I pinned her to the wall with my weight and kissed her throbbing neck.
She gasped as if scared.
Somehow, I found enough strength to pull back.
“I’m sorry,” I said between ragged breaths. Except she pulled me down again. A growl escaped me. I felt like an animal in heat. My tongue slid along her neck, tasting her.
My hips thrust forward. I pressed myself to her. I wanted her.
“Nyro,” she gasped.
I tried to kiss her lips, but she turned away, clearly letting me know I should stop. Trembling, I set her down and buried my face in her hair. It smelled of lavender.
“I want you, Bianca.” I inhaled deeply.
“I... want you, too, but...”
“I know. I know. Forgive me, please.”
Somehow, I managed to pull away and turned my back on her. “You are a lady, and I shouldn’t take such liberties. I should respect you.”
“A lady?” she said with mockery.
“I don’t know what’s happening to me,” I said. “I feel so cold and, yet, when I’m with you, fire runs in my veins. You make me feel fully alive, but that’s no excuse. I should—”
“It’s fine, Nyro.” She forced me to face her, touched a hand to my cheek. I closed my eyes. “I feel just as you do,” she added after a long pause.
My eyes sprang open. What? I never thought she would admit such a thing so freely.
“I just need a little time,” she said. “Not much.”
My desire was stoked by the hope that I would soon be able to make her mine.
She took my hand and led me out of the kitchen and through a set of stairs. She guided me into a room that must have been hers during that previous life when she shopped at the market, and I watched her from afar, hoping she would notice me.
Bianca removed the dust-ridden cover from the bed and sat, patting the spot next to her.
“Sit with me,” she said. “Tell me about Talyssa and your brother.”
I sat, interlacing my fingers to keep them from reaching for the narrow curve of her hip. “Maybe this is not the best place to talk.” All I could think about was our bodies tangling under the covers.
“Oh?” she said innocently and playfully as if tempting me.
“I mean... it’s your bed.”
In response, she lay back, legs dangling over the side. I angled my body in her direction, my gaze traveling over her gently-rising breasts. I craved to cup them, to feel their shape and softness.
“You’re tempting fate, milady,” I said.
“We don’t have to rush into anything, but...” she paused, “I’d like to get used to the idea. Maybe you can... ease me into it.”
I smiled crookedly. “With pleasure,” I said, leaning down to kiss her, except she braced a hand against my chest and stopped me.
“But first, tell me about Talyssa and your brother.”
Her sobering words drove the lust from my body the way water drives the heat from a molten piece of metal. I collapsed next to her and stared at the ceiling. Spider webs hung in the corners.
For the next hour, I lied to Bianca.
I told her nothing of my second feeding, nothing of the King’s task and his promise to set Timotei free if I accomplished it.
After we talked, she let me kiss her, and I was able to take it slow as she wanted, but only because of the heavy shame that descended on me after so many lies.
When we parted, I was equal measures relieved and disappointed. I wanted to tell her the truth but feared she would hate me. Also, I feared what she might do if she found out I was planning to steal from the White Queen.
What if Lovina’s blood had a strong hold on Bianca’s? What if Bianca had no other alternative but to be loyal to her Queen? I couldn’t risk Timotei’s freedom. He had to be my priority. Bianca was on a path of her own making while my brother was nothing but an innocent, helpless victim.
My decision was reasonable and sensible.
Still, it didn’t make me feel any better about the lies I’d told her, or about going through her father’s closet after she left, about changing out of my uniform into one of his suits. Worse yet, about following her to the White Palace and spying on her as she went in.
Riding on her mare, she had disappeared through the massive entrance. I watched her from afar, my anger flaring as I thought about the injustice of our situation and our inability to change anything.
As I continued to watch long after Bianca had passed, carriages went in and out, and Sentries and Pawns took turns guarding the entrance. When night fell, I walked the palace’s perimeter, keeping a safe distance and letting my mind wonder about possible ways to steal the Queen’s scepter.
