A Soul for Vengeance

Chapter 18



Zara added the latest pouch of kokalla power into the stockpile she’d been gathering over the last few months. It was more than enough to keep a hundred people under Thallian control for almost a year, but she still wasn’t sure if it was enough for her plan.

A knock sounded at her door. She slammed the trunk closed and shoved it under her bed just as Kell came in.

He paused, his smile half-formed. “What’s that?”

She draped her blanket over the bed to conceal the trunk. “Nothing that concerns you.”

“Is that any way to reply to a prince?”

She wiped her palms on the blanket. Even though she’d shared her body with him, she still wasn’t ready to discuss her plan. If he reacted the same way her brother did, would he forbid her to carry it out and slap her with treason if she did? Or worse, would it ruin their relationship? “What are you doing here?”

The corners of his mouth tilted down. “I saw you were back, and I wanted to let you know how much I missed you.”

“You missed me?” She forced a laugh, breaking up some of the tension that had coiled around her chest, and rose from the floor.

“Very much.” His voice turned on that sensual hum that made her skin tingle with anticipation. “Should I show you?”

He didn’t wait for a response. Instead, he wrapped his arms around her and covered her mouth with a slow, decadent kiss that erased miles of fatigue from her latest raid. She let her body fall against his, savoring the warmth of his hands as they ran along her back toward her hips and pressed her even closer to him. Yes, he’d missed her body—that much was obvious. But did he miss her?

“Satisfied?” he asked when he finally ended the kiss.

“No.” She was left flushed, breathless and still wanting more, despite the warning bells that went off in her mind that she was being reckless with both her reputation and her heart. It went against every practical bone in her body. But then, Kell tended to do that to her. She managed to pull herself together, though, and step back. “But I can wait until later.”

“What’s wrong with right now?” His glaze slid to the bed behind her. “We have the room all to ourselves.”

She laughed again, this time out of pure amusement. No matter how serious Kell appeared in front of her brother and other leaders like Fermo, he was still a charming rogue at heart. “Maybe now, but Bianca could come bursting in at any moment. Besides, I smell like horses and mud.”

“That’s just your clothes. It won’t matter once you’re out of them.”

“You’re not helping matters.” She gave him a playful smack. “If we get caught, that means no more visits to your bed at night.”

“And what if I want us to get caught together?” His question contained none of the lighthearted banter from before. Instead, it was somber enough to drive away the warm glow that had recently infused her flesh.

“Think about the consequences, Kell. We’re already having a hard enough time getting all of our leaders to act together. If Bynn found out, it would only drive a wedge between you two. Please, for the sake of the rebellion, let’s keep our—”

She halted, not quite sure what to call their relationship anymore. What had started out as just a few nights of passion was turning into something more. Every night, her body hummed with pleasure after he made love to her. Every night, she fell asleep listening to his voice after hours of pillow talk. And every night, she found it harder and harder to leave his arms before the dawn. Perhaps deep down inside, she wanted to be caught on the foolish hope she could spend the rest of her life in his arms.

But fate wasn’t that kind. He’d need a wife who could give him an heir to continue his royal line. She couldn’t. Her eyes stung from the unfairness of it all, but she buried her grief and finished what she was saying without her voice betraying her. “Let’s keep our activities secret.”

A crease appeared above Kell’s nose which accented the confusion in his eyes. He let his arms fall to the side, leaving a chill along her skin in their absence. “Very well, if that is what you want.”

There was so much more she wanted to say, so much she wanted him to know, but guilt and shame kept her silent. Instead, she whispered, “I promise to come tonight, though, if you still want me to.”

The hurt still lingered in his expression, but he nodded. “Please.”

“Then I will be there shortly after you blow out your candle.” She nodded toward her window, where she had a clear view of his hut. “But for now, I need to get cleaned up and changed for dinner, and you should probably greet Ortono.”

“He’s here?” Surprise of a different kind animated his features.

