Page 40 of Jeweler to the Blessed
I cleared my throat again, a blush touching my cheeks. “Of course.”
“We’ll continue the search as soon as the Selection is back on track.”
He paused as if waiting for me to ask another question. I wasn’t sure what. We stared at each other in silence.
Before I knew what was happening, I felt a prickle at the back of my neck. Lost in my own thoughts, I hadn’t seen the green glow creep over his pendant. The prince repeatedhimself, as I’d missed his initial question. “It’s alright, you can tell me. Do you know who was responsible for last night’s events?”
I tilted my head. “The Cursed King.”
No matter the royal family’s opinion of him, I didn’t think it was dangerous to say what everyone already knew. The magic displayed yesterday made his existence indisputable. I wasn’t sure if his question was meant to unearth more, but I was confident my answer would be the same even if I were subject to his persuasion.
His nose twitched at my response like he smelled something foul. “That doesn’t help me.”
I couldn’t blame him exactly. Part figure of legend, now real threat—my answer didn’t provide much to go on, but I didn’t have anything else.
Unsure how to respond to his comment, I waited for him to continue. He toyed with his adamas again. I guessed I could use this opportunity to see if he had any better luck getting information from the Feared.
“Were any of the Feared captured last night?” None would have been if my suspicions were true, that the Cursed King’s attack was intended to create a distraction for them to get away.
The prince’s jaw flexed, his teeth clenching as he shook his head. “They escaped.”
I may not understand why the Cursed King worked with the Feared, but that seemed evidence enough that he did. Which meant I had even more to worry about. If his goals were aligned with the Feared, it was only a matter of time before he came after me directly.
Hart had almost stopped the Feared in that side street. I couldn’t claim he’d hold the same power against the Cursed King.
“The Cursed King is your only answer for me, Emberline?” The prince posed it as a question, but the green glow of persuasion meant he coaxed another answer.
Truthfully, I had nothing else to say. “This is the only answer I know.”
Anger crossed his face, there and gone before I could be sure of myself. I stepped back inadvertently.
As if he noticed my hesitation, the hard lines of his face softened. His voice was calm, without a hint of persuasion, as the green light left the room.
He folded his hands together. “I apologize. I’m sure you had a trying evening, and here you are today, starting a whole new set of crucial responsibilities. We are thankful for your willingness to step in. You’ll be well taken care of for your service.”
His words felt like something slimy and slippery, coating my skin. Years of practice hiding my emotions helped me school my features. “I’m sorry I don’t have better answers for you.”
I didn’t believe the prince’s words when he felt the need to guide the conversation with persuasion.
He spread out his hands, palms up. “Let’s talk about your work. We will proceed on schedule, announcing the Selected at the Cornucopia tomorrow. You must see them before then to get their ring sizings.”
I nodded. I wasn’t surprised to hear the prince wasn’t changing the scheduled events. Fitting the announcement into the Cornucopia was the smoothest way to keep the celebration on track. The path of least disruption was the obvious path to help the city move past last night.
The look on Jasmine’s face this morning, as she remembered her nightmare, was proof the city needed the distraction. Others, with less to celebrate, must be in worse shape. PrinceElias had his work cut out for him, rebuilding the city’s morale—and could only do so as long as the Cursed King didn’t unleash his power again.
“I can have them stop by tomorrow. That should give you enough time to settle in. Remember, it’s not only the four Blessed but also the one receiving additional favor from the king.”
I dipped my head, preparing to leave.
“You’ll need to go to the mines.”
He’d waited until the end to drop this seemingly offhanded comment. I knew he’d done that intentionally. This would be the first real test of my use to the Glanmores.
I couldn’t help but suck in a deep breath. “Today?”
Alaric had refused to speak of his work in the mines themselves. I didn’t know what it truly meant for a jeweler to source the adamas. And to get there, I’d have to go through the Oldwood.
He nodded. “I believe Alaric was out of materials.”
