Page 128 of A War of Crowns

“I’m here,” the Crow’s low voice rumbled back, those two words vibrating against her chest as he spoke.

She was vaguely aware of activity around them—of doors crashing open, of booted feet, of worried shouts. She heard words exchanged, though none of them made much sense to her. All she was immediately aware of was the fact that the Crow was still holding her. He was still there.

He had come for her. He had saved her.

Perhaps he was her ally after all.

“Thank you,” Seraphina whispered at last, finally remembering what else she had needed to say to him.

But in reply, all her fiancé could snarl was a quiet, “No,” which made about as much sense as everything else that had happened that night.

Which was not any sense at all.

“Never thank me for this,” the man whispered directly against her ear. “Never, do you hear me?Never.”

The Why?she wished to voice never came as unconsciousness claimed her at last. But that soft utterance of his, thatnever, chased her into the darkness, nagging her all the way down.

Who was Aldric Hargrave truly?

King? Pawn? Madman? Murderer?

Protector.

Chapter thirty-six

Olivia

Olivia awoke as she always did—awash in fiery tongues of agony originating from her left leg. The Pain utterly consumed her; she drowned alone with her suffering.

But this was her life. She was used to it.

It just didn’t normally wake her up in the middle of the night.

Down in the bowels of the palace, surrounded by darkness, still Olivia knew it was the middle of the night. An odd ability to have, always knowing precisely the time of day. But it was hers.

A perfectly useful trick for impressing the kitchen maids and keeping track of the various comings and goings of the court alike.

She blinked away the last vestiges of sleep and tried to riddle out just what had woken her when she finally spied movement in the darkness. Someone was in her room.

Clearly, she was losing her touch.

One of her many hidden blades she wore at all times, even to bed, was in her hand before the intruder could make another move. Tossing back her blanket, she flung herself out of bed and at the shadow. She pressed her blade against the intruder’s throat.

The frightened yelp that exploded into the stale air of her workshop lured a frown to her lips. “Sal,” Olivia sighed. “What in the name of the Lady are you doing here?”

The street rat within her grasp trembled. Olivia was fairly certain he had just wet himself.

“I-I had important news for you, sir.Ma’am. The boss said it couldn’t wait. So I—”

Olivia thinned her lips and snatched the sealed scrap of paper from the boy’s hand. The seal was for her own peace of mind rather than to ensure Sal couldn’t read what was written there.

Sal couldn’t read.

“Very well.” Olivia limped toward her table in search of a candle. “Grab yourself some coins from the desk and get out of here before you’re caught.”

“Nobody catches me, ma’am,” the child boasted around the tremble still in his voice.

Olivia didn’t have the heart to correct him.Shehad caught him. Many a time.

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