Page 79 of The Turncoat King

“I don’t know what. I’ll think, Luc. I swear I’ll go through everything we ever said or did together.”

“Do that. It could be important.” Luc turned to Massi. “A word?”

She followed him out into the now chill night air.

“Let’s walk.” He kept going, and after a moment, she caught up with him, saying nothing, hands in her pockets.

They reached the edge of the column and he kept going, out onto the open plain.

It was getting late now, and he wanted to be back in his tent, in bed with Ava.

He stopped and waited, looking up to the gleam of stars above. The night sky was so thick with them, it looked like a white plume of smoke across the darkness.

“I know what you think. I can hear myself, and I know what I think about it, so I have a good idea what you think.” Massi hugged herself.

“Then why?”

“I look at her and I feel enraged. Truly enraged. I want to smack her, grind her down. It’s illogical. Frightening, even.”

Luc turned to stare at her in astonishment.

“I would say I was enspelled, except I know that sounds like an excuse.” She sounded so miserable. “I would understand a little jealousy on my part. Revek and Dak have felt it, too. But they seem to have gotten over it.”

“Has anyone given you something?” He asked it because he knew now how easy it would be to subvert someone’s will.

“Given me something?” She frowned up at him.

“Anything that you’ve been given since Ava arrived.”

She slowly loosened her arms and let them drop to her side. “You’re saying in case Ihavebeen enspelled?”

“I have never known you to be like this, Massi. You don’t behave like this. I’m saying, is it possible?”

She seemed astonished. “I found a cup outside my tent one morning. It had my name carved into it.”

“And you’ve kept it?”

“I thought it was from an admirer.” She hugged herself again. “Yes, I kept it. I drink out of it every day.”

“Get rid of it.” Luc put out an arm and held her shoulder. “Throw it in a fire.”

“I’ll do that right now.” She seemed shaken.

“Don’t touch it with your bare hands. Wear gloves, Mas.”

“I will.” She blew out a breath. “Could it be that simple?”

“Simple?” He gave a bitter laugh. “We have a spell caster among us with ill-intent. There’s nothing simple about it.”

“You think they also tried to burn Revek?”

“It might have been Haslia who left you the cup. She was invested in stoking suspicions against Ava, and having you openly hating her would have helped that story along. The fire could have been her, or someone else. I hope it was her, because at least she’s gone.”

“The cup might not be spelled.” Massi’s voice was small.

“This isn’t you, Massi. You had a warm word of welcome for everyone. You were the most relentlessly cheerful person I know, even in the camps. If it isn’t the cup, it’s something else.”

“Thank you.”

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