by CJ Archer
"It's fine," he said, laughing softly. "You were asleep."
"I was not. I'd only just closed my eyes."
"So you drool when you're awake?"
I swiped my hand across my mouth. Dry. I checked the corners. Dry. So I did what any girl would do when she likes the man teasing her. I thumped his shoulder. He held up his hands in surrender but the smile lingered, and it was delicious.
I couldn't stop staring at his mouth. Were his lips as warm and soft as they looked? I instinctively reached out but checked myself at the last moment and touched his cheek instead.
"There's a mark," I said, stupidly. "Sorry."
He cleared his throat. "It'll vanish."
I wanted to ask him why he'd been leaning over me when I was sleeping, but he got in first.
"Do you want to know my answer?" he asked.
It took me a moment to refocus on our previous discussion. I nodded.
"My answer is yes," he said. "You can help me find out more about magic, but on the condition we do it together."
I liked his condition. "I agree."
"Now tell me what you know."
"I know the name of a man who wrote a book on magic. He's a Vytillian lord and he happens to be here in the palace. It's the Vytill representative."
"Barborough?"
"Apparently he spent some years in Zemaya, where he learned about magic. He wrote a book upon his return to Vytill. We could ask him to teach us, or perhaps ask for a copy of the book."
Dane pulled up his knees and rested his forearms on them. He stared at the palace roof, with its golden capping, so striking against the black slate.
"Are you worried that he may be the rapist?" I asked, having wondered the same thing myself. Ruth had been assigned to clean Barborough's room, after all.
"Yes, but there's more. He must already suspect magic built this place and will be alert for signs of it, including strange behavior from the servants. A staff member's inquiries will only fuel his suspicions. I don't want to give him a reason to ask me questions about my past and how I got here."
"Then I'll make the inquiries. I'll say my father had an interest in magic and now I find I want to know more to bring me closer to him."
He gave a curt nod. "Very well, but I'll stay nearby. He's a suspect in the attack on Ruth. I won't leave you alone with him."
"Have you advanced far in your investigation?"
"I've inquired into the whereabouts of the three servants at the time of the attack. Only one has no witness to vouch for him—the footman. I've questioned him but he claims he's innocent."
"Of course he does." I blew out a frustrated breath. "At least he knows you're aware of his behavior. If he is the rapist, it might stop him doing it again."
"Or it might make him more careful next time."
With a palace full of maids who often walked alone through the dark maze of corridors, the horror of it happening again was very real.
"You should warn the maids," I said. "They should be told to go about their business in pairs."
"Pairing up isn't always practical. But you're right. I know Ruth wants to keep the incident private, but the maids must be warned."
"No one needs to know she was the victim."
Neither of us mentioned the likelihood of the other staff guessing. It was known that I'd visited her, and some would put the two facts together.
"At least your list is smaller with the elimination of the other two servants." I held up a finger. "There's the footman…what's his name?"
"Seb."
"There's Seb, Lord Barborough and Lord Xavier Deerhorn." I put up a second and third finger.
He arched his brows. "You seem to be under the impression that you're helping me with this investigation too."
"Of course I am. Ruth trusts me, and since I'll be talking to Barborough about magic, I can—"
"You will not confront him about the attack. Is that understood?"
"I'll be guided by you, Dane. Now, the fourth person on your list must be Sergeant Brant," I said before he could interrupt again. "He seems likely, if you ask me."
"Brant isn't a suspect."
"Why not?"
"He was on patrol at the time with Zeke. According to Zeke, they remained together."
"They know why you questioned them about that night?"
He shook his head. "I told them nothing."
"So that brings us back to three. That's not so many."
He held my gaze without blinking.
"There's another, isn't there?" I pressed.
He broke the gaze and turned back to the lake. "If I tell you, you must promise not to talk to him on your own."
"Is it someone I know?"
"Promise, Josie."
"I promise. Is it one of the guards?"
