Thorn Queen Page 0,69

to ruin our friendship" kind of crap line? "I don't think so, Leith. I just don't think I could ever feel that way about you."

Leith stared at me wide-eyed for several moments, and then at last, his features tightened. "I see. I'm sorry to have taken your time, your majesty. Your workers in Westoria understand my task and should no longer require my help." He gave a small, polite bow and then hurried out the door.

"Leith..." I took a few steps forward, my stomach sinking. I felt horrible. I knew he'd had a crush on me, but I hadn't thought it was much more than the usual Otherworldly attractions I experienced. His face at the end there had broken my heart. I hadn't wanted to hurt him, particularly after all he'd done for me.

Dejected, I returned to my bedroom and ordered wine sent up. It arrived in a jewel-encrusted pitcher, complete with a heavy golden goblet. Had to love gentry room service. I declined any requests to see anyone until Kiyo arrived. I sat down on the floor, leaning against the bed and wondering how much of the wine I could get through before he arrived.

To my surprise, all of it.

I had no clock there but was pretty sure more than two hours had passed. I'd drunk goblet after goblet, thinking about Jasmine, Leith, and Art-and finding no resolution for any of them. I was staring at the bottom of the empty pitcher, pondering the time, when I heard a soft knock at my door. Finally!

I stood up and felt the world sway around me. I gripped the bed for support. "Kiyo?" But it wasn't him. It was Shaya.

Like Rurik, she'd dropped a lot of formalities and didn't bother with a curtsey. Her face was troubled, and I saw her clever eyes assess me and my drunkenness in a matter of seconds. "I'm sorry to bother you...but a messenger just arrived from the Willow Land."

The anger I'd been kindling against Kiyo's tardiness ran cold. "Oh my God. Is he okay?"

Shaya hesitated and then gave a swift nod. "As far as I know, he's fine. It's Queen Maiwenn everyone's concerned about...she's gone into labor."

Chapter Fifteen

I stood there for several long seconds, staring at Shaya but not really seeing her.

"Thank you," I said at last, my voice unnaturally flat even to me.

She hesitated, eyes worried. "Is there...is there anything I can get for you?"

More wine, I thought. But I shook my head. Wine suddenly didn't seem strong enough. I wanted to go home just then and raid my liquor cabinet, seeking solace in my own home and its bed, not this godforsaken Dark Ages fortress. The wine was going to make transitioning between the worlds harder, though. It wasn't impossible but would hardly be as smooth as usual. No, it seemed I might be stuck here for a while.

"I need to see Volusian," I said.

She stepped aside for me, and though I didn't ask for it, she followed me solicitously as I headed downstairs, down to the keep's dungeon. It seemed darker and drearier than it had last time, but maybe that was the wine. Jasmine's cell was easy to spot because four guards stood in the hall outside it. I reached it, and through the bars, I saw Volusian standing in one corner, perfectly still, with his arms crossed over his chest. Jasmine sat as absolutely far from him as she could, her face equal parts fear and sullenness.

"What do you want now?" she snapped. I didn't even look at her.

"Volusian," I said. "I have an errand for you. I'll watch Jasmine while you're gone."

Volusian walked forward, passing through the bars and coming to stand in front of me. "No doubt my mistress has a more urgent task."

"Moderately. I want you to go back to Tucson and bring me the bottle of tequila I keep in my liquor cabinet. And don't scare Tim."

Volusian remained motionless in that way of his. "My mistress grows increasingly creative in her ways to torment me."

"I thought you'd appreciate it."

"Only in so much as it inspires me to equally creative means to rip you apart when I am able to break free of these bonds and finally destroy you."

"You see? There's a silver lining to everything. Now hurry up."

Volusian vanished. With him gone, Jasmine grew bolder. She hurried to the front of the cell, holding the bronze bars as best she could with her bound hands. "When are you going to let me go?"

I sat