“He joined me on this last raid and is here now to offer his insights.” She shooed him off. “Go before Fermo tries to bully him.”

Kell grinned. “Not very likely. Ortono can hold his own.” He paused before the door closed behind him to add, “We’ll talk more about our activities later tonight.”

Once she was alone, she finally released the tempest of emotions she’d reined in while he was with her and sank onto her bed. What kind of mess had she gotten herself into? When she’d crawled into Kell’s bed, she never expected their liaisons to last this long. Usually, Kell lost interest in a woman once he’d lured her to his bed. She’d expected it to be the same with her. After all, she wasn’t anything special. She certainly wasn’t some yellow-haired witch who’d captured the prince’s heart. And perhaps once she explained the cold, hard truth, he’d lose interest in her.

But every time she had the chance to say it, she lost her nerve. Even just now.

She sat there on her bed trying to find the best solution to her problem and finding none by the time Bianca returned. “Was that Prince Kell I saw dropping by earlier?”

Zara nodded.

“So I take it you’ll be sneaking off to his bed later tonight, as usual?”

Her heart skipped a beat. Despite all her efforts to be discreet, Bianca knew. “Please don’t tell anyone.”

Bianca giggled. “Don’t look so terrified. You’re not the only person sneaking into someone else’s bed once the candles are blown out.” She fluffed her curls. “I was merely asking because I have someone who visits me when you’re gone, and I wanted to make arrangements for myself if you’re not going to be here.”

Zara’s jaw dropped. All this time, she’d dismissed Bianca as a pitiful mouse of a girl. “You have a lover?”

“Oh, don’t be so surprised. I’ve told you before that men don’t care what we look like once our clothes are off. Besides, Garroux is just a little fun for me until I’m forced to marry some stuffy old lord that’s befitting to my station.” She rolled her eyes and fell back on her bed. “In truth, I sometimes wish I wasn’t born a noblewoman so I could marry whomever I wanted. But for now, I’m content to lie with a man who knows how to make my toes curl every night.”

She’d always thought that she and Bianca were complete opposites, that they had nothing in common. But in one simple sentence, her roommate had summed up her entire complex relationship with Kell. Zara knew that their affair would eventually end. For now, though, she was content to indulge in the pleasure it had to offer.

Fermo’s gruff voice carried across the tress, another cruel reminder of what her future held. She hugged her arms around her knees. She’d have a lifetime of listening to that voice if Bynn had his way. Right now, she wished she could be spared another dreadful night in his company. “I don’t want to get dressed for dinner. I’d much rather take a nap.”

“And rest up for tonight, eh?” Bianca lifted her head from the bed with a smirk. “Don’t worry. I won’t mention anything about you and the prince.”

As Bianca left to deliver a message to her lover, Zara laid back and stared at the ceiling, wondering when her life got so complicated.

Kell walked back to Bynn’s hut, his mind still jumbled from his meeting with Zara. How could she be so warm, so inviting, so responsive in his arms and then push him away like that? A thread of doubt pierced his heart. Arden had been the same way. What if Zara’s heart belonged to someone else, too?

“Good evening, Your Highness.”

Ortono’s warm voice jerked him from his thoughts and brought a smile to his face. He shook the soldier’s hand. “So good to see you again, Ortono.”

He gathered around the table with Bynn and Fermo to listen to Ortono’s report from the north. Zara slipped into the room as he was describing the increased number of troops daring to cross through the snowy mountain passes, even though spring was still a good month away. A frown marred her pretty face as she sank into the chair between her brother and Fermo. “This doesn’t bode well for our plans.”

“Where are the troops headed?” If he knew where their destination was, he might be able to discern their enemy’s plans.

“Some are going south along the road to Trivinus. The others appear to be headed east toward Boznac.”

He pressed his lips together. A glance across the table showed Zara making the exact same expression, her eyes fixed on the table.

