Chapter 6. Poison in the King's Cup

Josie's POV

I lay there and listened to him not leave.

An hour. Two. The servants' corridor went quiet around us. Somebody's radio went off. Through the crack under the door came creek water and wet stone, steady as a pilot light.

At four I gave up on sleep and opened the door.

He was asleep against the frame, sitting on the cold boards with his legs stretched across the corridor and his head tipped back against the wall. A Crown Prince, in yesterday's shirt, guarding a servant's room like a dog that's been told to stay.

I stood there longer than I should have.

Then I went back for the blanket off my bed and put it over him.

His hand closed on my wrist.

Not hard. He didn't open hi