Page 64 of Onyx Cage: Volume II

“Rest up, Cousin,” he murmured quietly. “Lots of vodka to drink when you’re well.”

A shadow crossed his features, and Avani approached, placing a comforting hand on his arm and using the other to brush a curl out of Rowan’s face.

“Come on, little sister. We’ll see you back at the castle.”

Davin nodded, carefully passing Rowan back up to me and rearranging his features into his usual casual mask.

“Well, as much as I hate the magistrate, I don’t envy anyone in the castle when the king finds out she was hurt.”

I gave him a grim smile in return, but I hoped he was right. I hoped the king was furious enough to hunt down every single person who played a hand in getting my lemmikki hurt.

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

When I had been kneeling in a pool of Rowan’s blood and she was clutching my hand like it was the last thing tethering her to this world, it had been too easy to forget that we were no one to each other here.

That when her father came to take her from my arms, I would have no argument to make, no way to force myself into the room where her family stayed to see that she was well.

Instead, I was stuck in the hallway with Korhonan, like we were still equals in this ridiculous charade I had partaken in for reasons that felt tenuous right now. Because she hadn’t agreed to marry me any more than she had him.

The king came to question us, the murder on his features turning him into the monster my people believed he was for the first time since I had seen him standing in my courtyard in the dead of night.

Was this what he had looked like when he brought the mountain down?

It was almost comforting to see someone whose fury matched my own.

I hadn’t left her hallway for hours, not since her cousin miraculously healed a wound I thought might actually kill her.

Not that she was easy to kill. It wasn’t impossible, though.

Over and over, I replayed the moment when her eyes widened, her hand going to her abdomen. The moment my own heart stopped beating.

After an eternity, the queen stepped out of her rooms. She took a breath, looking between us with pursed lips before she addressed Korhonan.

“The princess would like to see you.”

His brow furrowed, like even he was surprised by that choice, and I fought to keep my own features neutral.

Twice now, I had watched the life bleed from Rowan’s features. The first time, I had wondered how much she resented that I was the only one around to pick up the pieces.

This time, she had all but asked me to stay. Had clung to my hand, breathed in my scent, matched my breaths with her own, all to ask for Korhonan the moment she was conscious again?

He slipped into Rowan’s rooms without a backward glance, but the queen visibly hesitated. A lifetime of Socairan politics must have failed me in that moment, because she scrutinized my features with far too much understanding.

I started to turn, though I wasn’t sure if it was only to pace along the hallway more or if I would finally be able to tear myself away from her now.

“Don’t go yet.” The queen’s words were rushed, more a caution than a command.

Did she mean not to go back to Socair? Not to leave the hallway?

Whichever it was, something in her tone rooted me to the spot. Hell, maybe I would have stayed anyway. Would I ever have been able to leave without seeing that whatever Gallagher had done was more than temporary?

Whatever else happened, I needed to know she was safe. I gave her a terse dip of my chin, and Queen Charlotte left after another uncertain sigh.

Then I waited, though I wasn’t sure what I was waiting for at this point.

Confirmation that she was well?

The announcement of her upcoming nuptials to Korhonan?