“Why are they dividing their forces, especially after risking travel through the mountains at this time of the year?” Bynn asked. “It doesn’t make sense.”

“Unless they’re not finished with their conquest.” Zara lifted her steely gaze and looked to each man at the table as she spoke. “Think about it—the shortest path to Gravaria for them is crossing the sea from Boznac.”

Fermo chugged the contents of his glass and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, barely hiding his disdain for her. “Maybe, but that doesn’t explain why any of them would be foolish enough to try crossing the sea in storm season, nor why they are sending troops toward Trivinius.”

“Storm season will be over in a matter of weeks, which may explain why they’d risk going through the mountains now. They’d be ready to launch an attack as soon as the weather improves.” Kell raked his finger through his hair, his stomach forming a row of knots. His plans were growing bleaker with each tidbit of news. “And if that’s the case, we can’t depend on help from Marist.”

“As if we could’ve counted on it to begin with.” Fermo stabbed his meat with his fork and cut off a chunk, waving it in the air as he continued. “I still stand by my plan to enter into diplomatic talks with Thallus.”

“I refuse to surrender to them.” Ortono’s normally placid temper erupted into something that bordered on dangerous. Spots of red appeared in the young captain’s cheeks. “We’ve fought too hard, suffered too long, to just give up now. We’ve managed to overcome long odds before, and we can do it again, but only if we’re willing to try something they aren’t expecting.”

“You mean like when Kell employed his little witch to take care of the necromancer for him?”

Kell balled his hand into a fist. How he’d love to pound that sneer off Fermo’s face, especially when he was insulting both him and Arden.

But it was Ortono who came to their defense. “I was with Prince Kell that night you’re referring to. He wasn’t hiding behind Lady Arden’s powers. He even tried to send her away. She was the one who chose to take on Sulaino. And if she was here now, I’m sure she’d be willing to call on every ounce of her magic to come to our aid.”

“But she’s not here. She hasn’t even made an effort to return to Ranello.” Fermo snorted. “I’m sure she’s thanking the Lady Moon she got out of Ranello when she did.”

“You’re wrong.” Kell reflexively reached for the pendant that once hung around his neck, remembering his last conversation with Arden, but grasped only air. “I spoke to her on the ship before I was captured, and she’d told me they were keeping any information about Ranello from her. I’d promised her I’d let her know something as soon as I could, but my ship was attacked shortly after that.”

Zara chewed her bottom lip, her brows bunched together. “I don’t understand what you’re saying, Kell. You make it sound like you spoke to her while you sailing back home.”

“I was.”

Bynn stopped chewing, the muscles along his hand and arms forming tight cords. “Kell, you weren’t using magic, were you?”

“Stop being so mistrusting, Bynn. And yes, I was using magic. Arden had given me a mirror pendant she’d enchanted so we could speak to each other over great distances.”

Ortono grinned. “Leave it to Lady Arden to come up with something clever like that. Where is this pendant now?”

Kell wished he could share Ortono’s enthusiasm. “I wish I knew. When I was captured, it disappeared.”

“Then stop whining over it and get back to what we have at hand.” Fermo pointed to the map in the center of the table. “If Thallus is by some chance deciding to invade Gravaria, it may mean a chance for us to negotiate peace with them so they can focus their efforts elsewhere.”

“Or it means that Empress Marist would be more likely to come to our aid before they launched a strike against her.” Kell pushed back from the table and stood. His mind always worked better when his feet were moving. “Unfortunately, I can’t send a message to her until storm season ends. It’s too risky to try to sail across the sea now, and it would take too long to go through the mountains. What I wouldn’t give for Arden’s pendant right now.”

“And what if I could find it for you?”

Zara’s question stopped his pacing. He leaned on the table toward her. “What do you mean?”

“Just that,” she replied in her ever-practical tone. “I found your sword. Chances are good that I’d be able to find that pendant in the same place. I just need to know what it looks like.”

