Page 76 of The Crimson Throne
His gaze drifts to my lips, his smile softens, and my heart stutters.I turn, striding away and ignoring the deep chuckle that follows at my heels.
“Stay back.” I toss the command over my shoulder, and Samson’s wise enough to at least listen. If Darnley thinks Samson’s on my side, Samson will be useless as my spy. He drops away from me without a word, finding a spot in the corner where he can see most of the hall while still far enough away that no one could guess his meandering eyes linger on me.
It doesn’t take long to find the king consort. He’s drunk, as usual, and loud, as usual, and being a complete and utter arse, as usual. He’s off in a corner behind the wooden mock castle with some of his cronies, several bottles of wine at various stages of being empty nearby. Somehow, the man is still upright.
He’s remarkably not drawing too much attention to himself. Had I not told the Green Lady to tell me of his arrival and to watch him carefully, I doubt she would have even noticed him.
Darnley’s red-rimmed eyes narrow as I approach.
“Oh, here she is, the queen’s lapdog!” Darnley bellows, sweeping his arm toward me. “Come to yap at me?”
I throw up a glamour so that the people around us will suddenly remember they want to go elsewhere in the hall. Human eyes glide off us; human ears hear nothing but loud music and indistinguishable chatter. Darnley’s “friends” are lost in their bottles.
Darnley may not be as drunk as he looks. He narrows his gaze at me, jaw tight. A part of me is relieved that Samson at least can see me and knows where I am, who I’m with.
“What are you smiling about?” Darnley growls.
I hadn’t even realized I was, but now my lips stretch wider, my teeth sharp. A plan forms in my mind—and it all hinges on him losing histemper. Fortunately, it’s easy to poke a bear.
I grin wickedly, all my teeth showing, no light in my eyes. “It must eat you up inside.”
“What?” he snarls.
“You’re not King of Scotland, not really. Just the consort. And you know Mary will never give you the Crown Matrimonial and elevate you to her rank.”
“She will, and—” he starts to protest, but I cut him off.
“And you’re not a powerful Leth either, so you’re forced to obey me. A woman. Who has more power in her little finger that you have in all your pathetic body.” I cluck my tongue at him. “You can’t stand that, can you? The two most powerful people in this country are women who hate you. And there’s nothing you can ever do to even come close to our level. You’ll never have her crown. You’ll never have my magic.” I huff a humorless laugh at his impotent rage.
Darnley lunges toward me, but with a wave of my hand, I create a barrier he cannot cross. His body bounces off it, and he lands on his arse, legs splayed. One of his friends looks up, blearily chuckling at what he thinks is Darnley’s drunken stumble. The mock castle hides most of what we’re doing from anyone who brushes too closely against my distracting glamour.
I look down my nose at Darnley.
“You think you’re better than me?” he growls.
I know I am.
“You called me a dog,” I say idly. “Yet you’re the one on the floor.”
“You’re not a dog, you’re a bi—” he starts, but with another wave of my hand, his lips snap shut.
There are limits to my magic. Leths cannot change the substance of the world, only the appearance. But just as I have persuaded the humansnearby to wander elsewhere and ignore us, I can cast a strong enough glamour on Darnley to make him think hehasto shut his mouth.
I bend at the waist, a tendril of hair falling over my shoulder as I glare at him. “You should go to bed now, dog,” I say sweetly.
His mouth works, but he cannot convince his lips to part. If he were a stronger Leth, this would be nothing.
But he’s not.
Andthatis what enrages him.
He scrambles up, but before he can do anything, I add, “I know that you’re working with the Red Caps.”
He blows air through his nose, and somehow, the sound is sardonic.
“You have no power of your own, so you’re resorting to using Red Cap weapons,” I continue. “It’s a smart plan, so it probably came from your mother, not you. Honestly, how pathetic. You really would be nowhere at all if you didn’t have women better than you in your life. Let her know for me, would you? I do think Lady Lennox is clever. Smuggling in Red Cap weapons, knowing the wall keeps out fae creatures, not their devices…”
I wave my hand, casting aside the silencing spell. Darnley keeps his lips pressed close.
