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We stay in his chambers for the evening, as we have been doing each night since the baths.As he falls asleep, I lay with my head on his chest, unable to join him. There are so many thoughts in my head. My brain is a hive of bees, each of them a different thought buzzing around incessantly. I run my finger in circles on Theo’s chest, eyes wide in the dark, thinking.

What are the facts?I ask myself.Start there.

The facts are that Theo transforms into a beast, seemingly at random. It is a curse placed on him by his mother at birth, who was executed shortly after by the king once he had realised what she had done. This information niggles at me, but I cannot think why, so I file it to the side and move on.

The curse is dragon in origin, of that I am certain. The taste of faeth when Theo transforms and his mother’s altar confirms she was a dragon, so she could only have used dragon magic. But was it her who cursed him? Again, I am stuck on this piece of information. It could not have been anyone else unless someone snuck in while he was a baby…and if they did, why? Was it a grudge against the king or perhaps the queen?

I groan, my thoughts dragging me down a hole I am struggling to climb out of. There are too many unknowns, and I endeavour to find out more information of Theo’s birth tomorrow. I eventually fall into a fitful sleep.

When I awaken, it is late into the morning, and I feel as though I have not slept at all.The sun spills through the window, bathing us in a golden glow. Theo is still asleep, the covers pushed down to his hips. I sit up blearily.

“Theo?” I say, my voice still hoarse from sleep.

“Mmm,” he replies, unmoving. I take him in, the shape of his arms and the definition of his shoulders. I place a hand on his chest and find he is warm.

“Good morrow,” I say fondly before planting a soft kiss on his collarbone.

He doesn’t reply but wraps an arm around my waist, resting it there.

“You will need to visit the library alone today,” I tell him. “I have other investigations to do.”

“Hmm?” he says, a line appearing between his eyebrows but otherwise remaining still.

“I will see you later on this evening in your chambers.” I kiss his cheek before slipping out of his hold. I leave a note for him on the bedside, knowing he most likely did not register anything I told him, and make for the servants’ quarters. The thought of our mornings together being taken from us fills me with renewed vigour and determination courses through me. I will break the king’s grip on our lives if it is the last thing I do.

Chapter 28

Itake the secret passageway to the servants’ quarters to avoid the guards.

The passage is dark and narrow, but I am well-travelled in several of the secret pathways of the castle so I press on confidently. I sneak out of the other side, behind a large painting only a few metres from my destination—the servants' quarters.

Inez is awake when I arrive, in the middle of her breakfast with the other staff. She stands up when she sees me, her eyebrows raised.

“Miss Shivani!” she exclaims, placing her tea down. “What are you doing here? We were not expecting you.”

“I need your help,” I tell her before inclining my head in greeting to the others. “My apologies for the interruption.”

“Miss Shivani,” they greet me back with friendly waves. Vanya sits with a kitchen porter, playing cards while they eat. Her face remainsstoic but she nods at me, mouth full.

“Of course,” Inez says and we leave back through the secret passageway, this time entering a different section which ends up close to my art room. It is only when we are alone and the door locked behind us that I speak.

“My apologies for interrupting your breakfast,” I say, but she waves it away.

“Is this about the king’s return? Then it is important enough to miss some toast. How can I help?”

We take a seat at the paint-filled table, and I try to organise the thoughts scattered in my brain.

“Theo—” I start before clearing my throat. “The prince’smother, you knew her?”

Inez is taken aback by my question, her eyebrows raised.

“The queen? Well…I suppose I did, but it was so long ago. She passed when I was a young child,” she tells me. “Why do you ask?”

I lean my head on my hand, one finger pressed against my temple.

“I am not quite sure yet but there is something about the prince’s curse which has been nagging at me,” I say, chewing my lip. “It does not make sense. We have been researching thoroughly, and there is no known curse which matches the prince’s. So how did she do it?” I pause. “Didshe do it?”

Inez tenses.