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“I’ll need to get some extra layers,” Fina said, “but I’d love to.”
Adora laughed. “Let me fetch you a pair of my extra gloves,” she said. “They’ll change your life.”
We parted ways to hurry to our rooms to get our cloaks, with plans to meet outside the manor near the gardens. As I made my way down the quiet hall toward my quarters, a dark figure turned the corner, heading toward my room.
I paused. The figure was too tall to be one of my maidservants. Who would be creeping toward my room? I pulled the knife from my waistband and unsheathed it. I was done taking chances around this manor.
Slowly, quietly, I crept around the corner, blade drawn.
Standing at my door was the tall general from last night. Cyran. He had sharp hearing and turned toward me as soon as I took a step, his eyes immediately flitting to the knife in my hand.
I shoved it back in its sheath in my waistband. “Good day,” I said curtly.
Cyran bit back a smile. “I see the lady is well-prepared.”
“May I ask why you’ve come to my quarters?” I asked. I kept my distance.
“I came to see if you were all right,” Cyran said. “You seemed unwell last night after our dance, and then, well…” He gestured vaguely in the air.
I cringed. Every person I ran into would likely have something to say about my shift last night. At least internally my wolf was settled and not demanding my attention at every look and word. It was as if letting her run had calmed her down a little. Small blessings, I supposed. “Let me step inside and fetch my cloak.”
Cyran nodded and stepped aside to let me slip into my room. Inside, the cloak the king had given me was folded neatly at the foot of my bed. I smoothed my hand over the rough canvas fabric, then, before I could realize what I was doing, I leaned forward and pressed my nose to the fabric. It smelled mostly of detergent and the crisp air it had been dried in, but still faintly beneath that I could detect the dirt of the cave, the barest hint of the king’s musk. That made my wolf stir.
As much as I wanted to wear it, for the simple instinctive pleasure it brought me, I couldn’t risk someone else picking up the faint scents. I pulled my usual cloak from the wardrobe and tugged it over my shoulders.
When I stepped out, Cyran was waiting for me. I was slightly surprised to still see him there, and glad I still had my knife at my waistband.
“Where are you off to on such a cold day?” he asked.
“Taking a stroll through the gardens with the other competitors,” I said. “Since the Choice is coming to a close soon, we’d like to enjoy our remaining time together.”
Cyran tilted his head, surprised. “You’re friends with the other ladies?”
“Why, of course,” I said. “Is that so unexpected?”
“Well, I’d assume you wouldn’t be friends with the other women,” he said. “Since you are all competing to be by the king’s side.”
“I’m here to represent my court and my pack,” I said. “Why would I be rude to the other competitors? It would disgrace my family.”
Cyran hummed his acknowledgment. As we strode down the halls toward the gardens, Cyran fell in step with me easily. “You didn’t answer my question,” he said.
“Which?” I asked.
“If you are all right, after last night.”
I sighed, grateful for the quiet of the hallways. “I’m fine,” I said.
“You seemed quite intoxicated,” he said carefully.
“I wasn’t,” I said shortly. “I only had the one glass of wine. I believe someone slipped something into it.”
Cyran paused. “You believe someone drugged you?”
“I don’t have a better explanation,” I said. The knife in my waistband and the servants passing by gave me a boost of courage. “You wouldn’t know anything about that, would you?”
“What are you implying?” Cyran asked, low.
“Just asking a question,” I said. “The wine was brought to me specifically, and I don’t know who sent it. It coincided with your asking me to dance. I wondered if you saw anything suspicious.”
