Page 54 of Death of a Mortal

I shushed Nella, hoping none of the other servants would hear. I did not need them turning on me, thinking I was in bed with the enemy. Figuratively, of course. I had only been in bed with him in my dreams so far.

But was he really the enemy, or was it just his father? I was beginning to think the latter was the truth. Thus far, I saw nothing of the cruel king in his son. But there was still a logical part of my brain screaming to tread carefully, that there was just no way he really felt anything for me. But my brain was losing this battle to my heart more and more each day.

I reiterated that the kiss was only on my hand and that it was absolutelynota big deal.

“Naci, please be smart. I know you like him, but you’re forgetting themission here, why you’re even in the castle. You’re also forgetting who the mission makes him—heisthe enemy.”

“I do not like him,” I said to Noxie indignantly.

“You haven’t learned to shut me out… Yeah. You do.”

Rude.

“Maybe he can help. Maybe I can get him to tell me where the dungeon is.” Something twisted in my stomach at the thought of using him for information. I didn’t like it. But I had to try.

“Think he’ll take you on a romantic stroll through the dungeons as a date?”

“How do I block rude and imposing birds from my thoughts?”

He went silent. I was pretty sure I hadn’t blocked him; he was just ignoring me now.

Miss Melda came into the dining hall toward the end of breakfast and informed me I’d be helping in the kitchen today since someone on staff was under the weather.

“I’ll do it!” Nella jumped in before I could say anything.

I gave her a wry smile when Miss Melda agreed.

So she stayed in the kitchen, and I left for the laundry room. I loved Nella, and working alongside her helped pass the time, but it would be good for me to be alone and think through what I needed to do next.

Because, like always, I had a plan. A part of one.

The library.

It was worth assuming that somewhere in the library’s archives, there would be a blueprint of the castle from when it was being built. If I could convince the prince to show me the blueprint, I could find the dungeons and then… Well, I would have to figure out how to sneak down there later, once I knew where they were.

Because Noxie was right, which I hated to admit. The prince, for sure, would not take me there.

So I’d need to wait for Varyn to make good on his promise to get me into the library.

After the breakfast linens were folded, I headed toward thedining hall for lunch with the other laundry ladies, only for our procession to be stopped halfway there.

“Make way for Their Majesties, King Caedryn and Queen Malvina,” I heard from a mousy royal guard ahead at the front of the approaching group.

Was it really necessary to be announced to your own mortal staff? I supposed it was a reminder of their power over us.

Everyone in the hall shuffled out of the way to the side walls and dropped their heads. This was the first time I’d ever seen the monarchs. I didn’t know what I was supposed to do.

As they drew nearer, I caught the first glimpse, which raised the hair on my arms. The king was an enormous male, nearly a head taller than the queen beside him. His brown hair was peppered with gray and white under the thorny crown, and his eyes were pale red with gleaming silver pupils.

It was the cheekbones that resembled his son’s. The high cheekbones and full lips were a mirror image of Varyn’s. But where the prince’s face held warmth, the king’s was cold, calculating, the look in his eyes menacing. He looked pale, leeched of color.

The queen, contrarily, was radiant, glowing in fact. Her black hair, so dark it seemed to absorb the surrounding light, was pulled into an elaborate braid around her head and under her crown of gold and emeralds. The blue of her eyes was the opposite of the king’s. Where his were pale, hers were electric and bright.

She was stunning, smiling vaguely while the king looked brooding beside her.

She seemed almost familiar, though I couldn’t place why. It was as if there was a hazy memory just out of grasp, trying to come to the surface.

But when I locked eyes with the king, the heat in my chest flickered and built, every nerve in my body on edge. It was unsettling.