A spark of hope flared within him. “If you find me that pendant, then I know we could get aid from Gravaria.”

“Then I will find it for you, Kell.” She rose from her seat, her shoulders set. “If you will excuse me, I’ll let Parros know that we’ll be leaving in the morning.” She slipped out of the room as quietly as she came in.

Bynn leaned back in his chair, his arms crossed. “Don’t put all your hopes in that magical device, Kell. Even if Zara can find it, Arden won’t be much against an army of Thallian mages. Decindra and Ermane are two of the strongest mages from Thallus, and they make Sulaino’s spells look like the work of an incompetent apprentice.”

“We’d have more than just Arden coming to our aid. The Empress—”

“Your magic thingy will only allow you to send a message to your little witch.” A defiant curl twisted Fermo’s lips. “What makes you think the Empress will even listen to her?”

“Because she’s Marist’s cousin.”

Bynn gasped, but Ortono grinned wider. “I always knew Lady Arden was of noble blood. How could she not be?”

Fermo mumbled something that sounded like a curse before clearing his throat. “Even so, but your plan still depends on a woman putting her life on the line to find a magical pendant that could be anywhere.”

“Are you suggesting that Zara won’t be able to find it?”

“I’m suggesting that she’d be better off staying within this camp and leaving the rebellion up to us men.” Fermo turned to Bynn. “I sincerely hope she’ll stop this headstrong running off whenever she feels like behavior soon. It’s a poor quality to have in a wife.”

Kell sucked in a breath through his nose and held it. He looked to Fermo and then Bynn, praying he hadn’t heard Fermo correctly.

“I make no guarantees for my sister’s behavior,” his best friend replied.

“Then perhaps you should teach her to know her place before the wedding.” Fermo kicked his chair back and drained his cup. “I’ve wasted too much time here. I’m returning home tomorrow. When you decide that the rest of your ideas are futile and want to engage in negotiations with Thallus, let me know.”

“Stop right there, Fermo.” Kell’s command cut through the room with a sharp edge of anger. He couldn’t tell which infuriated him more—the duke’s arrogance or the fact he was staking a claim on Zara. “As long as I am alive, I expect to be treated like the heir to the throne that I am. I make the decisions for my kingdom. I decide what the best course of action is, and I will let you know if you have my permission to leave this camp.”

Fermo’s face paled, and a fine tremor shook his massive hands. He bowed his head. “Y-y-yes, Your Majesty.”

The duke’s use of the title caught Kell off guard. All his life, he’d heard his father called that. Now, he was the one with both the title and the responsibility of King of Ranello. He filled his lungs so his words rang with the same authority his father’s had. “If you dare enter into a treaty with Thallus without my permission, I will consider it an act of treason and act accordingly, Fermo. Understood?”

Fermo bowed his head again. “Yes, Your Majesty.”

“You may leave in the morning, but only if it is with the intention of preparing your troops for battle.” Kell leveled his gaze with Fermo. “We must all fight together, or everything we’ve done so far will become futile. But I promise you this—I am willing to risk my life to give Ranello her freedom. Are you?”

He’d basically called Fermo a coward, and the burly duke responded just like he’d hoped he would. The tremor vanished from his hands, and he lifted his chin. “Yes, Your Majesty.”

“I’m glad we can finally agree on this. And if Zara succeeds on finding that pendant—which I have no doubt that she will—then we may be able to catch Thallus off guard.”

“Meaning they won’t expect us to ally with Gravaria and their magic?” Bynn rubbed his chin. “That sounds crazy enough to work.”

Ortono nodded. “And if I know Lady Arden, she’ll be able to unleash some nasty spells on those Thallians.”

“If we ask her for help, I have no doubt she’ll give it to us.” But at what cost? Arden’s deadliest magic came at the hands of the chaos god living inside her and often left destruction in its wake, not to mention the risk to her sanity if Dev was to be believed. “But in the meantime, we must prepare our people for the battle ahead.”

