The glass was now hovering in a line around Mr. Cartier’s neck. His skin was glowing with his magic sensing the threat, but Krew’s magic was like cement all over his hands, making his magic unable to be released.
Krew was still taking casual but purposeful strides toward the man, while the king was motioning in the direction of the thieves and barking orders. Krew made a show of flicking one finger and one shard of glass moved forward, poking Mr. Cartier’s neck enough to draw blood.
“Who are you working for?” Krew demanded.
“I don’t know what you mean, Your Grace,” the man said as more of Krew’s magic wrapped further up his arms, helping to immobilize him.
“I think you know exactly what I mean. Someone in this room made a threat on my wife, an heir to Wylan, though a shoddy one at that. Which leads me to believe that someone simply wanted to know if we were powerful enough to defend ourselves.” He paused. “Which I can assure you,we are.” Another shard of glass started moving toward his neck. “So, who hired you for this little experiment? No matter their rank in this country, they have just committed treason right alongsideyou.”
Gasps traveled throughout the room. It likely didn’t take a genius to figure out Krew had just implicated his own father in committing treason against Wylan.
The man’s eyes were wide and he looked pale enough to pass out at any moment. I wasn’t sure what the original plan was here, but Mr. Cartier did not anticipate having shards of glass being shoved toward his own neck.
“Who hired you!” Krew boomed.
“I—” Mr. Cartier’s eyes moved to the king, who was still busy motioning to guards. “I was hired by no one.”
But the way his eyes had gone twice now to the king for help was answer enough for me. The king might not have outright commanded this to happen, but he was not innocent in this either.
Krew’s head cocked as the second shard of glass pricked the skin of Mr. Cartier’s neck.
Wait,I sent down the bond.
Krew’s steps stilled as he looked over his shoulder to me.
Don’t kill him. Not at our wedding banquet. I do not want that to be the precedent set should we eventually be the ones to rule.
Krew sighed.I hate how right you are right now.
I know. But I am okay, you stopped him, and this has played into the plan for the sword quite well.
I wondered how many eyes were bouncing between us as we held a conversation without words.
Krew turned back toward Mr. Cartier and snapped, “Get him out of my sight. Before I kill him. Take him directly into the mountain.”
“Just a minute,” the king barked.
Krew looked at him, magic still crawling over every inch of his skin. I felt his rage down the bond as he stared at his father and it gave me shivers. He was absolutely irate that anyone would have the nerve to try this at our wedding banquet. That his father would test us like this.
“We should take him to a side room to question him,” the king offered, “while the guards check every person in this room for my sword.”
“Question him?” Krew snapped. “He just sent glass shards at my wife. I have plenty of questions for him which can be answered while he rots away in the mountain.”
“I—”
Krew didn’t let him get more than a word out. “Youhave murdered people for far less.”
The king held up a hand. “Fine.” More to everyone else than to Krew, he added, “My sons and I will be upstairs while we wait for the sword to be located and this man to be delivered elsewhere. The party will resume shortly. As soon as my sword is back in my possession.”
* * *
We werein a room I had never been in before, a perfect and pretty fire going in the fireplace, gray couches and chairs beautifully set around a royal blue flowered rug. It was cozy and warm, though none of us were in any sort of mood to appreciate it. Even the guards lining the wall at either side of the doors, Owen being one of them, were rigid and tense.
“I have never been more thoroughly annoyed,” the king barked.
“You lost an item,” Krew snapped while striding for the king, “while someone tried to harmmy wife.”
Keir shoved Krew back. I had feared that tonight would be the final showdown with the king. And though things with the sword were going somewhat well, I wasn’t entirely certain that wasn’t still going to happen with all the rage I felt flowing from Krew.
