Page 78 of A Dance of Shadows

Or not. The high commander draws his sword with a hiss of steel, and something twitches in Linus’s expression. His shoulders tense, as if he’s held himself back from flinching.

His next laugh sounds sharper. “Let’s have at it. A little entertainment for the court.”

He jabs at his military advisor, and Axius parries the blow. Their blades clang together, back and forth. Even to my little-trained eyes, it’s obvious that the high commander is holding back.

Linus presses forward with a reckless strike, and I think Axius fumbles his sword intentionally. It drops from his hand as if Linus’s attack overwhelmed him.

The military man holds up his hands. “You’ve come a long way since our childhood lessons.”

“Indeed I have!” Linus waves his sword triumphantly, but his knuckles have paled where he’s clutching the grip. “Where’s my glass? I should drink to that.”

He tosses back another serving of wine while making joking jabs at the nobles around him. I poke at the remains of my dessert, starting to brace in anticipation of how else he might want to celebrate this occasion.

Farther down the table, Bianca stirs. When I glance up, her gaze holds mine for a moment with a pensive cast. Then she gets to her feet and sashays over to Linus.

“How spirited you are tonight, Your Imperial Majesty,” she coos, draping her arm across his shoulders. “It should be your birthday every day.”

Something twists in my chest with a twinge of understanding. She’s recognized that his mood is off—and she’s trying to draw his attention to her so it won’t land on me once the evening is over.

I can’t even thank her, not in the middle of her ploy.

Linus guffaws and taps Bianca’s jaw. “Indeed it should be. And how can my spirits not be high with so much beauty around me. Why don’t you sit back where we placed you so I can gaze upon you properly.”

The vicerine curtsies obligingly but lowers her voice. “We could always arrange a more private viewing…”

“Ah, don’t be so selfish as to deny me all this wonderful company,” Linus retorts, with an edge in his voice that stiffens my spine.

Bianca must hear it too, because she retreats reluctantly. I tip my head in acknowledgment as she goes by, hoping she knows I appreciate her attempt.

The din of voices and laughter has set off an ache pulsing in my forehead when Linus finally appears to tire of the feast. He grasps my hand to yank me to my feet. “Thank you all for another year of loyalty! Now that you’ve all tended to me, I must tend to my wife.”

A round of chuckles follows us out the door. Heat pricks at my cheeks at the thought of the Lavirian royal family hearing that overly bald remark.

Linus ushers me across the courtyard between the palaces and through the halls to my chambers. His fingers clamp tighter around mine. By the time we reach the door, my knuckles are stinging, but I don’t dare complain.

My husband drags me inside. The moment the door has thudded into place behind us, he wrenches at his shirt and tears off the armband.

His face hardens into a mask of resentful fury. He shakes the steel band at me. Spittle flecks the air with his words. “There’s something wrong with it, or you brought me the wrong thing. This isn’t what I asked for. What game are you playing?”

His boldness must have failed him when faced with an Axius ready for battle, when Linus assumed he’d feel impervious.

I grope for an answer. “I swear that’s the relic Elox led me to. I’m sure I followed his signs correctly. Perhaps we simply don’t know exactly how it should work?—”

Linus smacks me across the head with the band, cutting off my words. I stumble to the side, pain much starker than my headache reverberating through my skull.

That’ll bruise, but the wound won’t show through my hair. No doubt he aimed his blow with that goal in mind.

“I did my best, husband,” I say with a wobble in my voice. “We can investigate further?—”

“I’m not trusting you with such a task again. You failed at the one thing I asked of you. Were you laughing to yourself when Axius deigned to play-fight me?”

He hits me again across the other side of my head. As my mind reels, he snatches my elbow and yanks me toward him.

His voice snarls harsh and cold in my ear. “You will not cross me like this again. I own you. Every breath you take, every pulse of blood through your veins, continues becauseIwill it. And now you will suffer for your disrespect.”

He hauls at my arm in a sudden, brutal motion. With an audiblepop, my shoulder sears so viciously that I have to clamp my teeth against a scream. As it is, a thin cry leaks out.

Linus drops my elbow. With the sagging of my now useless arm, my shoulder throbs even harder. The burning sensation slices all the way through to my chest.

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