Alaric detected the scent of verbane in my wine or I’d be dead.”
Thana gasped, “And you didn’t tell me of this?”
“No, you only would have worried.”
“You should have told me,” she fussed, leaving the parlor to get some air on the balcony.
