She couldn’t stand to hurt this much again.

Go. Run. Get away from this place.

Because this time she might lose someone who truly mattered, and it was ripping her heart out.

This time, betrayal might truly kill her.

Couldn’t the bastard see that Cassidy wasn’t comfortable around Kermilla? But he kept insisting that Cassidy “do her duty” as a Queen and not leave the other Queen without company—especially since Cassidy was the lower-ranking Queen.

Damn Grayhaven to the bowels of Hell for slipping the verbal knife in every chance he got. Kermilla was pretty; Cassidy was not. Kermilla was vivacious—the kind of Queen who would appeal to the Blood; Cassidy was there because they hadn’t been given a choice. Cassidy wore Rose; Kermilla wore Summer-sky, which made her dominant.

Dominant his ass. Sure it gave her a little more power since Summer-sky was one rank darker than Rose, but that was all it gave her. The little bitch was just good at playing people and presenting herself to advantage. At least they had gotten a couple of answers from tonight’s little drama. The four men who had come with Kermilla had all served in Cassidy’s court—and had abandoned a real Queen in order to serve pretty gilt.

Jhorma had been Cassidy’s Consort. They all agreed they wouldn’t mention that bit of information to Gray. Hell’s fire! What had Cassidy been thinking? The woman couldn’t have been that desperate for a lover to have settled for him.

He knocked. No answer. He knocked harder, certain she was in her suite. “Cassidy?” He turned the door handle. The door wasn’t locked, so he walked in—and caught her pulling back, as if she’d lunged for the door to lock it but didn’t react in time.

No color in her face except the freckles standing out on milky ice and the dark shadows under her eyes. She stood there, frozen, so he looked around—and saw the trunks. The lids were open, and the trunks were full of her clothes and possessions.

“What’s going on, Cassidy?” he asked, putting an Opal lock on the door as he closed it.

“I can’t stay here,” she whispered. “I’m sorry. I have to go.”

“Where?”

She stared at him and didn’t answer.

He thought about the past few days and what he had learned tonight. Her former First Circle had broken her court in order to serve another Queen. And now that same Queen had come to Dena Nehele and was making herself very comfortable in the Queen’s residence—and Cassidy was breaking down under the hammer of Theran’s words and his blatant preference for Kermilla.

Cassidy . . . running.

He grabbed her arms, and it was only the years of training that kept his savagery controlled.

“You’re leaving us? Why?”

“I can’t stay!” Cassidy wailed.

He shook her and roared, “Why?”

“Theran doesn’t want me to stay. He wants Kermilla to be the Queen.”

“Who gives a piss what Theran wants?” Ranon shouted. “Forget him! What about the rest of us, Cassie? What about the eleven other men who are loyal to you and want to serve? Are you going to walk away from us too? Are you going to walk away from Gray? Are you going to walk away from the people who are starting to hope again that a Queen will rule fairly? Are you walking away from all of us because one man wants to hump a little bitch? ”

She stared at him, shocked, and finally whispered, “You’re hurting me.”

He eased his hold on her, certain her arms would be bruised black by morning, but he didn’t let go.

Tears spilled down her pale, pale face. “Ranon, I can’t watch Kermilla take over another court. And it will kill me when Gray starts falling in love with her.”

Idiot woman. Couldn’t she see that Gray loathed Kermilla?

He looked at her, really looked, and realized she couldn’t see anything right now—not Gray’s love, not his own loyalty. Nothing.

He gentled his hands, and forced himself to gentle his voice. “Cassie, do you trust me? As a friend, do you trust me?”

She hesitated, then nodded.

“Then listen. Please listen. I’m begging you not to walk away from Dena Nehele.”

“I can’t stay.”

If she got to Dharo, they would never get her back. Hell’s fire, if she got to the Keep in her present state, Sadi and Yaslana would never let her come back even if she was willing.

Then he remembered the last thing Lucivar had said to the First Circle before heading back to Kaeleer: “The Queen comes before anyone else. You take care of her, the rest usually falls into place.”

Cassidy was focused on getting out, so he would take care of his Queen and get her out—and do his best to take care of Dena Nehele as well.