All three men murmured in agreement. Fermo added, “With your permission, Your Majesty, I wish to retire so I may begin the long journey home in the morning.”

“Go then, and safe travels to you.” Kell’s gaze followed the duke out, hoping he’d made his threat clear enough to prevent any possible betrayal. “If you don’t mind, Ortono, I’d like to have a few words with Lord Bynn alone.”

The soldier wasted no time ducking out of the room.

Bynn tried to crack a smile as he ran his finger along his collar. “Well done, Kell. For a moment there, I could’ve sworn I saw your father berating Fermo.”

“Are you planning on marrying Zara to Fermo?” He tried to count how many beats of his heart passed while he waited for the answer, but he couldn’t keep up with the rapid pulse.

“Possibly.”

“Are you mad?” Kell grabbed his chair and turned it around so it held him back from throttling his best friend. “She deserves better than him.”

“He’s a duke.” Bynn edged his chair back, adding some space between them. His jaw, however, retained its stubborn angle. “Besides, there are issues involved you know nothing about.”

“Such as?” If he was going to lose Zara to the likes of Fermo, there had better be a damn good reason for it.

Bynn opened his mouth, then shut it. “Out of respect for my sister, I will not reveal those reasons. But believe me when I say that I have the best intentions for everyone when I proposed this marriage between them.”

“And why do I find that so hard to believe?” Kell rose from the chair, his gut wrenching at the thought of Zara as the Duchess of Fermo. “It’s quite obvious they both despise each other.”

“Perhaps,” Bynn said with a shrug. “But Fermo wants a wife whose bloodlines will enhance his own, and I need someone I can trust to keep an eye on him.”

“So you’ll sacrifice your sister for that reason?”

“Why are you so concerned about Zara?”

Inside, he wanted to announce his claim on her. He wanted to tell Bynn about all the nights she’d spent in his arms, of the way her kisses made his heart yearn for more, of the way the empty place in his bed mocked him every morning when he awoke to find her gone. But he remembered his promise to keep their relationship a secret for now. “I just want what’s best for her.”

Bynn jumped to his feet, not at all intimidated by Kell’s title. He stopped inches away from his face. “Don’t pretend you know anything about what’s best for my sister. I’m her blood, not you.”

“And I’m her king.” He stepped back toward the door, his hand on his sword and his gaze never wavering from his friend’s. “If you are planning on marrying her to him simply to have her spy on him, then I will never approve that union.”

He slammed the door behind him, his confidence as rattled as the deck beneath his feet. If Zara knew she was about to become betrothed to Fermo, why did she come into his bed? Was that the reason why she seemed so secretive this afternoon? He stopped on the center of the bridge and curled his fingers around the hemp railings, letting the ropes press indentions deep into his palms.

If she came to him tonight, he’d demand answers one way or another.

At last, Kell finally blew out his candle. Zara rose from her bed and wrapped a robe around the simple linen shift she always wore.

Bianca sat up at the sound of a creaking floorboard and whispered, “You’re leaving?” She let out a small squeal of delight when Zara nodded. “Now we’ll both have fun tonight.”

Zara couldn’t help but laugh as the other woman went to the window and waved her handkerchief for the unseen Garroux below. She stepped out into the chilly night air, her bare feet tiptoeing over the frosty bridge to Kell’s hut. The cold didn’t bother her, not when she would be warm in his arms in a few moments.

But tonight, a pair of hands grabbed her when she snuck into his room. Her heart jumped into her throat. Fear and self-preservation took over, and she elbowed her assailant in the stomach.

A grunt filled the dark room, followed by, “It’s me, Zara.”

She broke free of Kell and brushed her hair out of her face. “Why did you grab me like that? You scared the wits out of me.”

“I was trying to keep you from distracting me until after I’d gotten some answers.” He limped to the bed, his arm wrapped around his stomach. “Anyone who thinks you’re a helpless woman needs to have his head examined.”

