Not waiting to see if he listened, I poured two glasses of wine and forced one into Tristan’s hand as the door open and closed, both of them departed. “Pull yourself together,” I said. “Bouchard and his nephews will be upon us in moments.”
He nodded, eyes reverting to grey as they fixed on the people flooding back into their seats below. “They’ll never be safe while caged by the curse,” he said softly. “They are in danger from within and without, and what can I do to help them? How can I protect them?”
There was only one answer, but I bit my lip and said nothing until I heard the other men come back into the box.
“Is all well?” Bouchard asked, his brow furrowed.
“Everything is splendid,” I replied. “I believe the second half is about to begin.”
“I didn’t realize you were acquainted with Lord Aiden du Chastelier,” he said once Tristan had turned around.
Tristan didn’t answer, so I kicked him in the ankle.
“We’ve met in passing,” he eventually said. “He knows my father.”
I could see another question forming on Bouchard’s tongue, but now was not the time for inquisitiveness. “The curtain’s rising,” I said swiftly. “Best we take our seats.”
* * *
Whether the girls performed well or not in the second half, I could not have said, for I spent it with one eye on Tristan and the other on my thoughts. King Thibault might believe he had control over Lord Aiden, but we’d seen proof that control was tenuous at best. There were ways around any oath – he only needed to find them. And then what? His hatred of the trolls wasn’t limited to those who’d crossed him.
He wanted the entire race exterminated, and I knew that was what troubled Tristan. He’d always known the dangers his people faced from within Trollus, but I wasn’t sure he ever really considered what a threat humanity could be if they moved against the trolls en masse. Which might very well happen if Thibault died or Aiden found a way around his oaths.
Then what would we do? What would Tristan do if his people’s lives were in danger? How far would he go to keep them safe? I desperately wanted to know Tristan’s thoughts, but now was not the time or place to ask them. Regardless of what had happened, we had a strategy in play, and to abandon it would be folly.
After the performance, we went to the foyer to see the dancers. The men all watched them with covetous eyes, except for Tristan, who was examining the portraits lining the room, expression light, and his mind grim. “Where is that necklace now?” he asked me. “Could you use it in place of the book?”
I used it to buy the ox that I slaughtered as part of a ritual sacrifice to set you free.
“I sold it.” I’d told my mother that it was with the jewelers having the chain repaired. Lies, lies, lies. But I didn’t want him to know what I had done.
“What for?”
“Coin.”
“Why? You’re hardly destitute.”
“After I saw them all wearing it, it made me feel strange. I didn’t want it anymore.”
He stepped closer so that no one would overhear. “That was a mistake. Tell me the pawnbroker you sold it to and I’ll get it back.”
“It wasn’t a shop. It was just a… a man I met in passing. I’ll tell you where to find him later.”
The magic of his disguise faded for a heartbeat and then his eyes were back to grey. “You know how I feel about lies, Cécile. Especially coming from you, and especially when the lives of my people are at stake. You may have lost our only chance for the sake of money to spend on trinkets and toys.”
I knew his foul temper was less to do with me and more to do with Lord Aiden’s threats, but it didn’t feel that way. All I’d wanted was one night where I could feel normal. One night where I could pretend we had a sure future together. It had been a silly desire, but I couldn’t help but feel upset at seeing it torn away from me. One night was all I had wanted. Had that been so much to ask?
“I gave it to a stockman in exchange for an ox, and the ax I used to kill it, as part of the spell that broke you free,” I said, and not waiting for his reaction, I turned and walked away.
Moving as quickly as I could without attracting undue attention, I left the foyer and made my way backstage to the crew entrance. There was no one outside, so I leaned against the stone of the building, gulping in mouthfuls of cold air. The moon was very nearly full, and I stared up at it, wishing the power I’d used had come from such a pure source.
“It has been a long time, Cécile,” a familiar voice said from behind me. I lowered my eyes from the moon, and fear charged through my heart as I came face to face with the pistol leveled between my eyes.
Forty-Two
Cécile
I opened my mouth to scream, but only a pathetic whine escaped.
“Be silent. I know the powers you hold.”
“Esmeralda?” I choked her name out. “Why are you doing this?”