Page 80 of A Dance of Shadows

No one resides in this hall except for me and my husband farther down. With the glimmer of dawn through the windows, a few faint creaks sound beyond the door as a few servants slip by.

I wouldn’t be surprised if Linus sent orders that my maids should leave me to my own devices this morning. If he didn’t, the guards are supposed to send everyone away.

But they’re hardly going to deny the man who supposedly gave the instructions in the first place.

After what feels like an eternity, footsteps hit the floor with a firmer stride.

My heart skips a beat. Gritting my teeth, I heave myself onto my feet and twist the doorknob with my working hand.

I push the door open just as my husband is walking past.

When his gaze jerks to me, I know immediately that I gambled correctly that it would be Marc—and that I must look a fright. For all his studied imperial control, his eyes widen slightly at the sight of me. With the flick of his gaze over my body, his mouth pulls tight.

He’s fought on battlefields before. He might be able to recognize my injury without my even moving. Gods only know how my hair looks after a night of dozing against the door, how red-rimmed my eyes might be.

He wasn’t prepared. Linus didn’t tell him what he’d done.

All the better for me.

I force myself to speak quickly, with an inward wince at the initial croak of my voice. “Husband. I was hoping we could talk further about last night.”

Both of my guards have gone rigid on either side of the doorway. Kassun’s jaw works as if he’s considering castigating my husband for his treatment of me.

Marc hasn’t spent his whole life trading off with his twin—and cleaning up Linus’s messes—to falter now. He gathers a stern expression, erasing the hints of his surprise. “I suppose that’s reasonable.”

As he steps forward, I ease back into the room. My limp arm shifts against my side, and I have to bite my lip against a gasp.

At the thump of the door behind us, Marc’s detached attitude vanishes. His eyes flash with fury. He sets his hands against my shoulder to steady it.

His voice comes out low but taut. “Linus?”

I offer a pained smile. “He was… quite disappointed with my birthday present and wanted to make sure I remembered as much. He ordered the guards not to allow me a medic. I’m not sure I’d want any of the staff to see me like this anyway. But you—I was hoping it’d be you this morning.”

The anger in Marc’s eyes gives way to an intensity that’s somehow even hotter than his anger yet softer. He guides me farther from the door and the guards who might be trying to listen in, his grip still stabilizing my arm. “I can set your shoulder right again. I’ve learned basic military first aid. But it’ll still hurt—there’ll be tendons torn or bruised. Without a medic?—”

I lift my chin, emanating the determination I know he admires in me. “I can cope with the pain. I’ve got my own ointments and salves that will reduce the swelling, potions that will soothe the discomfort. The only thing I couldn’t do myself was put it back in place.” I pause and soften my smile to match his expression. “It’s a good thing I have you.”

Marc lets out a growl that sends an unexpected shiver over my skin. He adjusts his hands against my shoulder. “Brace yourself. At first, it’s going to hurt almost as much as when he snapped it out.”

I plant my feet against the floor and harden my nerves. Marc breathes out and in and then shoves the joint back together.

He wasn’t lying. A flare of pain explodes from my shoulder, sending a whine through my clamped lips.

Marc cups my face, his head bowed toward mine, holding me through the first wave of agony. It dwindles much faster than the initial injury. After a minute, I test my arm and find I can ease it back and forth with only a jab of pain.

“Best to move it as little as possible for as long as you can manage,” Marc says, swiping his thumb under my eye to wipe away a tear that trickled out. “I’m sorry. If I’d known, I’d havecome sooner. He only said the relic you gave him was a dud, followed by some of his usual ranting about how you aren’t committed enough. He never mentioned how he’d punished you.”

I grimace as I lie. “I thought I’d found the artifact he wanted. But it seems it didn’t have the effect he was expecting.”

Marc fills in the possible explanations for me. “The magic could have dwindled over time. It’s been lost since the days when the godlen walked among us—untold centuries. Or perhaps it was never all that powerful to begin with. What’s incredible is that you were able to find it at all.”

I give a quiet laugh. “I think most of the credit should go to Elox.”

“You’re the one who convinced the godlen to show you the way. I swear you could tame anyoneexceptmy brother.”

His voice roughens again. He steps back, raking a hand through his golden-blond curls. “He’s so lost in his worst impulses now. I didn’t want to think it’d go this far, but…”

But he warned me, back in Vivencia when he first revealed their secret to me. He told me Linus didn’t care about my safety, that he might hurt me.

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