Page 60 of Dhampira

A wise woman builds her house away from the cliff’s edge. But I wasn’t wise. I was trapped.

Straightening, I went to the washstand and stripped off my clothes. The shirt and trousers slid back into the dragonstone gown as soon as I hung it in the wardrobe. Washing quickly, I threw a nightdress over my head and climbed into bed. Turning onto my side, I fell into an exhausted sleep, my dreams filled with cold, dark eyes and my reflection staring back at me from an oversized mirror.

12

The woman turned her head and locked eyes with me. Her veil shifted as she leaned over the arm of her throne. “Are you a tool or a blade?”

I opened my eyes. The bed’s canopy stretched above me, the center gathered in a black knot. Beyond the bed, soft sunlight filled the room. My heart pounded as if I’d sprinted up a flight of stairs—or faced off with a coldly furious Lorcan.

“Princess?” Delphine wore a concerned expression as she appeared at the side of the bed. “Is everything all right?”

No. Everything was most certainly not all right. Sitting up, I looked at the flowers bursting from the vase in the center of the table. I made my tone light. “Did anything unusual happen after I went to bed last night?”

Delphine followed my gaze. When she turned back to me, confusion shone in her blue eyes. “No. Is there something I should be aware of?”

Relief coursed through me. Lorcan hadn’t reported the guard. “Not at all.”

Delphine gave me a tentative look. “I thought you might like to wash your hair this morning. You returned from dinner smelling like…smoke.”

Duncan’s bruised, earnest face appeared in my mind. Another murder added to my list. And it still wasn’t good enough for Rasimir. He wanted me trained. The questions I’d ignored last night returned.

Who was the woman Vander brought to the dining room?

Why was her blood poisoned, and what did Rasimir mean about sending his regards to her mother?

But the most pressing question revolved around his parting order to Vander and Lorcan.

Tell her who she is.

“I also brought a new gown, Your Highness,” Delphine said, her gaze on a spot on the floor. “I’m afraid the one you wore to dinner is unavailable.”

“What happened to it?” I asked.

Her blue eyes met mine. “I burned it.”

Understanding passed between us. She knew what happened in the dining room—and she seemed to know I didn’t want to be reminded of it. The memories would never go away. I’d see Duncan’s face in my mind for the rest of my days. But I never had to see the gown again. It was a small kindness. But in the Drakhold, even the smallest kindness had value.

“Thank you,” I said.

Relief spread over her face. “It was no trouble.”

Slipping from bed, I took her hand. “I’d love to wash my hair.”

She squeezed my fingers. “Consider it done.”

With her usual blend of magic and competence, she had me washed, fed, and dressed within an hour. Someone knocked on the door as she smoothed her thumbs over my eyelids.

“It’s Sir Vander,” she murmured.

“When did you hear him coming?”

She tucked a lock of hair behind my ear. “The moment I decided to,” she said evenly.

The knock sounded again.

“One second!” Delphine called. After a few more brushes of her thumbs, she went to the door and opened it. “Good morning, Sir Vander.”

Vander returned the greeting. Then he looked past her, his silver eyes on me. “Good morning, Your Highness.”