“All right,” he said. “I understand. You need to get away from those people. I do understand. But you don’t have to go too far away. I’ll take you back to Eyota, back to the boardinghouse. You didn’t mind staying there, did you? You’re already packed. I’ll take you tonight. Now. We’ll slip out. No one else needs to know until you’re ready for them to know.”

“I don’t—”

“You’re the Queen, Cassie. Our Queen, and the Queen’s residence is any place the Queen chooses to live. You don’t want to stay here, you don’t have to stay here.”

“Gray will worry if I leave without saying anything,” Cassidy said.

“I’ll tell Shira enough so that she can reassure him. And I’ll come back and talk to him as soon as you’re settled at the boardinghouse. I promise.”

“I don’t know.”

“You’re upset, and rightly so.” Ranon took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He couldn’t force her to stay, but he was sure if he could get her to Eyota, he would buy enough time to convince her that there were people who didn’t care if a face was pretty or not when the woman behind that face was special. “Come with me. Give yourself time to rest and breathe before making a decision. Please.”

She called in a handkerchief and sniffled into it. “Should I leave a note? It’s proper to inform the Steward and Master of the Guard.”

She sounded so lost, so wounded.

He knew it was proper. As the Master’s second-in-command, he should inform Talon at the very least. But if he involved anyone else in the court right now, most likely Cassidy would be talked into staying here—and the next time she decided to run, she wouldn’t delay long enough to pack her things or leave a note. They’d find out about it when Yaslana landed on their doorstep demanding answers.

“No,” he said. “No one needs to know where you are. Not yet.”

He hadn’t convinced her, and he didn’t know what else to say. But he could think of one thing to do.

Using Craft, he closed the lids on her trunks—and vanished them.

Cassidy stared at the empty floor. “You took my trunks.”

“I did.” Getting his mouth to smile felt like he was trying to bend stone, but he did it. Or close enough. “I’ll give them back when we reach the boardinghouse.”

She studied him.

“What?” he asked.

She sniffled into the handkerchief once more, then vanished it. “For a moment there, you sounded like Lucivar.”

He decided to take that as a compliment. “Let’s get out of here.”

“You’ll talk to Gray?”

“I will. I hope you won’t be upset if he decides to join you.”

“Do you think he would?”

Oh, Cassie. Are you hurting so much you can’t remember that he loves you? “I do, darling. I really do.”

Riding the Opal Winds, switching from radial to tether lines whenever needed, they finally reached the landing web on the northern end of his home village.

And through the whole of the journey, Cassidy never said one word.

*Ranon?* Yairen sounded muddled. Then the voice on the psychic thread sharpened. *Ranon?*

*I need help.* He could picture his grandfather pushing himself up and swinging his legs over the side of the bed. After all, anyone in their right mind who wasn’t demon-dead would be asleep at this hour. *I brought Cassidy. There’s been some trouble.*

*Is she wounded?*

The genuine concern in Yairen’s voice told Ranon that he’d made the right choice. *Not her body, but her heart is wounded.*

*Gray?*

*No. It’s . . . complicated. She was going to leave us, Grandfather. I convinced her to come here instead.*

*Where?*

*The boardinghouse.*

*Go slowly, grandson. Give this old man a little time to prepare. I will meet you at the house. Janos will come too.*

*Thank you.*

Yairen broke the link. Ranon slowed the Coach to the pace of an ambling walk—and hoped Cassidy wouldn’t ask him why the Coach was suddenly wobbling so much.

By the time he set the Coach down on the street in front of the boardinghouse, there were lamps shining in the windows of several rooms, and doors and windows were open to let in cool night air.

“We’re here,” he said, holding out a hand.

She slipped her hand in his, still saying nothing as she followed him out of the Coach and into the house.

His grandfather waited for them in the front parlor.

“The Rose has come back to us,” Yairen said, smiling. “It grieves me to know you sorrow, but you are among friends here.” He gestured to two chairs and a table. “Come and sit with an old man.”

She sat, and she seemed so empty Ranon wondered if he’d brought more than a husk to Eyota.

Yairen waved a hand over the table. Two mugs and a carafe appeared. Using Craft, Yairen poured dark, steaming liquid from the carafe into the mugs.

“This is a special drink,” Yairen said. “I usually make it when strong men need to speak of things that are troubling their hearts, but I think tonight your heart could use this.”

