Page 127 of Artemysia
Before I can slip on the dress, the double doors of the prince’s bedroom crash open with a loud crack as one door splinters into three pieces. I jump back, covering myself with my arms.
Riev staggers in.
“Delphine!” he shouts. His pupils are disturbingly large, like a nocturnal creature’s, but entirely unfocused.
I stumble back.Oh hell. His shirt is rumpled, the buttons misaligned.
His hair mussed. Who pulled his hair out of its knot? It’s not likehim to be so disheveled. Ever.
His cheeks are feverishly red, and he sways in place.
He’s drunk.
And he’s broken down the prince’s door.
Behind him through the cracked door, North Kingdom guards lie strewn over the thick plum carpeting, unconscious down the hallway as far as I can see.
I quickly scan him for any visible injuries. His knuckles are bloody, but nothing else.
We shout at each other at the same time, “What the hell are you doing?”
Riev answers first. “Claiming you. You’re mine. Fucking mine.” His sudden possessiveness surprises me and sends a powerful tremor down my spine, hollowing my stomach. My body reacts to him, despite my brain scrambling to make sense of his behavior.
He drags his gaze down my naked body, his eyes darkening. “Why—?”
I’m glaring right back at him, furious he’s blowing our cover and acting like a madman.
I snatch up the dress and pull it over my head, wrestling my arms through. The stitches on my back twinge at the forceful movement, and I bite down on my lip in a wince. The painkillers I’ve been taking each morning are wearing off, and I need more.
Riev frowns, noticing my bandaged forearm. “You’re hurt? Who did that?” He scans the room, unsteady on his feet. Before I can berate him, he takes another step forward and collapses onto the prince’s bedroom floor.
“Who did this to you?” - Delphine
“Your husband’s been drugged,” a male voice says from somewhere above me. Is he the prince? I remember barging into what I believed was Prince Toryl’s quarters at the end of the hall on the fourth floor in my search for Delphine, based on what Sylvi said about his bedroom being a grandiose door and the number of guards outside.
Seems like I was right.
“Riev, who did this to you?” Delphine’s sweet, soft words bleed with concern.Oh fantastic, I found her. I don’t want her to worry, but when I try to speak, nothing comes out. My eyelids won’t open. They’re heavy and lethargic, and no matter how hard I try, I’m unable to see her. Perhaps I’m blind. I’m too numb to let fear take over.
“Wake up. Who did this? There’s going to be hell to pay when I find out.” Her voice rises, her fury building.
She presses her lips to my forehead.
“Mhmm,” I murmur low in my throat, thankful I can at least feel her lips on me. A tingle runs down my jaw and throat when she strokes my cheek.
“Riev, is it?” The male voice again.
“Why would anyone drug him?” she asks.
“This is concerning,” he replies.
“Where were you? How much did you drink? Why did you have to knock out those guards?” Her tone has changed, and it’s no longer controlled.
It’s absolutely murderous. My heart burns with a spark of pride. I feel sorry for the fucker she’s angry at. He’s going to get what’s coming.
My mind is still jumbled and foggy from the drugs. It’s so enjoyable to feel the heat of her face near mine, and I try to grin at her, but my mouth twitches instead. I could be drooling.
The somber man’s voice again. “Try this tonic. It should counter the effects of a sedative.”
