Page 85 of Charmless
Florian continued in an aggravated tone. “The commander had the impertinence to tell me that I had no authority to arrest Hawkridge. Only the king can issue such a writ.”
I seized upon this eagerly. “That is true, isn’t it?”
“But I will be king very soon. My dear Papa is dying.”
“I heard that the king was doing better.”
“He had a sudden relapse. I fully expect him to be dead by morning.” Florian apparently recollected he should be sad aboutthis. He managed to squeeze out a sigh. “Alas, I am devastated, but we all must die sometime.”
“But the king has recovered before. Surely he?—”
“No, he won’t. Trust me. There is absolutely no hope of that.”
The deadly calm way Florian spoke those words unsettled me. How could he be so certain his father would not recover unless… A chilling suspicion swept through me. No, surely not even Florian could be that vile as to poison the king. I shivered as I remembered Ryland’s harrowing tale of Florian maiming his hand. If a man could do that to his own brother, would he have any qualms about murdering his father?
The answer was all too clear in the cold, calculating expression in Florian’s eyes. “I explained to Commander Crushington that my father was no longer capable of issuing commands before I ordered him to return to his barracks and cease meddling in matters that were none of his affair.”
Was that where Horatio was now? Or had Florian also aroused his suspicions and Horatio had rushed to the palace to alert Mercato and check on the king? Perhaps Horatio had gone to my house, looking for me to soften the blow as he explained what had happened to Mal. All I knew was that Horatio was too far away to help me now.
As Florian stalked closer, I backed toward the rear door that led to Mal’s garden. The prince stroked his chin and mused, “That Crushington can be a most annoying fellow. He’d best learn to be more respectful or when I am king, I will assign him to a new duty, scrubbing out the palace latrines.”
Florian gave a silky laugh. “But I have a far more important matter to deal with right now.” His lips tilted in a sinister smile. “My faithless sweetheart, what am I going to do with you?”
My heart leapt into my throat. I had no idea what dire fate Florian intended for me, but I was not waiting to find out. I flung open the back door and rushed outside, with no notion of whereI was going, only somewhere as far away from Florian as I could get.
Perhaps if Mal’s boat was docked down in the reeds, I could reach theElla Marieand—But I drew up, short, dismayed to find my way barred by the prince’s equerry. The burly man held the reins to his own mount and Florian’s. He was allowing both horses to trample all over Mal’s carefully tended herb garden.
Before I could register my shock and anger at this, Florian was upon me. He seized me from behind, whipping me around to face him. He clucked his tongue in scolding fashion as his thumbs dug into my shoulders.
“Ella, Ella! Why are you running from me? I would never hurt you.”
“Youarehurting me,” I cried. “Let me go.”
To my surprise, he did. An aggrieved look crept into his eyes as he complained, “I don’t understand you at all. What sort of woman would reject a prince like me for the likes of that wretch Hawkridge? He is nothing but an apothecary, a lowlife from Misty Bottoms and on top of everything else, he’sbald.”
Florian ran his hand caressingly through his long, golden mane.
“I already told you,” I said, rubbing my sore shoulders. “Mal is my friend. I have known him since childhood. He is like my brother.”
Florian frowned over this and then his face lit up with sudden comprehension. “Oh! He is your father’s bastard. That explains everything.”
No, you ignorant cretin, I nearly shrieked. My father had been a completely honorable man. He would never have betrayed the love he felt for my mother in such a fashion. To even imply such a thing was an insult to Papa’s memory, and yet it might offer a way to save Mal.
Forgive me, Papa,I thought. Swallowing the lump of guilt that lodged in my throat, I said, “You have guessed the truth. Mal is indeed my illegitimate brother. Now that you know he is not your rival will you please release him from the dungeons?”
Florian nodded his agreement, but only long enough for my face to light up with hope. A hope he quickly dashed with a huge grin and a laugh.
“No, you silly girl. Of course, I won’t release him.”
I released a deflated breath at the same time my hands balled into fists. Never had I experienced such a tangle of emotions, fear, anger, despair, frustration, and a sense of complete helplessness.
Except that I wasn’t. Not entirely. A rustle emanated from the bushes that separated Mal’s property from Delphine’s next door. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a sleek black cat slinking beneath the shrubbery. Delphine regarded me with large unblinking golden eyes. How long she had been there watching or if there was any chance the witch might come to my aid, I didn’t know. But her mere presence reminded me that I was not without power.
In my hasty departure from the Winking Goblin, I had forgotten Horatio’s cloak, but I had remembered to bring away something far more important. The Fear Blade. It was still attached to my belt.
As my fingers inched toward the sheath, Delphine went into the most astonishing series of gyrations, twitching her tail, waving her paws, and shaking her head. I ignored her, too intent upon the power I could wield to make Florian’s smirk disappear.
Unsheathing the tiny blade, I brandished it at him. “Enough of your nonsense,” I growled. “You will give the order to release Mal or else!”
