Page 122 of A Vow of Embers

I sensed her reluctance, but she did it. After Suri left I went back out onto the balcony and called for Io. She came into my room just as Suri had.

“What’s wrong?” she asked as soon as she saw my face.

Her brother had told me that my face was too expressive. I tried to smile at her. I couldn’t tell her what had happened because I knew she would defend me. She would go find him and yell at him for what he had done. I didn’t want him to know that I had seen the kiss.

I couldn’t bear for him to know how badly he had hurt me.

Antiope’s voice filled my head.Never let your enemy see your weakness!

“I didn’t sleep well.” That was the truth. “Could you make me a sleeping draught? Something that will make me fall asleep immediately?”

A tiny part of me felt bad for keeping her out of the plan, but I couldn’t risk her potential interference.

“Of course.” The concern in her voice was evident. “I’ll go make it right now.”

Suri would have to make another trip. “I was thinking you could make a couple of doses. Hopefully I’ll be able to sleep on my own after that. Also, are there other books that you can get? From the healers?”

“There were others, yes. Why?”

Good. Given that the prince still hadn’t given me access to his mother’s library, I was going to have to use whatever resources we could get our hands on.

“Because I have an idea as to how we can have the others help us do research.” I was angry at Ilion for keeping their daughters ignorant. It would be so helpful if Suri, Ahyana, and Zalira could also read, but because they couldn’t, most of this work would have to fall to Io and me. “I’m going to write down some key words and have the others try to find them on the pages.”

It would be slow going, but it would be something.

She nodded. “Good idea. I’ll go to the infirmary after I make your draughts.”

A part of me felt guilty that I was taking advantage of her devotion to me and that I wasn’t telling her everything. “It’s also really important that you figure out what’s happening between me and your brother and find a way to sever the connection.”

“I know. I have been searching for anything that will help. And if I can’t find an answer, then I’ll come up with my own formula. I already have some ideas.”

She promised she would be back soon and I sat down at my table and began to write down some words. There was a knock at my door. “Come in!”

Themis entered the room. “Princess! I heard that you aren’t able to make any visits.”

I could feel my face turning red. “I’m sorry about that. I do intend to come and help you learn to read. My husband is very overprotective.”

Did the man not understand he was potentially harming his own ambition by keeping me here?

“Oh, no. I understand. It is terrible what happened to you. Are you all right?”

I held my arm up so that she could see it. “It’s healing very quickly. The palace has excellent healers.”

She nodded. “I am going to speak to your husband and see if we might do my lessons here, if that’s all right with you. I am very eager to begin.”

“That would be fine with me.” Hopefully they would start tomorrow so that I would have today to execute my plan.

“The council’s vote is coming soon. Will the prince be on our side?”

I had no idea. That man was a complete mystery to me. I had thought that I got through to him, that he was open to change, but I no longer knew. I couldn’t influence him. He didn’t care about my opinions.

He didn’t care about me.

“I hope so,” I said.

“Good. I’ll have my daughter-in-law write you a note after I speak with him.”

I nodded and she let herself out, with one of the guards closing the door behind her.

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