Page 83 of Rise of the Phoenix King (Crown and Crest 4)

“I’m fine,” he insists, his tone angry.

She nods and then looks at Lyredon, who stands silently nearby. An understanding passes between them, and then she leaves Ayan to her shadow rogue. To me, she says, “We’ll go now. You look exhausted.”

“Thank you, Audra,” Henrik says quietly. He steps up to me before we go, dropping his voice. “Sleep well.”

Even now, we don’t get a moment alone.

Audra and I walk through the crowded entry and step into the hall.

“I’m sorry you’re stuck watching me,” I say, trying to make the words light.

“You were attacked last night,” she points out. “And Camellia has a personal vendetta against you.”

“I know—but it’s still embarrassing.”

The elf smiles knowingly and leads me down familiar halls until we reach the queen’s quarters that were mine until recently.

Palmer, my old door guard, greets me, looking befuddled.

“Lady Clover will stay with me tonight,” Audra says.

“Of course.” Palmer bows his head and opens the door.

I pause inside, realizing everything is exactly how I left it.

“It’s awkward, isn’t it?” Audra says.

“You haven’t changed anything.”

“Lawrence said I could…” She shrugs, taking in the space with a wrinkle of her nose.

“But you didn’t intend to marry him until yesterday.”

“Yes.”

My eyes stray to the drapes and the little clovers that decorate the fabric. “You should at least get rid of these.”

Audra laughs, sounding as uncomfortable as I am.

“Did he show you the secret door in your bedchamber?” I ask.

Her eyebrows fly up. “The secretwhat?”

“It leads into his room.” I try not to laugh at her horrified expression. “It must have slipped his mind.”

“I’m sure,” she mutters.

“I’ll take the maid’s room,” I say, already heading in that direction, wishing we’d stopped at the baths first. But it’s late, and I’m not sure I care anymore. “See you in the morning.”

Audra murmurs a goodnight as I slip into the adjoining room. It’s cozy, small, and blessedly only has one entrance. Just to be on the safe side, I wedge a chair under the handle and then fall on the covers, fully dressed. Sleep finds me almost immediately.

But so do the nightmares.

* * *

In the last twenty-four hours, we’ve received word that five more scattered groups have been arrested. Only one resulted in serious casualties, and that’s because the attack was centered in the middle of a large market, and they had no elven assistance.

The High Vale mages have made a world of difference. I only wish there were more of them to go around.

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