The White Sheep's Disguise ✓

Chapter 28

Gustus's door is cracked ajar when I arrive at his chambers, doing exactly what the letter told me to do. A meal—dinner—and a polite conversation between the two of us. I cannot reason whether two actually means three, and if Theo is bothering to sit in on this dinner, I don't believe the conversation will go as smoothly as Gustus expects.

I place my hand on the door and push gently, sticking my head into the room. Unlike Cloak, Gustus doesn't have guards that flank his doors, but the two standing at the end of the hall don't stop me from venturing where I don't belong.

I notice the heavy presence of light soaking up the wooden floors. The curtains are pulled back and tied in a thick knot like Gustus never bothers to turn his chambers accordingly with day and night. There aren't any empty bottles scattered around, the bed is neatly made, and the desk has tidy piles stacked along the top. I don't step into a hellhole; the prince's chambers aren't accustomed to being such. A relief, for me.

From the chaise he lounges on, he lifts a glass of wine to me in acknowledgment. "Welcome, Marie," he says. "I see you received my letter." He closes the book in his lap and sets that full glass of wine onto the side table, decorated with a used candle. The wax pools onto the white lace doily, but Gustus doesn't seem to mind. "Please, close the door behind you."

"The letter told me to come to your chambers immediately," I say, closing the door as he instructed. "Is there something you wish to discuss?"

He raises a thin finger in the air. "The letter also said we would have dinner together. So what would you like to start with first? Dinner, or an important discussion?"

I realize suddenly why Gustus doesn't have guards stationed at his doors. If they try hard enough, they can hear what happens on the other side. The draft underneath the door carries our voices, but the guards standing at the end of the hall won't hear a single word. Even those passing by, the scurrying servants, won't have an opportunity to hear what we have to say. Or the scolding the prince plans to give me.

"You can change into your Luminary form if you wish," he adds.

A breathy laugh leaves my throat. "I don't believe that's very wise, Gustus. There are people all around, someone might catch me. In case you don't remember, your mother isn't very fond of our kind." My voice shoves itself down to a level even I can't understand, but the prince hears me clearly.

"The doors are locked and I'll pull the curtains over the windows. The guards know not to trifle with my personal business, and when I schedule a meeting with someone, they're instructed to stand at the end of the hall instead of at my door, listening to everything I say." He scrunches up his nose. "These walls are thin."

Gustus's chambers are a welcome presence compared to Cloak's. Though they're similar in size, décor, and the layout of the furniture, the walls aren't closing in and the company isn't as horridly determined to ruin my existence.

He clears his throat from where he stands next to the chaise, raising his brows. "Are you going to answer to either of my statements or will you remain standing by the door the entire time? There is a hot meal in my dining room, and privacy if you wish to use it. But if you plan on partaking in neither, please inform me now." Gustus tugs on the end of his waistcoat and strides to an arched doorway that reveals little to my imagination.

I can do this. I can drop the Luminary shield I keep up day and night to keep the Raven Queen from discovering who I truly am. The only person that knows is Gustus, and what's the harm in that if he plans to keep the truth from everyone else? It's a mercy he hasn't shared this dreadful discovery with Cloak, though I wonder if Theo has a grasp on the situation.