Igniting Darkness by Robin LaFevers

Author:Robin LaFevers
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (hmhbooks.com)
Published: 2020-08-03T16:00:00+00:00

 Chapter 59

The king frowns, his irritation not inclining him to humor her. “Whatever you are trying to say, just say it. Do not force us to tease it out of you.”

Resentment flashes briefly in her eyes. “I am only remarking that his disappearance coincided with that of the two d’Albret girls. If ever a man appeared capable of vile acts, it is he.”

The stricken look in Beast’s eyes is so brief and fleeting that even I almost miss it. Or mayhap it never shows on his face and I simply feel the twist of pain in his heart. I imagine a lifetime of being accused of misdeeds simply because of his looks.

“Impossible.” The queen’s clear voice rings out. “I sent him out myself three days before Monsieur Fremin made his claims.”

My knees weaken with relief, but Beast’s rigidness does not leave him. Nor his fury. It emanates from him like steam from a bubbling pot.

It is there on the tip of the regent’s tongue—her wish to accuse the queen of colluding with Beast in this, except that even she cannot imagine what the motive might be. Madame whirls back to face the king. “Of course he would not announce his true intention to the queen. But the rebellion can only be an excuse to cover his unexplained trip to Brittany.”

The queen leans forward in her chair, bright spots of anger on her cheeks. “That is untrue.”

The regent raises a delicate brow. “If so, then the only other explanation is that this entire incident is a way for you to insert yourself into the king’s prerogative to rule. Is that what you are doing?” She tightens the jaws of the trap she has set, forcing the queen to choose between her own reputation or Beast’s.

The queen stares at her frostily. “Madame, are you suggesting that I am lying?”

“Either you are or he is.”

“Neither of us is lying about this.”

The king stares at his wife as if he has never seen her before. “Is this true? Did he abduct the girls?”

“No,” the queen answers forcefully. “He did no such thing.”

“You cannot believe her, Your Majesty.” The regent’s words are as smooth as glass. “What else would he be doing? How would she have even known such activity was afoot?”

“Answer,” the king orders.

“I received letters from my loyal advisors who still reside in Brittany.” Satisfaction glints in the queen’s eye as she sets a trap of her own.

The regent scoffs. “I have seen no such letters.” It is not until the words are out of her mouth that the regent realizes her mistake.

The queen tilts her head. “Have you been reading my letters?”

Even the king seems shocked. “You’ve done what?”

Madame shrugs, but she is not as indifferent as she would like to appear. “We had to know if she was loyal to her new husband or her old one.” The queen’s breath comes hard and fast at this affront to her honor.

“Enough!” The king’s voice lashes out like a whip. His face is stony, his heartbeat rapid.

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