The thought kept Alistair up late that night, and by the time he fell asleep, dawn crested the horizon. He only allowed himself a few hours before he rose for the day, then grabbed a quick bite before flying to the temple. Dareena and Drystan were both fast asleep when he left, and he hoped the two would avoid each other until he came back.
When he reached the temple and spoke with Rofana, she was very concerned. “This is very strange behavior indeed, especially from the Dragon’s Gift,” she said. “I have been doing some reading in the archives, and the bond between the Dragon’s Gift and her mates is one of both deep love and loyalty. The dragon god made sure of this so that the two might never be separated, and the king would always protect his Gift and cherish her as she deserves. But the bond goes both ways, which makes it impossible for Dareena to truly feel as she has been saying.”
Alistair nodded, relieved. “So it is certain that something is wrong with her then. But how are we to fix it?”
“Before I left, Dareena and I talked of a purification ritual that can be used to cleanse a place of hostile magic,” Rofana said. “I promised to study the ritual and gather the necessary items and ingredients, but I have not had time.” She frowned, a thoughtful look on her face. “Perhaps if you could help me procure them…”
“Of course,” Alistair said. “It would be much faster if we flew.”
“Bring me to Paxhall, and let me take it from there,” she said. “It is unwise to leave Dareena alone, especially if she is being targeted as we fear. You must return to her side immediately.”
“Right.” Alistair’s insides twisted with guilt. “I feel terrible about leaving her to begin with. I hope she and Drystan have not had more words since I have been gone.”
“I fear that Drystan’s temper will only make things worse,” she said. “When you return to the Keep, my prince, do not let Dareena’s hurtful words wound your heart. The woman you know and love would never say such things. They are coming from someone else, and are not her will.”
“I know.” Alistair got to his feet and helped Rofana up. He gave her a few minutes to pack for the trip, then shifted and took off for Paxhall, along with one of the acolytes, who would protect her until he could send a proper escort from the Keep. Glancing toward Dragon’s Keep, whose towers gleamed in the morning sunlight far off in the distance, a shiver rolled down Alistair’s spine. He could not quite put his finger on it, but some nameless evil was in his home. He and Rofana must sniff it out before it was too late.
30
Dareena woke early the next morning and spent a good three hours staring up at the ceiling, trapped and unable to move. Frustration seethed within, and she wished there was some way she could communicate to Soldian, if only so she could be allowed to get up and relieve herself. It would serve that conniving twit right if she lost control of her bladder in bed, but her body was so frozen stiff she couldn’t even manage that.
Besides, Soldian would probably just force Dareena to make the other girls clean it up. There was no point in ruining perfectly good bedding if she couldn’t make a proper revenge out of it.
Even worse, Dareena didn’t even enjoy the comfort of her own bed. Soldian had forced her to move out in the middle of the night and take one of the guest rooms on the other side of the Keep. Dareena wondered if Soldian had chosen that time to ensure that the princes would not stop her—she had no doubt they would be very angry once they discovered what she had done.
“Good morning, my lady,” Soldian sang as she entered the room. Dareena wanted to glare hatefully at her, but she couldn’t so much as twitch an eyebrow. “I hope you’re enjoying your new accommodations. You understand why I had to move you, of course.” She took Dareena’s hand and sat in the chair beside the bed. “I can’t afford for those handsome princes of yours to discover what I am up to before I’ve finished this little game of ours.”
Ours. As if she were a willing participant instead of a prisoner within her own body. Never had Dareena felt such hatred for a single human being, but if she could access her dagger, she would have plunged it straight into Soldian’s heart. Even Lyria had never inspired this level of vitriol in her—she’d merely been a spoiled, petty brat, not truly evil like this woman.
How could she have ever thought that Soldian was her friend? Of the three ladies-in-waiting she’d been assigned, she’d picked Soldian as her favorite, even though she’d never said as much to either of them. The young woman’s cheerful manner and open expression—so youthful, so innocent—had lured her in.
I suppose that’s why she’s a spy, Dareena thought dully. She is an excellent actress.
“Well, we can’t have you lying in bed all day,” Soldian said in that cheery tone that used to lift Dareena’s spirits, but now only grated on her ears. “Get dressed, and go sit in that armchair by the fire with a book. You are not to move, except to turn a page. I will at least allow you that much.” She winked.
Dareena did as Soldian commanded. Despair washed over her as the warlock spy left the room—to do what, Dareena had no idea. She imagined that Soldian had gathered quite a bit of intelligence eavesdropping on Dareena and her mates and being present at the meeting with the elves. Her heart sank as she realized the warlocks didn’t even need a scrying spell—they’d managed to plant the perfect spy, one who had intimate access to the royal family.
The only thing that gave Dareena even a modicum of comfort was the knowledge that her babe was still safe. But how much longer would that remain true?
The door opened, and for a moment, Dareena worried that Soldian had returned. But no, it was Rantissa, with an uncharacteristic scowl on her pretty face.
“So this is where you’ve been!” she exclaimed, coming to sit by Dareena. “I have been worried out of my mind looking for you. What are you doing in here?”
Dareena wanted to answer, but all she could do was stare.
After a moment, Rantissa scoffed, shaking her head. “You know, I was almost beginning to like you.” She folded her arms as she glared at Dareena.
Confusion muddled Dareena’s thoughts—this was quite unlike the shy, giggly woman she’d become acquainted with.
“When I saw how fairly you treated the elf delegation, I thought perhaps Prince Arolas had been wrong about you. But now that I have seen your coldness and cruelty for myself, I think everyone will be glad to be rid of you, your princes included.”