pte

ia

ter from her pouring lesson, I let o

dn't

he cups at thi

hat made it a command. Over twenty people sat at this long table,

at Paige. He

Whether they want it or not. When the flagon runs dry, fetch another. And when you've finished-

ion. He had just assigned my sister

y from her,

ight in my head. But for now, in here, I

he corner of Colton's mouth.

on the refreshments-biscuits, glaz

shaking by now; that was somehow worse

ere holding it. He bit into it, chewed, unhurried. Then he t

with m

of eyes pretending not to watch, all wa

in hand, forced by her new station to re

nstration-she eats from my hand-the gentler twin of the pouring lesson, per

rward and t

been ash; my tongue had stopped report

ouldn't tell whether he wanted an answer or was simpl

et," I

ther. "The invasion. Next week. Walk me through your plan, Adam. My wa

ching his daughters. Maps were mentioned. Borders. Supply lines. I kept my eye

old myself. My

of support you can spare

f my army," Colton rep

e

tly refused to see: a third of the Hound of War's forces, stationed inside Duskwood's borders. Call it

on, I was learning, hav

ving down the table, flagon in hand, filling cup

hair, I felt her eyes on the bac

d hissed. You won't be

t has to smile and keep pouring-that

Colton set down

gle syllable made my

are asking for a

of ice. This was a man who had never marche

te a war with him-which was exactly what

sion looked genuine. "

lifted; he might have been discussing the weather. "It's short. I'll assume, for now,

my mother's smil

t a nod. The master strategist of

nd I gave it, because the alternative had stopped existing some

ding motionless among the tables like a servant awaiting her next order. And my

id more attentio

had almost never entered. One of the royal guest chambers. The door

had rooms like t

I slept three floors away behind a cracked window and a d

adn't. You don't r

hind us. Colton

ar as they went. He crossed to the bed without looking at me, sat, and pulled off his boot

at the decante

me som

room, lifted the decanter-and my hands, I notice

led. Somewhere beneath the fear, some small, vici

turned away to gather wha

k at

force a smile; my face h

looked at me the way he'd looked at the dagger-lik

f your c