He shook his head. "A man from the village. I had reports at the time of a stranger wandering around the palace grounds. I didn't connect the reports to the rape until this morning, when I learned he was seen in the service corridors by one of the visiting ladies' maids. She thought he was a palace gardener or other outdoor servant at the time, but on learning the gardeners are not allowed in any part of the palace, she reported the incident to me."
"Did she describe him?"
He nodded. "I took that description to the guards who were on duty at all the gates at the time of the sighting, as well as the stables and commons. The maid's description matched a man who'd helped deliver fresh crayfish from Mull." He paused.
"Go on," I said. "Out with it."
"A change in the guards on the gates occurred after the cart arrived and before it left which explains why the cart wasn't stopped when only the driver left with it. The new guards didn't know he had an assistant." He'd given the account in a matter-of-fact tone up until the end. "Damn it," he growled. "The procedure for changing the guards isn't secure enough. It leaves us exposed."
"You weren't to know."
"I should have known!"
I swallowed and kept my mouth shut. I plucked at the grass and waited for his temper to cool before speaking again. "There are many strangers in Mull at the moment," I said. "Some could have a violent background and we wouldn't know it." I had to consider that perhaps not all were refugees from The Thumb looking for honest work. Some could be escapees fleeing the authorities, hiding among Mull's chaos.
"This isn't a stranger," he said darkly.
"Who is it?"
"One of the Deerhorn maids saw him arrive on the cart and was able to give me a name." He held my gaze. "It's Ivor Morgrain."
Chapter 5
"No." I shook my head over and over. "Not Ivor. I've known him my whole life and he wouldn't rape anyone."
Dane said nothing but he watched me with that intense stare of his, the one where he seemed to be trying to read my mind.
I had to look away. "He wouldn't. He might have turned out to be a bully but he's not a danger."
"He wasn't always a bully?" he asked.
"No." I tried reconciling the man who'd argued with the stranger on the concourse yesterday with the one who'd brought me flowers as recently as a month ago. I gave up. Ivor had changed, but not as much as Dane was implying. "That's why the gates weren't opened for me. You're taking extra precautions in case Ivor returns."
"It's not just for him. Josie, did he…" He huffed out a breath and appealed to the sky. "Was there once something between you?"
"Ivor and me?" I barked a laugh. "Dear Hailia, no."
"The Deerhorn maid said you knew him. She thought perhaps that's why he was here, because he wanted to see where the woman he was courting spent some of her time."
I scoffed. "First of all, I haven't spent much time here of late. Secondly, we are certainly not courting and never have."
"Isn't he the man who brought you flowers that day?"
I plucked at the grass again. "He wanted to court me, but…" I shrugged.
"Go on."
My gaze flicked to his, only to dash away again when I noti
ced the intensity still there, deep in his eyes. "I'd rather spend my time reading medical books than talking to Ivor Morgrain. Does that answer your question?"
His lips twitched. "It does."
I lay down on the grass again and flung a hand over my eyes against the bright sunshine. "I cannot believe Ivor would flout security and stay on palace grounds without permission. He was a little wild a few years ago but most of the village boys were. They did stupid and dangerous things like jumping from cliffs into the sea. Sometimes I wonder how any of them survived to adulthood. But Ivor never broke the law."
"As far as you know."
I peeked at him from behind my arm. He shrugged at me. "Mull is—or was—a small village. I would have heard if he'd so much as been fined for urinating in public."
"People change, Josie."
I sighed. "People change, places change, everything changes."
"You don't like change?" He sounded concerned. Perhaps he thought he was about to have a weepy female on his hands.
"I don't like it when good things go bad. Not even Ivor, the fool." I lowered my arm and sat up again, this time making sure not to hit Dane. "You do realize it's a big leap from flouting palace security to rape, don't you?"
"I am aware, yes," he said wryly. "And I'm not saying he did it, just that he's a suspect."
