Page 85 of Of Serpents and Ruins
I covered my mouth, but the giggle still escaped. "Yeah. She’s something."
She nodded, her gaze even softer now, almost hazy. The medication must have been reducing her discomfort. "This is hard. I know it is, but Brandt is a good man."
Yes, he was. I had no doubts. The fact that this curse tormented him so was horrifying.
I worried my lower lip as I considered everything. "As far as you know, has the curse ever surged forward like this before?"
She shook her head. "The time gets a little shorter every so often but never like this. Just a matter of seconds each day. Maybe the thunder was like the earthquake in this case."
"Maybe."
Everyone had a theory. No one knew for certain.
Sighing, I stood. I smoothed out the white sheets and stepped back. "I should probably head out now. Pleasant dreams."
Outside, the storm continued to rage. Thunder boomed so loudly the vase and oil lamp on the bedside table rattled. This storm showed no signs of stopping at any point soon.
I had almost reached the stone doorway when Candy spoke again, softer this time, her voice rich with affection. "I’m glad you’re back, Stella, even if I did struggle to believe it was possible."
Her smile pulled the corners of my own mouth up higher. "I wouldn’t hold it against anyone who stopped believing."
"Brandt never stopped believe you were alive somehow, not even once. What you two have is special."
"Thank you." My voice was little more than a whisper. Her kindness shamed and encouraged me. "I’m grateful for you."
My gut twisted. How could I have thought she was a rival?
Actually, there was one reason I had suspected her. Maybe it was all innocent, but the fact remained one person had consistently pushed me toward seeing Candy as a rival, and that was someone I needed to speak with as soon as possible despite the tension between us.
It took only a few minutes to track down Elias. He stood in front of one of the large woven tapestries of Sepeazia, his arms clasped behind his back. As I approached, he glanced at me with a tender expression on his face. "Everything all right?" he asked in that velvety soft way of his. "Did you change your mind about me staying the night?"
Lifting my chin, I stopped beside him. "Can you tell me something?"
"Depends." He smiled at me, but sadness was behind his eyes. He tipped his head forward. His elbow grazed the edge of the vibrant tapestry that depicted the forging of a great sword with rune carved in its handle. Lightning flashed in the window behind him. "What would you like to know?"
I folded my arms over my chest, shifting my weight onto my left foot as I faced him. "You’ve said some things about Candy and Brandt…suggesting that there was something going on between them. Do you know if something is going on between them?"
"Hm." He tilted his head, glancing to the left before he shook his head. "I don’t know anything for certain. Just that they’re close. I guess it’s hard for me to imagine a man and a womanbeing that close without developing feelings for one another. I was never a part of the royal court or the inner circle. I’ve never really belonged anywhere until you and I became close."
"So just because they are close, you assumed there was something else at play?" I frowned. That was possible, but it didn’t feel accurate. "Why? Kine and I are close. You and I are close."
"Kine is your brother, adopted perhaps, but your brother nonetheless." He paused then lifted his shoulders as his gaze turned to the window. The rain poured down in a relentless torrent. "You should ask Candy. I think she would tell you. She’s a good person. A little thick sometimes, but good."
Had he seen me leaving her room? Maybe he already knew or suspected.
I paused, startled at the harshness of my own thoughts. What was going on with me?
I massaged my temples. "Yeah. That’s a good idea. I just wanted to know your thoughts. It seemed like maybe you were suggesting Brandt had…"
What exactly had he implied? That Candy had taken my place? That Brandt was unfaithful? But how could Brandt have been unfaithful when I had been dead?
"That Brandt was cheating on you?" A half smirk returned to Elias’s lips as he shook his head. "Brandt might be a flirt, but I can’t imagine that he would do anything if he had the chance of being with you again. As for Candy, like I said, she’s a good person. She’d never get in the way of a mate bond, even if she did have feelings of her own." He swallowed hard. "But…what I will say is that you deserve better than Brandt."
"Brandt is—"
"I know. You still deserve better." His jaw tightened, his expression even more downcast.
I clenched my hands into fists. "Don’t speak ill of my husband." I almost reminded him that I was the queen, but those words died on my tongue. It didn’t feel right to say, even if it was true. What counted was that I was married. Maybe not legally, if our marriage vows ended at death. But in spirit.
