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Tentatively, I walk over and take a seat.
I assess the situation. She gives the appearance of mutual respect by having me sit at the same level to lure me into a false sense of security. I wonder how often she plays this game.
Elizabeth regards me placidly, but her expression cannot hide the cold loathing behind her eyes. She lets the silence drag on, waiting to see who will break it first.
It makes no difference to me. The sooner we begin, the sooner I can leave, and giving this to her will be to my advantage. The more hollow victories I give her, the more likely she is to underestimate me.
Without knowing her intentions, I don’t want to give her so much as a word to use against me. I opt for empty praise. “This room is quite beautiful.”
Elizabeth’s smile matches my sincerity. She hums in agreement as she pours the tea, first filling my cup and then her own.
I accept the cup and set it down, clasping my hands in my lap. The skin around the corner of her eyes tightens slightly, but unlike last time, she doesn’t force me to drink. I continue pretending to admire the room, waiting for her to begin.
She sips her tea delicately as if we are friends and sitting together were an everyday occurrence. Finally, she sets her empty cup down on the saucer with a gentle clatter. “I’m sure you must be feeling uncertain of your future and what will become of you.”
I swallow, then slowly nod. Confused. Because that is not what I expected her to say.
“Once Alaric is crowned, he will no longer have use for you,” she speaks sweetly, her tone oozing with concern. “I doubt he would have bothered to claim you if he knew how inconvenient you would become. However, I am prepared to give you more riches than you could dream of having.”
Elizabeth looks at me expectantly. If she thinks I will agree and say that,yes, I am an inconvenience, then she will be disappointed.
“I don’t understand,” I say, unable to resist nettling her.
The false smile of her mask strains at the corners. “I will allow you to return home to your family. You will have no problem finding a husband and living out the rest of your mortal life.” She pauses, ready to deliver the sting of her offer. “All you must do in exchange is sever the oath bond.”
My heart thuds against my chest. I inhale sharply. Then fear comes upon me like a beast sneaking up from behind. She is asking for the impossible as though it were as simple as cutting a thread.
…only death can break the bond.
How casually she asks me to die so she can save face. I’m unsure if she is threatening me or attempting to trick me into doing her dirty work for her.
“The oath cannot be broken.”
Her brows rise. “Oh? Do you think a human would know more about such things than I, when I am the one who created the ability to form the bond?”
I shake my head. “That’s not…” I stop to choose my next words carefully. I will not tremble before her. I will give her a threat for a threat. “What I meant was, Mr. Hughes once told me it was unbreakable.”
One of her guards will have discovered his body by now, and I have no doubt she knows I’m responsible. What I don’t say is that I already know the parts she is leaving out. Only death can sever it. Elizabeth would have me agree to what she wants, then force me to end my life to keep my word.
“Try to see it from my perspective,” she continues. “How would it look if the court learned that my consort shared such a rare bond with a human?” She heaves a dramatic sigh. “You never should have bound yourself to him in the first place, but it can be undone.” Elizabeth takes a vial from somewhere I don’t see and places it on the table between us. “All you need to do is drink this.”
Under my cream-color kid leather gloves, the night-forget ring cools unnaturally. A warning from Varin, one I don’t need but appreciate all the same.
“What is it?” I ask, knowing full well it holds death.
“It is an incredibly rare potion that will unravel the magic of the oath bond, nothing more. The ingredients are almost impossible for most to get ahold of.”
I can’t help but notice every evasion of the truth. Every lie hidden behind carefully crafted words. Twice she has handed me a bottle of poison. The first time would have killed me if Varin hadn’t interfered. I can’t help but wonder if she really thought the same tactic would work a second time.
“You understand why I hesitate?”
Elizabeth tsks. “I don’t ask this for my sake, but for Alaric’s. He is suffering, and the longer you remain bound, the worse it will become… I am afraid it may even kill him.”
For her to even suggest that I am the one at fault for him being cursed makes my blood boil. But it allows me the opportunity to make her believe I am playing right into her hands.
With one finger, I trace the delicate cutwork of my glove on the back of my hand as if in thought. I glance up through my lashes. “Alaric is cursed, isn’t he?”
“Aren’t you quite the observant one?” Elizabeth’s eyes narrow. “How did you know?”
