Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 77730 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 389(@200wpm)___ 311(@250wpm)___ 259(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77730 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 389(@200wpm)___ 311(@250wpm)___ 259(@300wpm)
Most alarmingly, right in the center, underlined and circled, was one word. No. A name.
CELESTINE.
Fuck.
I hadn’t heard him say her name in a while. I kind of hoped the memory of her was fading, that whatever was eating away at his mind was starting with his more recent memories and working backward.
“What is it you want me to do about this?” I asked, knowing it was never the right move to confront him with his insanity.
“You need to handle it.”
“Handle what? My sister?”
“Sister,” he snarled. “Sisters don’t scar their brothers.” His gaze flicked to my throat, the same raw rage there that had existed when he’d first seen me after the burn. I couldn’t help but wonder if maybe he was stuck in that memory, if he was there in the past instead of the present moment.
“What do you want me to do to handle Celestine?”
“I need her here.”
“You want me to travel into the Seelie Court, steal their princess, and bring her here? Without getting burned again?”
“Gloves. You can make her wear gloves.”
“That’s… an option,” I agreed. “Why do you want Celestine right now?”
“She’s plotting against me.”
“Celestine isn’t on the throne,” I reminded him. “Dany is on the throne.”
“Dany is as mad as a bog witch.”
There was a human saying about a pot and a kettle that applied here.
“Dany was under a spell. It is broken. She is on the throne.”
Cass’s face went splotchy, the anger rising up from his core, tinting his neck beet red and creeping up his face.
“You think you can lie to me?” His fist slammed onto the table, making some books and papers stacked precariously near the edge topple to the floor.
Alright.
Time to change tack.
“What do you want from Celestine?” I asked. “I might be able to get her to meet with me under the right conditions.”
“You know what I need from her.”
“Her powers,” I guessed.
“I need to burn every last bastard who is lying to me. Force them to tell me the truth.”
“Okay. Who is lying to you?”
“Who isn’t?”
“Who are you most concerned with?” I asked. He might be mad, but I figured there was likely a little reality stitched in there somewhere. And if there was someone on his list that wasn’t on my list, then I wanted to know.
“Grimwood,” he growled. There was definitely a reason to worry about him. Not that I was going to tell him that, though. “Moorestone. And that vicious bitch.”
That could be several of the women in powerful families. “Which one?”
“Donella.”
Donella?
The woman who hadn’t had a sober thought in my entire life?
“Why Donella?” I clarified, wondering if maybe her drunkenness was a cover, if Cass knew something I didn’t.
“What she did to me at the ball.”
Oh, for fuck’s sake.
He wanted me to drag my sister to the dungeon, drain her of her powers, then use them to burn a woman who publicly spurned him back when he’d been a prince?
“Alright. I’ll add her to the list. Is there anything else?”
The redness had leeched away from his face, leaving him ashen and sunken. But he seemed calmer.
Behind me, Tove cleared his throat as he came closer.
“My King,” he said, coming closer with a glass of what looked like wine. “You forgot to drink your evening wine.”
My gaze cut to my father’s advisor, but he said nothing as he handed my father the glass and watched as he obediently sipped.
So I was right.
He was drugging him.
But my father had neglected to do his part. And Tove had likely retired before he realized. Leaving my father to stay awake, ranting and raving all through the night.
I hoped to hell no servants saw or heard him like that.
Little by little, I saw Cass start to fade.
“I will look into that for you, Father,” I said before excusing myself. Every second I was there was a second he wasn’t sleeping. If he crashed soon, he could still get a solid five hours before he had to get up for the festivities. It wasn’t ideal, but it was damn sure better than nothing.
“Look into what?” Vishen asked
“Some slight from several human lifetimes ago,” I said with a snort. “Tove fucked up and didn’t make sure he took whatever he drugs him with before he went to bed himself.”
“Have you ever considered—” Vishen started, but a guard appeared out of nowhere, making us both lapse into silence until we were back on our floor.
“Considered what?” I asked when we were once again in my study.
“That Tove could be the one driving your father insane? Think about it. He has unlimited access to your father, to his quarters, to his food and drink…”
“If he were, why wouldn’t he dose him when he has public appearances? Why not keep the crazy under wraps?” I asked, dropping into my desk chair.
“To sow doubt? So he can form alliances against Cass?”