Page 42 of Of Blood and Roses

“Sort of… Yes,” Killian answered. He had seen Elyse do plenty of kind things. She had freed Nina, had contributed countless funds to Privya’s clinic, and even trained Nina and Corin in her free time so that they could properly defend themselves. Somehow, though, he had convinced himself that these good deeds had all been part of her act to make Killian believe she was righteous.

But helping Corin with finding the springs… That was something she had kept to herself.

Nina sat up straighter, demanding Killian’s attention with her posture. “I was a prostitute,” she began pragmatically. “Does that make me a whore?”

“No!” Killian protested immediately. “Of course not.”

“Why not?”

Killian considered this for a moment, taking in Nina’s countenance. Something about her soft features and kind eyes projected such virtue. Even knowing everything she had been through, she still held an air of naivete—unlike Elyse, who seemed jaded and ruthless.

“Well,” he began, “because it wasn’t really your choice to sell your body. I assume it was something you did out of necessity, based on your circumstances.”

Nina smiled knowingly. “Have you ever thought that maybe killing King Cyril wasn’t Elyse’s first choice either? That it was something she saw as necessary?”

No, I didn’t think of that, Killian huffed to himself. “It’s not the same,” he said, exasperated.

“No, it’s not,” Nina agreed. “No two lives will ever be the same. But you have to listen to have a chance at understanding.”

Killian didn’t say anything else. He couldn’t think straight. Was Nina really insinuating that perhaps Elyse had a good reason to kill King Cyril? What explanation could she possibly give that would justify her actions—and her lies?

The sun was starting to make its presence known as heat infiltrated the air. Nina continued to sip calmly on her tea, but Killian just sat there, rigid and simmering.

If Elyse did have a good reason for her actions—which he sincerely doubted—then she’d had plenty of time to come clean. Then again, would he have listened? Or would he have arrested her on the spot? She had tried explaining many times, but he had refused to hear it, assuming she would feed him more lies.

His attention was torn away from his convoluted thoughts as the clinic door opened. He prayed that it would be Manny or Privya or even Jaime that walked out, though he already knew that he wouldn’t be so lucky. Fair hair and fairer skin glistened in the sunlight as Elyse stepped outside, and Killian stifled a groan.

Her expression morphed into an awkward grimace as she spotted Killian and Nina beneath the tree, an uncharacteristic look for the stoic witch. Good. At least she was as perturbed as he was.

He waited for her to approach them, gritting his teeth in anticipation of the encounter. Instead, she walked along the side of the building and disappeared around the corner, avoiding them completely.

Killian sighed with genuine relief. He wanted to pretend like last night never happened, and to go back to ignoring each other unless it was something pertinent to their investigation.

When he looked back at Nina, she was giving him a curious side eye—one that he disregarded. There might be some truth to her advice in regards to listening to Elyse’s story. But that was not something he was ready to confront.

Not yet.

Chapter 27

- Elyse -

It was difficult for Elyse to say goodbye to Privya, Corin, and Nina. The clinic had become a safe haven for her, just as it was for so many others, and during her time there, she’d hardly thought about Lazarus or the blood pact or anything devious. In fact, with the help of a few glasses of wine, she’d been able to relax and enjoy her friends’ company. That is, up until her tryst with Killian in the kitchen.

Devil’s forked tongue, it had been so stupid of her. It was stupid and passionate and… incredible. Killian had always been a talented and attentive lover, but last night surpassed all their other engagements.

She’d hoped that something had changed between them, that perhaps he was beginning to soften toward her. That hope was immediately diminished when she found him beneath the tree that morning, glaring at her as if she was the source of all his problems. Because she was.

And so, all good things must come to an end.

They departed the clinic on three borrowed stallions, buddying up together for the journey. Elyse didn’t deign to believe that Killian would even consider partnering with her atop a horse, so she asked Jaime to share her saddle. Manny and Sera paired up together, leaving Killian free to ride alone.

The heat was nearly unbearable as they rode, and each of them—even Sera—were swiftly drenched in sweat. For the hundredth time, Elyse found herself grateful to be rid of the widow’s decay; sweat had made the rash completely intolerable.

She was determined to avoid meeting Manny’s eyes, and it seemed he felt the same way. Eventually, though, after miles of riding through forests, the awkwardness seemed to dissipate, and they began to quiz each other about their backstory, in case anyone asked them too many questions. Elyse was grateful for the distraction. Anything that kept her mind off her troubles was a welcome reprieve. When it became clear that they both had a firm grasp on their fake identities, Manny grew tired of the conversation, letting the group fall back into silence.

“Shall we play a game?” Elyse asked, eager for something else to pass the time. “I spy with my witch’s eye…”

“Elyse,” Killian grumbled, shooting her an indignant look. “We are not playing a game.”