Bowstrings & Velvet (Spellbound #1)

Chapter 24: Quick Reflexes

Everything happened so fast. There was a flurry of movement as Ornice pulled out a hidden dagger and Shae had to sidestep as she wildly swung it towards her. Screams from the other women echoed through the halls, grinding the ball to a halt. Shae could hear multiple boots rushing toward her, but she couldn't take her eyes off her attacker for fear of missing another jab of the dagger.

Ornice lunged again and Shae couldn't quite get out of her reach. Desperate to keep the blade from piercing her, she grabbed on to Ornice's wrist with both hands. Looking up, she stared into the eyes of someone she thought she knew, at least marginally. But the woman staring back at her was not the one she had laughed with in the drawing room the last few weeks. This was someone else. Someone dangerous. Someone intent on killing her.

They stumbled back as they grappled for the upper hand. The small woman was surprisingly strong. As Ornice pressed closer, Shae could feel the hot breath on her face, and the sickly sweet smell almost made her gag. Then the other woman lurched backwards, away from Shae as someone's arm shoved her, and fell on the floor with a grunt. Hedda advanced on the other woman and kicked the hand wielding the dagger. With a cry, Ornice dropped the weapon. Shae couldn't help but stare as the tall Bergener pulled Ornice up by the collar of her dress and held her securely as the other woman squirmed in her arms.

"Let me go!" Ornice wailed.

Moments later, several King's Guards reached them at the same time as Felix pushed his way between the crowd of onlookers that had gathered to see what was going on. His eyes widened as he saw Ornice being restrained by Hedda. Turning to Shae, his eyes scanned her, looking for injuries. When he found none, he pulled her into his arms, and she buried her face in his shoulder, appreciating the closeness even as he held her a little tighter than necessary.

"What happened?" he asked, not letting go of her.

"She's the one who's been attacking me. Her shoulder started bleeding from where I struck her with the arrow, and when she realised, she went for me." Her arms slid around his waist. Even with Ornice glaring at them with hateful eyes, she felt safe in his embrace.

He looked over her head to issue an order to the guards. "Take her to the cellars and find out what she knows."

The King's Guards marched the lady-in-waiting away, the ball guests parting to allow them passage. With a sigh, Felix released Shae and turned to address the room.

"Everything is fine," he said. "Please go back to enjoying the festivities. We have everything under control."

A low murmur rose from the crowd, but they began dispersing as the musicians resumed playing a jaunty tune. Felix squeezed Shae's hand.

"Are you all right?"

She smiled, even if it was a little wobbly. "You are always asking me that."

"Trust me. I wish I didn't have to." He lifted his other hand to tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "I cannot believe it was one of your ladies-in-waiting."

"Me neither," she admitted. "I know I have not been the friendliest with them, but I thought I knew them better than this."

Ornice was the second wife of the Councillor from Sanore and had taken her predecessor's place as Shae's lady-in-waiting more than a year ago. It was strange to think she had spent so much time with this woman without ever seeing the disdain that had been so clear in her face tonight.

"Don't blame yourself. She fooled us all."

"But you did not spend entire afternoons with her."

"Her and eleven other women." He made a wry face. "One cannot be expected to notice every minuscule detail in a group that large."