I laughed with savage humor. “Not a chance.”
Moisture welled in Amryssa’s eyes. Apparently, she couldn’t stand the thought of anything suffering, even a creature as vile as Elara’s youngest prince. “Surely there’s achance. What about the brigands in the woods? They endure the nightmares without?—”
“That’s a myth, Am. They chain up like everyone else. No one can withstand a nightmare’s power.”
“But Kyven coulddieout there.” A tear slipped from between her lashes. “I might not want to marry him, but I’d never wish him harm.”
“I know.” I brushed at her tear, my fingertips lingering. Gods help me, she was so pure. Sonoble, and not because she’d someday succeed her father as seneschal, or because her family had governed Oceansgate for generations, or any of that nonsense.
Some people were just born better than the rest of us.
But I didn’t have time to stand around thinking about it, so I dried my fingers on my skirts and arranged Amryssa’s coverlet. The fabric tented weirdly over her chains, but it would have to do.
Still, I hung back before leaving. What if, once I scraped myself together tomorrow, I returned to find a dried-out husk in this bed? What if this frail, beautiful, scrap of a person couldn’t weather the coming ordeal?
“Go.” Anxiety thickened Amryssa’s voice, though she didn’t worry for herself, I knew. She only ever put others first, whether they deserved it or not. “Sound the alarm. Kyven might be close enough to hear.”
I hesitated. Time already ran short, but...I couldn’t abandon her like this.
“Hey.” I sat, my body denting the mattress while Amryssa’s merely floated atop it. “I’m sure your groom’ll be fine. He’s probably coming up the road as we speak.”
Or not. I hoped he was miles away. I hoped he died screaming.
“In which case I’ll have to marry him.” Amryssa’s voice quavered. “Tomorrow.”
“Well...yes.”
“Which frightens me, Harlowe. What husbands expect of their wives, it’s...” A shudder rippled through her, one I knew had nothing to do with the nightmare bearing down on us. “I find it difficult to think about. Much less desire.”
“I know.” I brushed a white tendril back from her brow. “Which is why I’d spare you, if I could. I’d marry Kyven myself, if it meant you wouldn’t have to.”
She managed a watery smile. “Would you really?”
“In a heartbeat.”
“Then I could beyourkeymistress. Wouldn’t that be nice?”
I echoed her smile. Marrying the prince would be the exact opposite of nice, but itwouldget me close enough to slide my dagger between his ribs. Which I’d find a way to do, regardless. This bullshit arrangement Olivian had entered into on his daughter’s behalf would never see fruition.
But I couldn’t reassure Amryssa of that. She’d only try to stop me.
Precious seconds died one after the next. The nightmare rumbled, close enough now that its sinister energy leached in through the shutter-gaps. The candlelight took on a hissing quality.
“You have to go,” Amryssa pleaded. “Sound the alarm. If not for the prince’s sake, then for the townspeople’s.”
I sighed, not the least bit put out by risking hundreds of lives in order to caress her cheek one last time. The people of Oceansgate could look after themselves. Or perish, for all I cared, and take their dagger-sharp stares with them. Those, and the whispers ofwitch, witch, witch.
I really didn’t give a shit.
But Ididhave to get myself to safety, so I rose and kissed Amryssa’s forehead. “I’ll be back when it’s over. Once I can stand. All right?”
She nodded.
I made for the door. I would have just enough time to sound the bells at the house’s far end before scuttling back to my chamber, which neighbored this one. By now, I could chain myself in a minute flat.
“Harlowe?”
I paused, my hand on the knob. “Yes?”