“I don’t think I can speak,” Cassidy whispered.

Yairen smiled gently. “Even silence has a voice. Drink. Perhaps we will talk. Perhaps not. Perhaps I alone will talk and tell you more about the music of my people, even give you the first lesson in how to play a drum.”

Cassidy took a sip of his grandfather’s special brew of spiced whiskey and coffee. She took another sip. “I would like to hear more about your music.”

“Good.” Yairen looked at Ranon. “Are you still here, troublemaker?”

“Troublemaker?” Cassidy asked.

“Bah.” Yairen waved one hand gently in front of his face. “The stories I could tell you about that one. Go on, now,” he added, pointing at Ranon. “Leave us to talk without your bothersome presence.”

Cassidy snorted and took another, larger sip of the brew.

*Tend to your business, grandson,* Yairen said. *The Rose will be safe here among us.*

*Don’t tell her too many stories.* He looked at Cassidy. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

“You promised to give me back my trunks when we got here,” Cassidy said.

“Oh. I did, didn’t I?” This time his smile wasn’t forced. He called in her trunks and set them at the other end of the parlor.

“See?” Yairen said, laughing. “Troublemaker.”

Ranon had figured he would face anger. He’d figured he would face temper.

What he faced was so much worse.

There was a chilling blankness in Gray’s eyes, and Ranon couldn’t shake the conviction that what was under that blankness was a violence that even the Blood would find shocking. There was a smoldering fury in Shira’s eyes, and he hoped with everything in him that he wasn’t the target.

He brushed lightly against the first of her inner barriers—and found nothing comforting.

*My first loyalty is to the Queen, remember?* he asked her.

She didn’t respond, but he sensed a little less tension in her. He didn’t blame her for being angry. All he’d told her was that he and Cassidy were leaving the mansion and she should inform Gray so he wouldn’t be searching for her and alarm the First Circle. Of course, Shira and Gray had assumed Cassidy would be with him when he returned.

The other men looked a little pissed off at being summoned so early in the morning. Except Powell, who sat quietly, staring at his hands—especially at his left hand, which a Queen had broken because he cared more about people who needed food and clothes than about the Queen’s purse.

Then Talon entered the room and put Sapphire shields around the room and a Sapphire lock on the door.

“All right, Ranon,” Talon said. “You were very specific about who should attend this meeting—and who should not. We’re here. Now talk.”

He heard temper that was chained—but not for long. Not if he said the wrong thing. Talon outranked all of them, had centuries of fighting experience, and had locked them all in a room with the strongest predator in Dena Nehele.

Had locked him in a room with the strongest predator.

“I took Cassidy to Eyota, to the boardinghouse,” Ranon said.

Gray snarled and took a step toward him.

Powell raised his head and stared at him.

He didn’t want to turn his back on Talon, but Gray was the more volatile threat, so he faced the Warlord Prince who had been a friend—and might now be an enemy.

“She was going to leave us, Gray,” he said quickly, wanting them to hear him, to know why he made this choice before someone’s temper snapped the leash. “She was going to leave all of us. When I went up to her suite to check on her, her trunks were packed. She was going back to Dharo.”

“She wouldn’t leave without telling me,” Gray said too softly as he took another step toward Ranon. “She wouldn’t leave without me.”

“I had to get her out of here, get her hidden so she would feel safe. I promised to come back and tell you, and I have, Gray. As soon as I got her settled at the boardinghouse, I came back. To talk to you. All of you.”

“You should have talked to us first,” Talon growled.

“Maybe I should have.” Ranon turned enough to address Talon and still keep track of Gray. “But she was focused on getting out of this house. I did what the Queen needed, rather than what the court required.” Sweet Darkness, please let Talon understand the difference.

“She’s sick,” Shira said, her voice oddly hollow. “She tried to hide it, but there’s so much pain in her it’s like a poison. She knew I could feel it. That’s why she stopped coming to me for help. She didn’t want anyone sensing that pain.”

“As Steward, I must censure Prince Ranon for not informing the Master of the Guard that he was taking the Queen away from the protection of her escorts,” Powell said quietly. “However, I also applaud the speed in which he acted on the Queen’s behalf—and on the court’s behalf. And I’m wondering if, despite the reason it came about, this might not be a good thing.”

