Page 164 of A Tongue so Sweet and Deadly

Loche pulled back to look at her, a wrinkle forming over his brow. “It was my choice, Lessia. Do not carry my guilt.”

She huffed a breath.

It wasn’t his guilt to carry.

He didn’t even know.

But those invisible fingers had her in a death grip, and not a word left her lips to convince him to change his decision.

Loche’s hands stroked her back as she caught her breath, his eyes worryingly flitting between hers.

When she could finally speak again, she whispered, “What about Ardow?”

His eyes hardened. “He will be put on trial after the election. I will do my best to convince them not to execute him, but he will remain in the cellars, Lessia.”

Biting her lip, she just stared at him.

She couldn’t even nod.

Couldn’t tell him another lie.

“I should probably sleep,” she mumbled.

As she rose, Loche stood with her. “I’ll follow you back to your room. We don’t think Ardow and Venko worked alone. Someone else with intimate knowledge of the nominees and the election has been helping them.”

She was too tired to argue, so she let Loche take her hand and lead her back to the room.

Outside, he brushed his lips against hers, lingering for a moment, but she needed time alone.

Loche seemed to read her mind, and with a final kiss that, despite everything, made her skin tingle, he bid her good night.

When she walked inside, Merrick’s door was closed, and she thought for a moment to knock, but exhaustion swept through her.

Without even removing her clothing, she climbed into bed and fell asleep within seconds.

Chapter

Sixty-Seven

“Lessia!”

She pried her eyes open to find Merrick sitting on her bed. A muscle in his jaw ticked as he flipped a dagger between his hands.

Lessia threw an arm over her eyes. “If you’re not here to kill me, I need a few more hours of sleep.”

“It’s early afternoon already. The Fae delegation and those vile human nobles arrived a few hours ago, and the festivities are about to begin.” Merrick mercilessly pulled off the blanket. “You need to hurry.”

She flew up, staring with wide eyes at the dim light shining in through the windows.

How had she slept this long?

As her mind woke, everything that happened yesterday slammed into her, and her grouchiness at being awoken was replaced with nagging dread and nearly overwhelming guilt.

Here she was, sleeping the day away when there was so much she needed to do. When Ardow had slept on a cold stone floor, when the children she’d promised would be safehad to pack up their lives once again, when her best friend had to prepare to leave the only home she’d known.

Sprinting to the closet, she started pulling out the black dress she’d worn last time, all the while thinking about how she would find time to figure out how to get Ardow out, when Merrick cleared his throat.

“Loche dropped off a gift for you last night.”

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