ndria

the moment the serva

red him well from my past life: he was the kind of man who would shove a maid into the mud for walking too slowly in his path and lau

d smile tou

I was still the desperate, love-starved girl who would crawl through thorns f

e him something f

I commanded, my vo

remained seated on the edge of my bed, arms crossed, spine straight-the postu

glance at Jade, his cold eyes locking onto me with that familiar smug condescensio

aryle heard of your... unfortunate little ordeal in the cellar. He sends his sinc

a reminder of my place, a performance

him. And I let the silence stretch, ju

me, Fritz... does Lord Estrada also know that I was poisoned in that cellar? Or did C

dn't expected that. He had prepared for tears, for pleas, for the path

he st

hand. That's either astonishingly cruel... or astonishingly stupid." I took a step toward him, and despite himself, Fritz's heel shifted backward-a

eyes, the calculation of how to report this conversation witho

" he finally managed, though the wo

ep

ut through the

mouth half-open. "

box down. My fingers ghosted over the carved wood-fine craftsmanship, expensive, no doubt meant t

f-balance now, scrambling

lip-just slightly, just enough. The coldness in my eyes was not manufactured. It was the

nd unhurried, "that I have received his

ollowed was thick

cker of unease. He was a bully, and bullies know when they're facing someone who can't be cowed. He had come here expe

he asked, his voice lo

t's

to assert dominance and the inexplicable sense that doing so would be a mis

ciate this," he muttered,

nother word. The door c

r, I let out a slow breath. My hands were steady

is shoulders were stiff, his pace quicker than when he'd arrived. Good. Let him carry t

e of information you can on Lady Elean

sudden shift in ta

e dropping to a murmur. "Eleanor tried to rot my flesh with Ashvine. Christal tried

laced a hand on Jade's s

an turn Martha, I break Eleanor's neck without ever touching a blade. And when Daryle comes for me-and

th fierce devotion. "C

e. Fritz would deliver my message. Daryle would s

ving. It was time