Cameron Kern knows for sure, and he refused to discuss it with me.”
“That’s one of the reasons,” Kay interjected, “he’s now a former adviser.”
“Bob,” Drake said warningly. “At any rate, Megan is two years older than me, so she remembers how being thought of as the king’s whore affected our late mother. And on top of that, she left the island as a young woman and became a moon priestess, and we all know their opinion of men in general. Because of all that, she feels I deserve the punishment my father never received in his lifetime.”
“Awkward to have treasonous family,” I agreed.
Drake smiled with a sad little sigh. “Yes.”
“And entirely beside the point,” Kay said. “I’ll look over the guest list and see if any of them have traveled outside Grand Bruan recently, to somewhere they might acquire shatternight.”
“What about the other knights?” I asked. “Have any of them been off the island?”
“Three of them went to Sartoba to help train their army,” Kay said. “They got back two days before this incident.”
“Check it out,” Drake said. Kay nodded. To me the king asked, “Anything else?”
Your sister isn’t the only moon priestess in your family, I could’ve said. But I decided this wasn’t the best time. “I’ll let you know as soon as anything occurs to me.”
“Good. Let’s talk again in a bit after I’ve cleaned up and visited Jennifer. I owe her some private time, especially since we’ll have to hold court very soon and make some public statement.”
Kay and I both bowed, and Drake continued up the staircase. Just before he reached the next landing, he stopped. “And, Mr. LaCrosse? There’s a very good doctor here. Gladstone, I believe is her name. Go see her about that hand, and tell her I sent you. She’ll fix you right up.” Then Drake disappeared upstairs.
I turned to Kay and grinned. “Have to obey the king, you know.”
“I’ll send Gillian with you again,” Kay said. “To watch your back and such. Make sure you don’t get ambushed again.”
“Please, no. His charm is too overpowering.”
Kay laughed. “You got that right.”
“Besides, Agravaine’s not the kind to try something in broad daylight. He’s like a cockroach, he needs shadows to function. I noticed he wasn’t in the hall when Drake arrived.”
“You can be sure Marc noticed, too. All right, I’ll take you down to the infirmary. Come on.”
chapter
NINE
The infirmary consisted of one big room filled with cots, and a smaller room for examinations. In the glow from the windows Iris was even more breathtaking. Her black hair, deliciously tousled the previous evening, was now neatly parted and combed, and a touch of artificial color shone on her eyelids and lips. Her white coat was immaculate, and beneath it she wore a powder-blue gown. The calves revealed below the hem were certainly good medicine for me. She sat writing something on a jar’s label before she put it on a shelf. Then she turned, saw me, and smiled.
“Good morning, gentlemen,” she said as she stood. Then she spotted my hand and scowled. “Well, that tells me you didn’t follow doctor’s orders. What happened?”
“I used it to make a point. Emphatically.”
“I bet it hurt.”
“It sure got my attention.”
She smiled knowingly. It was only adorable. “You know what’s ironic? First thing this morning I saw a broken nose that had also gotten twice as bad overnight. Damnedest thing. Two self-increasing injuries in one day.”
“Something must be going around,” I agreed.
“Bob, take those manacles off. And step outside, will you?”
“I think I should stay—”
She gave him a significant look. “Bob.”
Kay sighed, unshackled me, and went back out into the hall. He closed the door, but left a small gap. “Close it all the way, Bob!” Iris called. He did.
She nodded toward the examination table. “Now hop up there, little boy. I should warn you, though, that if
“That’s one of the reasons,” Kay interjected, “he’s now a former adviser.”
“Bob,” Drake said warningly. “At any rate, Megan is two years older than me, so she remembers how being thought of as the king’s whore affected our late mother. And on top of that, she left the island as a young woman and became a moon priestess, and we all know their opinion of men in general. Because of all that, she feels I deserve the punishment my father never received in his lifetime.”
“Awkward to have treasonous family,” I agreed.
Drake smiled with a sad little sigh. “Yes.”
“And entirely beside the point,” Kay said. “I’ll look over the guest list and see if any of them have traveled outside Grand Bruan recently, to somewhere they might acquire shatternight.”
“What about the other knights?” I asked. “Have any of them been off the island?”
“Three of them went to Sartoba to help train their army,” Kay said. “They got back two days before this incident.”
“Check it out,” Drake said. Kay nodded. To me the king asked, “Anything else?”
Your sister isn’t the only moon priestess in your family, I could’ve said. But I decided this wasn’t the best time. “I’ll let you know as soon as anything occurs to me.”
“Good. Let’s talk again in a bit after I’ve cleaned up and visited Jennifer. I owe her some private time, especially since we’ll have to hold court very soon and make some public statement.”
Kay and I both bowed, and Drake continued up the staircase. Just before he reached the next landing, he stopped. “And, Mr. LaCrosse? There’s a very good doctor here. Gladstone, I believe is her name. Go see her about that hand, and tell her I sent you. She’ll fix you right up.” Then Drake disappeared upstairs.
I turned to Kay and grinned. “Have to obey the king, you know.”
“I’ll send Gillian with you again,” Kay said. “To watch your back and such. Make sure you don’t get ambushed again.”
“Please, no. His charm is too overpowering.”
Kay laughed. “You got that right.”
“Besides, Agravaine’s not the kind to try something in broad daylight. He’s like a cockroach, he needs shadows to function. I noticed he wasn’t in the hall when Drake arrived.”
“You can be sure Marc noticed, too. All right, I’ll take you down to the infirmary. Come on.”
chapter
NINE
The infirmary consisted of one big room filled with cots, and a smaller room for examinations. In the glow from the windows Iris was even more breathtaking. Her black hair, deliciously tousled the previous evening, was now neatly parted and combed, and a touch of artificial color shone on her eyelids and lips. Her white coat was immaculate, and beneath it she wore a powder-blue gown. The calves revealed below the hem were certainly good medicine for me. She sat writing something on a jar’s label before she put it on a shelf. Then she turned, saw me, and smiled.
“Good morning, gentlemen,” she said as she stood. Then she spotted my hand and scowled. “Well, that tells me you didn’t follow doctor’s orders. What happened?”
“I used it to make a point. Emphatically.”
“I bet it hurt.”
“It sure got my attention.”
She smiled knowingly. It was only adorable. “You know what’s ironic? First thing this morning I saw a broken nose that had also gotten twice as bad overnight. Damnedest thing. Two self-increasing injuries in one day.”
“Something must be going around,” I agreed.
“Bob, take those manacles off. And step outside, will you?”
“I think I should stay—”
She gave him a significant look. “Bob.”
Kay sighed, unshackled me, and went back out into the hall. He closed the door, but left a small gap. “Close it all the way, Bob!” Iris called. He did.
She nodded toward the examination table. “Now hop up there, little boy. I should warn you, though, that if
Similar Books
