Chapter 10: Breakfast

Caius took my hand away from my neck and turned the lamp toward me.

The flake of skin was small and pale, and it was dry and stiff in my palm.

"That's not skin," I said.

"No."

"What is it?"

"I don't know." He bent closer to the mark.

The edge of it had lifted, a hair's width, along one side of the curve.

Under the lifted edge, my own skin looked pink and new.

"Don't touch it," he said. "Not until the stone."

"I can't go until the full moon with it peeling off in the shower."

"Then wear a scarf."

I laughed.

I could not help it, and neither could he.

For a moment we lay there in his enormous bed, laughing.

We slept for three hours.

In the morning Winnie caught me at the top of the stairs with a plate of toast in each hand.

"I heard the headboard," she said. "I want you to know that I'm so happy for you that I'm going to be sick."

"Keep your voice down."

"Your Majesty is eating eggs at the long table," she said, loudly, "and he is smiling at his plate."

"Winnie."

"I'm going to cry. Eat your toast."

Down in the dining room Caius lifted his eyes from his plate as I came in, and the whole table went careful.

The envoy was there, too, spreading jam with great concentration.

I sat down beside Caius, and he slid the coffee pot toward me without a word.

Our knuckles touched on the handle.

It was a small thing.

My whole arm went warm.

A guard came in and said quietly, "Sir. A visitor at the gate. From Silver Creek."

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