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Once at my bedchamber, he opened the door and then stepped back respectfully, bowing his head.
“I will be out here if you need anything at all.”
“Thank you, Ferryn.”
Then I closed the door, tumbled into my bed, and wept till I fell asleep.
I awoketo Hava stoking the fire that had gone out in the grate. It was late afternoon by the color of the sky.
For a moment, I blinked awake, simply soaking in the beauty of my bedchamber, then I remembered. My heart sank with dread.
“Time to wake up, my mistress,” said Hava, bustling over to the wardrobe where she’d put away my dresses. “You must get changed for dinner.”
Sitting up, I said, “I’m not going.”
Hava turned her surprised red eyes on me. “Are you sick?”
I huffed a laugh.Sick to my soul, I thought. But I shook my head.
“No, Hava. I’m not dining withhim.”
She paused, watching me carefully. “You are angry with him?”
“Very,” I snapped, standing and striding to the window, feeling sluggish and tired and sad. I pushed open the glass pane, needing the fresh air.
I’d never wished for the use of my wings more in all my life, desperate to leap from this window and fly far away. Tears pricked the backs of my eyes.
“My king will not like it if you refuse to dine with him,” said Hava quietly, closer behind me now.
My sadness evaporated like a whiff of smoke, pure fury taking its place. I whirled. “Really? The king will beupset?”My voice rose. “Gods forbid!”
“Mistress, is there something I can do to—?”
She didn’t get to finish her sentence because Goll slammed the door open so hard it hit the wall behind it. His dark gaze went to me then circled the room in an instant. He was obviously looking to find some danger, the reason he apparently heard my raised voice.
I crossed my arms and glared daggers at him. When he realized the danger wasn’t a threat against me but rather comingfromme, he commanded quietly, “Leave, Hava.”
She half flew, half ran out of the room, pulling the door closed behind her.
Goll said nothing at first, simply stared, taking in my fuming anger. Then he strode to the middle of the room, closer to where I remained with my back to the window.
“This is about your visit with Dalya,” he stated.
I swallowed hard, trying to regain control of my temper before I spoke, but it was no use.
“This is about the fact that you expect me to go through some sort of wraith fae ritual that couldkillme.”
He didn’t flinch. Not at all. Like this news was nothing to him. Like my life meant nothing.
“You will not die,” he said so calmly it only made me angrier.
“You don’t know that,” I hissed.
“I do.”
“Because you’reking?” I practically screamed. “You know everything? You’re willing to bet my life on it. You care so little about me that you’d let me die to get whatyouwant.” I trembled in rage. “Why didn’t you just stab me through in Valla Lokkyr and be done with it?”
His cool demeanor slipped as he closed the distance in three long, steady strides. I remained rigid and unmoving. He didn’t reach for me, thank the gods.
