Page 23 of The Kingdom Cursed By Iron

Together we lead her out of the rose garden and through Ruskin’s quarters.

“Will you wait here?” Ruskin asks me, pausing in the corridor. “There’s a way through my rooms to the queen’s wing, which means she won’t be seen but?—”

“Please, Ruskin, I’m quite capable of getting myself there,” Evanthe says, gently extricating herself from his arm. “I’ve lived in this palace longer than you, remember.”

I stifle a laugh at Ruskin’s expression. It’s not a million miles from the one he wore when Dad was telling him off. It seems parents might be Ruskin’s big weakness.

When Evanthe has taken herself away, Ruskin goes to summon Halima, and I have a moment to myself. I stop to consider what Ruskin said about Faerie being a good fit for me. It had sounded like he was insinuating I should stay. That maybe he wanted me to stay. But then why not just say that?

Because you made it clear that you want nothing to do with him, says the little voice at the back of my mind. And that’s true. I don’t see any future for me with Ruskin, not now that the trust between us has broken. And since I can’t seem to stop feeling drawn to him, that means I need to get away from him as soon as I can. I’ve done what I’ve come here to do, and so when Ruskin returns with Halima, I know exactly what I’m going to say.

“Great, you’re back. Now, if you can tell me when you’re going to make your visit to Albrecht, then I can make my way to the gate.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Ruskin says, challenge brewing in his eyes.

I’m ready for this fight and quickly open my mouth to argue. He gets there first.

“I’ll escort you to the gate and back to your father. Then I’ll deal with Albrecht.”

“Fine,” I bite out. I’d certainly prefer to get distance from him right away, but there’s no denying that my trip back to my father will go faster and be safer with him rather than on my own. “Let’s get going, then.”

He holds up a hand.

“After the banquet.”

I fight the urge to groan…because I can see the logic. The day is already drawing on and Ruskin’s attendance is kind of essential. If something delayed him while he was hopping through another realm and he wasn’t able to get back to Faerie in time, it would complicate things.

“I’ll wait in the library,” I say. I’m tired from the meticulous magic I performed on Evanthe, and the squashy armchairs in there seem as good a place as any to nap while I wait to say goodbye to this place for good.

Chapter 8

“Please, Eleanor.”

“No.”

I fling one of the library cushions at Destan, who elegantly dodges it. I blame my bad aim on being groggy from my nap, which was rudely interrupted just a few minutes ago.

“Why not?” he demands, putting his hands on his hips. Somehow he manages to position them just right so he doesn’t rumple the fabric of his outfit.

“Why yes?”

“That’s not an answer.”

“It is when you’re the one trying to persuade me to go this dinner.”

“Everything’s more boring when you’re not around.” Destan sighs, flopping down into a chair besides mine.

I eye him carefully. We haven’t spoken about the conversation we had right before I left Faerie, and I wonder if he feels it still standing between us like I do. I forced him to tell me something when he’d begged me to let it go—pushed him with magic into revealing secrets that he felt weren’t his to share. At the time, when I thought the answers I desperately wanted were within reach, the promise of them blinded me to how uncomfortable that would be for him. I’ve gotten more perspective in the time since then, and I’ve realized I owe him an apology. I don’t want it hanging over our friendship, so I decide to brave bringing it up.

“You know, there are other ways to emotionally blackmail me,” I say, keeping my voice gentle despite the jokiness of my words. “…Such as mentioning something about the unfair usage of life debts.”

I watch his face carefully for a reaction, but when it doesn’t immediately look angry, I forge ahead.

“That was a messed-up thing for me to do, Destan, and I’m sorry if it hurt you.”

His face twists into a frown. “Not my favorite exchange of ours, it has to be said. Being caught between you and Ruskin is like being trapped between a rock and a hard place sometimes. But fair is fair, Eleanor. The life debt was yours to call in whenever you wanted. I won’t begrudge you using it in a way that seemed important to you.”

I nod, grateful for his understanding, and he dips his chin in response, as if to say, “That’s the end of that.”

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