“I know. I’m so sorry.”
For months I had dreamed of killing Rasmus. But Arcus had wanted me to cure him, and I hadn’t been able to. I held Arcus as tightly as I could while he trembled, his tears cold against my collarbone. For long minutes, I just stroked his hair. I was amazed at Arcus’s capacity for love, even after such betrayal. When he grew quiet, I pressed my lips to his cheek.
The sun had slipped behind the mountain. Weak light filtered into the throne room, making the dust motes dance. The shadows were growing longer, but they were just shadows now. The room felt different. The evil presence in the throne was gone.
“There are things that must be dealt with,” said Arcus, blowing out a long breath. “My forces won the battle, but there are those who will look… unfavorably on what happened here. They could accuse me of killing my brother to take power.”
I didn’t mention that there was a moment in the arena when I had thought the same, that Arcus had been after the power of the throne.
“But you didn’t kill him.”
“They won’t necessarily believe that,” he said. “And I need to convince those loyal to my brother that they owe me allegiance. It’ll be no easy task.”
“I wish I could help, but as you said before, I’m not loved in these parts.”
He smiled crookedly and touched my cheek. “You are, by some.”
Something painfully joyful and light flared through me. I closed my eyes on an overflow of feeling and pushed my cheek into his palm, pressing his hand there with mine.
TWENTY-NINE
A TORCH BOBBED INTO VIEW. MARELLA stood in the doorway.
“Where is Raz?” she asked, but it was clear from her pained expression that she suspected the answer.
Arcus gestured to his brother’s limp form. Marella put a hand to her heart as she stared at him. Her eyelids flickered and closed.
No matter what Rasmus had threatened, I had to remember that she had known him all her life.
“I’m sorry,” I said softly to her.
“You destroyed the throne, as you were meant to do,” said Marella, her voice strained. She took a few shuddering breaths, making a visible effort to compose herself. Then she made a frustrated gesture to the doorway. “Stop hovering, Father. You don’t want the new king to think you a coward.”
Lord Ustathius moved into the room, bowing to Arcus and looking slightly lost.
Marella moved to light more of the torches on the wall, illuminating the spot where the throne had sat for untold generations. There was nothing left but a blackened outline of where it had been. The room seemed cavernous without that menacing presence. I tried not to look at Rasmus’s body, focusing on Marella instead.
“Marella, Rasmus said you paid the captain to take me to Blackcreek Prison. Is that true?”
She hesitated before spreading her hands in an open gesture. “Forgive me, Ruby. It was all I could do for you at the time. I couldn’t stop the raids, but at least I could make sure Captain Drake kept any Firebloods he found away from the king.”
“Why would you say such a thing?” her father demanded, his cheeks looking more sunken than I remembered, his hands unsteady at his sides. “You have just admitted to treason.”
Marella wore a wry look. “I don’t think this king will mind that I tried to save Ruby from the king’s hatred. Do you, King Arelius Arkanus? Or am I to call you Arcus now?”
Arcus shifted, one hand coming to rest on my shoulder in a possessive gesture. “You’ve always called me by the name Arkanus, and I don’t expect you to stop now. And I will not fault you for trying to protect Firebloods. But why would you do that?”
“I’ve always had a particular interest in the prophecies of Dru, as well as the history of our people and the history of Firebloods. One of the texts said that a powerful Fireblood would destroy the cursed throne, though I can assure you, no one here believed this throne cursed besides Brother Thistle. And me. I sensed it was evil from the time I was a child.”
“Then where are all the others?” I asked, my voice catching. “The Firebloods you saved?”
Her eyes grew shadowed. “I’m afraid most were already gone, fled or killed, by the time the captain agreed to work on my behalf. You were the only one he found. I thanked Fors for that miracle.”
“He killed my mother, Marella.”