They all turned toward Powell.

“How so?” Talon asked.

Powell pulled on one earlobe. “From the day she formed her court, Cassidy has been hobbled by Theran’s resistance to every attempt she has made to be a Queen to our people. He brought her here, so we have deferred to him, letting him dictate what she could and could not do. But I, for one, would like to see what Cassidy can do as our Queen without those hobbles.”

I’d like to see that too, Ranon thought.

“So,” Powell said. “Are we moving the Queen’s residence to the boardinghouse? If that’s the case, some work will need to be done to some of the rooms.”

“Is that what we’re talking about?” Archerr looked at Ranon. “A permanent move to a Shalador reserve?”

“I don’t know,” Ranon replied, feeling the need to tread carefully. “I just wanted to get her away from Kermilla and those Dharo bastards so Cassidy could rest without having that bitch in her face every time she turned around.”

“Why haven’t we booted Lady Kermilla out of Dena Nehele?” Shaddo asked.

“Or buried her,” Spere said.

“Because she’s a Queen from Kaeleer and a guest in this house,” Talon said. “And despite the pain her presence causes Cassidy, Kermilla hasn’t done anything to justify execution.”

“However, Kermilla was involved in something that harmed Cassidy back in Dharo,” Powell said. “Something that made her feel she was less of a Queen.”

“The whip that drives Cassie,” Gray said softly.

“Gray?” Ranon said just as softly. The blankness faded from Gray’s eyes, replaced by a steely anger.

“When I went up to the Keep to talk to the High Lord, he said the whip that drives Cassie was shaped before she arrived in Dena Nehele—and left scars. That’s why she drained herself too much and got hurt. She was trying to prove she could be a good Queen.”

“I think we all have a good idea now whose hand held that whip,” Talon said, his voice rumbling like icy gravel.

“All the more reason to keep Lady Cassidy away from this house while Theran’s guest is in residence,” Shira said.

Talon looked at Powell, who nodded.

“All right,” Talon said. “We’ll go to Eyota, and we’ll go with the assumption we won’t be coming back to Grayhaven, whether we stay in that village or not. And we have to move fast.”

“Yes,” Powell said. “It would be best if we depart before Theran realizes Cassidy is gone. And it would be best not to leave any of the court’s records behind.”

A long beat of silence.

“What are you saying?” Ranon asked.

“That for a Queen who rules a small village in another Realm and is supposed to be a guest, Lady Kermilla is asking inappropriate questions about the tithes a Queen here could expect.” Powell looked at Talon, whose mouth thinned to a grim line.

Watching the two men, Ranon wondered what else the Steward might be telling the Master of the Guard.

“We work the same way as if we needed to make a fast move from one camp to another,” Talon said. “Grab your personal gear first. Make sure you take what you don’t want to lose. That goes for all of you. Bardric, Cayle, and Radley, you’re in charge of getting our horses and tack. Get them saddled and down to the gate. Use aural shields around their feet to keep the hooves silent.”

“Done,” Cayle said, looking at Bardric and Radley, who both nodded.

“Archerr. Spere. You’ll give Shira a hand packing up the Healer’s supplies.” Talon looked at the Healer. “We can’t take anything that belongs to this house, only what you’ve acquired on behalf of the court.”

“Understood,” Shira said, getting to her feet.

“Shaddo—”

“The honey pears,” Gray said, breaking whatever Talon was about to say. “We aren’t leaving the honey pears with her.”

“We can’t take them all, Gray,” Ranon said.

A slashing look was Gray’s only response.

“Shaddo, you give Gray a hand,” Talon said. “The honey pear that was planted in the wish pot stays here. Gray, if you’d feel easier taking the other twelve, then bring them. Ranon, once you pack your gear, you’ll give Powell a hand with the court papers.”

“Yes, sir,” Ranon said.

“Burne. Haele. You back up anyone who needs help. And keep watch. No reason to think the guests will be up this early, but I want the rest of you on your way before I inform Theran.”

“You’re going to tell him?” Powell asked.

“He’s Cassidy’s First Escort,” Talon replied. “He needs to know where his Queen is residing. And there are a few other things Prince Grayhaven needs to know.”

They all heard the threat under the words.

“Move,” Talon said.

“A moment of your time, Talon,” Powell said, rising.