It seemed impossible, but there was always a way, and I would find it.
CHAPTER 14
My hours for the next few weeks were spent outside the White Palace, trying to figure out a way to get in. Though the more time I spent trampling snow outside its walls, the more convinced I became that there was no way to get in. The place was better guarded than the Black Palace, with double the Sentries in every parapet and turret.
It was excessive. Acedrex’s citizens would never dare jump into the white monster’s cage, Sentries or no Sentries. It was clear Lovina feared something far more dangerous than her subjects.
More than once, as I noted the Sentries schedules, I remembered Bishop Dragoslav’s words...
He toys with you. You aren’t the first and will not be the last.
He’ll tire of you. Especially after you fail his task.
King Maximus had sent others after the Queen’s scepter, and they had failed. There was no doubt, Lovina knew what he wanted, and she took measures to keep her possessions safe.
No matter how I turned things around in my head, I came up empty every time. Scaling the wall was out of the question. I was fast and strong, not invisible. There were too many attentive eyes keeping watch. I had to find another way.
Bribe someone? Pose as a White Queen subject and go in with a special petition? Wait for the Spring Bowl when both palaces would throw their doors open for everyone? The latter would certainly be the easiest option, but the thought of waiting, of knowing there was a possibility of freedom hanging in the balance, made me angry and desperate.
Back at the Black Palace, I took my frustration out on the Pawns. I trained them ruthlessly, running, sparring, riding alongside them, urging them to do more when it was clear they had given it their all and were exhausted.
“Power suits you,” Datcu said one day as I walked into our dormitory, my shirt soaked in sweat despite the cold outside. “You’re becoming quite the despot.” He threw his head back and laughed.
My eye twitched as I ignored him and headed for the washroom.
Every day it was an effort to ignore him and not rip his head off with my bare hands. He was partly to blame for what I’d become. If he hadn’t stabbed Rook Sanda, I would still be fully human. But I had to control myself. If I killed Datcu, I would force the same fate onto another Pawn—Marin, maybe, the only decent one of the bunch—and I couldn’t do that. If I did, I would be no better than Datcu.
“Did you hear the news?” Datcu asked, following me through the door that led to the hot springs.
I didn’t answer him, sure that he would tell me this news whether or not I wanted him to.
After discarding my sweaty clothes into a basket reserved for that purpose, I stepped into the hot spring. My skin rippled with a chill at the change in temperature. I relaxed, letting my body float as steam billowed around me.
Datcu reclined his thick, tall figure against the wall, watching me intently, waiting for an answer. He crossed his arms, stuffing his meaty hands under his sweat-stained pits.
I sighed. “No, Datcu, I didn’t hear the news.”
“It interests both of us,” he said. “We may have to face the King and his wrath.”
Maybe I did want to hear this news. I set my feet down at the bottom of the pool a
nd sat on a ledge, keeping my body half submerged.
“I see I have your attention,” Datcu said with a twinkle in his red-tinted eyes—eyes that reminded me too much of what I saw in the mirror every morning.
“Well, speak,” I said, growing impatient.
“It’s about Lovina’s new Rook,” he paused, letting the words linger. “That pretty little thing that’s moving up the ranks as fast as you are.”
I clenched my teeth, trying to keep my face unreadable. But, by the small smile that stretched his thin lips, I knew I had failed.
“Do you know her?” he asked with malice.
“I’ve had the pleasure,” I said, deciding that a bit of the truth might help explain my reaction. “She’s quite something. She killed Rook Neculai. I saw his mangled remains moments after it happened.”
“Did you?” His brows went up with disdain. He shrugged, losing interest in this tangent. Rook Neculai’s death was old news, after all. Datcu was after something new.
I sank deeper into the water, acting as if I’d lost interest.
Datcu pushed away from the wall and lumbered to the edge of the pool. He watched me with hooded eyes, and it took some effort to keep my nonchalant attitude and hide the fact that I felt threatened by his approach.