"Very well. We'll include him, but I doubt he's guilty."
"Your opinion is noted. Indeed, I'm grateful for it. First hand knowledge of our suspects is valuable. If only someone can vouch for Lord Barborough's character." He leaned forward and dusted off his hands. "Don't forget your promise, Josie. You're not to question Morgrain. You're not to go anywhere near him. The main reason I gave you his name is so you can avoid him."
I bit my lip.
"I know that look," he said. "What is it?"
"I spoke to him only yesterday. He didn't mention coming here." I frowned as I tried to recall the conversation. "Although he did say he'd heard a rumor about me going to the palace revels. I assumed he'd spoken to one of the Deerhorn servants in the village, but perhaps he heard it here."
"It's likely." He stood and rested one hand on his sword hilt. "Promise you won't go near him again."
"I'll not go out of my way, but I can't help it if I bump into him again. Believe me, Dane, I am not interested in seeing Ivor."
There was that wan smile again when I said his name, the one that was like a ghost of itself, there one moment but gone the next, as if it had never existed.
He held out his hand to me. I took it and he assisted me to my feet. Neither of us let go, however. We stood toe to toe without moving, as if our feet were stuck in mud. I didn't want to move away.
I peered up at him and he down at me, giving me the full effect of his warm gaze as it searched mine. He leaned in a little and his finger brushed my wrist. It found my pulse and gently caressed. My blood quickened. My heart pounded, knowing what came next. Eager for it.
He pulled away and strode off, leaving me staring at his broad back. It took several moments before I was thinking clearly again, and by then, he'd reached the trees.
I picked up my skirts and raced after him. He did not wait but forged ahead, his long legs keeping him well in front on the path back to the palace.
"Dane…" How did a girl ask a man if she could explore the feelings she had for him, or the feelings she suspected he had for her? Every sentence in my head sounded pathetic. Besides, I'd be a fool to ask when I didn't know the answer. Going by his tense shoulders, his purposeful strides, he certainly did not want to discuss feelings.
By the time we reached the steps leading up one side of the semi-sunken garden, Dane had slowed down to keep pace with me. He still seemed tense and unwilling to meet my gaze, but I was prepared to pay that price if it meant he was angry with himself for having feelings for me. I wasn't entirely sure, but I now had some hope where before I had none. We had almost kissed, after all. I thought.
"Where will we find Lord Barborough now?" I asked, returning to a safer topic.
"He was in a meeting with the king when I came out to greet you. He might still be there."
We were hailed by Ruth as we walked past the commons, and I was pleased to see her smiling. On closer inspection, however, it didn't ring true, as if she'd plastered it on for our benefit.
"How are you today, Ruth?" I asked.
"Fine," she said.
"Do you need to see me?"
She glanced at Dane. He discreetly moved out of earshot. "I wanted to ask you a question." She lowered her voice. "When will I know if I'm with child?"
It was a question that most women over the age of fifteen knew the answer to. Without a memory, the lack of such basic knowledge made Ruth seem childlike, and that made the crime committed against her even more despicable. "In the coming weeks," I told her. "If your monthly courses stop, that's a sign. Send for me if that happens."
She hugged the folded linen in her arms. "Thank you, Miss Cully. I won't forget your assistance."
"You've been very brave." I squeezed her arm. "But you're going to have to be braver. We must tell the other maids so they can be more careful going about their work. We don't want this happening again."
She sucked in her lower lip and gave a small nod. "Do what you need to do. I'll be all right."
I gave her arm another squeeze and went to join Dane. Ruth followed me. "There's something I should tell you, Captain," she said.
"Do you remember something about your attacker?" he asked.
"It's not that. It's about Lord Barborough." At Dane's loaded silence, she added, "I know you think he might be the one who attacked me and that's why I've been reassigned, but I'm not sure. For one thing, his right arm doesn't work. Without it, he couldn't have done…that."
"Is there anything else?" Dane asked.
