Her fingers latched on to the blanket, trying to pull it down, but Keris grabbed hold of the fabric. A She was trying to make him believe the harem supported her actions, which Keris doubted. “Am I to assume that the price of this offer is marrying you?”
She hesitated, then said, “In Cardiff, on a child’s seventh birthday, a witch looks to the stars and sees the child’s fate. The stars said that I would be a powerful woman, a queen, and that my deeds would never be forgotten. They said nothing about living out my days in obscurity as a favored aunt. ”
A story mapped in the stars.
Keris exhaled a long breath. For his kingdom, agreeing to wed her, or someone like her, would be the right thing to do. A strategic choice that any good king would make.
But he wasn’t a good king, and never would be.
“Not queen of Maridrina.” He twisted the handle on the door, swinging it open. “Please leave.”
Lestara stared at him, jaw tight, but instead of obeying, she said, “The book I gave you before you left for Nerastis. I want it back. It was a token of a sentiment I find that I no longer hold for you.”
Book? He blinked, then remembered that cursed book about stars and the stories they told. Zarrah given your proclivities.” Her eyes darkened with spite. “Worried you won’t measure up? Worried youhad brought it to the dam with her the night they’d first been together. Had she thrown it in the
spillway? His mind dredged up the memory of her throwing his coat into the water, but the book …
That, she’d clutched to her chest. What had become of it after that moment, he had no notion. He’d only had eyes for Zarrah. “It’s in Nerastis.”
“All your things were brought back from Nerastis.”
“I’ll look for it tomorrow,” he hedged. “It’s the middle of the night; I’m not going to go rooting The statement made him question just what the King of Cardiff had expected Lestara to achieve, butthrough my library right now.” Hopefully he’d get out of having to account for it by boarding a ship to Ithicana.
“If you have it, I want it back. Now.”
His temper rose, fueled by lack of sleep and irritation that she’d throw a tantrum over a book because she wasn’t getting her way. “I don’t know where it is, all right? It’s probably lost.”
No longer caring that he was naked, Keris slung his legs off the side of the bed and strode to where Lestara squeezed her eyelids shut, twin tears flowing out from around them, and guilt instantly replaced his anger.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t realize it meant so much to you.”
Silence.
“It’s fine.” Her eyelids opened, and no more tears gleamed within. “It’s better that I know the truth.”
Without another word, she left the room.
Rubbing at his temples, Keris said to his guards, who were looking everywhere but at him, “No more visitors. I need some sleep.”
“Yes, Your Grace,” one of them mumbled. “She … she said you were expecting her.”
on this errand to Ithicana, mark my words, one of your brothers will stage a coup and take the throne.”
“I’m not expecting anyone,” Keris answered, swinging the door shut. “Good night.”
He stood staring at the door for a long moment, then placed the beam in the brackets, ensuring that he’d have no more unwanted visitors tonight.
Turning down the flame on the lamp, he walked toward his bed, unbuckling his belt as he did. But as he was about to drop his trousers, cold steel pressed against his throat, and a female voice said,
“Well, that was an interesting conversation.”
Because marriage secured alliances and power. “Why? Why not wait until my back is turned and then
”
spillway? His mind dredged up the memory of her throwing his coat into the water, but the book …
That, she’d clutched to her chest. What had become of it after that moment, he had no notion. He’d only had eyes for Zarrah. “It’s in Nerastis.”
“All your things were brought back from Nerastis.”
“I’ll look for it tomorrow,” he hedged. “It’s the middle of the night; I’m not going to go rooting through my library right now.” Hopefully he’d get out of having to account for it by boarding a ship to Ithicana.
“If you have it, I want it back. Now.”
His temper rose, fueled by lack of sleep and irritation that she’d throw a tantrum over a book because she wasn’t getting her way. “I don’t know where it is, all right? It’s probably lost.”
Lestara squeezed her eyelids shut, twin tears flowing out from around them, and guilt instantly replaced his anger.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t realize it meant so much to you.”
Silence.
“It’s fine.” Her eyelids opened, and no more tears gleamed within. “It’s better that I know the truth.”
Without another word, she left the room.
Rubbing at his temples, Keris said to his guards, who were looking everywhere but at him, “No more visitors. I need some sleep.”
“Yes, Your Grace,” one of them mumbled. “She … she said you were expecting her.”
“I’m not expecting anyone,” Keris answered, swinging the door shut. “Good night.”
He stood staring at the door for a long moment, then placed the beam in the brackets, ensuring that he’d have no more unwanted visitors tonight.
Turning down the flame on the lamp, he walked toward his bed, unbuckling his belt as he did. But as he was about to drop his trousers, cold steel pressed against his throat, and a female voice said,
“Well, that was an interesting conversation.”
WOODSMOKE FILLED HER nose, and a moment later, her captors pulled her to a stop, shoving
her down to her knees.
“Welcome.” The sack was pulled from her head, revealing a woman’s face illuminated
by dawn light.
Zarrah tried to get to her feet but was shoved back down.
“Relax,” the woman said. “We’re just going to have a little chat.”
Given she’d been forcibly dragged into the camp of a group of criminals, relaxing was the furthest thing from Zarrah’s mind. Yet there was no threat in the woman’s demeanor, so Zarrah risked taking her eyes off her and panned their surroundings. She was in a camp formed of six small buildings made of rough-hewn logs, tarps of what looked like scraps of sail stretched over a handful of small cooking fires. Men and women wandered about, all armed, but it was the two children playing a game with rocks and twigs who caught her eye. Children weren’t condemned to this place, which meant …
“They were born on the island,” the woman said, having followed Zarrah’s line of sight. “Common enough, though very few survive. Same for the mothers.”
Did her aunt know about this? Did she care?
A thought for later, given that Zarrah remained trussed in a camp full of criminals, the vast majority of whom were likely murderers. “The others said you’d kill me.”
The woman chuckled. “Well, we will if you cause trouble, that’s true enough. But with a face like yours, Kian’s warning was a self-serving one. I’m sure he took one look at you and decided he wanted you in his harem of women. Bastard acts like King Silas Veliant, the way he collects the pretty ones. Treats them like little queens, it’s true. Unfortunately his pecker is filled with disease, so it comes with a cost, if you get my meaning.”
Zarrah gagged, then said, “Silas Veliant is dead.”
The woman shrugged. “No great loss there, and I’m sure he was swiftly replaced by one of his progeny.”
By Keris.
“As fascinating as whatever fresh gossip you bring from the mainland is, you’ll find it matters little on Devil’s Island,” the woman said. “The name is Daria, by the way.”
Zarrah focused on the woman, who was perhaps a handful of years older than Zarrah was herself.
Of average looks, her dark-brown hair was captured in a long braid down her back, her skin a similar hue of brown to Zarrah’s own, and her eyes hazel. Old scars marred her bare arms, the rest of her body covered by patched clothing that needed to be cleaned. “Are you the leader of this group?”
“One of them.” Reaching forward, Daria untied Zarrah’s bonds. “So what did you do to earn a spot in the Empire’s asshole?”