Page 81

Mallow seemed to watch her dragon through the window. “Serena,” she said. “I’m sorry to say you’ll have to live without your husband again for the foreseeable future.”

Serena cleared her throat. “Anything for Bomard.”

Mallow turned over her shoulder and nodded at Briony’s body. “That will be all. Please excuse Orion and me.”

Toven began to collect her from the floor. Serena was at her side quickly, assisting.

But Briony was focused on the conversation at the window.

“I appreciate your discretion, as ever, Orion.”

“Of course, Mistress.”

She watched Mallow slip Cohle’s ring off his finger.

“It seems the position of first in line to the seat is open, since Cohle failed to name a successor after Burkin’s death. And while succession dictates differently, I’d be happy to offer it to you, Orion.”

Serena and Toven froze. Briony’s head was lolling on Toven’s shoulder. Her eyes fluttered, watching Orion.

Orion took only a heartbeat to think. “You are kind, Mistress. But the Ten means a great deal to me. It always has. I do not wish to upset the natural order of things. I happily accept the advancement to seventh in line, with the death of Riann Cohle.”

The room held its breath. Mallow assessed him. “I appreciate men who understand power but do not covet it.”

Orion inclined his head.

Briony felt her body shift as Serena and Toven moved her along again.

“Toven?”

They stopped at Mallow’s voice. Briony’s body slumped against Toven, all her energy being used to stay awake for this.

Toven stepped forward. “Yes, Mistress Mallow.”

“It’s been suggested to me that you have not been using Miss Rosewood as a heartspring. You told me just weeks ago that you were fully bonded and reaping the benefits.”

The room fell silent, and Briony wondered if she’d passed out with the lack of sound.

“Apologies, Mistress. I recently severed the bond. The connection was terribly powerful. Apparently, it’s true what they say—the golden blood makes the heartspring that much more potent.” He chuckled. “I find I was a bit overwhelmed by the magic. I had to siphon so much of it elsewhere.”

Mallow stood at the window, eyes on her dragon. “Too much power? Well, if that’s the case,” she said, “perhaps we’ll need to find more for you to do, Toven.”

Serena’s arm tensed around Briony’s body. Orion’s lips tightened. The back of Toven’s neck stiffened.

“I would appreciate any opportunity to further your cause, Mistress,” Toven said.

Briony’s heart raced, and she finally gave over to the dark.

***

Briony woke up the next day. Her mind still felt sluggish.

There was a pot of tea waiting for her on her side table, and she dragged herself up to fix a cup.

There was too much to do.

She reached into the jewelry box on her table and pulled out the note.

no dragon, don’t Worry

She traced the shape of the a . The curve of the r ’s.

Could it be Rory?

Her chest ached with the certainty that she felt. Her brother, her piece of herself, wasn’t lost after all. Her eyes pricked with tears.

The simplest explanation was likely correct. Mallow certainly thought Rory was alive—that much Briony had gathered.

So somehow, Rory had found a line to the Barlowe Girls at the Biltmore.

Briony ran her fingers over the note. Rory had touched this. She was closer to him than ever in the last two months, but still so far away.

Looking around her room, Briony felt the weight of it on her. It was a nice cage, but it was still a cage. She needed to find a way around the tattoos, not just for herself, but for Cordelia and Phoebe and Katrina.

And after that … she supposed it was time to look into how to kill Mallow.

Now that Briony was questioning whether the dragon would fully bond to her, Mallow didn’t seem so terribly powerful. She was just a clever, enigmatic liar.

Briony chuckled to herself as she remembered how feared Mallow was because the dragon’s bond gave her the ability to read minds. It wasn’t a dragon; it was a poor study at mind magic, sloppy and painful.

Briony thought of Finola, and how Mallow had searched for her in Briony’s head. Maybe that had nothing to do with her strategies and connections. Maybe it was because she was a Rosewood woman who hadn’t been sterilized.

There was a knock on her door.

“Come in,” she said.

Toven slipped inside, and Briony’s heart skipped at the sight of him. His face was set, distant.

“What is it?” she said.

“I wanted to see how you are.” His voice was clipped.

