magical link between her and the Raven, and gods help her, she had no idea how it worked. She could feel him, yes, but that wasn’t the worst of it.
He could almost undoubtedly feel her in return. But how much could he see? What did he know? If he saw too much, all of her secrets would be instantly laid bare. He would know that she had magic.
Was that why Vaniell had done it? To ferret out her secrets? But if it was, why had the Raven not revealed the truth of her late-night activities?
He had to suspect she wasn’t who she claimed to be. But he not only seemed to be keeping that information to himself, he’d also defended her against the king’s guards.
What had Lady Piperell said? That if he’d been commanded to guard her, he would be unable to harm her in any way? He’d followed her, that much was certain, but perhaps it had not been because he intended to apprehend her. Even if he suspected her of spying, it was possible that he still had no choice but to protect her.
And if this line of reasoning was correct, how far did his compulsion extend? He might not be able to harm her physically, but would he be loyal enough to Melger (or enspelled enough) to eventually tell the king what he knew about her nocturnal activities?
As she tossed and turned through the early morning hours, Leisa only grew more deeply unnerved by the situation, and by the reality that she had no one to trust. There was no one she could even ask for information.
But in the midst of her worries, she realized that she’d also set a new task for herself.
She had to know more about the Raven—about who he was and how he came to be here.
She’d felt him. And not merely his presence—through the link forged by the gem, she’d become aware of his frustration, his suspicion, even his curiosity. Suddenly, it was incredibly important to her to determine whether she was correct in believing him a prisoner. Was it still possible that the Raven was simply another of King Melger’s servants? Or was he a living, breathing person who’d been magically enslaved to serve without question and, apparently, even without rest?
The answer mattered immensely.
It mattered in part because Leisa refused to benefit from anyone’s torment. Even if he was a criminal, such treatment was cruel and inhumane. But it also mattered to her because of what it said about Melger, and about Vaniell.
As king, Melger obviously knew the nature and identity of his bodyguard. He had to know of the immense magical power that was contained within that faceless armor. Which suggested that she was right—Melger was unlikely to allow that much power to roam unchecked, so it was looking more and more probable that the Raven was, in fact, an unwilling slave to the king’s will.
But Vaniell’s gift of the gem suggested that he also knew, and was therefore complicit in whatever had been done to the Raven.
And even if Leisa were willing to lay aside what this meant for the Raven himself (which she was most assuredly not), the discovery, if proven true, had immense implications for her purposes here.
If this was how Garimore treated mages, they could never be allowed to set foot in the kingdom of Farhall, let alone gain power over its people. The result would be unthinkable, and Leisa would gladly devote her every remaining breath to preventing that from coming to pass.
Before anyone entered her room the following morning, Leisa took care to have all incriminating evidence of her late-night wanderings concealed in their original hiding places. And once her three maids did appear, it took something in the neighborhood of forever for them to bustle around setting up tea and pastries, applying cosmetics to conceal the evidence of her mostly sleepless night, and then doing something unspeakable to her hair.
By the time Lady Piperell arrived, Leisa was almost presentable. But only because she’d insisted on one of her own gowns—a green one for her royal visit. The dress they’d originally intended for her to wear had been… as unspeakable as her hair.
Lady Piperell smiled when she saw the results. “That gown suits you,” she said simply. “I’ve brought your schedule for the day, if you’d care to look over it. Should there be anything that you wish to discuss or amend, I would be happy to be of service, as it will be