“Angry?”
“No. Crazy. She’s lost five children. And I think she’s the one who ordered the kidnapping. She believes Eviana is her daughter who passed away.”
Brody grimaced. “That is crazy.”
“I know.” Gwennore adjusted her hold on her bodice to keep her gown from falling off. “And there’s more.”
“You want me to tie off those laces?”
“Ye don’t mind?”
“No.” He motioned for her to turn. “You were saying?”
“I detected something when I touched the queen’s hand.” Gwennore stumbled back when he tugged sharply at her laces.
“Hold on to the bedpost,” he grumbled.
She grabbed on. “I believe the queen is being poisoned.”
“What?”
Gwennore glanced back at him. “I might be able to use my gift to help her.”
Brody snorted. “She’s the reason you and Eviana were kidnapped. Why on Aerthlan would you want to help her?”
Why, indeed? Gwennore wondered. The most sensible thing for her to do was to leave this place as soon as possible and make sure Eviana was safely returned home.
But ye were born with a special gift, she argued with herself. Wasn’t she supposed to use it? If she could help the queen recover, then the woman might stop kidnapping children. Then no more children and parents would be traumatized.
Green and brown, the colors of the Norveshki army. The number three for Eviana’s third birthday. Gwennore swallowed hard. Had the Telling Stones predicted that she would come to this place? Was she meant to be here?
* * *
When Silas reached the nursery, he found his colonel and best friend scowling as he leaned against the closed doors.
“Something wrong?” Silas asked.
Dimitri sighed. “Why did you do it?”
“Do what?”
“Tell everyone you captured her in battle.”
“Lady Gwennore?”
“Who else?” Dimitri grumbled.
Silas shrugged. “She was about to be arrested as an assassin. I needed to vouch for her character, so I made it sound like I’d known her for a while and trusted her.”
Dimitri snorted. “Well, you definitely succeeded.”
“Is there a point to this?”
“Some people think you’re bedding her.”
Silas flinched. “What? How did they—”
“You said she was your captive and she’d proven herself useful.”
Silas gave him an incredulous look. “There must be a hundred ways to be useful that have nothing to do with—” An image flitted through his mind of Gwennore, her arms and legs wrapped around him, her naked body pressed against him. Damn. She was breathtaking. And he—
“Are you drooling?”
Silas wiped his chin, then realized his friend had been joking.
While Dimitri snickered, Silas raised a fist, threatening to punch him. “When I said useful, I meant her intelligence and fluency in several languages.”
“Right.”
“Sod off.” Silas pushed him aside so he could access the nursery door.
“She said the little girl is the Eberoni princess. Does the king realize the mess he’s—”
“He’s not here.”
“But I saw him—”
“I know, but he left again. I don’t know why.” Silas noted the worried glint in his friend’s eyes. No doubt Dimitri was wondering if Petras was also succumbing to insanity. “Don’t even think it.”
“He has put our country in danger.”
“I’m going to fix it.”
Dimitri winced. “You’ve had to fix things before. And he’s not always grateful—”
“I know the risk. But no matter what, we are returning the princess and Lady Gwennore tomorrow. It is the only way to avoid war with Eberon and Tourin.”
Dimitri nodded. “You’re right.”
Silas reached for the doorknob. “I’ll tell Lady Gwennore to be ready before dawn.”
“Oh.” Dimitri grabbed his arm to stop him. “I should tell you. She grew up with Sorcha.”
“I know.”
Dimitri huffed. “Is there anything you don’t know?” His eyes took on a mischievous glint. “Actually, I did hear something rather shocking from Lady Olenka, but you probably—”
“What?”
“According to her, you’re the most handsome man on Aerthlan.”
Silas scoffed. “If you learn something important, let me know.” He reached for the doorknob once again.
“So I guess you’re not interested in Lady Gwennore’s response.”
Silas hesitated. Had she agreed? He caught Dimitri smirking at him. Bastard.
Dimitri grinned. “I heard that.”
“I let you hear it.”
With a snort, Dimitri crossed his arms and leaned against the wall. “So you don’t want to know what she said?”
“Don’t need to. I can read her mind too well.”
“Oh, right.” Dimitri’s mouth twitched. “Then you must have heard her call you General Gorgeous.”
Silas hissed in a breath, then pointed a finger in his friend’s face. “Stop invading her mind.”
“Why not? You are.”
“I can’t help it,” Silas grumbled. “She’s practically shouting at us.”
“I know,” Dimitri agreed. “It’s so strange. Why are we hearing her?”
“I don’t know. If we didn’t have our shields up, she could probably read our minds, too. She can hear the dragons.”
“Crap.”
“Precisely. If any other elves have that ability, imagine the havoc they could cause during battle.” Silas frowned. “I need to talk to her.”
Dimitri nodded. “At least you’ll know if she’s lying or not, since you can read her mind.”
That was true, although Silas found it very distracting when she called him General Gorgeous. It kept reminding him that she was absolutely beautiful. The image of her naked in his bed flitted through his mind once again, and he shoved it aside. “It’s not right for us to invade her privacy. I’ll have to tell her how to erect a mental shield.”
“You can’t do that without admitting that you’ve been hearing her.” Dimitri grinned. “General Gorgeous.”
“Smart-ass.” Silas entered the nursery to the sound of his friend’s chuckling. As he approached the little girl by the hearth, he noted she was happily eating with a servant watching over her. Where was Gwennore?
His gaze wandered about the room, not finding her. Memories of his childhood rushed at him, slowing his steps to a halt. How long had it been? Almost twenty years since he’d lived in this room. He’d been sent far away at the age of seven to avoid the so-called curse.
The servant spotted him and curtsied. Then the little girl noticed him, and her eyes grew wide with fear.
Silas smiled at her and said in Eberoni, “Don’t worry. I’m a friend. I know your aunt Brigitta and her husband, King Ulfrid. And I’ve met Brody several
