The bishop gasped. “I can’t be the only one here with a thought to harm her. Your Highness, your admirers alone . . . any one of them or a member of their family might think to harm her. Half the noblemen at court have been pelting their daughters at you in a bid for marriage!”
“Then you best hope they don’t harm her,” he cut in smoothly.
I swallowed, wincing at the pain of the action. The bishop here was not my only danger? I’d landed myself in a vipers’ nest.
“Your Highness,” the bishop edged, his voice cautiously deferential, “you know marrying her is a declaration of war on Relhok—”
“Such matters of state do not concern you. Keep to what you do best: delivering lies from your pulpit whilst you lose yourself in gluttony and groping the serving maids. Never cross me again. Someday I’ll sit on the throne. Never forget that. Now go, before I decide to toss you into the dungeon.”
Frand lumbered to his feet with great panting breaths. “Yes, yes. Of course. Th-Thank you, Your Highness.”
His heavy tread shuffled from the room. The door thudded behind him and it was just the two of us.
“H-How—” I stopped, my voice coming out a hoarse whisper. I swallowed, cringing against the raw scrape of my throat. “How did you know that I was in trouble?”
“When I walked past your door, the guard wouldn’t meet my gaze. It seemed strange.”
I nodded slowly. “Thank you.”
He stopped beside my bed. I scooted to the edge, dropping my legs over the side. I couldn’t stand without coming chest to chest with him, so I stayed sitting, attempting to hide just how much I was shaking.
When his hands landed on my throat, I jumped. I should have sensed his impending touch, but pain addled my head. I inhaled his warmth, the musk of his skin, his rich, windswept smell. He had been Outside recently. Since I last saw him tonight. I felt a stab of envy that he had the freedom to come and go.
He pulled back slightly, his fingers a brushstroke on my neck.
The air crackled as I felt his stare on my face, so close and probing. I resisted the urge to reach out and feel his face so that I would know him, so that I would have a sense of this face staring at me.
“W-What are you doing?”
“Just checking your neck. Should I call for the physician—”
“No,” I blurted. “The fewer who know about this, the better.” I didn’t want anyone to think I was an easy target. Now that I knew precisely how much in jeopardy I was, I would be more guarded against attacks.
“Good point, but I want to make sure your injuries aren’t too grave.”
I moistened my lips. “You agree with me? And why is that?” Why should he care what happens to me at all, much less what anyone in Ainswind knew about me?
He sank down beside me. “This shouldn’t have happened to you. I don’t want anyone to know that I permitted such a thing to ever happen to you.”
I snorted. “You didn’t permit anything.”
“It happened,” he stated flatly, tension radiating off him. “It never should have. It makes me look weak. You’re my betrothed—”
“No,” I insisted with a swift shake of my head. “I’m not.”
He inhaled slightly but said nothing, still staring, and it filled me with all kinds of unease. Never had lack of vision given me such discomfort.
“What is it about you?” he whispered.
My unease heightened. “What do you mean?”
“You’re not like the rest of us. It’s almost like . . . you belong out there. To the night.”
I inhaled, understanding what he meant because it was how I felt. It’s what I was. A creature of darkness, just like them.
“Even now,” he continued. “It’s like you look right through me.”
His fingertips landed on the curve of my cheek and I flinched at the unexpected touch.
“Luna.” His voice, so close that it tangled with my erratic breathing, sounded strained, bewildered. “Can you see me?”
A strangled little sound slipped out of me. He knew.
“You can’t,” he declared, his voice so certain. “You can’t see.”
“Is that so important?” I asked.
“It’s just . . . you fooled me.”
“Not entirely. You’re calling me out now.” I shrugged. “I don’t lie about it. It’s no secret.”
“And yet you pass for a fully sighted individual.”
“Most of the time.” Only Fowler had known. Almost immediately, he had known. Heat crept over my cheeks as I recalled walking in on him naked. My lack of reaction had given me away.
“You’re full of surprises.” For once Chasan didn’t sound hard or suspicious. In fact, he lacked his usual armor. More human than arrogant prince.
And his hand was still on my face.
I cleared my ravaged throat, cringing. “It’s late. You should go.”
“Of course.” He dropped his hand and pushed up from the bed. “You’ll be safe now, Luna.”
He left me alone, shutting the door behind him. I heard his voice as he talked with the guard, all arrogance and hard stone again. Everyone had their veneers, I realized.
Settling back on the bed, I thought about what he said. I was safe again.
I stroked my bruised throat. In no way did I feel that was true, but was safety possible anywhere in this world? Was Allu just a fantasy that I let Fowler feed my needy heart?
Impossible as the notion seemed, Chasan as an ally didn’t feel quite so wrong anymore.
SIXTEEN
Luna