Page 129 of Dhampira

Rasimir observed for a moment, then sighed and flicked a hand toward them. “Escorpu.”

Delphine shifted back. Sobbing, she strained against the men. “Majesty, don’t do this!”

“Get her out of here,” Rasimir growled, rage twisting his features.

Vander and Lorcan carried Delphine toward the Drakhold. She fought harder, tears pouring down her face. “Majesty! Majesty, please listen!”

They would torture her. They’d torture her and then feed her to Lord Seldare and the others.

I moved without thinking, dashing past Rasimir and flinging a hand toward Delphine. “Sezat!” I screamed, power ripping from me in a flash of blue light. It streaked across the courtyard and struck Delphine between the shoulder blades.

She turned to stone.

Vander and Lorcan sprang away from her. Silence fell over the courtyard, the merman’s bubbling fountain barely piercing the sudden stillness.

Rasimir slowly turned toward me, interest in his eyes. “You hide your gifts?”

Lorcan’s warnings rang in my head. Pretend. I had to pretend—to keep my face from revealing my lies.

“No, Father,” I said, instinct driving me to remind him of our shared blood. “The vor appeared on my tongue days ago. I couldn’t speak it until just now.”

His scrutiny crawled over my skin, its dark tendrils just as invasive as Marrigan’s whispers.

“What happy news,” he said finally, except he didn’t look happy. Suspicion and something I couldn’t identify shone briefly in his eyes before he turned to the knights. “Put the caladrius with the other traitors.”

“Yes, Majesty,” the knights said together.

Rasimir turned back to me. “What were you doing in the maze?”

“I saw Delphine enter it from my balcony,” I said. Inspiration struck, and I lifted my chin. “It seemed suspect, so I followed her.”

“You didn’t wonder why your guard was missing? You didn’t think to seek help when you found his post empty?”

I ducked my head, running through potential excuses and rapidly discarding them. Did he suspect I’d killed the guard? He couldn’t. He would have already killed me. At the very least, he would have imprisoned me. So what did he know? Vander and Lorcan were still free. That meant Rasimir hadn’t guessed we were working together. Right?

Finally, I met Rasimir’s gaze. “I wanted to impress you, Father.”

He remained silent, his green stare boring into me while the knights lifted Delphine and carried her across the courtyard.

My hand throbbed, the phantom injury from the tiara sending pain shooting up my fingers. Fatigue tugged at me, but I forced myself to stand steady. I’d told the truth—mostly. I could only hope it showed on my face.

Rasimir swept forward, and by some miracle of the gods, I didn’t flinch as he put his lips to my cheek. To an observer, it probably looked like he offered a fatherly kiss. But his tone was anything but affectionate as he moved his lips to my ear.

“If you ever hide power from me again, I’ll have you gutted and displayed in the great hall. You’ll watch as my court dines on your viscera.”

I stared straight ahead, Lorcan’s warning ringing in my memory. The fact that he’d predicted Rasimir’s punishment probably meant that my father had done it before. “I understand,” I said, surprised when my voice didn’t break.

Rasimir withdrew. Then he turned, gesturing to Lorcan as he started toward the Drakhold. Lorcan fell into step beside him.

Vander waited until they had entered the fortress before coming to my side. We appeared to be alone, but of course that wasn’t the case. It never was.

So I didn’t resist as he took my arm, and I said nothing on the long walk through the Drakhold.

In my chamber, the hobflies stirred above the candelabra, and fresh flowers waited in their vase. I kept my silence, and I didn’t cry as I went to the armoire and removed my mother’s dress.

26

Ispent the day waiting for Rasimir to change his mind and order my torture to commence.