by Hope Hart
I slide my sword into its scabbard and follow my adviser out the door. We walk in silence until we get to the huge banquet hall, and my gaze immediately find blue eyes that shine brighter than the Colossal Water on a sunny day. Vivian smiles at me, but it’s hesitant, and my heart beats faster in my chest.
I allow my gaze to drink her in, from the top of the complicated hairstyle that reveals her smooth white neck, to the blue-green dress that perfectly matches her eyes, cupping her generous breasts.
She’s wearing the jewels I gave her, and I have to fight to keep my body under my control at the sight.
Her smile widens as she runs her own gaze over my body, resting on the crown on top of my head. She raises her eyebrow, and I send her a wicked grin, stalking toward her table.
“Arix,” Korzyn mutters, and I growl, forcing my attention away from the vixen at the far end of the long table to the large, bearded male who sits closer to the head, his eyes knowing as they watch me.
I nod at him, and the room goes silent as I stroll across the wide expanse of the room, noting the position of each of my guards—both those I can trust and those I can’t.
As agreed, the ones who are most loyal to Korzyn are currently at the marketplace, rounding up those who collude against me as we speak. I take my seat, smiling to cover the rage that burns within me at the thought.
“Please,” I say, waving my hand. “Eat.”
Vivian
Arix looks like a dream, sitting at the head of the table. He’s dressed from head to toe in unrelenting black. It matches his hair, contrasts with his skin, and allows the wild blue of his eyes to take center stage.
There will be dancing after this. I asked Cauri the difference between a banquet and a ball, and she looked horrified at my ignorance before explaining there will be no sit-down dinner at the ball and the focus will be more on the dancing, while tonight, the dancing is more like an afterthought.
I spoon up some kind of soup, enjoying the slight spiciness. I can feel eyes on me and glance up, finding Arix studying my face. The bearded man next to him follows his gaze, and I blush. He looks at me like I’m an insect he’d quite like to dissect, and I tear my eyes away from their table.
I don’t know anyone here, and I make a little small talk with the friendly blue guy sitting next to me, who introduced himself as Nirix. But I mostly watch the king. He looks like he doesn’t have a care in the world, but I know him well enough to see through that now. He’s furious.
His eyes meet mine again, and I almost gasp at the rage burning within them. He glances at the man next to him, who has a smirk on his face as he murmurs something in a low voice.
“Who’s that?” I ask Nirix when he pauses in his conversation with a Braxian woman. She sniffs and turns to the man on her other side, ignoring me, but Nirix leans close, careful not to impale me with the long horns sticking out of his head.
“That’s Mazark. He rules the largest piece of Kenritz, a territory outside our kingdom. Next to him is Lirix, his second-in-command. According to rumors, Mazark’s people are gradually beginning to prefer being ruled by Lirix.”
“Why?”
He shrugs. “Mazark is cruel, and he hates Arix. He’s unable to negotiate from a position of power—instead, he always resorts to threats. That means he has gradually lost more and more territory to Arix in exchange for his help in many of his wars.”
This planet and its politics fascinate me. “I’m new on Agron,” I murmur. “Will you tell me more?”
Nirix grins at me, displaying sharp teeth, and then throws back his drink, gesturing for a servant to bring him another one. He’s already slurring slightly, but his loose tongue may be good news for me as he winks.
“Always happy to talk to a beautiful female,” he says. “What do you want to know?”
“What else can you tell me?”
He grins again and sits back in his chair with a belch that doesn’t go unnoticed by the Braxian female next to him. I hide my own grin as she turns up her nose and shifts her chair closer to the male sitting on her right.
“Okay,” Nirix says. “On one side of the water, we have the barbarian tribes, ruled by tribe kings like Rakiz and Dexar. They negotiate for territory and make alliances based on threats to their people. On this side, we have a king who rules the largest territory, the Kingdom of Heriast. But he’s increasingly alone and vulnerable as his enemies conspire against him.” My heart clenches at that, but Nirix is clearly in his element. He pulls out a piece of paper, and I almost snatch it from his hands as I realize it’s a rough map.
“Here,” he says. “This area to the west is all wilderness, broken up by the many barbaric tribes across the Colossal Water. This here is the water, and to the East, you have Heriast. Southeast of that is Kenritz, which stretches over here until you hit the Prixor Forest.”
“What’s past the forest?”
He shrugs. “The forest is vast, and there are beasties in there that kill anything that enters.”
Of course there are.
A servant tops up Nirix’s cup, and a bell sounds.
“What’s that?”
Nirix sighs, looking mournfully after the servant as she carries the noptri away. “Time for dancing.”
Servants fling open the huge black doors on the right side of the banquet hall, and I follow the crowd into another room. It’s huge, but according to Nirix, this isn’t even half as large as the ballroom, which we’ll be standing in within a few days.
I glance around. Gauzy white material drapes elegantly across the black walls, with huge metal chandeliers hanging above the smooth stone floor, which has been polished until it gleams. The air is redolent with the scent of flowers, while candles have been placed in the centers of small tables dotting the perimeter of the room, providing a place for guests to rest their feet.
Here and there, long, intricately designed scrolls are hanging on the walls—between the white material. They’re covered in characters I can’t read, and the fact they haven’t been moved makes me think maybe they’re important to either Arix or his people.
I glance around the room, wishing my cousin were here. With Arix busy, surely I can skip the rest of the night. I showed my face, so maybe now I can go find Sarissa.
I’m about to do just that when Nirix takes my hand, leading me onto the dance floor as music begins to play. The instruments sound completely different compared to those I’ve heard on Earth, and I crane my neck, attempting to get a good look at them.
“I don’t know these dances,” I protest, and Nirix grins at me.
“I’ll teach you.”
