Page 55 of A Dagger in the Ivy

I’m about to swallow my pride and thank him for helping me, but his glare stops me. He turns, looking in all directions before we emerge from the passageway. I move forward when he gestures to me that it’s clear. “Try not to fall behind, Highness. I’d hate to have to draw my sword again before we get you back to the carriage.”

Sir Holden hurriedly approaches us, his brows drawn down. “Lord Stregasi. Thank the gods you found her.” He inclines his head to me. “Your Highness, I apologize for the inconvenience. I held back as many as I could.”

“I thank you for your help, Sir Holden.” I hold the gloves to my chest. “I got what I came for, and I’m ready to return to the castle.”

We weave through the streets with both Dante and Sir Holden keeping the crowd at bay. Our pace is swift, and in a matter of minutes, we arrive safely at the carriage.

Sir Holden offers a hand so that I can climb in, and when I turn Ilook at Dante.

“Are you coming to the castle?”

Dante studies my face a moment before he shakes his head. “I have some things to take care of first. You go on ahead.”

“All right.” I open my mouth to tell him to be careful, but then I stop myself. I know he’ll sneer at anything I have to say.

His eyes narrow. “What is that?”

It takes me a moment to register what he’s speaking about. I look down at the leather hunting gloves clenched in my hand. “A gift. For Torbin. I wanted to return the favor. He gave me this lovely necklace.”

Dante’s tone remains guarded as he steps closer to inspect the necklace. He reaches for it, and I almost flinch. His fingertips brush against my skin, and heat flashes through me. Feeling the pendant between his fingers, he shifts his gaze from the necklace to my face. With our gazes locked, I find it hard to breathe.

“Compared to its wearer, it’s hardly worth a glance.” He drops the necklace and turns away from me.

Wait.

What?

But I can’t ask him what he means because he’s already disappearing into the crowd.

CHapter

Twenty-One

My heart rate has elevated. But for once, there’s a good reason. Today, I rejoin my squad, escaping the castle for a few days and immersing myself in the company of good friends. I haven’t seen them for weeks, and my heart has noticed.

With Sir Holden following close behind me, I make my way down the stairs from my floor. Halfway down, I notice an assemblage of ladies-in-waiting escorting the queen. She glances up at me as I reach the bottom of the stairs and offers me a small smile. I’m taken aback by her change of appearance; her once-full, cascading, long, golden locks are now cropped to just below her chin. The look doesn’t decrease her beauty, but her long hair was definitely one of her famous features.

“Your Majesty, Good morning.” I curtsey, a strange feeling while in my regiment uniform.

“Celeste, you look like a proper soldier. You must be heading out with your squad today.”

“Yes.” I try not to sound so excited, but I can’t help myself. “Your hair looks lovely.”

She averts her eyes, one gloved hand coming up to touch the wavyends behind her head. “Ah, yes. The days grow warmer. I thought perhaps the cut would keep the heat off my neck.”

I can’t help but notice the way the corners of her mouth pull down. She seems to regret the cut. “That’s true, it will. And it suits you.”

Her eyes go to the baldric strapped across my chest, the sapphire jewel on the hilt of my dagger gleaming under the light of the chandelier. I wait to see if she mentions it, but her gaze returns to my face. Little does she know I’ve had the dagger on me every day she’s been in my presence.

“I wish you a successful excursion.” Her gloved hands are elegantly folded around each other. “May the gods give you favor.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty.” I incline my head before continuing toward the castle’s main entrance, Sir Holden close on my heels

The image of the queen’s cut palm and bruised wrist lingers in my mind. I long to find out if there’s more going on than what she’s said, but at the same time, I may be making accusations I won’t be able to take back. Accusations that fall under the scope of treason. And I know how Prince Torbin treats acts of treason.

In any case, I can’t investigate right now.

As soon as I step outside, I can see Mylo at the wrought-iron gates. He’s so big, there’s no way I could miss him. Because of the way he’s gesturing to the guard at the gate, I can tell he’s arguing. It’s not until he takes a step back that I spot Aila, who stands with her arms crossed and her lips in a straight line.

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