Daughter of Ashes (Rise of Aiqasal Book 1) by Moira Katson

Author:Moira Katson [Katson, Moira]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2016-10-17T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-Four

Alleyne stopped dead. She had seen this look in Almeric’s eyes before, but only when they fought: he was stone and iron. He was her enemy. The thought flitted through her head and she cast it aside impatiently. Almeric had never been her enemy. He was her one true ally, had always been her one true ally. He was her only friend, the only one left of her family. Her father’s relatives had scattered, deprived of their place in the family’s lands when her parents were executed. Almeric was all she had left; she could not bear to have him for an enemy.

Margery stepped in front of her and curtsied. “Guardsman.”

“Stand aside, madam.” Almeric’s voice was cold. “I have been instructed to ask some questions of Melisande.” There was the faintest emphasis on the name, a curl to his lip.

“I don’t know what ye—”

“It’s all right, Margery.” Where had that come from? Her voice was harsh from running, but it was calm and composed as well. She inclined her head. “Guardsman, what questions do you have for me?”

Margery’s eyes widened in horror. She shook her head fiercely. “Ye’re mistaken,” she said desperately to Almeric. “This is—”

“I know very well who she is, believe me.” Almeric glanced at her disinterestedly. “Does your lord know where you are? Does he know that his candidate for Empress Consort of Aiqasal is running about the hallways in borrowed priest’s robes?” The threat was clear.

Alleyne saw the tension running through Margery’s body; she reached out hastily to stay the maidservant’s hand. In Margery’s frightened look, she saw the promise to fight, to stand with Alleyne now.

She blinked back tears at that kindness. “I promise you, it’s all right,” she whispered. This was Almeric; she need have no fear. She would come up with some way to explain this to Margery later. “You go wait. I’ll be in.”

Margery looked between Almeric and Alleyne for a long moment. When she disappeared, it was with a glare that would have withered most men.

“Is that the maid?” Almeric asked when she was gone. His voice dripped with contempt, he was not frightened at all by her look.

“Leave her out of this.” Alleyne’s voice surprised her, unexpectedly calm. For a moment, it almost sounded as if she was giving an order. As if she were … No. She was not the Empress Consort. “Why are you here?”

He had stiffened at the tone in her voice; now his hand shot out to close around her arm and he dragged her into the shadows to whisper in her ear. “I saw you with him. In the garden.”

Alleyne wrenched her arm out of his grasp to glare up at him. She was beginning to be annoyed. “And?”

“What d’you mean, and?” His face twisted. “I saw you laugh with him. I saw you comfort him. I saw the way you looked at him!”

She went hot and cold all at once. “You saw what you asked me to do, no more. You were the one who said it didn’t matter what we did as long as the plan worked.

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