“He tried to force himself on me. I was only defending myself.” Surely, I have a right to do that.
“Doesn’t matter. Attacking one of the king’s guards is considered an attack on the king himself.”
What have I done? How am I going to get away with this? “If they take me, you must get word to Senan as quickly as you can.” He is my only hope.
The door bursts open, and two Scathian guards stalk into the room, the short swords in their fists gleaming. Braith and I both shriek, and I hide my nakedness using the stolen towel.
“You two,” the taller guard roars, not bothering to avert his gaze. “Get dressed and get into the hallway.Now!”
We truly are cursed.
This is it. The end of the line. The price I must pay for taking what was never meant for me.
Braith tugs the towel higher over my back and pushes me toward the door.
Tuath in various states of dress fill the hallway, backs pressed to the walls, hands fisted at their sides as the House Master paces between them, his steely eyes scanning their tired, confused faces.
He comes to a halt where I stand, the ends of his boots bumping my bare toes. “Why aren’t you dressed?”
“I was having a shower when the alarm sounded. The guards said to come straight away.”
“At three o’clock in the morning? Seems an odd time to shower.” He scans from my dripping black hair to my bare feet. “What happened to your face?”
Oh, right. My face.
Your guard struck me, so I killed him.
“She fell, sir,” Braith lies, calm as day. “We had a few drinks tonight, and she tripped on a stair and fell.”
The House Master’s eyes narrow on both of us.
“It’s true,” Jeston says from down the hallway, his chin lifted and eyes straight ahead. “She fell.”
Beside him, Mari nods in agreement. “I saw her as well.”
What have I done to deserve such loyalty? That they would lie for someone they barely know. If I get away with this, I will owe these people my life.
Although he doesn’t appear convinced, the House Master clicks his fingers and gestures toward the bathing room.NO! Don’t go in there!They’re going to find my dress and then they’ll know it was me and I’ll be dead before dawn. I hold my breath until my lungs burn, my eyes welling with tears.
When the two guards return empty-handed, I don’t understand. What the hell has Braith done with my dress?
The House Master curses and shouts that there will be a mandatory search of all the rooms. The guards start throwing open doors. The Tuath murmur and exchange angry glances, but no one tries to stop the men from entering.
A few moments later, screaming erupts down the hall.
A guard grips Del by the arm while she curses and pummels him with her free hand. “It’s not mine!” she shrieks, her face as red as the man’s wings. “I swear! It’s not mine.”
Two vials of stardust glow in the man’s clenched fist.
“At least now we know where he’s gettin’ it from,” one of the guards at my back mutters to another before throwing open Braith’s door.
My friend chews on her lower lip, scrubbing her hands down her shift.
The books.Dammit. They’re going to find her stash of stolen books.
Sure enough, a guard emerges with three books in hand, holding them up for everyone to see. “Whose room is this?” he bellows.
The man next to Braith shies away from her, pressing himself into the wall. Sniffling, Braith steps forward. Jeston’s jaw pulses as he glares at her back.