Page 82 of Disillusioned (A Lay of Ruinous Reign #2)

L ilac had paced in front of her flickering hearth since she’d slammed the door in Piper’s face, hoping her frustrated footfall would stomp out the memory of the forlorn look she’d given her—as if she were a hungry animal Lilac had left in the cold.

She’d lost count of how many times she walked the length of the fireplace.

Maybe the pacing thing was something that came with a vampire type of restlessness.

When a knock finally came, she shouted that she wanted to be left alone.

Seconds later, rushed footsteps echoed back down the stairwell.

Piper had obliged. For that, Lilac was grateful.

And yet, she found herself harshly judging the pace of Piper’s descent.

She’d done what Lilac had asked; she had barked her wishes rather forcefully. What else was Piper supposed to do?

But did she have to honor the request so…readily? She slowed her pacing, another heavy sob forming in her chest. She wasn’t used to the help, wasn’t used to the company or—-or friendship.

Deep down, she felt terrible.

Calming her breathing, impossibly willing that pretty-eyed, fanged sod out of her mind, Lilac perched at the edge of her bed, staring at her sunlit balcony.

Escaping again sounded tempting. She could lower herself down once more; on second thought, she could probably climb down with her newfound strength if that’s how Piper had made it into her room last night.

Maybe she’d spook everyone and jump—she’d probably survive since Garin had all but thrown them both off the second floor of the brothel last night. She’d survived that landing.

No , she thought begrudgingly. That wouldn’t work.

However she got down, she’d then run into the woods and this time trail the path to the inn. Maybe she’d take Lo?g and hope for the best. She could always round up the ever-helpful Giles and her horses, but her parents and guard would be at the gates faster than they could prepare the carriage.

So would Garin.

This time, the monsters she ran from no longer lurked in the shadows of Brocéliande, but sat in high places.

The one roaming the castle, for instance—he was touring her domain on a pleasant afternoon stroll with her parents.

Her willpower could easily be negated with but a flick of his fingers.

A simple, whispered command. And he was terrifyingly fast. Lilac ground her teeth at the thought of Garin dragging her and Lo?g back to the bailey, knowing better than to test him.

He would do it. He would ensure she married Maximilian if it was the last thing he did.

There was another knock at the door, this time accompanied by muffled voices.

Tempted to yell again, Lilac dragged herself off the bed and went to answer.

It was Piper with the cloth-wrapped stake tucked under her arm, balancing a large tray of bonbons, several filled flutes, and a bottle of champagne.

Behind her was Yanna and Isabel, the latter with a basket on one arm and an oddly shaped tapered bundle tucked under the other.

They hovered in the doorway this time instead of eyeing the corners of the room and lingering outside like usual.

“Sorry I took so long,” Piper muttered, urgently ushering Lilac aside.

Relief washed over Piper’s face as she set the precarious arrangement she’d been carrying down safely on Lilac’s bed.

“I left to find Hedwig for the rest of the bottle and fresh bonbons for you, and on the way to your tower I discovered Ga—” She coughed.

“Albrecht had cornered these two at the stairwell.”

Lilac’s heart fluttered. “What did he do? Are you both all right? ”

Yanna rolled her eyes, her mouth pulled into a hard line. “We’d heard there had been a commotion in the foyer. Hedwig sent us to comfort you.”

“We wanted to check on you,” Isabel reassured her. “He was coming down the stairwell when we nearly ran into him. He asked us to bring you these.” She handed Lilac the wicker basket and bundle—which, upon further inspection, she discovered to be a cork-stopped bottle wrapped twice in parchment.

It had been Garin at her door. Lilac swallowed her shock with an annoyed grunt. “Where is he now?”

“Both Sir Albrecht and Ambrosius are being shown to their quarters at the moment,” said Isabel.

“Fond as she seemed of him, Hedwig really wasn’t a fan of him trying to access your bedchamber unaccompanied,” she added with a giggle.

“Your father will give them a full tour of the castle and grounds. You seemed rather upset, so we just wanted to make you aware.”

Lilac lifted the basket lid and peeked inside. There were loaves of bread, wedges of cheese dappled with peppers and fruit, and a jar of what looked to be strawberry preserves. As expected, a subtle heat emanated from the cloth-lined interior of the basket.

How considerate of him , she thought scathingly. At least it seemed he hadn’t entirely torn The Fenfoss Inn apart as he’d woken up. “And I assume my mother and Hedwig have resumed preparations for tonight’s feast?”

Isabel grimaced. “The decorations are minimal and pleasing to look at, Your Majesty.”

