Page 193 of A Touch of Poison
She exhaled. “Agreed.”
“Although”—the edge of a smile curved the prince’s mouth—“I’m sure you’ll agree he should be allowed to see his wife at will.”
A beat of calculating silence, then the queen countered, “And I’m sure you’ll agree he should be accompanied by guards as he travels through our side of the palace.”
He bowed his head. “Of course.”
“Now, leave us.” She beckoned Bastian closer. “I need a word with my Shadow.”
I didn’t know whether to be furious, relieved, or something else as we started towards the twinned main doors. My body settled on a heavy emptiness.
As Asher stepped through Dusk’s door, a hand closed around my arm. Uncle Rufus stood over me.
I stilled, though my heart pounded.
He smiled, fingers biting in. “Have you forgotten about duty, my girl? He is your husband and you still owe him a child.”
After everything,Iowedhim? I bit the inside of my cheek, afraid the words would snap out.
“Remember, family is the most important thing. There are many,manyopportunities here for us. With you in Dusk and me in Dawn…” He raised his eyebrows as he squeezed so tight, I knew there would be marks when I removed my shirt. “You’re a clever girl to get yourself involved with the man in charge.”
Of course. He saw Bastian and the Night Queen yet only saw the man. The queen was nothing more than a figurehead to him.
And,of course, he expected his niece to do his bidding.
I tried to ease my arm from his grip. If Bastian saw…
“Let me go,” I whispered, glancing back at Bastian who was in an intense conversation with the queen.
Uncle Rufus followed my gaze, then yanked me close. “I’m here as the prince’s guest. Your friend can’t touch me.” He thrust me away.
I hated him for being right.
As I stumbled towards Dusk’s door, he gave me an unpleasant smile. “Enjoy warming his bed; just remember where your loyalties lie.”
Oh, I knew exactly where my loyalties lay.
71
Kat
Ithought taking Bastian up on his offer with the boots would help me sleep.
I was wrong.
As much as I lost myself in the moment, afterwards I lay in the dark thinking about the fact Uncle Rufus was in this building on the other side of a thin, thin veil. He could even be in this same room on Dawn’s side of the palace.
What had become a sanctuary, he and Robin had now made unsafe. I hated them for it. Hated the world for their existence. And hated myself for allowing them to break all I’d built.
Come morning, Bastian pressed a familiar sphere into my hand. “I was meaning to give this back to you, permanently. Now seems like the right time.” He slid my thumb along the chain. “Remember.”
Gripping the orrery, I drew a shaky breath. “This is real.”
He nodded and left me in his bed with a kiss and the promise that he’d dig into how Rufus and Robin had managed to weasel their way here. “Get some sleep,” he ordered before leaving for work, ready to write a report on our trip for the queen.
For once, I didn’t obey.
I couldn’t. Not with the feel of Rufus’s fingers biting into my arm and the stuttering images ofthat nightcoming to mind. When I thought I spotted Dia’s skeleton in a dark corner of the room, I dragged myself from bed. Not even the rich red roses in my room could make me smile. Without bathing, I dressed and headed out. The guards went to fetch Rose to accompany me, but I told them I was going to visit Vespera.
