Page 19 of The Study of Poisons
“Are you insane?” she asked. “She’ll kill you in your sleep.” She pounded the ground with her mop. It hit with a wet splat, spraying his boots with soapy water.
He raised an eyebrow at her. It’d been over twenty years since anyone got the drop on him while he slept. And only because it’d been an exhausting day while he trained to become an assassin at the School of Night and Shadows. And he’d been thirteen. “Thanks for the vote of confidence.”
Margg’s grip tightened. “Your suite is filled with weapons. They’re hanging on the walls and lying all over the place!”
“I’m aware.”
“Are you? One of these days your cockiness is going to get you killed andI’llhave to scrub your blood off the floor.” The mop swept closer.
“I’ll apologize now for the inconvenience.”
She sighed long and hard. “I don’t know why I bother. When do you need the room cleaned?”
“By tomorrow afternoon.” And when she opened her mouth, Valek said, “It’ll help with your cover. Add to your disgruntlement for Star.”
“Oh, aren’t you a prince.” Her tone implied he was far from princely.
“Happy to oblige.” Valek scrambled out of the way as she pushed the mop toward his feet.
* * *
Valek swungby the kitchen later that afternoon, but Rand wasn’t overseeing the preparations for the evening meal. Odd. He’d have to come back after the dinner rush. In the meantime, he’d stop at the infirmary.
Medic Channa greeted him at the door. “My shift just finished.”
“When is Yelena being discharged?” he asked.
“She can leave at any time.”
“Can you keep her until tomorrow morning?”
“Sure.” She headed out with a wave.
Valek turned toward Yelena’s bed and froze. Rand sat next to her. The cook gestured wildly, and she laughed.
Laughed.
Her smile transformed her face. He’d thought her beautiful before, but now… Valek’s heart stuttered to a stop. Then an unfamiliar emotion shocked his heart back into motion with its intensity. It took him a long moment to name it. Jealousy. Margg’s words from earlier sounded in his mind.Are you insane?Perhaps. Because nothing else explained his illogical reaction.
He drew in a few deep breaths, cleansing the unwelcome emotion from his body. Then he approached Yelena’s bed. Rand stopped talking immediately, as if caught gossiping about Valek. He lurched from his chair and made a hasty retreat. Good. Valek watched him limp from the infirmary. Had he come to recruit Yelena? To ask her to spy on the Commander for Star?
Valek faced her. “What was he doing here?” He kept his tone neutral as she told him the cook had come to visit, bringing her a sweet.
“When did you meet him?”
“After I recovered from My Love, I went in search of food and met Rand in the kitchen.”
Ah. It was inevitable. They would be working together, and Rand always befriended the food tasters. Whichalwaysended badly.
“Watch what you say around him. He’s not to be trusted. I would have reassigned him, but the Commander insisted he stay. Heisa genius in the kitchen. Some kind of protégé. He started cooking for the King at a very young age.” Would she take the hint?
Yelena met his warning gaze with one of stubborn refusal. Cold determination radiated from her stiff posture. If he pressed the issue, she would just push back harder. Not worth the effort. Not yet. He looked away, conceding defeat. For now.
“You’ll leave the infirmary tomorrow morning.” Valek was curt. “Get yourself cleaned up and report to my office to take the test. I won’t think you’re ready even if you pass, but the Commander ordered me to have you available by lunch.” Annoyed, he shook his head. “It’s a shortcut. I hate shortcuts.”
“Why? You won’t have to risk yourself anymore.”
Does she reallynotsee the bigger picture? Or is she goading me?“In my experience, shortcuts usually lead to death.”
