Page 89 of A Dance of Shadows

Lorenzo adds his agreement with a twitch of his hand.

“Good.” I nestle closer between Bastien and Raul. “Otherwise we keep on as we have been and see the course through.”

Bastien looks down at our interlaced fingers and then over at me, as if he’s uncertain about shifting the direction of the conversation. “There’s also the matter of these dangerous ‘accidents’ that’ve started befalling you on this journey. The way you were tripped in the square—I’d swear that was purposeful. And when considering the other threats you’ve narrowly avoided…”

My gut clenches. “They do seem to be more than accidents. But I don’t have any proof. I’m not sure what we can do except stay on our guard, which we already were. It has to be someone traveling with us, but I assume if any of you noticed suspicious behavior from our companions, you’d have already let me know.”

“After smacking their head off their body,” Raul mutters through a scowl. “I haven’t seen any indication of who’s behind it.”

Lorenzo shakes his head to indicate the same, his face tensing with worry.

“I’ve tried to watch for hints of guilt,” Bastien says. “I don’t know who in the court that’s joined us would have any animosity toward you, other than maybe Ennius because you’ve developed some sway over his wife. From what I understand, his gift from Prospira has to do with finding lucrative investments, nothing that could send rocks tumbling at your head or startle horses.”

A sudden thought strikes me, so uncomfortable it chokes me for a second before I can put the question into words. “Doesn’t Neven’s gift have something to do with stone?”

Raul sputters. “No fucking way. The kid might be in some weird state of mind, but he’d neverattackyou.”

“And it isn’t really about stone,” Bastien adds. “Like Lore’s illusions, Neven can shape stone because of his larger gift. He couldn’t make a chunk of a cliffside break without touching it, and he was down with the rest of us when that rock nearly hit you.”

Relief trickles through me to know that I don’t have to fear treachery from at least that quarter. “All right. Do you know of anyone among our traveling party who does have a gift with stone or earth or willing things to move, however unlikely a suspect they’d seem otherwise?”

Bastien lets out a brief laugh. “If I did, I’d have warned you aboutthat. But it wouldn’t need to be a larger gift. Plenty of the nobles haven’t admitted to any gifts at all.”

Lorenzo twists his hand.Servants. Guards.

I sigh. “Of course, we have to consider them too.”

Anyone who’s traveling with us could be involved. Plenty of staff and soldiers were around both when the horse startled and in the square two days ago. I don’t remember any Darium servants joining our walk along the hillside in Rione, but someone could have snuck onto that outcropping without us knowing.

Bastien opens his mouth and then hesitates before speaking. “We also have to consider who commands the staff and soldiers. You’ve been in much closer quarters with Marclinus than we have… Do you think Linus is at the point wherehe’dtry to arrange to murderyou?”

The question lances through me like a spear of ice. “I—I wouldn’t have thought so. Shoving me around last night is by farthe most violently he’s ever treated me himself. But he’s never seemed exactly happy with me.”

I couldn’t put it past that psychopath to pretend he’s tolerating me while plotting my death by means no one could pin on him. Especially if he’s realized that Marc’s interest in me has contributed to their quarrels.

Lorenzo must let his concealing illusion drop just long enough to conjure his voice instead, looking over at us with a frown.“Would he really risk word getting out that he tried to kill his own wife?”

“It is hard to imagine that delusional prick trusting anyone, let alone staff, enough to give the order,” Raul says.

I wet my lips against the sudden dryness of my mouth. “I suppose we shouldn’t discount the possibility entirely. I’ll watch for any sign that he’sthatdispleased with me.”

The prince of Lavira brushes a stray strand of hair back from my forehead. “We’ll all keep watching. We’ll be even warier than usual. No matter who it is, they aren’t going to get to you.”

Bastien offers a crooked smile. “At least their attempts have been relatively infrequent.” He pauses. “They can only act when you’re far enough from Marclinus that his guards won’t notice the magic.”

I can’t restrain a groan. “Wonderful. Apparently I should stick even closer to his side. While he might be responsible for the attempted assassinations in the first place.”

Raul gives a low growl and nuzzles the crook of my jaw. “Whatever you have to do later, he can’t touch you right now. Enough about him and his plans and all those other horrors. Tonight, it’s only us. Stand up, Shepherdess.”

I do, shooting him a questioning look. “What are we doing now?”

He looms over me, trailing his fingertips down my side from breast to hip. “Unless you have some complaint, I’m going tofuck you until you’re seeing stars brighter than anything up in the sky.”

He always knows just how to turn me on. Desire ripples through me from head to toe. My voice comes out breathy. “No objections here.”

“Good.” Raul captures my mouth again, and just for that fleeting moment, I let all the worries dogging me slip away.

Chapter Thirty-Two

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