It seemed to me he sold himself short. But I leaned forward. “I don’t need to be rescued, James. I can do this on my own.”
“Yes.” He smiled gently. “I’ve heard that about you. And I don’t want to rescue you. I want to give you an option.”
“For what?”
“Tell me what happened on the balcony the other morning, when my people tried to take you to safety.”
My jaw clenched. “I didn’t want to be taken anywhere. I had to help.”
“Wilhelmina.” My name came out a sigh. “You froze. You panicked. Your wraith boy came to kill anyone who touched you because you were so afraid.”
Was that what had happened? The wraith boy had been chasing Patrick until the guard had grabbed me.
“I’ve never seen you panic, not once.”
I studied the grains on the desk. Of course he hadn’t seen me panic. I’d been in the wraithland alone. Only the wraith boy had seen what I’d done, how weak I’d been when the locusts arrived.
“Was it because—” James hesitated. “After you were captured in Hawksbill, when the men searched you?”
I didn’t say anything.
“I heard you throw up in your cell after I’d walked away. I know about the bruises.” He glanced at my arm, healed now. “The other morning, the guards grabbing you reminded you of”—he hesitated—“a situation that made you feel violated.”
My jaw hurt from gritting my teeth.
Even more gently, he said, “It took away your sense of control.”
“They took advantage of my incapacitation.” The words came out like venom.
“I understand.”
But he couldn’t. Not unless he’d ever been groped between the legs and his assailant justified it by insisting there could be a hidden weapon there. Not unless he’d ever been surrounded by frightened people who mistook his identity, and wanted to touch him for hope or luck or curiosity. Not unless someone had crept into his bedroom at night, threatening him.
“It’s all right that you feel this way. It’s all right if you hate the people who did this to you.”
Did I hate them? Besides Prince Colin, I didn’t even know their names.
“I remember who was there,” he said. “I’ll have them released from the Indigo Army and Order.”
And Prince Colin? Could anything be done about him?
My list of allies was frighteningly small, and my list of enemies was already full; I didn’t have room for bitter, dishonored soldiers.
“Don’t. Just leave them.” I didn’t want to see them again, but I wasn’t sure I’d recognize faces from that day. Anyway, the safety of our world was more important than my discomfort. “I appreciate the gesture.”
James shook his head. “It’s not a gesture. The security of this palace and its inhabitants is in my hands. I’m sworn to protect Tobiah, primarily, but my duties go beyond that. You’re not only a current resident of this palace, but foreign royalty. In protecting you, I am protecting Tobiah and the castle. I’m also your friend, Wil. At least I hope so. I’ll do everything in my power to make sure you feel safe.”
I would never feel safe. Not here.
“What happened to your guard last night?”
“I intend to. But I’d rather you tell me.”
“He was dismissed, I assume.” I was glad it hadn’t been Ferris. I didn’t care for him, but James appeared to trust him, so at least that wouldn’t change.
“By whom?”
I shrugged. “How should I know?”
“Prince Colin.”
I forced the edge of panic out of my voice. “What makes you say that?”
“Because there are very few people my men will take orders from, and even fewer people who could rattle you. You look like you haven’t slept in a week. What happened?”
“Well he wasn’t visiting for tea. But I’ve dealt with it.”
“I have no doubt.”
“He knows Tobiah is recovered.”
James let out a long sigh. “And I will deal with that.” Then he removed the mess of papers from the desk and slid a ruler onto the next fresh sheet. “Now, I know you enjoy my company more than anything else in the world, but we’ve both got a lot of work to do. And since you’ve never been one to refuse showing off your skills, let’s see the famous pen at work. This time in your handwriting. And if you don’t know what it looks like, maybe it’s time for you to learn.”
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
JODI MEADOWS is the author of the Incarnate series. She lives and writes in the Shenandoah Valley, Virginia, with her husband, a cat, and an alarming number of ferrets. She is a confessed book addict and has wanted to be a writer ever since she decided against becoming an astronaut. You can visit her online at www.jodimeadows.com.
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BOOKS BY JODI MEADOWS
Incarnate
Asunder
Infinite
Phoenix Overture
The Orphan Queen
The Mirror King
The Hidden Prince
The Glowing Knight
The Burning Hand
The Black Knife
COPYRIGHT
Katherine Tegen Books is an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.
THE BLACK KNIFE. Copyright © 2016 by Jodi Meadows. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.
ISBN: 978-0-06-237708-1
EPub Edition © February 2016 9780062377081
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