“We’ll talk while you start packing.”

The men rose and slipped out of the room, warriors breaking camp.

Ranon waited, wanting a moment to talk to Shira, but she looked at Gray, who was lingering, and shook her head.

*Pack up my things along with yours,* she said.

*Is there anything private I shouldn’t touch?* Ranon asked.

*Like personal supplies?*

She found it amusing that a warrior who didn’t flinch when looking at the carnage of a battlefield got skittish around clean moontime supplies. He didn’t find it amusing at all.

He winced. *I meant hourglass supplies.*

*No,* she replied, all amusement gone. *What is private I carry with me.*

He nodded as she left the room. Which left him alone with Gray.

“She was really leaving?” Gray asked, his eyes full of hurt bewilderment. “Without me?”

“She’s confused, Gray.” He couldn’t think of any other way to say it, so he said it straight out. “She thought you were going to fall in love with Kermilla.”

Gray’s eyes widened. “Why would she think that? Did I do something?”

Ranon shook his head. “Theran’s been making such an ass of himself, I guess Cassidy figured the rest of us were attracted to Kermilla too.”

Gray shuddered. Ranon shared the feeling.

“Come on,” Ranon said. “We’ve got to pack up and get out.”

“Ranon?” Gray did a nervous shuffle from one foot to the other.

“What?”

“You didn’t invite her to this meeting, so which one of us is going to tell Vae?”

“Were you aware that Theran has been driving Kermilla all around town, introducing her to the aristo families here and . . .” Powell cleared his throat and suddenly got busy stacking account ledgers into neat piles before vanishing them.

“And . . . ?” Talon prodded. When Powell didn’t answer, anger began to simmer under a reluctance to understand. “He’s introduced her as the Queen?”

“Not directly,” Powell said. “I believe he’s introduced her as a Queen from Dharo and has not corrected people who made the wrong assumption.”

“What kind of game is he playing?” What kind of game did I allow him to play? Cassidy’s pain—and the fact that it ran so deep she’d been ready to run—was as much his fault as Theran’s.

Powell sighed. Calling in some small slips of paper, he handed them to Talon. “Kermilla wanted to do some shopping. Theran ordered the merchants to open accounts for her since she hadn’t brought sufficient marks with her to pay for extra expenses. So she said.”

“Which means Theran will end up paying those bills from the treasure Lia hid for the family.”

“No, Theran told the merchants all of Kermilla’s expenses would be covered by the town’s tithe to the Queen.”

“Kermilla spent more in a day than Cassidy spent in all the weeks she’s been here.” Powell paused. “The merchants wanted confirmation that they could deduct Kermilla’s purchases from the tithe. I told them I would let them know as soon as I had a chance to discuss this with the Queen. The merchants who remained in Grayhaven are well aware of the dangers of dealing with a Queen. By not giving immediate confirmation, I’ve warned them to be wary of further transactions.”

Talon prowled the room for several minutes while Powell packed up the maps he’d been gathering for Cassidy.

“We’ll concede the town of Grayhaven,” Talon said. “Theran can have fifty percent of the tithe to use as he pleases. The other half goes to the treasury to pay the guards’ wages and maintain the town. I’ll clear it with Cassidy, but I’ll ask her to accept my decision and give up that much.”

“In exchange for what?” Powell asked.

Talon shook his head. In exchange for nothing. At least, nothing he was willing to discuss with Powell.

He felt a respectful tap on his first inner barrier. “Ranon is on his way down. The boy cleared out his room fast.”

“He wants to be gone.” Powell rubbed his left hand. “So do I.”

Talon sighed. “I raised Theran, taught him as best I could. Tried to hold on to the Old Ways even when I could feel them slipping away with each generation. I fought to keep him safe. I killed to keep him safe. You don’t know how much it hurts to see him giving himself to Kermilla. I can’t decide if protecting him from the twisted Queens all his life has made him blind to the kind of woman Kermilla is, or if he senses that something isn’t right but is defending her because he can’t admit he might be wrong about her. I can’t decide—but tonight I’m wondering if men wasted their lives by defending the Grayhaven bloodline.”

He shook his head and raised a hand, indicating he didn’t want a response.

A moment later, Ranon walked into the room—and Talon walked out.