A Crown of Black Roses by E. G. Trickey

Author:E. G. Trickey [Trickey, E. G.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Jillian Witt
Published: 2024-09-03T00:00:00+00:00

21

Adrielle

The outer door creaked open, and Adrielle glanced up to see Keiran disappear through it. If she had to make a bet, she’d say the key left on the table was gone. He’d already swiped The Shadows in a similar situation; it was such easy bait.

She turned her attention back to the box. The unexpected delivery caught her off guard, making her blood run cold; she hated surprises. The hinges didn’t so much as whisper when she opened it.

A single oleander flower, dried and encased in glass, lay on a silken pillow.

She slammed it shut, throat tight.

“Did Anthony know who sent it?” she asked, placing her hand in Lillie’s again.

Lillie tapped out, no. He said he only shook it enough to make sure it wasn’t dangerous.

“He shook it to try to figure out what it was. The box weighs next to nothing. What did he think could be in here, a snake?”

Adrielle pressed her lips into a tight line and opened the box again. She refused to look too hard at or acknowledge the flower as she picked it up and looked under it, then the silk pillow for any note or sign of who it could be from.

Nothing. No letter, not even a pair of vague initials. She ground her teeth, tossing all three items aside. Someone was messing with her. That alone she could handle if she only knew who. No one spoke of Leander, except for Countess Vidius.

She’d have hell to pay if she was involved.

Another knock on the door made Adrielle jerk and bare her teeth.

“Today is just the day for unwanted visitors. Could you get that, Lillie? I’m sorry. Rosemarie and Cerise are still out.”

The maid nodded and left, closing the bedroom door on her way. Adrielle glared at the box and the oleander and flipped the top blanket over them.

She was sure there was no shortage of people who would see her undone. She angered people based solely on her personality, and in truth didn’t blame most of them, but this kind of mind game wasn’t most of their styles. The whole point of sadism for most was to see its effects, and she didn’t bow or break under pressure or pain. That was known, and perhaps her only trait that earned begrudging respect from anyone.

This was invisible; not meant to cause public display, but to torment her in secret. It was part of something bigger than a simple jab to her psyche.

The bedroom door opened again and Lillie entered, pulling in a woman who carried a bag that overflowed with fabric samples and a measuring ribbon.

Adrielle’s claws were already out, and this didn’t help. She glowered at the woman and bit out, “I don’t deal with tailors.”

“Yes, one of your other maids said as much,” the tailor said quickly. “And I got the same answer the second and third times I came here. They even gave me your measurements each time, but please, Your Highness, let me take them myself. King Sarus had his men find me specifically.

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