Page 124 of The Shadows Between Us
“The one who’s always wearing black. But tonight she’s in green.”
CHAPTER
27
I feel my brows shoot up to my hairline. “Lady Zervas.”
Of course. Poison is a woman’s weapon. She hated Kallias’s father for not choosing her. Of course she would have him and his wife murdered. And Kallias. She tried to warn me to stay away from him because he wouldn’t be long for this world. Her hatred must run so deep that she would want to kill the offspring of the romantic union that should have been hers.
Leandros hangs his head. “My uncle. I’m so sorry, Alessandra. I had no idea.”
“I know,” I say. “It’s all right. We’ve already apprehended him, but I need to alert the guards to Lady Zervas’s treachery as well.”
“No need. I’ll do it. You—Will you just take care of him and tell him I’m sorry?”
I place a hand on his shoulder. “You have nothing to be sorry for.”
“I should have noticed something, surely. I could have—”
“Stop it. There’s nothing to do but let it go. You helped Kallias today. And you two as well,” I add, turning around to where Petros and Rhouben are keeping a lookout. “I’ll make sure the king remembers it. It’stime he stopped pushing his friends away. Especially with his parents’ murderers finally caught.”
IPLACE THE GIRLin a room on the opposite side of the castle from Kallias and me, giving her over to one of the kitchen staff for safekeeping. I’ll of course have to make more permanent arrangements later, but for now, I’m utterly spent.
Lady Zervas and Lord Vasco are in separate cells of the dungeon. I finally managed to shoo away the nobles and their questions and congratulations.
Who was behind it?
Was my drink poisoned as well? I think I better see a physician.
Let’s see the ring, Lady Stathos!
You two are a smart match. Of course, my Clarissa would have also been a good choice for the king.
I shut the door to my rooms and lean against it for a moment, rubbing at my temples.
Managing people can be tiresome, but there’s still nothing more satisfying than watching people do exactly what I say.
“You look how I feel,” Kallias says from my bedroom. He sits on my bed, one foot crossed over the other.
“I had to assuage the worries of the nobles.”
“You’re already a fine queen.”
I kick off my boots, wincing as my torn feet hit the floor. Walking on my heels, I make it over to a cushioned chair and collapse.
“You’re hurt.”
“Nothing that a long soak in hot water won’t fix.”
“I’ll draw you a bath.” Kallias moves methodically to my washroom. I hear him fiddling with the faucets and soaps before the sound of heated water filling a basin can be heard.
He pads over to me on bare feet, scooping me up in his arms and carrying me over to the tub.
“It was Zervas,” I tell him when he doesn’t ask. “She was working with Vasco. The girl from the club confirmed his treachery and named her as well. We’ve got them both in the dungeons.”
When Kallias moves us to the washroom, he’s careful to position me so my rump can sit on the edge of the tub, my back leaning against him, and my feet dangling in the water. I wince once the cuts on my feet make contact. The hem of my now-dirty gown soaks up the water, but I don’t care. It’s already ruined.
It feels so nice to wiggle my toes in the warm water, and Kallias’s hands start kneading at the knots in my shoulders.
