Page 114 of Charmless

The decision was taken out of my hands. Mal knew me far too well. His gaze sharpened as he studied my face.

“What is it, Ella?” he demanded. “What aren’t you telling us?”

I hesitated a moment longer, but this was Mal. I had always had difficulty keeping secrets from him. In a few terse words, I explained what I had learned about Sidney Greenleaf’s deception.

Mal looked stunned, but Delphine crowed, “Aha, I knew there was always something odd about that old goat with the beard, waving his staff around, muttering incantations. Entirely too bombastic to be a true wizard and what do you think you are doing!”

This last alarmed remark was directed at Mal. Recovering from his initial shock, Mal’s face set in a look of grim determination as he struggled to rise from his bed.

“I need to get up and get dressed.”

“No, you are in no condition to do that.” Delphine clutched at the sleeve of his nightshirt, trying to pull him back down, but Mal succeeded in thrusting her away.

He managed to swing his legs over the side of the bed, but the effort cost him. The blood drained from his face.

“Delphine is right,” I said. Stepping forward to help her, I placed my hands on Mal’s shoulders. “You should rest. You are still in no state to go anywhere.”

“I have to be.” Mal gritted his teeth and looked up at me. “Don’t you see, Ella? If the majordomo is really Mercato and he is coming here, we are all still in danger.”

Mal tensed as a light knock sounded on his bedchamber door. “Don’t answer that!”

For a moment, Mal’s alarm caused my heart to stutter, but then I shook my head.

“Don’t be silly. It must be Horatio.”

Ignoring Mal’s protests, I crossed the room. I was cautious enough to inch the door open a crack. But I flung it wide when I saw that it was indeed Horatio. Any relief I felt was dispelled by the sight of his face as he stepped across the threshold. I had never seen him look so grave.

“What is it?” I asked. “What did the royal herald want?”

“He came to announce that the king is dead.” Horatio informed us grimly.

“Huzzah,” Delphine cried, raising her fist in the air. When no one joined her cheer, she realized the full implications of these tidings.

“Oh, no” she said, lowering her hand. “Then that means… ”

When she faltered, I finished the horrible thought. “Florian is now our king.” A shudder coursed through me.

Horatio wrapped his arm about my shoulders. “Don’t worry, Ella. I will find a way to protect you.”

“How?” Mal snapped. “With the aid of your good friendSidney?”

Horatio stiffened and then cast me a reproachful look.

“I am sorry, Horatio,” I said. “But I felt they needed to know.”

“This entire kingdom needs to know.” Clutching at the newel post, Mal struggled to his feet. “But right now, we all need to get the frap out of here.”

“What we need to do is not panic,” Horatio said. “We should wait until Greenleaf arrives and hear what he has to say.”

“You might be naïve enough to believe that man intends to help us, but there is only one reason he is coming here. He wants the orb or have you all forgotten that?”

With everything else that had happened, all thoughts of the orb had slipped my mind. Balancing on his good foot, Mal twisted one of the cannonball posts on his bed. It came away, revealing a hollow opening beneath. When Mal reached inside and produced the orb, Delphine clapped her hands.

“That is where you had the orb hidden all this time? Oh, you clever boy.”

Although Mal panted from the effort it took to remain upright, he said, “We must get the orb far away from here before Greenleaf arrives. Unless Crushington can persuade those guards to stand down, we may have to fight our way out.”

“There will be no fighting,” Horatio said. “I have no intention of allowing you to start a war. You have caused enough trouble with that blasted orb. Now hand it over.”