“Rosalie.” Pru came and grabbed the poker from the stand. “Let me.” She searched the ashes and didn’t turn up anything. “What was it?”
“Nothing of importance,” I lied, knowing it was a gift willingly given to me by my husband. At the rate we talked and saw each other, I wasn’t sure if I would ever receive another. “It’s gone now.”
“That’s not true.” She pointed to my red and blistering hand. “You don’t burn yourself over nothing.”
The throbbing only began once I noticed the burn. Once given my full attention, it proceeded to dominate my thoughts. My wrist was already blistering, and I had a hungry-looking goblin poking me in the side, fully awake and licking his lips at the smell of burnt flesh.
“Did you murder those men in the woods and then bring me back here?” He shook his head. His feet danced in excitement as he moved his mouth closer to my injured hand. “No, Gobbersnot.” I had no intention of giving him a piece of my flesh.
He pouted, then swung the dress around and sashayed back to my trunk, giving me a rude hand gesture before crawling back into his bed.
Chapter Sixteen
Back on the road, Prudence and I slept fitfully in the carriage, but thankfully my dreams were quiet and not plagued with the thoughts of a murder or death. I awoke with a crick in my neck and barely remembered packing up and leaving Celia, my brain in such a fog of worry and exhaustion. I fell into despair, biting my thumbnail as I tried to calculate what of my meager store of potions and tea was left. It wasn’t good. Tipper had destroyed most everything I had, and I was down to my last few tea bags.
The beast’s trail went cold, so I heard talk from the men of stopping at a noble’s house on the western side of the pass. It meant little to me. Tracking the beast was no longer a main priority—hiding my inner darkness was. I couldn’t shake the fear that I was the one who killed those men and then blacked out. I must have used my magic to get back to my room. There was no other explanation. I chewed on my lip in worry as the scenery changed and the carriage slowed.
We pulled up to a magnificent three-story manor with immaculate landscaping and what appeared to be woods for miles beyond. It was at the base of a mountain pass, with guard towers scattered along the tree line.
“Whose house is this?” I asked Pru when we arrived. She held the door open, and I stepped out of the carriage.
An elderly man in his sixties wearing a dark coat came down the stairs.
“Papa!” Yasmin cried out and ran into her father’s arms. The girl began to cry extensively, and I couldn’t help but feel responsible.
“What is this, my poppet?” Yassa declared. “What happened to your face?”
My head snapped up and a sly grin rose to my lips as I tried to smother my glee. I had almost forgotten the curse I had placed upon Yasmin and her midnight lover. A curse that wouldn’t appear until the light of day touched their skin.
“It’s all her fault.” Yasmin pointed her perfectly polished nail my way. Instead of cowering, I walked straight up to the both of them and took in the red pox that now covered her face and hands. She kept trying to scratch it with her gloved hand.
“A soothing lotion and staying out of dark alleys will definitely cure what ails you,” I quipped.
“Papa,” Yasmin whined, scratching the back of her neck.
“Enough, Yasmin,” Yassa admonished before turning to Xander.
“Thank you for going ahead and hosting us while we deal with the problem at hand,” the prince said cordially.
“You’re here now, and so is he.” Yassa turned and nodded toward Earlsgaarde, who was giving instructions to two of his men; the rest were nowhere to be seen. I wondered if they were sent out ahead to Florin now that we were so close.
“What is this?” Yassa continued softly, but not quietly enough that I couldn’t hear him. “I thought that at least by the time you had arrived, this matter would have been settled.”
“It will be in due time. I will personally take care of it,” Prince Xander replied stiffly. “But there is a matter I need to take care of in town, so I expect that you will act as host in my stead and make sure everyone gets settled while I’m gone. Including the emissary from Florin.”
As he spoke, the emissary in question was across the yard speaking with Gaven, both of them deep in discussion. Then they turned to look at me, and Gaven’s eyes narrowed suspiciously, his hand tightening on his crossbow. I wanted to rip off my veil and shout, “It’s me, Rose!” But there was something about his expression, the way he leaned in too eagerly and listened to Earlsgaarde. I shuddered.
“Of course, Your Highness.” Yassa bowed and touched his hand to his heart. “Then we can begin the hunt.”
Prince Xander stumbled and caught himself, rubbing his red eyes. “I make no promises that we will find anything. The trail has suddenly gone cold.”
Yassa leaned forward, placing his hand on Xander’s arm. “You look unwell. Are you sure it is not her doing?”
“I would bet my life on it,” Yasmin said while rubbing her arm. “You should be rid of her.”
How dare they continue to belittle me, and within earshot no less? Do they have no manners? They call me evil, but at least I’m civil. They are truly beasts.
Knowing they weren’t worth my time, I stepped back toward my carriage. Breathe. Focus. Do not curse them.
Even though the manor was large, my room was on the small size. A slight I believed meant to wound me, as the prince’s bride, but it was still larger than my room in our tower.
I was silent and contemplative as I sat in the wooden chair in my room overlooking the front of the house. We opened the trunk and I was dismayed to see Gobbersnot was gone; he must have snuck out when we were unloading. I had a feeling he was probably raiding Yasmin’s closets and jewelry boxes for pretty things. I was too exhausted to care, and frustrated because I had no clothes to change into—and I would not stoop so low as to beg for clothes from Yasmin or Yassa.
After a few hours, I had neither seen nor heard from Prince Xander, so I thought he must have forgotten our deal. I would see to my things myself. I knew farther down the mountain path there was a village. If I hurried now, I could make it before dark and have some dresses sent up to the house.
Excited about my plan and my own excursion, I left without telling Pru or anyone. I wasn’t used to having to tell people where I was going, and at Yasmin’s house there were so few guards available, I didn’t have anyone watching my door.
Heading to the stables, I was dismayed to see the carriage horses had been unhitched and most of the stable hands and servants were gone. An old man took pity on me and brought me out a roan to borrow.
“Where are you going?” Xander asked as he rode back into the yard with Gaven and his guards. This was the first time I had seen Gaven up close in a while, and his face, neck, and arms were covered with a creamy pink-tinged paste. My cheeks burned in embarrassment as I realized who the other target of my curse had been.
“I’m going to town to replace my things,” I said stiffly, looking away from Gaven and directing my answer to Xander.