Page 5 of A Dance of Shadows

The thought sends a flutter of warmth through me, wrapping around my womb. Even though we’ll have to hide the truth, the life newly growing inside me represents the love and devotion we’ve found in each other.

A love that encompasses more than just the two of us. As Bastien tips his head to mine for an emphatic kiss, a low chuckle carries from behind him. “Make a little room for the rest of us, will you?”

I kiss prince of Cotea back just as eagerly before turning toward Prince Raul’s massive frame. The man who’s been both warrior and rake grins down at me, his cocoa-brown hair pulled back from his tawny face in its usual short ponytail.

“Our fierce Shepherdess,” he says in a tone that’s all admiration. He trails his fingers along my jaw and dips his head to claim a kiss of his own.

I let myself escape into his passionate embrace for a fleeting moment, his musky scent wrapping around me. But I can’t forget the third man who’s waiting for my attention.

I ease back from Raul and step into Lorenzo’s arms, hugging my sweet musician as tightly as his foster brothers.

The prince of Rione catches my mouth for a lingering kiss. When he draws back, he keeps one set of deep brown fingers clasped around mine. His equally dark eyes hold my gaze as he signs a question with his other hand—an easier way for the mute prince to speak than with the illusions his gift can conjure.

Are you all right?

I swallow thickly, the impact of all the things I’ve been through and learned in the past twenty-four hours pressing down on me again. “I am, but I’ve found out some things… I needed to talk to you all right away.”

Bastien’s brow furrows with concern. “What’s happened?”

Raul has already slipped his hand around my elbow. “Come sit down while you tell us. You’ll be on your feet enough the rest of the day.”

He, Lorenzo, and I squeeze together onto the settee, Lorenzo tucking me close against his muscular body with his arm around my waist. Bastien sinks into the armchair next to us, his eyes gone even darker.

Despite their obvious apprehension, I feel secure in a way I haven’t since Marc confessed his secret to me last night.

These three men have stood with me through all the horrors I’ve faced in the past two months. They ensured that I could complete the trials without destroying the principles I hold dear and put their lives on the line to protect everything that’s important to me.

Whatever this revelation means for us and our intention to transform the empire, I know I won’t face the coming days alone.

I drag a breath into my lungs. “Last night after we left the festivities in the city, I told Marclinus that I’m pregnant. And he told me something that sounds absolutely crazy. I’m not sure whether to even believe it.”

As I lay out everything the man who called himself simply Marc said, from his father’s concealing the fact that his mother died giving birth to twins to their regular switch-offs throughout their childhood and on to Marc’s current desire to murder Linus, Lorenzo’s eyes widen. Raul mutters a few curses to himself.

Bastien simply stares at me, his stance tensed. When I’m finished, he rakes his fingers into his rumpled hair. “Gods above, that’s mad. But… it isn’t totally unbelievable. I remember a few times when we were kids that Marclinus would forget something we’d talked about just a few hours ago. I assumed he was either being difficult on purpose or he hadn’t bothered to pay attention, but it could have been it wasn’t even the samehim.”

Lorenzo nods slowly. His illusionary voice travels into my head in its usual resonant baritone.“I can think of a couple of times something similar happened to me. He’d have mocked me or tripped me up and then the next time I saw him, it was like it’d never happened.”

Raul lets out a bark of laughter. “Maybethat’show he’s stayed up to all hours drinking and entertaining his ladies but then been up sharp as anything in the morning. I thought he’d just been blessed with an unfairly adaptable constitution on top of everything else the prick didn’t deserve.”

I lean into Lorenzo’s embrace as I glance from Raul to Bastien. “So, you think he was telling the truth? This wild story isn’t just some new way of keeping me on my toes?”

Bastien grimaces. “I don’t think we can say for sure with what we know at this point. And even if Marclinus is two men, that doesn’t mean they didn’t conspire together to reveal their secret and dangle a murder plot in front of you for their own strategic purposes.”

“That’s right.” Raul slips his hand around mine and grips it tightly. “All this talk about helping one kill the other… They could be testing whether you’re willing to turn on either of them. The moment you agree, bam, you’re a traitor.”

“That’s partly why I refused.” I tip back my head with a groan of frustration. “Just when I think I’ve gotten to more stable ground, he pulls the rug out from under me again.”

Lorenzo nuzzles my hair.“We’ll figure it out.Hedoesn’t know that you have three extra sets of eyes and three powerful gifts on your side. If he does lash out at you again, we’ll deflect him as well as we can.”

Raul’s smile comes back. “That’s right. He has no idea who he’s really up against. And it doesn’t really matter who he is either way, does it? If there are two of the assholes, you need tooff them both. More complicated, but it doesn’t change who’s the enemy.”

“No.” I sit up a little straighter, girding myself. “My first job is figuring out whowe’rereally up against. I need a way to confirm whether I’m actually married to two different men.” I pause. “And in the meantime, we shouldn’t be distracted from our original plans. Neven pledged his support there… Do you think we should tell him what I’ve learned?”

Bastien rubs his mouth. “I don’t like keeping secrets from him again, butwedon’t really know what’s true or what the full danger might be. Considering his temper, I’m not sure it’s worth the risk, at least not yet. We can still keep him in the loop otherwise, working with us to continue to build support for you—encouraging good will around the palace and in the city. We’ll make sure Dariu is eager to accept you as the sole ruler when the time comes.”

“And keep watch for anyone who doesn’t have your best interests at heart—who might interfere with that goal,” Raul adds.

My thoughts dart back to my husband’s display of jealousy at breakfast. I don’t think Otho had any designs toward me either way, but other members of the court have been hostile in the past.

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