He carried me upstairs, past my bedroom, into the lavatory. He spoke and the candles ignited, washing us in rosy light. Gently, he set me down on the tile floor, propped up against the cabinets. I knew there was a mirror, directly above me, and it hovered like a blade about to fall.

If I wasn’t so drained, I would have shattered it.

Phelan knelt and drew my hair away from my neck, studying the column of my throat. I imagined bruises would soon bloom.

“I’m fine,” I said, and I wanted to send him away but couldn’t find the strength. His fingertips traced my neck up to my jaw, to the arch of my cheek. A soft caress that made me ache. He held my face in his hands, and I closed my eyes, surprised by the surge of trust I felt for him. I breathed deeply until I had calmed myself. Slowly, I could feel my limbs again. Slowly, my fear faded, and a bitter coldness replaced it. The ice seeped into my chest.

I opened my eyes.

Phelan was watching me intently. Whatever shone in my gaze made his hands fall away.

“I’m going to draw you a warm bath,” he said, reaching for the handles. Water began to flow from the faucet, and he cast a heating spell over it. The chamber became warm, steamy. Lavender intoxicated the air.

I could have fallen asleep, propped up against those cabinets, lulled by the sound of running water.

But I continued to see my father’s hauntingly young face, feel his hand on my neck, choking me.

“Did you see the knight’s face?” I asked.

Phelan was still on his knees, tending to the tub. A jar of bath crystals was in his hand, and he poured them into the water. “No, I didn’t. But you did, Anna?”

“Yes,” I whispered, and Phelan waited until the tub was full before turning off the faucets. He returned to me, on his knees.

“Did you recognize the knight?” he tentatively asked. “You seemed to hesitate when the helm was removed.”

“I’ve never seen him before,” I lied, and Phelan nodded. But I thought I saw his eyes shutter, his jaw flex.

“Do you need me to help you into the tub?”

I almost laughed until I realized how shaky I was. I tried to unlace my bodice, but my hands were trembling. “If you could help me undress . . . I can do the rest.”