"I didn't mention this to you earlier because it was just before I was…before I was attacked and I forgot about it. But Lord Barborough questioned me over and over."
"About what?"
"About my past, where I'm from, that sort of thing. I didn't answer him. You told us not to speak about any of that, or our—" She cut herself off and glanced at me.
"You can speak freely," Dane said. "Miss Cully knows about the memory loss."
She hefted the pile of linens in her arms higher. "I heard Lord Barborough has been asking the footman who now cleans his rooms the same questions. He's been real pushy too, and getting angry when Jack didn't speak. The visiting staff used to ask lots of questions when they first came, but this is the first time a lord has asked. I thought you should know, Captain."
"Thank you, Ruth. You were right to tell me."
She bobbed a curtsy and hurried off in the direction of the palace service door, opposite the commons.
"It's confirmation that Lord Barborough still has an interest in magic," I said.
"And confirmation that he suspects magic was used here," Dane added. "And on us."
We too entered the palace through the service door and wound our way up a flight of stairs and along corridors, slipping into a richly decorated room. A lady seated at a table looked up from her hand of cards. She whispered something to her companion and both stared at me as I crossed the salon to the next chamber. I suspected their interest was a result of Lady Deerhorn telling them she'd seen me dressed in fine clothes on the night of the revels.
As with the last time I'd been in the council chambers in the main part of the palace, Theodore sat on one of the cushioned stools in the antechamber. He rose and greeted us both and pointed out Balthazar sitting in the adjoining office, both hands resting on the head of his walking stick. He signaled for us to join him.
"Forgive me for not rising to greet you, Josie, but I prefer to sit as much as possible. This old back is seizing up lately." He nodded at the doorway toward the ante-chamber. "If I sat on one of those stools, I'd never get up."
"You should have it checked by a doctor," I said. "He'll probably prescribe regular massage
with a Lallak-based ointment."
"Do you stock the ointment?"
"Yes, but—"
"Then bring me some next time you come to the palace."
"But I—"
"She is coming again soon, isn't she, Hammer?" He tilted his head to the side to peer up at Dane.
"She'll be assisting me in an investigation," he said.
"Into the attack on Ruth? Is that wise, given she's a woman and therefore a potential target for the attacker?"
"Into the other, ongoing matter."
"Magic?" Theodore whispered. "Has there been a development? Do you know why we lost our memories, Josie?"
I silently groaned. I hadn't wanted to discuss magic with anyone other than Dane. In truth, it was Balthazar I didn't want knowing what we knew. It was too late now. He leaned forward, his hands tightening around the top of his walking stick.
"Not yet," Dane told them. "But Josie has made some inquiries and learned about the Zemayan beliefs."
"Only a little," I added.
"The Zemayans believe in an all-powerful sorcerer who seems to have been active centuries ago," Dane said.
"It could be merely a story," I said.
Dane went on to tell them about Lord Barborough and his interest in magic. "Is he still in there with the king?"
Theodore nodded. "They've been locked in there for an age with two of our own advisers."
"The dukes?" Dane asked.
Balthazar snorted. "Merdu, no. We wanted it to be a productive meeting, not an exercise in squabbling. The dukes have their own agenda and don't want to see Barborough succeed. The last thing they want is to make the king's position on the throne stronger by marrying him to the Vytill princess."
"They're not aware of this meeting?" I asked.
Balthazar shook his head. "They'll find out soon enough, but until then, we wanted it to take place in private."
"Hopefully it's the first meeting of many between Barborough and the king," Theodore said. "There'll be meetings with the representatives from Dreen too, to hear their proposals. Their princess is still a candidate."
I'd always thought being a princess would be glamorous and exciting, but the reality turned out to be the opposite. There was no glamor in a marriage between a princess and a king when it was discussed as coolly as if it were just another trade bargain between nations. I felt sorry for the two princesses in question. I felt even sorrier for the one King Leon chose as his bride.