He cocked his head, still grinning. “Was this penance only for the things you said to me previously or did it cover the things you said today as well? Because if you want to do penance for all the times your tongue has been too sharp—and you really should—I’d like to remind you of the many days at Docendum when you were less than agreeable.”
That brought my gaze to his. “I believe you were the one who was disagreeable during our last days together.”
He nodded, unperturbed by this accusation. “You’re right. I should apologize to you.” He moved toward me, playfully reaching for my waist to pull me back to him. I evaded his hands and stood up. “I don’t want to be the sort of lady you kiss but don’t introduce to your friends.”
His grin turned into a laugh. “Have you given up on noblemen’s sons and decided to use your lures on me, Marcella?”
“Your teachers warned you I would. Perhaps you should’ve listened to them.”
He seemed to find this all very amusing. “As you said, I’m a confirmed bachelor. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try toconvince me otherwise.” Another slow smile spread across his lips. “In truth, you can be quite convincing.”
If I’d really written to Ronan in order to revive our old romance, I would be pressing for some token of commitment. I lifted my chin in challenge. “Are you going to introduce me to your friends?”
“Well, you’ve already met Mage Saxeus.”
I blanched at the name. “One would hope you’ve friends who are more pleasant.”
“I wouldn’t think of introducing you around court as someone who was dear to me. Too dangerous. When powerful wizards form attachments, they keep their women as secret as possible and hide their families away where no one can find them.”
“What a very convenient excuse for avoiding commitment.”
He leaned back on his hands in an overly confident manner. “You should try and convince me to embrace matrimony. Doing so will keep you away from every other scoundrel in court, so I’m quite willing to encourage you.”
“You’re too kind.”Rogue.“Lady Edith will wonder what’s become of me. I should go to her.” I started back to the castle without waiting to see if he followed.
CHAPTER 21
After supper, I sent Joanne to Alaric with the camouflage cloak wrapped in a bundle and a note relating Gwenyth’s condition. Should anyone look at the note, I added that depending on how Gwenyth fared, I may need someone to fetch her relations to help nurse her. I hoped he could find someone else to perform this task since Lady Edith still needed his services. I knew he would understand my true message. Despite the fact he’d volunteered to be Gwenyth’s backup, I wanted him to find another renegade to kill the king. Surely the organization must have another member at Valistowe.
Perhaps I should’ve snuck out and delivered the message in person to emphasize this point. But after kissing Ronan the way I had, completely brazenly, I couldn’t face Alaric. I feared he would somehow know what I’d done. I’d kissed the enemy and enjoyed it.
My mind kept returning to those moments in the garden. Ronan had said he wouldn’t introduce me in court as someone dear to him. I’d given little attention to the sentence at the time, supposing him to be speaking in general. Now I wondered if he was in fact professing that I was dear to him. Had kissing me been more than a whim for him?
He’d encouraged me to try and convince him to give up bachelorhood. The challenge evoked all sorts of possibilities of another encounter. His lips on mine again. His arms holding me. And Ronan speaking to me in that teasing, intimate way that made us equals.
Each time these thoughts came to me, I had to remind myself that if I was successful tonight, everything would be different on the morrow.
What would Ronan do when he found himself without magic?
I could offer him a place at Paxworth. He had pride though, perhaps too much pride to accept charity from me. And even if I could restore his mark—and performing such a complicated spell was most likely beyond my current abilities—I couldn’t do it without revealing the extent of my magic. Once he knew about that, he’d figure out the rest and hate me.
The festivities around the castle didn’t last quite so long that night. At midnight, I became invisible and crept to Mage Saxeus’ room. No serpent sat guarding his door.
Gwenyth had already discovered his trespassing spell involved scorpions falling from the ceiling. No doubt they, like the snakes, were metal until an intruder came uninvited to his room.
I was prepared for them. I’d taken a wooden washing bucket from the laundry, filled it with a few inches of water, and cast a spell to heat the water to boiling. I’d also stolen some sleeping draught from the housekeeper’s room. After last night’s events, I couldn’t trust that once the stunning spell wore off, Mage Saxeus would simply drift into the arms of sleep.
With the bucket on my head, I unlocked the room and slipped inside. I took one step. Two.
A hissing sounded above me. The repulsive noise of falling scorpions. Three large ones missed the bucket and dropped infront of me. My boots would protect my feet and calves from their sting, but still, only willpower kept my feet planted on the floor. I couldn’t stomp on them, or I’d splash boiling water onto myself.
The water sizzled, letting me know the majority of the creatures had landed there. The three on the ground lifted their pincers and scuttled toward me. I set the bucket down firmly on them, then turned and stepped on two that were coming at me from behind.
Though I tried to be quiet, the noise was loud enough to rouse the wizard. The bed creaked with his shifting weight.
I knelt and put one hand on the bucket to turn it invisible again. My other hand gripped my wand. To cast the stunning spell, I needed a target, and the wizard was still behind his curtains. If he called out, the guards at the stairs would hear him and come.
Should I take my chances and lunge at the bed or keep still and hope Mage Saxeus would roll over and go back to sleep?