could use against him finally, and I needed to keep it close.
Ceren had ordered me to wear the red gown again, though I wasn’t given a reason why. Tonight, I let the maid curl my hair and arrange it with a few gold pins.
“All finished, my lady,” the maid said behind me.
I turned to face her. “What’s your name?”
“Elspeth,” she replied without hesitation. She had the high forehead and narrow face of a lookdown fish, with ash-brown hair and a sallow complexion. I wondered how she had ended up with the task of caring for the Varenian traitor.
“Where are you from, Elspeth?”
The frozen smile widened. “I’m from a little village near the Lakes, my lady.”
It was very likely her family would be impacted by the impending war, if they weren’t already. I felt a stab of pity for her, and a wave of gratitude that Ebb had managed to escape this fate. “How did you come to work at New Castle?”
“My parents couldn’t pay their taxes, so they sent me instead.” The smile wobbled slightly; the bloodstone pulsed faintly at her throat. It was a painful reminder of what the bloodstones did to people, how she couldn’t even experience her true emotions while Ceren had control of her.
“What if I asked you to do something for me, Elspeth? Would you be able to, do you think?”
“As long as it doesn’t go against the king’s orders, I’d be happy to help you, my lady.”
I hated using a human being like this, but while I was at dinner with Ceren, it was the perfect time for Elspeth to get the key to Ceren’s study. I gave her instructions to retrieve a package from Lady Hyacinth without telling her what it was and made my way to dinner.
I was surprised to find the long table set for just two people. Ceren sat at the head, idly twirling a small box in his fingers and ignoring the few servants who milled about on the periphery of the hall.
I cleared my throat and Ceren immediately put the box in his pocket, then rose from his seat and bowed. His silken blond hair fell forward, obscuring his features.
I curtsied out of habit and went to my chair, but Ceren insisted on pulling it out for me. I watched him from the corner of my eye.
“Thank you for coming,” he said as I sat down. “And for wearing the gown.”
I turned to look up at him. “Where is everyone else?”
“Perhaps I sent them all to bed without supper,” he retorted. “What does it matter?”
I shrugged. “It doesn’t.”
He took his seat and waved one of the servants forward. She filled his wine goblet without him having to ask. “I have some bad news to share, unfortunately. I’m afraid Talia has decided not to wait any longer to start this war. She’s bringing her canons up to the base of the mountain as we speak.”
My stomach sank at his words. I had hoped we would have more time, that Talin might convince Talia to delay. “Then what are you doing? Shouldn’t you be preparing for battle?”
He tossed a long, silky lock of hair over his shoulder. “I have plenty of time for that,” he said, draining his goblet of wine and rising from his chair. “I have a gift for you.” The small box was in his hand again, procured from his pocket when I wasn’t looking.
I turned my head to look at him. “I don’t want any more gifts from you.”
“But I had it made especially for you.”
Just as I started to rise, he lifted his hands over my head. I saw a flash of something stretched between them, like a rope, and I was sure he was going to strangle me in my seat. I surged backward, hoping to catch Ceren off guard, but he pressed me down with his forearms. A scream died in my throat as I felt cold metal against my breastbone, and a matching chain against my neck. I reached up to touch the pendant, my fingers finding the facets of a jewel.
I peered down at my chest, where a red gem pulsated with light.
“Before you ask, I’m not going to use it on you,” Ceren said. “But I wanted you to have it.” He pulled my hair away from my neck, out of the chain. The cold slide of his fingers on my bare skin sent a chill down my spine. “You’re free to take it off yourself. But you should know