“Turns out the little Rook found a Trove for her Bitch Queen,” Datcu said.
“She did?!”
Relief washed over me, but I tried to pass it off as surprise. I’d been worried about Bianca and Lovina’s threat to throw her in the pit. If Bianca had found a Trove, she was safe from that now.
“Indeed,” Datcu said. “And, apparently, it’s a good one. Tasty.” He licked his lips. “In case you haven’t grasped the significance of this event, it means Maximus will be mad at us for not finding the Trove first.”
He squatted, his eyes drilling into mine as he prepared to make a point, his leather boot creaking. I sat straighter, this time making sure he saw I was alert and I didn’t like his closeness.
“When he questions us, which he will inevitably do,” he said. “This is what you’ll tell him...” he paused for emphasis, then continued, “The Trove was found in her home in a white square. D7 to be precise. The woman was an invalid, bed-ridden.”
Black Rooks weren’t allowed to search homes in white squares, just like White Rooks weren’t allowed to search homes in black squares. If the woman had been bed-ridden, it meant she never went out. Therefore, there was no way Datcu or I could have found her, which exonerated us from any negligence the King might suspect from our part.
I gave Datcu one nod to indicate I fully caught his meaning.
“Good,” he said, stretching to his full height. He turned to leave and as he walked away he grumbled in displeasure. “Now, we’ll have to put up with the Bitch Queen prancing around the city again. She’s even throwing a ball tomorrow night to celebrate her lucky break.”
CHAPTER 15
The Acedrex streets were empty. Roofs were heavy with snow, and snow banks were pushed against the sidewalks.
Balls normally meant crowds out in full force, food and drink vendors lining their pockets with Chekes, Sentries patrolling the streets and avenues to make sure there were no brawls.
Tonight, there was none of that.
The citizens didn’t want to celebrate the misery of one of their own, or the cold was keeping everyone indoors despite the Queen’s unplanned call for celebration.
Chest buzzing with anticipation, I rode a rented horse up the path that led to the White Palace. I had left Jigsaw in the care of a stable boy at The Bad Bishop. There, I had also rented a room where I changed out of my black uniform into a new suit I had purchased earlier in the day.
It had not been easy spending the three-hundred Chekes the outfit had cost. The amount had seemed exorbitant, even if my new Rook salary covered it with no problem and my savings were constantly growing. I lacked for nothing at the Black Palace and, therefore, had no need to spend my money on anything.
The clothes were the fanciest I’d ever worn and might help me pass for a courtier, if no one looked too close. A pair of spectacles, a cane, and slicked back hair completed my look. I wished for a mustache or a beard to disguise my features further, but this would have to do. Too bad this wasn’t a masquerade ball, so I could hide my face behind velvet and glitter.
As I reached through the White Palace’s gate, I slowed my horse and nodded at the Sentries on duty. They let me pass after a quick cursory glance.
The grounds were eerily similar to those of the Black Palace. Everything was laid out in the same fashion. The dormitories, the stable, the gardens. The big difference was the resplendent edifice that sat at the top of the hill. Even at night, it glowed like a diamond. The snow that topped its four towers reflected the moonlight, the same as the alabaster walls.
While Maximus’s palace was all darkness. This was all light.
A blatant lie.
Atop the hill, I dismounted my horse and allowed a page to take it away. If it had been Jigsaw, I wouldn’t have felt so easy about it. I was glad I’d decided to leave him behind rather than simply cover the white mark on his brow as a form of disguise.
With an affected gait, I went up the front steps toward the massive, carved front entrance. My cane tapped on the stones. Another page stood with his hand on the door handle. He pushed the door open, stepping inside and moving out of the way, to let me pass.
Inside, a riot of warm light and heat assaulted me. The temperature was dramatically different, almost stifling to my new senses, though it must be a welcomed change to those with intact humanities.
