The Palace of Lost Memories

Chapter 30

My head felt like it had been split in two, but somehow, by some miracle, I didn't black out. I fell forward, landing heavily on my hands and knees.

The woman in the bed screamed, the piercing sound shattering my nerves as thoroughly as the blow had. It roused me into action, and I managed to look over my shoulder at my attacker.

Lord Frederick stood over me, raising a bloodstained club above his head. His lips parted with his gasp and his grip slackened. "You're not Miranda."

The moment's hesitation was all I needed. I kicked as hard as I could, smashing my foot into his knee. He fell, roaring in pain, and dropped the club.

I scrambled backward until I hit the bed. The woman still screamed.

Lord Frederick lurched to his feet and limped toward me, his face twisted with pain and distress. He began to cry, the tears streaming down his cheeks. He looked like a man standing on a cliff, about to reluctantly throw himself off it.

"I'm sorry," he said through his tears. "I thought you were her. But you're not, and I can't let you live now. I'm so sorry."

A maid appeared in the doorway only to disappear again. Lord Frederick hadn't seen her, thank the goddess.

He kept advancing toward me, his limping gait slowing his progress. "Hailia, forgive me."

"Please, don't," I begged. "Killing me won't help your sister with the king."

"It will when I remove Miranda."

Merdu.

I felt behind me but my fingers met only floor and bed. "Why do you want Lady Lucia to be with the king? I thought you loved her."

"That's precisely why I'm doing it. She wants to be queen, and I want to please her. Once she delivers him a prince or two, she'll be mine again. I simply have to bide my time and give her the thing she desires the most. Then she'll love me again."

I shifted to the side, my fingers dancing behind me, searching. Finally I touched wood. "They'll know it's you," I said.

"They'll think the madwoman did it. I've kept enough poison for her that it'll look like she took her own life after taking yours. I'm sorry, Miss Cully, but you shouldn't have dressed as Miranda." His mouth twisted and his sobs made him difficult to understand. "You shouldn't have become involved in this. Nor should your father. I didn't want to kill him or Tao, but I had to. Your father's prying left me no choice. And now you leave me no choice." He bent to pick up the club.

Terror and desperation must have propelled me because in the barest blink of an eye, I'd dragged the cabinet out from beneath the bed and jumped to my feet. I lifted it above my throbbing head and brought it down on Frederick's.

He collapsed onto the floor, face first, unconscious.

The woman did not stop screaming, but I had no capacity to comfort her. My heart felt like it would smash through my ribs and my head was on fire. I could do nothing more than sit on the floor and lean back against the foot of the bed.

Running footsteps echoed along the corridor and Erik appeared. He took in the scene and swore in his native tongue. He nudged Lord Frederick with the point of his sword. Frederick groaned but did not get up.

"Are you hurt, Josie?" Erik asked.

I touched the back of my head. The hair was sticky and my fingers came away bloodied, but it seemed like the bleeding had stopped. "Not too badly."

He helped me to my feet then leaned over the bed. "Hush, Laylana. It is over. You are safe."

Her scream changed to a wail, the same one I'd heard before. She looked terrified. Erik sighed and moved away. He nudged Lord Frederick with the toe of his boot.