She turned away. They’d seen enough of her tears over the past several weeks. Lilac closed Garin’s basket, eyes stinging as she left to place the basket on her vanity. “Thank you, both of you.”

She kept the bottle, figuring Lorietta had sent him with some cider or some of her strong homemade wine, either of which she could use at the moment. Yanna and Isabel stood there, awkwardly watching Piper dispose of the cloth-wrapped stake into the bedside table drawer as if it were a large rodent.

“Do you two have plans for the rest of the evening?” Lilac grunted, twisting the cork this way and that. “You’re attending my feast tonight, aren’t you?”

“We won’t, but we’ll be on, ready to support you,” Isabel said as Yanna glared distantly into the fire. “We were instructed by Hedwig to have the both of you ready, but we weren’t sure if you still planned to attend.”

“The celebration is for Albrecht, to ensure his approval. They’ll be fine starting the festivities without me. If he’s lucky, maybe I won’t show up at all.”

Piper sidled over, eyeing the bottle. “I wouldn’t advise skipping the feast entirely, Your Majesty.”

“You haven’t changed your mind on marrying the emperor, have you?” sneered Yanna. Lilac whipped her head around, fixing Yanna with an incredulous glower. Yanna just shrugged. “We heard about it on the floor.”

Lilac heaved an exasperated sigh, returning her attention to the stubbornly sealed bottle in her hands. “Of course you did.” The damn cork wouldn’t budge, not even with her improved strength.

Isabel was fanning herself. “I mean, how can you say no, really?”

“She’s marrying the emperor ,” Yanna replied, rolling her eyes. “Not Albrecht, no matter how handsome he may be. She’d still be a fool to turn down his offer, though, or even hesitate to accept it. Her marriage will save us all.”

“What would you know, Yanna,” Lilac said, her speech turning to a half-growl as she gritted her teeth, twisting and tugging at the cork with all her might, “about marriage—” The cork flew off and across the room.

A dizzying rush of warm air hit her square in the face, along with a putrid scent. Heavy musk and iron, then something fermented.

Lilac jerked her head to the side and held her breath, nearly dropping the bottle as she angled the neck away from her face and thrust her arm forward, desperate to distance herself from it.

It wasn’t cider. “Oh!”

Piper’s nostrils flared and she immediately snatched the bottle from Lilac. Her eyes darkened.

“No, no no. Not here,” Lilac whispered. Gods, not here.

She braced herself, preparing to usher the other two out of the room.

But Piper merely licked her lips and put the bottle to her mouth.

She drank like a traveler who’d run out of water days ago, tipping her head back with desperate need.

The handmaidens watched, appalled and rooted to the spot as Piper’s eyes rolled back and fluttered shut, her voracious gulps punctuated by sharp gasps and moans.

Rivulets of deep red dribbled down her face and neck.

Before Lilac could contrive a lie about a new type of thick, burgundy wine, Yanna merely huffed, regarding Piper with a pitying shake of her head. “You know, I thought so. Some warning that you’d hired a vampire onto your court wouldn’t have gone amiss, Your Majesty.”

Lilac stared at Yanna. Beside her, Isabel covered her mouth, looking like she was going to be sick watching Piper. But neither of them looked shocked, or even frightened.

“You knew ?” spat Lilac.

Yanna cocked a brow. “Do you think we’re stupid?”

Piper wiped her chin on her nightgown sleeve, oblivious of the conversation surrounding her. “Hells, that’s delicious.” As soon as she opened her eyes to everyone staring at her, the moment of bliss was over. Piper reddened. “Oh, fuck me.”

“She entranced us last night,” explained Isabel warily. “Next time—and hopefully there won’t be one—it might be useful to entrance us to forget , like they sometimes do. It is not a pleasant experience.”

They’d known, yet they hadn’t gone running to Marguerite. Her parents had reason enough to want Piper out, and they wouldn’t have batted an eye at using Piper’s vampirism as an obvious disqualifying trait for courtly duties.

She would never let them.

Lilac plucked two flutes of champagne from the tray.

“She is kind and a good person, and—” she glanced at Piper, who’d plopped down in the vanity chair, hands trembling around the bottleneck.

“She won’t do it again.” She held the flutes out.

“Please take these and never, ever speak a word of this to anyone.”

“I didn’t know I’d entranced you.” Piper’s face was the picture of humiliation. “I didn’t realize it until I spoke with Lilac. I promise it won’t happen again.”

Yanna scoffed. “I’m sure.”

“She’s new ,” Lilac snapped.