Chapter 12

  Present Time

  The Fae servants were being accommodated in the nursery, with screens to offer the higher ranking among them privacy, whilst Diersen was given the only other guest chamber in the keep other than the one she occupied.

  During the flurry of making beds and erecting screening, Yelena eased her mother’s spell book from its hiding place, and its weight dragging down her apron was a heavy reminder of the threat of all the strangers in the keep to her guests in the cellar and to herself.

  “My Lady,” Arithen entered the room. “The Fae have asked water heated for a bath. We have offered them the laundry room for their ablutions, but I thought that as we were warming water, we would fill your tub up first.”

  “Oh, Arithen,” Yelena pushed her hair back from her sweaty face. “I feel bad for causing you all more work, but it will be very welcome to wash.”