Page 98 of Destroyer

“That puts my mind at ease,” said Lord D’Luc. “I should like to see the item in action very soon, as you know. If not tonight, then perhaps in the morning?”

“Tomorrow?” Ru knew this was coming, knew they would have to show himsomethingor risk… would he enact any punishment at all? Or simply express disappointment when they were unable to show him what he believed he was here to see?

An idea came to her suddenly. What she and Fen had done. The golden light.

The thought of it alone made her blush, and to think of recreating such an intimate moment in front of everyone, her and Fen holding hands, the artifact glowing brightly… it didn’t feel right, exactly. But it didn’t feelwrong. And what else could they show him? Neither she nor Fen had been harmed. It would be safe and visually arresting.

And, she thought, with the help of Lord D’Luc, perhaps she could find answers at last. Discover what the artifact was, why it had chosen her, and what her connection with it meant.

She felt a growing surge of relief as the solution took shape.

“Indeed,” he was saying, “tomorrow morning is rather ideal. What do you say?”

“We’ll certainly do our best,” replied Ru, distracted now. She scanned the academics all around her, still laughing and dancing, looking for Fen. He should have been there by now. “My lord, I mean Hugon, have you seen Fen Verrill? You may remember him from our dinner at the palace.”

“How could I forget,” said Lord D’Luc, and she almost thought the very corner of his lip curled. “Odd fellow. I saw him brooding near the edge of things before you arrived. Ah, there.” He indicated the far end of the Great Hall.

Ru had to stand on tiptoe yet again and was only barely able to make out a shock of messy black hair across the room.

“Thank you,” she said, eager to speak to Fen. “If you’ll excuse me, I must inform my team that we’ll be demonstrating the artifact in the morning.”

Lord D’Luc inclined his head, and Ru made a hasty beeline for Fen.

He caught her eye immediately and started moving toward her until they met in the crowd, inexorably drawn together. There was no more flowing golden light, and the aching fire within her had cooled to smoldering embers, but something had changed between the two of them. She knew he felt it too. The party swirled around them, but Ru could have been anywhere in that moment.

All she saw was Fen.

She wanted to throw herself into his arms, let him lift her up, and carry her away somewhere, to forget about everything else.

“You’re gorgeous,” he said, as a greeting. “That color suits you.”

Ru blushed. Her dress wasn’t as elegant as she would have liked, but as an academic, she had no reason to own anything as nice as the gowns she’d worn at the palace. It was a simple thing of silk and lace, midnight blue, with a low-cut bodice and a row of buttons down her back. It had taken ages to put on. She would have loved to see how quickly Fen could get her out of it.

He took her hands in his, and leaned down so only she could hear, “I’m aching to kiss you.”

“Later,” she said, heart pounding. “I’ve just spoken to Lord D’Luc. About the artifact.”

Fen looked as if he had to struggle to change focus from Ru to the more important matter at hand. “Not here.”

They threaded their way through the great hall, away from the music and the dancing, out into the foyer and beyond, to the moonlit courtyard. There were plenty of other academics about, strolling and taking in the air and kissing on benches. They walked together hand in hand until they were mostly alone, the hum of the party now distant. Ru could hear crickets and watched as fireflies danced like miniature stars under the trees.

“Tell me everything,” said Fen. “Before I become distracted.” His dark, hot gaze raked over her, his expression so indecent that Ru felt a surge of the familiar heat between her legs.

Taking a deep breath of night air to settle herself, she recounted her conversation with Lord D’Luc. How he seemed dedicated to keeping the artifact at the Tower, no matter what; how he had nothing useful to share about the threat of traitors at the palace; and how he had asked for a demonstration of the artifact the next morning.

Ru thought it sounded sensible, the way she told it, but Fen’s expression grew steadily darker as she spoke. By the time she was finished, storm clouds seemed to have collected in his eyes.

“Why are you so determined to put yourself in danger?” he said, his jaw clenching. “Do you value your life at all?”

“What on earth do you mean?” Ru asked. She felt she had missed something, as if she’d descended a flight of stairs only to stumble at the last step.

“You know exactly,” he said, pulling restlessly at his neckcloth, loosening it about his throat. “How many times have I saved your life, or wrenched you from the grasp of that cursed stone? It’s almost like youwantme to be forced to watch you die.”

“Fen,” she said, confused by his sudden anger. “I don’t know what you mean.”

“Don’t you?” he said, his voice becoming dangerously low. “You seem surprisingly eager to show Lord D’Luc his precious breakthrough moment with the artifact tomorrow. What a lovely morning that will be when something goes wrong, when you’re overtaken by the artifact, when everyone in the dungeon is unsuspectingly…” he stopped himself from continuing, but his face was a mask of barely contained fury.

“When everyone in the dungeon is unsuspectinglywhat?” she demanded. “Killed? Ah. Yes, you’re right. I did murder all those people in the Shattered City. I had completely forgotten. Thank you for reminding me.”

---