Page 119 of Waking Roslyn

She did as I asked, and the guard stepped inside. “Good afternoon, Lady Roslyn.”

“What is going on?”

“I’m not certain, but there seem to have been some significant developments in the search for whoever poisoned you.”

“Developments?”

“Yes, my lady, and I’m certain someone—”

John stumbled into the room, his hair rumpled, as if he’d perhaps just been woken. But his eyes were bright and excited. “Roslyn,” he said.

My breath caught, my heart thrumming, though I didn’t know how much of it was caused by my anticipation of news and how much of it was caused simply by him. He wasn’t wearing a uniform. Instead, he looked like the John I’d known for the past four months.

The soldier bowed and excused himself, and Everly went back into her own room, though the doors were left open.

“Tell me,” I said.

He crossed the room and fell to his knees in front of me, gathering my hands in his and kissing each of them before looking up at me. “The earls have been arrested.”

My throat seemed to close off in shock, and for just a moment I struggled to either breathe or speak. But then I let out a gust of breath and said, “What?”

“I went to Ravenna’s estate. I found moon thistle growing on his property.”

I blinked hard. It really had been the earl who had tried to kill me. Tried and nearly succeeded.

“One of the delivery boys had seen the man who delivered the poisoned bouquet. He came with me and identified him as one of the cooks. The soldiers went to investigate. The cook quickly turned on his master, and when Lord Ravenna was interviewed, he quickly turned on Lord Malladon.”

My heart pounded and my ears felt muffled. “It was both of them?” I asked as I tried to hold back the tears that crowded my eyes.

“Yes.”

My throat felt swollen. “Was there anyone else?”

He shook his head. “The guards are confident that it was only the two earls working together with a few trusted servants. No other noblemen have been named.”

“But they’ve been arrested?”

“Yes. Both earls, and the servants involved.”

“So, that means…” I shut my eyes and tears rolled down my cheeks. “That means I’m…” My emotions swelled up, overwhelming me. I couldn’t say the word. It felt too unreal.

“That means you’re safe,” he said for me. “Finally.”

I couldn’t describe all that I was feeling. It was so tangled and complicated. Relief, disbelief, anger, sadness, joy, bitterness, hope. It was all there, and it was too much.

I leaned forward and fell into John’s arms, laying my head on his shoulder and wrapping my arms around his neck. I squeezed him as tightly as I could, almost afraid that letting go would mean it wasn’t true.

He rubbed his hands up and down my back, and I was so grateful to have him here to hold me together as I fell apart.

It was a long time before I let him go.

***

I was ready to get out of this room. I had woken early this morning. Now it was early evening, and I was tired of this room and most especially this bed. Knowing I’d been stuck in it, helpless, for several days made me despise it all.

My strength was slowly but steadily returning. I’d been able to stand and walk beside my bed for short amounts of time and felt I was ready to try walking somewhere else. Anywhere else.

“Where will you go?” my mother asked, worried, as Everly laced up the back of my dress.