“Fine. Why do you look so strange?”

“Strange?” he said.

“Cold. You look cold.”

He pressed his lips together. “Once you are healed, we will do the bonding ceremony. I will make sure the collar doesn’t take away your ability to harness your magic.”

“But you will have access to it,” Briony said.

He nodded. Her breath was tight, thinking of giving a part of herself to Toven with nothing in return. She didn’t know what other options there were. They’d gotten around this heartspring bond for this long.

They were quiet for a moment. His fingers played with the black ring as he looked around the room.

“I suspect Canning suggested to Mallow that we weren’t bonded, in retaliation for getting his elixir banned. She will expect me to remedy that soon.”

Briony nodded. “And your father? He’s left again?”

“Tomorrow. I don’t know where to.”

Briony did. To the port at Daward first, then to the home of every sailor in town.

“But once we are bonded,” he said slowly, not looking at her. He seemed to rephrase his words. “There is something to be said for Sacral Magic … and its effects.”

Briony lifted her brows as a blush rose on her cheeks. “Yes?”

“So nothing like the other night will happen again.” He looked meaningfully at her bed. “It shouldn’t have happened in the first place. It was inappropriate.”

“Inappropriate,” she repeated, narrowing her eyes.

“You were emotionally very raw,” he said. “It never would have happened had you been yourself.”

Briony felt a sharp sting, as if she’d been slapped. Did he consider it her fault? Did he not remember leaning in first?

“Is it your habit to tend to emotionally raw women by lying in bed with them?” she bit back.

His jaw twitched. “I’m just here to inform you that nothing of the sort will happen again.”

“And I’ve been informed.” Her tone was acidic. “Is there anything else?”

His exterior cracked. “What has crawled up your skirt, Rosewood?” he hissed. “I said I was sorry—”

“You did ?” She laughed. “I didn’t hear it!”

“Yes! I’m sorry . It won’t happen again!”

“And why is that?” She stepped closer to him, crossing her arms. “When plenty other Bomardi are happy to take what they own, what moral superiority does Toven Hearst have?”

He gaped at her. “Am I hearing you correctly? You’re asking why I haven’t had my way with you?”

“Yes,” she said simply. “Why is it that I’m here? Why am I so well taken care of at Hearst Hall? I get to keep my virginity and my fertility. My goodness, what hospitality!”

He pressed his eyes closed and paced away from her. “You are … so infuriating.”

“You know, I was on that stage, Toven. I was there when you bid on me. I didn’t just fall into your lap. You gave Reighven something to get me, and I want to know what it is.”

He spun back to her, advancing on her. “You don’t get to know, Rosewood! You are not entitled to know these things, contrary to what you believe!”

“Oh, finally !” She threw her arms wide. “Finally, I’m treated like a second-class citizen in this house!”

“Is that what you want?” he said, arching a brow. His voice dropped an octave. “Is that what you want? Are you so starved for righteous indignation that you’d like for me to take away your magic and your books and your privacy?”

“I want to know why I have those things,” she said. His face was so close to hers, she could feel his harsh breath. “I want to know the Hearst endgame. Is it because I am the Princess of Evermore?”

His eyes flashed at her. His breath hitched, as if the words were ready to tumble out of him. And then he said simply, “Yes.”

Briony watched his face harden. She felt it in her heart, when he failed to say what she wanted to hear—that she wasn’t special, but that she was special to him . But instead she was a gold-blooded bargaining chip to him and his family.

She nodded, swallowing back her emotions. “That makes sense,” she said weakly. “Your family is clearly prepared to play both sides.”

He said nothing, just watched her.

She tilted up her chin, preparing herself to play both sides as well. “Are you ready to begin the game against Mallow, Toven? Or are you content to stand on the sidelines while your father does all the work?”

He narrowed his eyes at her. “What does that mean?”

She licked her lips, and when his eyes dropped to her mouth, she pushed back the hope that he would ever kiss her again.

This wasn’t a love story.

“It means,” she said, “that I am more certain every day that my brother is alive.” She watched his eyes slowly widen. “And I’m wondering if you’re going to help me or stand in my way.”