Queen of Secrets

9

I rose to my feet, caught her hand, and pulled her back to me. With a gasp she was in my arms, exactly where she was meant to be, our bodies moving together with familiarity. My mouth found hers before I could stop myself, as if it was the most natural thing in the world to kiss her, as necessary and fundamental as breathing. Her hands gripped my shirt as she kissed me back, her soft body pressed against mine, awakening parts of me that had long been dormant. I wanted to explore every lush curve, taste every sweet spot, and hear her calling my name again. But then I came to my senses and pulled away.

I rested my forehead against hers. “‘I’ve loved you my entire life and I will always love you. If there was a way for us to be together forever, I would jump on it in a heartbeat. But there isn’t.”

“I’ll find a way,” she said, as she brushed her lips against mine.

“If anyone can, it’s you,” I said, though I knew it was impossible.

The door slowly opened and we broke apart. Queen Fellina stepped into the room, her golden hair hanging about her shoulders. Her loose dress did little to cover up her large, very pregnant stomach. I dropped into a bow, even though it made me wince.

“It’s nice to finally meet you Garon,” she said.

“You know who I am?” I asked, as I rose up again.

“I’ve seen you coming for some time.” She gave me a calm smile as she rested her hands on her stomach. “Shall we begin preparations for the ball?”

“What would you have me do?” I asked.

Dahlia’s lips quirked up. “Fellina, can you disguise Garon so he can be at the ball without anyone noticing him?”

“Yes, with a touch of illusion magic,” Fellina said, as she began tracing silver runes in the air. I’d heard she was a wizard, but I’d rarely seen magic performed before. Wizards were uncommon outside of Korelan, and the ones we got in Talador were usually traveling entertainers or advisors to other royals, who used them for their teleportation magic in particular.

As she worked, my skin began to tingle. A mirror hung across the room, and when I turned toward it, I no longer saw myself standing there, but an older, aristocratic man with gray hair and lines by his eyes. Even my clothing changed—everything except my boots, which looked ragged in comparison to the fine threads I now wore.

“You’re going to be Lord Lixon tonight,” Dahlia said. “He’s a nobleman from the south who has fallen ill and won’t be attending, which is perfect for our plans.”

“This will do,” I said, as I took in my disguise. I popped the collar of my coat, which was a rich burgundy color. I grabbed my weapons off the table and attached them to my waist, where the disappeared into the illusion. Now I’d be able to move about the ball without notice and stay near Dahlia to keep her safe.

“The disguise will only last until midnight,” Fellina told me. “And there’s one more thing.” She reached a hand out toward Dahlia. “Give me your dagger.”

“My dagger?” She retrieved it from a sheath strapped to her ankle, flashing me a hint of smooth, tempting skin. “Whatever for?”

Fellina took the blade and drew symbols right onto the metal with her fingertip. As we watched, they glowed silver and burned runes directly into the dagger. When she was finished, the entire thing emitted a faint pale light. “This dagger will now force the truth from anyone whose blood it touches.”

Dahlia took it with awe on her face. “I can use this to get a confession from Prince Nial. Thank you for all your help.”

Fellina smiled at her, then rested a hand on each of our shoulders. “Good luck tonight.”

She left the room to finish getting ready for the ball, and Dahlia and I were alone once again. I brushed a dark lock of hair back from Dahlia’s face. As she glanced up at me, my heart seized with love and longing.

“I should get ready for the ball,” she said. “The guests will be arriving soon. You can recover here until then.”

I nodded and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “I won’t let anything happen to you tonight. I promise.”

“I know you won’t.”

Seven

Dahlia

“M

ay I have this dance?” Prince Nial asked me.

I spun around to face him slowly, trying not to show any suspicion on my face. “Of course. I was wondering where you were.”

He took my gloved hand in his with a polite smile. “Simply making my way around the room. So many people to say hello to, as I’m sure you know.”

“I certainly do. The ambassador from Mesner wouldn’t let me slip away for an eternity.”

He chuckled low as he swept me onto the dance floor. A moment of doubt crept through me as we clasped hands and began to swirl across the room with the other couples. Nial was always kind and pleasant, and I couldn’t imagine him ordering the death of anyone, let alone his fiancé. Especially when he was the one who had offered for my hand years ago and had waited all this time when I kept delaying our wedding. Had he grown tired of waiting? Did he wish to sabotage our kingdom’s alliance? So far I hadn’t seen anything unusual at the ball tonight. The castle’s great hall was lit with torches to fight back the chill in the air, which had grown colder as the day went on and now seemed to hint of impending snow. People moved through the room in their finest furs and jewels, leaving gifts in a pile for the upcoming baby, and sampling the food and drinks. Fellina and Balsam sat on their thrones at the end of the hall, where a line of nobles waited to give their congratulations and fond wishes for a healthy heir.