Music drifted into the grand foyer as I followed its cheery sound. The tune was gay and upbeat. A celebration. The foyer was massive. My cane tapped against the white marble. Vases burst with colorful flowers that shouldn’t exist in wintry weather. Paintings of sunny landscapes and beautiful people hung on the walls.
A couple sat on a velvet settee, their bodies angled toward each other, their hands clasped. The young woman glanced up at the man with something near devotion. They were probably engaged or recently married.
Like a fool, I let my thoughts tilt to Bianca. Would she be here? Would I see her? It was stupid. She was not the reason why I’d come. It was Timotei’s freedom I sought, a freedom in the impossible shape of a scepter.
Why did Maximus want it? What significance did it hold? Or was it just a contest between the monarchs? A bet? A game for the ages?
I walked into the ballroom and was welcomed by the heavy scent of perfume, the added heat of many bodies, the twirling colors of silken dresses, and the glow of hundreds of candles suspended on wrought iron candelabra.
Holding my chin high, I pressed forward, walking along the edge of the dance floor. I smiled at a few ladies, who seemed interested in me and whispered into each other’s ears with puzzled looks. They knew everyone who attended these balls, a new face was sure to cause a stir. Who did they imagine I was? The recluse son of some wealthy noble? An outside trader who had been allowed in the city?
I didn’t like their attention, but what other choice did I have? I had known this would happen. I just needed to steer clear of any gossipers who might try to approach me to ask impertinent questions.
As I went, acting aloof, I searched the ballroom for white uniforms. Was Bianca here? I spotted two Pawns chatting with society ladies, making good use of their uniforms. Being a Board Member stirred interest among the nobles. Anything or anyone they thought might get them access to the King or Queen was worth their while.
At the end of the ballroom, there was no elevated dais for the Queen. I had expected a throne or elegant chair there. It was how the Black King’s main ballroom was arranged, after all. But, apparently, Queen Lovina wasn’t fond of watching her guests dance and prance as they attempted to impress her.
Disappointed, I decided to turn back with the intention of exploring the palace further, but, as I turned to leave, a familiar face confronted me.
&nbs
p; “What are you doing here?” Bianca asked between clenched teeth.
CHAPTER 16
Bianca, her dark eyes shining with the glow of candlelight, was standing right in front of me, her features giving away the alarm she felt.
“Good evening, White Rook,” I said, respectfully inclining my head.
Despite the fact she should be used to this kind of event, she always seemed to lose her composure. She recovered it quickly, however, and returned my bow with one of her own.
She wore her Rook uniform, not an evening gown, sword at her waist. I was slightly disappointed. White looked good on her, but red and lilac suited her better. I fondly remembered the red dress she’d worn the day we met, and the lilac one on Hallows Eve during the masquerade ball last fall, the first time we kissed.
“I would ask you to dance, but it would look... odd,” I said, gesturing toward her uniform.
She blushed and seemed regretful at the missed opportunity.
“What brings you to this side of town?” she asked in a polite society tone.
“I wished to enjoy the beauty offered by the White Palace.” I held her gaze, trying to make her believe I was here for her. It took all I had not to glance away in shame at the lie. I was happy to see Bianca, but it was the scepter I was interested in.
The smile she offered me didn’t reach her eyes. She was tense. Something about her seemed on edge, and I didn’t think it had anything to do with my presence here. Was it guilt over the Trove she’d found for Lovina?
“Is everything alright?” I asked.
“Of course,” she said, deepening her smile. I could tell she was lying. “Would you like to go for a walk? The gardens are beautiful despite the snow.”
“Won’t you be cold?” I asked.
She frowned. It had been a stupid thing to say. She knew I knew cold didn’t affect us anymore.
“No, I won’t,” she said, suspicion narrowing her eyes.
“Well, then—”
“Her Royal Majesty, the White Queen,” a deep voice announced, cutting me short.
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