Page 61 of Contested Crown

“No, we wanted to fight a werewolf.” Elizabeth frowned. “And I’m curious why you didn’t want us to fight him in his wolf form.”

He had crossed his arms, looking at her with a sort of bored neutrality that was as much an insult as if he’d actually said something.

“And done.” Dr. Lin patted me on the shoulder. “Go ahead and walk around. Make sure nothing feels out of place.”

Carefully, I sat up, then stood, stretching. I bent the injured leg, relieved when I didn’t even feel a twinge. I walked up and down the aisle between beds. When I reached the end, near the door, one of the curtains twitched open, someone in scrubs coming out.

A mage lay on the bed behind her, his chest covered in tattoos. I was shocked. The amount of magic was close to what Cade had previously had. But while his had been stark black lines against pale skin, these were a rainbow of colors.

Red feathers, blue waves, and a tangle of green vines decorated him from collarbone to navel. Seeing me, the healer’s eyes widened, and she turned quickly, sliding the curtain closed.

I smiled, but it must’ve looked more threatening than I intended because she stood with her arms crossed, ready to protect her patient.

Turning, I headed back down to Dr. Lin. She nodded at my progress.

“That looks good to me.” She reached for my arm, turning it over to check that the wounds had completely healed. “Everything should be back to functional, but if you have any lingering pain or if any of the wounds reopen, come back here. I haven’t seen a wolf in years, and I don’t want to have done something wrong.”

“Good. Should we return to training?” Elizabeth asked.

“No. My consort and I will be resting for the foreseeable future, until you can ensure that training does not involve another trip to the infirmary.” Cade’s words were bored, the casual order of dinner at a high-end restaurant.

Elizabeth’s cheeks bloomed pink, and I saw the flash of anger in her eyes. She was threatened by Cade. Either her position in the house, or her job itself, or maybe her actual safety.

She wanted him to know who was in charge, and it wasn’t him.

“Cade! I heard you were in the infirmary. Are you all right?” Larissa rushed in through the open door, her long robe flowing behind her. She was wearing layers of silk, each almost translucent, with a white shift underneath making everything decent.

When she reached us, she grabbed hold of his hands, searching his face.

“I was uninjured. Miles was hurt during training practice.” Cade glanced at me significantly.

Larissa frowned, turning back to Elizabeth. “King Morrison won’t like that.”

Elizabeth raised her chin. “And what would you know about what King Morrison likes, Larissa?”

“I know that Prince Bartlett is our honored guest, and Consort Bartlett is considered part of his body, part of his self. Injuring the prince won’t get you what you want.” She shook her head sadly. Then, she grabbed Cade’s arm, linking hers through it. “Come. Come. Our tea was interrupted yesterday. I’ve had the kitchen prepare us a snack.”

As she passed me, she gripped my wrist, dragging me along. “You too, Consort Bartlett.”

We left the infirmary, and she dropped my wrist as though my skin was an unexpectedly hot pan on the stove. As she led us through the house, back to her rooms, I heard the laughter of children again and lingered near a window, watching them in the courtyard.

When they played together, tossing magical balls back and forth, using their small tattoos to make dolls dance, none of them seemed to have the multiple colors of magic I’d seen on adult mages.

Back at her room, Larissa presented small sandwiches, the crusts cut off. She gestured for Cade to sit, and I took the couch cushion next to him before she could.

When she returned, teapot in hand, I asked, “What did you mean Elizabeth won’t get what she wants?”

Larissa’s eyes darted left and right, then up. She tittered an awkward laugh. “Oh, you know, house politics. There’s always something. Everyone wants power or position.”

“You weren’t talking about a seat at the table. Elizabeth is already high ranked. What would hurting me and Cade prove?” I tried to keep my voice even, but I had been trained to make sure I was answered the first time. When Declan sent me to ask a question, he wanted me to get the right answer immediately.

Larissa swallowed. Silently, she stood, heading back into the small kitchenette and turning the burner back on. Theclick, click, clickwas the only noise in the silence.

Then she returned to the table as the teakettle began to scream, releasing billows of steam that lingered in the air, creating condensation on the ceiling.

When she poured her tea, her magic flowed down her arms, mixing with the steam so that it became enormous puffs of yellow, floating up to the ceiling. Cade looked up, squinting at the trail of magic, and I followed his gaze up. With a frown, he examined the spellwork hanging there like spiderwebs. We could only see it because of whatever Larissa was doing.

Larissa’s yellow magic swirled around the spells, covering them until they were invisible.