he’d seen as they’d passed through the sea gate. The only flame was in a lamp sitting on the desk, turned down low. He started toward it, then tripped over something on the floor, a loud clatter breaking the silence. It was the plate of snake meat that Dax had brought, now empty and discarded.
Biting back curses, he searched the shadows for a cat-shaped form. Unease filled him, and he food, maps, and wine. It was the latter two to which he gravitated, but he forced himself to eat. Tasted approached the bed, only to freeze as a pair of glowing eyes appeared over a fold in the blanket. The large cat let out a low growl.
Fixing the cat with a stare, he said, “Apologies for disturbing your rest.” The animal eyed him before tucking its head back in the blanket. Bending to retrieve the plate, Keris set it on a table and then went to take a seat at the desk. It held everything he needed—paper, pen, and ink—and he immediately set to writing. First, a note to Lara informing her of Bronwyn’s request to join her, which he gave to a servant in the hallway. He then drafted a letter to Sarhina informing her that he’d be remaining in Ithicana for an undetermined length of time, negotiating trade terms, then similar letters to the various ministers and administrators who kept Maridrina’s government running. Setting those aside, he began another set, marking the date in the future and fabricating various terms that he and Aren had agreed to. Then another at a later date still, with more terms and conditions for his government to chew on while he raced south.
By the time he was finished, his eyes burned from writing in the poor light, and his back ached from bending over the desk. Go to sleep, he told himself. You can’t help her if you’re too tired to think.
the hallway, up the stairs to the top floor, and then down another hall. Though there was a multitude of Instead he tossed his coat on the sofa and walked to the set of doors at the rear of the room, unfastening the heavy latches and opening a space narrow enough for him to slip outside onto the small balcony. Rain misted his skin, but the wind had died down, and between the clouds, silver stars glowed. There wasn’t much of a view in the darkness, the homes covering the slopes of the volcano mostly unlit. The air smelled of rain and wet earth and jungle, along with the ever-present odor of the stone that the majority of the buildings were constructed from. As though knowing that every aspect of their lives was dominated by the bridge weren’t enough, the Ithicanians needed to smell it with every breath they took. It reminded him of Raina, who, for all she’d wanted to leave this place, had defended it to her dying breath.
Walking to the railing, Keris stared out into the darkness. He wanted to walk between the homes.
To see how this mysterious nation of people lived, what they ate, and what they talked about, because he’d likely never have another chance. Swinging his legs over the railing, Keris looked down to the balcony below to plan his route to ground level.
Thud.
The world swam, the ground seeming to rush up to meet him, and his stomach lurched. This is That was true, but he also had a great deal of work to do before morning. “It’s fine. Just check your nothing to you, he silently snarled. A climb a child could make.
Yet he couldn’t move. Couldn’t unfreeze his limbs, every instinct in his body screaming that he was going to fall. That he was going to smash into the ground below, gasping out his last while his blood pooled on the damp earth.
Sucking in a ragged breath, he forced himself to climb back over the rail and immediately went inside to retrieve the wine from where he’d left it on the desk. Returning to the balcony, Keris flopped into the wooden chair, water immediately soaking his trousers. Cursed wet country.
Drinking directly from the bottle, he stared up at the sky visible between the clouds, wondering if Zarrah was staring at the same stars or whether her view was wholly different. Whether they’d ever look at the same stars again.
Squeezing his eyes shut, Keris drank several long gulps, feeling the alcohol move into his veins.
Dragging him down and down.
Only a fool falls into his cup when his back is exposed, Coralyn’s voice whispered in his head, but he ignored her and finished the bottle, setting it next to his feet. He needed to sleep, and though this wild and deadly nation was likely the last place he should let down his guard, Keris’s instincts for danger were quiet for the first time in as long as he could remember.
Leaning back so that his head rested against the side of the palace, he opened his eyes to stare again at the glittering sparkles of silver. “I’m fixing things with Ithicana,” he told Zarrah softly, willing the words onto the wind, hoping they’d carry south. “There will be peace.”
immediately set to writing. First, a note to Lara informing her of Bronwyn’s request to join her, which Paid for in blood, Zarrah’s voice replied. And your efforts are self-serving.
His mouth curved up in a smile. “Not entirely.” Hesitating, he added, “I have what I need now to come for you and succeed. Please just hang on a little bit longer, Valcotta.”
Silence.
“Zarrah?” Keris’s voice cracked on her name, his chest tightening as he waited for his imagination to conjure a response so that he might hear her voice. But whether it was the wine or exhaustion or his own mind bent on punishing him, she remained silent, leaving him alone until sleep finally took him.
small balcony. Rain misted his skin, but the wind had died down, and between the clouds, silver stars stone that the majority of the buildings were constructed from. As though knowing that every aspect of To see how this mysterious nation of people lived, what they ate, and what they talked about, because Yet he couldn’t move. Couldn’t unfreeze his limbs, every instinct in his body screaming that he was inside to retrieve the wine from where he’d left it on the desk. Returning to the balcony, Keris flopped
Squeezing his eyes shut, Keris drank several long gulps, feeling the alcohol move into his veins.
Dragging him down and down.
Only a fool falls into his cup when his back is exposed, Coralyn’s voice whispered in his head, but he ignored her and finished the bottle, setting it next to his feet. He needed to sleep, and though this wild and deadly nation was likely the last place he should let down his guard, Keris’s instincts for danger were quiet for the first time in as long as he could remember.
Leaning back so that his head rested against the side of the palace, he opened his eyes to stare again at the glittering sparkles of silver. “I’m fixing things with Ithicana,” he told Zarrah softly, willing the words onto the wind, hoping they’d carry south. “There will be peace.”
Paid for in blood, Zarrah’s voice replied. And your efforts are self-serving.
His mouth curved up in a smile. “Not entirely.” Hesitating, he added, “I have what I need now to come for you and succeed. Please just hang on a little bit longer, Valcotta.”
Silence.
“Zarrah?” Keris’s voice cracked on her name, his chest tightening as he waited for his imagination to conjure a response so that he might hear her voice. But whether it was the wine or exhaustion or his own mind bent on punishing him, she remained silent, leaving him alone until sleep finally took him.
ZARRAH LAY ON her back, staring up at the stars, wishing that the constellations held less meaning than they did. Wishing she could look at them and see glowing specks of light rather than shapes with stories told to her in Keris’s voice.