Page 122 of Consort's Glory
Yes, Theodore answered. Even his inner voice sounded strangled. Pain rippled down the electric bridge of their bond. And that explains why he didn’t want to tell me yesterday.
Margot stepped closer and wrapped her arm around his back, her arm gliding underneath the short, violet silk-lined cape to hug him close.
“I thought you would know by now,” Delilah said, blinking owlishly at the astonished room. Winnie, meanwhile, slumped further. “Of course it was me. Who else would have access to our accounts? I didn’t exactly hide it.”
A choked sound erupted from Theodore’s throat at the same instant that a series of low, furious rumbles built in the chests of Marcus and Olivier. Margot paled, her eyes darting. They looked ready to take Delilah’s head off her shoulders.
More pain snapped across the bond. Betrayal, hot like the splash of acid, scorched a path through it. “Why would you do this?” Theodore demanded. “Why would you try to kill her? You knew what she was to me! You knew! Why would you do this, Delilah?”
The air in the room crackled with barely leashed violence. Camille stepped forward, clearly intending to step between Theodore and Delilah should he lunge, but the small elf was intercepted before she could take more than a step or two. One tanned, corded arm in a familiar navy suit jacket hauled her out of the way. Viktor.
Camille tried to lunge out of his arms, her legs kicking as he lifted her off of her feet. “Do not touch me, you godsdamned piece of—”
Viktor dragged her away, his eyes gone amber and coyote-bright. Her furious hiss was cut off with a short, sharp, “Hush, Cam. This isn’t your fight.”
Delilah canted her head to one side, the look in her eyes just shy of being dreamy. Long, thick hair of the deepest black swayed around her back. She wore a suit similar to the men’s, except she apparently rejected the use of a cape and merely attached two bejeweled thistle cape pins to her shoulders, giving them the look of strange, spiked epaulets.
“Sweetheart,” she gently admonished, “if I tried to kill our girl, she would not be standing here now.”
Theodore tensed, the bones of his face standing out starkly against his pale blue skin. “Delilah, explain. For once in your life, explain this.”
Delilah’s eyes roved over Theodore to meet Margot’s. They stared at one another for a long, silent moment. An enigmatic smile curled her mouth. Margot knew instantly that she had no intention of explaining just as another light flicked on in her mind.
Closing her eyes, Margot reached up to press the heel of her hand into her forehead. Her marriage sigil twinged as the skin wrinkled around the scab. “Because she knew.”
Every eye swung in her direction. Margot gestured toward Delilah with a flick of her wrist. “She knew. I saw the paintings in the apartment. She’s been keeping tabs on me for years.” Margot cast her a narrow-eyed look. “Probably my whole life, huh? You knew I was dying.”
Both she and Delilah ignored the burst of questions that went up in response to that admission.
“Yes,” Delilah answered, looking very pleased with herself. She shrugged. “Of course I ran the odds of every scenario, but this one was the only path that led to this moment — when Teddy would get what he wanted and change the world. Every other path either ended up with him being forced to abdicate or, regrettably, Margot’s untimely death.” She fixed Margot with a small, distant smile that sent a shiver down her spine. “You usually died alone, in case you were wondering. But most ended with both of you dying. My least favorite choice, obviously.”
Delilah looked at her watch, a sleek silver timepiece that matched the silver accents on her boots and shoulder pieces. “I did what needed to be done. Now it’s your turn, sweetheart. It’s time for your speech, Teddy.” Grasping Winnie’s hand, she ignored her consort’s aggrieved expression as she gently hauled Winnie out of her chair and began towing her toward the door. She tossed a grin over her shoulder. “Come along, everyone. It’s time for my boy to make history.”
She made to pass Theodore with breezy efficiency, but was stopped by his hand on her elbow. With a thunderous look, he warned her, “We’re going to talk about this later.”
Delilah’s smile was untroubled. “Of course. You don’t think I know that?” She skimmed her knuckles over the swell of Theodore’s cheek as she passed. “I know everything, sweetheart.”
