Why do you ask? Are we dating?
She scrambled to her feet. I haven’t thanked you properly.
Thank the general. He’s the one who sent me.
Silas had sent Puff? Gwennore pondered that as she watched the dragon disappear from view. If Silas had been communicating with Puff, why had she heard only Puff’s voice in her mind? That reminded her that her mind was still open, so she quickly erected a mental shield.
A cool breeze wafted against her wet clothes, causing her to shiver. She needed to warm up quickly, or she’d catch a cold. As she hurried through the gate, she realized she’d left her canvas bag behind at the river. Blast. She’d have to do all that work in the garden again.
This day was not going well. And it wasn’t going to get any better if Silas was intending to give her an earful.
* * *
“Dammit, I’ll wring her neck!” Silas strode down the hallway on the ground floor of the northern wing. He’d just returned to the castle through the northwestern tower, where Dimitri had met him.
“Not so loud,” Dimitri grumbled. “Everyone in the castle is eager for more gossip about your turbulent love affair with Lady Gwennore.”
Silas took a deep breath to calm his anger. “Did you send Margosha to her?”
“Yes.” Dimitri opened the door to Karlan’s office. “We can talk in here.”
Silas glanced around as he entered. “Where is Karlan?”
“I asked him and a few of his most trusted guards to help me keep an eye on Romak and the priest. We’re taking turns, so they won’t realize they’re being watched.”
“Where is Romak?”
“In the king’s outer office, going about business as usual.” Dimitri rolled up a sleeve to show a few wet leaves plastered against his forearm. “Lady Gwennore sent these earlier.” He peeled off the leaves to show a red, inflamed patch of skin.
“What is that?” Silas asked.
“It was caused by poison. Lady Gwennore has a similar spot on her arm.”
“What?” Silas’s heart lurched. “She’s been poisoned?”
Dimitri snorted. “I was, too, but I can see where all your concern lies.”
Silas gave him a wry look. “You’re obviously still alive. Where did the poison come from?”
“The dagger that Romak had me pass on to Gwennore.”
Silas’s heart grew still for a moment. “The weasel wants me dead.”
Dimitri nodded. “I figure he wants rid of both you and Lady Gwennore. If she stabbed you with the poisoned dagger, it would kill you. And then she would be executed.”
“Bastard.” Silas clenched his fists. “How dare he abuse her like that? If she had accidentally cut herself, she could have died!”
Dimitri cleared his throat. “Me, too.”
“Yes.” Silas paced about the room. “So Romak didn’t receive that gold just for spying. He was being paid to assassinate me.”
“Say the word, and I’ll arrest him.”
Silas paced some more as he considered. “Where is the priest?”
“In the village at a tavern.”
“Probably waiting for news of my death.” Silas stopped. “As soon as Aleksi returns, spread the word in the village that I’m deathly ill and not expected to live. When the priest leaves, have Aleksi follow him. I want to know where he goes and who is behind all this.”
“I thought you suspected Lord Morris.”
“I do, but I need to be sure. Once the priest is gone, we arrest Romak.”
Dimitri nodded. “Got it.”
Silas glanced at his friend’s inflamed arm. “Did the poison make you sick?”
“Now you ask?” Dimitri smirked. “My head hurt like hell.”
So did that mean Gwennore had a headache, too? Silas grimaced. “She should never have wandered off like that.”
“But I’m feeling much better now, thank you.” Dimitri smiled when Silas gave him an affectionate swat on the shoulder. “I suggest you refrain from wringing her neck. After all, she’s the one who figured out that the dagger was poisoned. We need her.”
“I know. She’s wonderfully clever.” Silas thumped a fist on Karlan’s desk. “That just makes me more upset with her. How could she do something so foolish?”
“Calm down. She’s fine. No harm done.”
“She almost went over the waterfall! And if I have to hear one more time about how sweet that damned Puff is—”
“What? Puff?”
“The dragon,” Silas growled. “She keeps going on and on about how he always comes to the rescue, while I do nothing! It’s Puff who protects her, not me! It’s Puff that’s a sweetheart—”
“By the Light!” Dimitri laughed. “Do you hear what you’re saying?”
“It’s what she’s saying that’s pissing me off!”
Dimitri punched him on the shoulder. “Idiot. You’re jealous of yourself.”
Silas hissed in a breath, then shot his friend a warning glare. “Don’t say it. We can never let her find out.”
“If she’s as clever as you think, she’ll figure—”
“No!” Silas shook his head. “She wants to go back to her family in a month. If she finds out, we won’t be able to let her leave.”
Dimitri gave him a sympathetic look. “Then you have no choice. You have to let her think Puff is the hero.”
Silas sighed. The true nature of the dragons was Norveshka’s most guarded secret. No foreigner was ever allowed to know the truth.
“And you should keep your distance from her,” Dimitri added. “Any woman who gets involved with us could be affected by the curse.”
“I don’t believe in the curse.”
“Fine. But even without the curse, you could hurt her. So be careful.”
Silas winced. He knew deep down he shouldn’t get involved with Gwennore. Not when her greatest desire was to return to her adopted family in Eberon. But how could he stay away from her when he was working with her? He had to be by her side.
Or was he just using that as an excuse? With a silent groan, he realized the truth. He didn’t want to stay away. He enjoyed being with her.
She made him laugh. She made him lust. She made him want more and more of her.
But to what end? She’d already asked him that. If he had any honor, he would stop lusting for her. Stop trying to pull her into a
