Page 160 of The Courting of Bristol Keats
Tyghan stumbled around the corner, shirtless, his eyes bloodshot. Damp strands of hair fell over his brow. He clutched the doorway, then walked to the sofa, bracing one hand on the back of it like it was the only thing holding him up. Loose trousers hung low on his hips. A thick bandage circled his left wrist. “Now is not a good time, Bristol,” he said, his voice weak.
“What happened?”
“He—”
Tyghan’s hand shot up, and he shot a warning glare at Eris. “She doesn’t need to know.” His gaze turned back to Bristol, as he struggled to stand. “Get out.”
Something was wrong. How did he hurt his wrist? And why did he look so tired? This wasn’t what she expected to find. “I think this concerns me.”
“No,” he said. “It doesn’t. Leave.”
Quin stood, his eyes almost as red as Tyghan’s. “I’ll walk you out.”
He gripped Bristol’s upper arm and led her out to the hallway. After he closed the door behind them, he explained what had happened—Tyghan had been up all night wrestling with a legion of demons. “He was the one who used the hair from your brush. He breathed the smoke.”
“What?Why would he do that? He knew what it could do—”
“He was afraid, and I was too late getting to your room to stop him. When he saw the ashes and scorched ceiling over your tub, he assumed something terrible had happened to you. For him, every second counted. He took the risk.”
For you.Quin didn’t say it. Maybe he didn’t even think it. But Bristol felt it. “Don’t try to blame this on me.”
“I’m only telling you the facts.” The words were hard on his lips.
Queasiness churned in her gut. “It was a stupid thing for him to do.”
“No argument there. Stupid. Compounded by incredibly bad timing.” He sighed, rubbing his forehead with his palm. “Like Tygh said, you need to go. The rest of us have another long night ahead.” He went back inside, shutting the door, and Bristol leaned against the opposite wall, closing her eyes.Demons?The scrawled hash marks marring his study walls swam in her head, the broken glass, the frenzied piles of books, the room that made him dizzy just by walking inside. Breathing the smoke was a foolish thing for him to do. But it wasn’t her fault—
Desperate people do desperate things.
Desperate to find her. “It’s not my fault,” she whispered to herself.
She pushed off the wall, marching down the hallway, refusing to let guilt or worry creep in, but when she reached the end of the hall, she stopped. Instead of her next step, she saw Tyghan’s hooded eyes, his face glistening with sweat, his weakness as he leaned against the sofa for support.Some nights, I didn’t want to survive at all. I wanted to give up.
Something cold spread through her chest, and she spun, heading back down the hallway. She knew she wasn’t welcome, but with every step, she steadied her breathing, and put on her best sales persona. And then she flung open Tyghan’s door.
CHAPTER 110
She sold it hard, focusing on the easiest target in the room—Eris—who for some reason had always believed in her. “We need him for this mission, and I can get him through the night. I promised you I would help. I’m true to my word.”
Eris tried to respond, but Tyghan was yelling. “Get her out! Now! She doesn’t belong in here! Out!”
She focused on the High Witch as Quin began dragging her toward the door. “Are you going to listen to a half-mad king or someone who knows him? What are you afraid of, Madame Chastain? That I’m right?” It wasn’t exactly a typical sales pitch, but she had to gear her words for the particular customer, and the High Witch was more particular than most. She took up the gauntlet, and it bought Bristol at least a temporary reprieve. She stopped Quin from throwing Bristol out, but then went off on a tirade, revealing more of her own fears than she probably intended.Annihilation. A dead king. Failure.
“Failure?” Bristol said. “Aren’t we there already? The leader and most powerful fae of your nation is delirious and can barely stand. Look at him! He needs sleep. Real sleep!”
Even as she said the words, Tyghan was already collapsing in Eris’s and Cully’s arms and they were helping him back to his chamber.
Once he was out of the room, Bristol asked, “How much more do you really have to lose by trusting me?”
The High Witch hesitated, as if considering, but her fingers still twitched like she was ready to slam Bristol against another wall.
Bristol turned to Melizan, who was curled up on the sofa, and shot her a pleading glance. Genuine. No sales pitch.Please. Help me.
Melizan’s chin lifted as she coolly eyed Bristol. “So . . . what’s in this for you?”
Her cynicism made Bristol’s stomach clench. “I told you yesterday, I still care about Elphame and want it to survive. And I don’t want the mortal world to be next on Kormick’s annihilation list. That hasn’t changed, and the king is part of that survival.”
“Elphame and the mortal world?” A small snicker escaped Melizan’s lips. “That’s the only reason you’re here? That’s all you care about?”
