“My apologies,” Bryony said instantly, although her eyes laughed at me. “Naturally, in that case, his lack of suspicion toward his brother is a sign of gross stupidity and negligence. If he had any sense at all, he’d place all his faith in your superior judgment.”
I chuckled reluctantly. “When you put it like that…”
Bryony grinned and picked up her fork. “If it makes you feel better, I believe you. I think I know what you mean, too. There’s something about Jareth that just doesn’t quite feel right.”
She took several bites of her food before speaking again. “What happened to Captain Layna, by the way?”
I explained my guard’s intentions, and Bryony grimaced when I got to the end. “Your family had better not send word for you to start packing. I’ve committed to three more years here, and I don’t want to have to do them on my own.”
“What? You don’t think Dellion would make a good substitute best friend?”
Bryony rolled her eyes. “You must be feeling recovered from our ordeal if you can make jokes like that.”
“In truth, I’m ready for my bed,” I admitted. “It’s hard to believe classes start tomorrow morning. I feel far too distracted to focus on anything so mundane.”
“A couple of hours of beating someone with a sword will make you feel better,” Bryony said cheerfully, and I groaned.
“Please don’t remind me of your unnatural obsession with your blade. The rest of us don’t find constant sword fighting nearly so invigorating, you know.”
She shrugged. “Your loss.”
The mention of combat class set us to speculating about what we might face in the arena during the year, and the meal quickly passed. By the time I let myself back into my suite, I no longer felt so eager to head straight to sleep.
Instead, I paced up and down my sitting room, playing out every aspect of the attack in my mind. I had binding compositions in one of my pockets. If only I’d used them on the energy mage. If I had, the two captains might even now be interrogating two prisoners. Or I could have requested my guard to bind them.
I sighed and massaged my head. I could do nothing to change the past, but if I ever found myself in another such situation, I would know better.
A knock interrupted my pacing, and my eyes flew straight to the tapestry. I hesitated, wondering if my mind was playing tricks on me. But it sounded again, definitely coming from the hidden door.
I hurried over and pushed the heavy material aside, pulling the door open. Darius stood on the other side, alone, thankfully.
It was such a familiar scene, and yet, at the same time, everything about it felt wrong. His face remained closed off, and he offered no greeting. After a moment, I stepped back, gesturing for him to enter my sitting room. He did so silently.
For several unending seconds, we stood and stared at each other. Something flashed in his eyes as he looked me over, but I couldn’t read it.
“Captain Vincent tells me your guards’ shields held until he arrived.”
I held myself rigidly. “I am unharmed—as I told you in the entrance hall. I’m sure Captain Layna will report to my aunt that your guards provided timely and sufficient assistance.”
“Queen Lucienne will still wish to know who would perpetrate such an outrageous attack.” His level tone conveyed nothing of the emotion that might be expected to go with such words.
“I imagine she will. As do I.”
“I have informed Captain Vincent that I wish to be directly involved in the investigation. We will discover the person or persons behind the attack.”
I raised an eyebrow. “So it’s not your father, then?”
He moved slightly in what could have been a flinch. “It’s too early to speculate.”
“Excellent,” I said in a caustic voice. “It’s good to know there are so many people in your kingdom who wish me dead.”
This time it was definitely a flinch.
“I offer you my official apologies, Princess Verene.”
I sighed, deflating. It wasn’t official apologies I wanted from him.
I had spent so many hours imagining seeing him again, but now it felt like I was trapped in some sort of nightmare. Where was the Darius I knew? The Darius beneath the careful ice.
A heavy silence fell between us, but I didn’t have the heart to break it. He was tense, I could read that much, holding himself carefully, as if all his muscles were coiled and taut, ready for action. But when he spoke it was in a carefully controlled voice.
“Do you have a message for me from Queen Lucienne?”
I fought down a flush, instantly feeling foolish. I had been so distracted by first the attack and then my own emotions, I had forgotten the issue of greatest interest to him. This must be what had brought him to my room on my first night.
“Ardann will support you and your claim. But my aunt will not commit publicly until you have won legitimacy. She wants nothing in writing and has assigned me as her delegate in this matter. All communication will go through me.”
Some of his tension dissipated, although he didn’t truly relax. “You’ll be staying then?”
My brow creased as I tried to decipher his unreadable gaze. It wasn’t the response I had been expecting. Did it mean that somewhere buried deep beneath that ice, he still cared on some level? Did it mean he wanted me here?
Or was that wishful thinking on my part?
I shrugged. “She hasn’t heard about the attack yet. But as long as I’m safely inside the Academy, I think there’s a good chance.”
“You are safe here in the Academy.” His expression remained carefully controlled, but his voice sounded almost violent.
“I have confidence in Captain Vincent,” I said, curiosity compelling me to add, “Especially after what your brother said today.”
“Yes.” Darius nodded his agreement, although for some reason he didn’t seem pleased with my statement of belief in the captain. “That was reassuring to hear.”
I raised an eyebrow slightly. Reassuring about Captain Vincent, perhaps—less so about Jareth. But I didn’t say anything aloud. The last thing I needed was more of a barrier between us.
“I would send my personal reassurances to your aunt regarding how carefully you will be guarded,” he said, “except you tell me she has forbidden direct communication between me and Ardann.”
“Let’s wait and see what happens,” I said. “Such reassurances might not be necessary.”
“Very well.” He fell silent again.
Sudden weariness descended over me. “At some point we should speak further about exactly what support Ardann might be able to offer you from the shadows. But there is no hurry, and I’m tired after the events of the day.”
“Of course.” He bowed, the deepest one he had ever given me. “I will leave you to rest.”
He turned and started toward the door, but irrational panic flooded me. I couldn’t let him go like that. After everything that had passed between us, surely we hadn’t been reduced to such formality and distance.
I rushed after him, catching him just as he passed through the door. He spun at the lightest touch of my hand on his arm, one foot already through into his own room.
I instantly let my hand drop, my fingers tingling.