Page 107 of A War Apart

There. My gaze landed on a stack of sheets bearing the seal of the palace guard. I picked them up.

They were reports by the captain of the palace guard going back at least a month. Perfect. I didn’t have time to go through them, but the tsar might find something useful in them. I tucked them into my pocket and pulled out the poison I carried.

This was it. My only chance to kill the monster.

With shaking hands, I reached for the stopper.

“My sun?”

I whirled around, heart in my throat. Alexey stood in the doorway, frowning at me, brows knit together.

“Alexey.” My voice came out breathless. “I—” What could I say?

“What are you doing in here?” His eyes flashed between me and the decanter.

I tucked the potion into my pocket and reached for his hand. “I…I’m sorry. The door was open, and I was admiring theglassware. Is it crystal?” A poor excuse, but I prayed he’d believe me.

He pulled his hand from mine and drew the bottle and letters from my pocket. I went cold.

He tucked the letters beneath his arm and opened the potion to sniff at the contents.

“Tell me you weren’t trying to poison him,” he whispered.

“I—” I began, but he held up a hand.

“No. Don’t lie to me.” He rubbed his temple. “Don’t you think if that was an option, I would have done it already? He’s a bastard, I know. I hate how he treats his wife. But he’s not worth throwing your life away over.” He brushed my cheek. “They willkill youfor it. Don’t ask me to let that happen.”

“I’m not—” Tears threatened to choke me. “It’s not just her he’s hurt.” I had to tell him what Kazimir had done to me. He needed to know who he was serving, why I was willing to risk everything for this. I took a deep breath.

Lord Kazimir strode into the study, and my words died in my throat.

“What is this, Grigorovich?”

“The seamstress got turned around on her way to attend your lady wife, my lord. I was ensuring she hadn’t seen anything she shouldn’t before I returned her to the baroness.”

The baron jerked his chin at the papers Alexey held. “And those?” He grabbed them and glanced at them before turning to me, nostrils flaring. “Treacherous little bitch.”

I couldn’t breathe. I tried to step back, but the wall was behind me. Out. I had to get out.

Alexey stepped between me and the baron. “My lord, I hadn’t had a chance to question her yet, but I can do that now.”

Kazimir flicked a hand. “Leave us. I’ll question her myself.”

I turned wide eyes on Alexey.Don’t leave me alone with him.

“My lord—”

“Now, Grigorovich.”

Alexey stiffened, bowed, and left.

The baron walked to the door, his footsteps drowned out by the rushing of blood in my head. He closed it and turned back to me.

Alone with the monster.

I couldn’t do this. Not again.

“Now,” he said in a voice of deathly calm, “explain to me why my manservant had those papers. Because I know he didn’t take them himself.”

---