She was more than willing to console him. She wasn’t, however, going to find out what kind of answers he wanted. She sat next to him and pressed her lips against his cheek. “I’m sorry. Should I keep kissing you to make it better?”

He groaned as she turned his head and trailed her lips toward his own. “You are so hard to resist sometimes.”

“Likewise,” she murmured before giving him a proper kiss, one that stripped her of her robe and tumbled them both back into the bed. “Better?”

“Almost.” He rolled out of the bed and towered over her. “Did you know Bynn was planning on marrying you off to Fermo?”

A curse flew from her lips before she could stop it.

“I take that as a yes.” He braced his arms on either side of her, those tempting lips inches from her own. “If you knew you’re betrothed to him, why did you come to me?”

“Last I heard, Bynn and Fermo haven’t finalized the betrothal. Besides, I loathe Fermo. I’d rather die than marry him.”

“That still doesn’t answer my question. If you knew you were bound to marry another man, why seduce me?”

“Because I’ve learned that happiness is fleeting and that I should grab onto it whenever I get the chance.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer to her. “You’re the one I want to be with tonight and every night I possibly can be.”

“You make it sound like you’re going to leave me.”

Her throat tightened. “Not by choice, Kell. But I know I will have to leave you eventually.”

“Why?”

She closed her eyes, but nothing stopped the pain that tore along her scars, reminding her of the wounds that destroyed any chance of a future with Kell. “You deserve someone better than me.”

Now it was his turn to curse. He backed away, the moonlight outlining the profile of his tense jaw and bottom lip that jutted out ever so slightly. “Why is it whenever I fall for a woman, she tells me I deserve better?”

A pang of jealousy only added to her torture. “Is that what she told you?”

His head slumped down. “Yes, but in her case, it was because she was still in love with someone else.” He paused before adding, “Is that the same reason you’re pushing me away? Because your heart belongs to another?”

The ache in his voice tore at her conscience. She’d kept so many secrets from him to protect him, to protect herself. Night after night, she’d managed to keep her scars hidden from him, to steer his roaming hands away from her injuries and keep his mind swimming in lust that he’d never notice her calculated actions. But there was one secret she could share with him without ruining their fragile relationship. “No, Kell, there’s only you. You and no one else.”

“The why are you trying to sabotage everything we have?”

“For the same reason I come to you in darkness, the same reason I never remove my shift when we’re together. I’m scared.” Her voice choked as she added, “And ashamed.”

“Ashamed to be caught with me?”

She shook her head, lodging loose a hot tear that streaked down her face. The gnarled flesh across her stomach throbbed, causing her to double over from memories of that day when the Thallians took away the one thing she wished she could give to Kell. She’d laid there bleeding along the castle ramparts, left for dead while the Thallians sacked her father’s home. She’d prayed to the Lady Moon for mercy while she held back her insides and watched the enemy rape and torture their servants. In some ways, the Lady Moon had shown her mercy that day, for she was spared their fate. But when she’d finally healed, her courses never returned, and she knew her injuries had left her barren.

“No, Kell, ashamed that you’d be caught with me.”

She expected him to scoff at her, to launch even more questions at her, to demand a reason why she’d bring him shame. But he did none of that. Instead, he sat next to her and pulled her into his arms, pressing his lips to her forehead. “I’d never be ashamed to be seen with a remarkable woman like you.”

“But you don’t understand what I—”

He shushed her, tapping his finger on her lips. “I only care about the woman I have before me. You, Zara, and no one else.”

Then he tilted her face toward his, and gave her one of those toe-curling kisses that Bianca had described earlier today. Zara didn’t fight him. For now, she’d surrender to his touch. For now, she’d revel in the way he brought her back from her grief and made her feel like a woman with every caress. For now, she’d escape to the dreamlike world where she was free to love him without consequence.

When dawn came, she’d have to leave him. But this was one moment of happiness she would grab ahold of with every ounce of her being.