Page 114 of The Shadows Between Us
“You’re speculating,” I spit back. “There is no proof that Hektor ended the relationship or that I had any cause at all to harm him.”
“Perhaps not yet, but I will find it. I’ve already spoken to the staff of your father’s estate. I’m told you certainly would have had the ability and the means to get Hektor’s body out of the estate unseen. You frequently snuck out at night unnoticed, only to return well past noon the following day. And I would like to request the king’s permission to seize the knife on your person to compare it to the nick in the deceased’s ribs.”
I keep my gaze cool and collected as I turn toward Kallias, deferring to him this time.
Please read my calmness as innocence.
I haven’t lost everything yet. Hektor will not come back to ruin me one last time. I amthis closeto becoming queen.
“Constable,” Kallias says with a calmness that scares me, “you and the baron will excuse us. I appreciate you bringing this matter to my attention. As Lady Stathos is a member of my court, I will handle the investigation from here and get to the bottom of it.”
The baron looks as though he has much more he wishes to say, but wanting to remain in good standing with the king, he allows the guards to escort him and the constable away.
Epaphras follows them out, closing the door behind himself. I manage to walk to the nearest armchair and fall into it. Waiting.
Waiting. Waiting.
Kallias is going to explode on me at any moment. He’ll have me thrown into prison until he decides on the proper day and manner for killing me. He’ll—
Kallias laughs so loudly and abruptly, I nearly topple out of the armchair. He has his hands on his knees while his whole body shakes from the force of the laughter. What the devils?
Did I break the king?
He manages to straighten after a moment and look over at me, but then his face contorts and he’s back to uncontrollable laughter.
I feel my limbs grow tight, my face grow hot, anger pooling into every muscle.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” I snap, shouting over the top of his laughter. He wasn’t even this bad when he read Orrin’s love letter.
He says something I can’t quite make out, then rubs tears from his eyes and tries again. “You killed him!” He throws his head back and laughs and laughs.
And somehow, I know that I’m not in trouble. How can I be if he’s this jovial over the fact?
I could deny it. Plead on my behalf. But Kallias isn’t stupid. Though the constable doesn’t have enough evidence to convict me, Kallias knows the truth of it.
“I’ve an inclination to kill again,” I say, glaring at him.
Kallias props himself up on the nearest wall of books, catching his breath. Once he’s calm, he strides over to me and places his gloved hands on either side of my head.
“My little hellion. Quite the force to be reckoned with, aren’t you? Oh, say you’ll marry me, Alessandra!”
I swallow, thoroughly confused. “You’re not going to hang me?”
“Hang you?” he repeats, letting his hands fall to his sides. “The man did you wrong, Alessandra. Honestly, you’ve saved me the trouble of tracking him down and killing him myself.”
“But—”
“I pardon you,” he says simply.
I blink. “Just like that?”
“Just like that. Anything for my friend.”
I don’t know that I’ve ever hated that word more than when it comes out of Kallias’s mouth.
“Will you marry me?” he repeats, easily turning back to our previous conversation.
“What will happen if I say no?”