I can feel hot eyes on me, but I avoid glancing around. Arix has more than enough to concentrate on, and Nirix doesn’t mean me any harm. He’s clearly already buzzed, but he shows me a few steps, twirling me in his arms as I deftly avoid colliding with his horns.
Within a few minutes, I’m out of breath, wishing Cauri had not once again tied my dress so tight. I laughingly pull away from Nirix, and he smiles, heading toward a servant who is circling the large room with cups of noptri.
Maybe now I can sneak away. I turn toward the door, bumping into a Braxian guard. He silently holds out a scroll, gesturing for me to take the paper. I reach for it, frowning. “What is it?”
He stalks away, and I shrug, wrinkling my nose as I realize it’s damp.
I unravel it, and my hands shake as they’re suddenly stained with red.
Bile fills my mouth. It’s Sarissa’s handwriting. I raise my head, searching for her in the crowd, but it’s clear she’s already been taken.
Just in case I needed more proof, a long lock of her blonde hair has been attached to the paper. Her writing is stark, and her fury is unmistakable.
DON’T GIVE THEM A FUCKING THING.
It’s obvious this is supposed to be a ransom note. They’ve taken my cousin and made it clear they have her with the blood and the hair.
Only, they can’t write in our language. They’ve assumed my co
usin would beg me to go through with our original plan—and betray Arix. But they don’t know Sarissa at all.
Taking her hostage will just plain piss her off. Sarissa is cool under pressure and likely armed with weapons they won’t expect. Unfortunately, she has a tendency to enrage people. She says it’s because angry people make mistakes, but the thought of her infuriating her captors makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up. Angry people also kill their hostages.
My whole body goes numb as I move through the crowd, slamming into people as I frantically search for Korzyn. I’m cursing myself as my heart slams in my chest. I should’ve told Korzyn and Arix as soon as Sarissa and I were sure we weren’t going to help the traitors.
Arix is suddenly in front of me, his hands on my face.
“I want to see you wearing nothing but those jewels,” he murmurs, running one finger along the necklace.
I attempt a smile, conscious of the many eyes on us. Arix isn’t fooled.
“What’s wrong?” he asks, and I clamp down on my lower lip, fighting back the tears that attempt to spill down my cheeks.
“I need h-help,” I admit. I glance around us, certain I’m being watched. “I need to tell you something.”
Arix’s face goes cold. “That you’re planning my assassination? I already know.”
Chapter Fifteen
Vivian
My mouth drops open, my breath strangled. “What?”
Arix frowns at me. “Every step you’ve taken has been closely watched since you arrived.” He glances around us and smiles as if he doesn’t have a care in the world. “Dry your tears, lovely. Now is not the time.”
His voice is ice, and I can feel my heart breaking. He thinks I’d try to have him killed?
I shake myself. Of course he does. I haven’t yet told him I’ve been playing both sides.
“We will step out,” he says. “And you can tell me what’s wrong.” His voice is laconic, and I shake my head, but his hand is a hard clamp around my wrist.
I follow him numbly, my head spinning. “Wait, Arix,” I say. He glances back, eyebrow raised, and I pull on my arm. “If they know I’ve told you—”
The room explodes.
Arix throws himself on top of me, and we roll beneath one of the tables, barely missing being crushed by a stone pillar as it smashes to the ground.
I cough. “Arix—”
“Fire!”
Screams begin, and I whirl, attempting to get up. Arix sighs, tucking me close. “How predictable.”
“What the hell?”
He glances at me, but it’s as if he doesn’t even see me. Instead, he seems to be waiting. And it hits me.
“You’ve known about this the whole time.”
He smiles, and there’s nothing of the man I love in that smile. “People have been betraying me my entire life. Why should the beautiful female who held my heart in her tiny hand be any different?”
I blink at that, my mouth falling open, but Arix is already pushing me out the other side of the table, toward one of the long scrolls that hang on the walls.
“You don’t understand,” I cough. “I’m on your side.”
Arix ignores me as he pushes the scroll aside and slams his hand on the wall, both of us choking as the air begins to fill with smoke. The wall swings open, and he pulls me through, pushing gently against my lower back.
He closes the wall behind us. “Run,” he orders.
I can’t see much. The passage is dimly lit, and I’m stumbling over my dress. Finally, I lean down and gather it in one hand, both of us sprinting down the hall.
“Where does this lead?”
We come to an intersection, and Arix lets out a low laugh, pulling me to the right. “Everywhere. My men are dealing with the traitors as we speak. Whoever is behind this won’t be able to allow me to get away. You need to run toward the dock.”
“What? I’m not leaving you!”
Arix ignores that, his hand clamped around mine as he encourages me to move faster.
Footsteps sound behind us, and the hair stands up on the back of my neck, terror making my knees weak.
“Of course you’d run into these passageways. So predictable. Sorry, Your Majesty, but there’s no way out,” a voice says, and Arix shoves me roughly behind him as a shadow appears in front of us.
“Bevix,” Arix grinds out. “I must admit, I was expecting Rachiv.”
Bevix smiles. “Rachiv is already dead,” he says, and Arix’s shoulders slump slightly. “We offered you every chance to hand over the throne. Now we’ll take it from you. Just another accident in this cursed palace.”
Arix snorts at that, looking completely unconcerned, and I almost roll my eyes. Trust him to face death with that “I don’t give a fuck” look on his face.
“You were one of my father’s closest advisers,” Arix says, as if discussing the weather.
Bevix shrugs. “You lost the last shred of your support when you began negotiating with the barbarians across the water.”
Arix smiles as screams echo down the corridor. “Those who do support me are currently killing each and every single one of your men. Traitors will never be tolerated in my court. It may have been necessary for me to take my time and appear defenseless and exposed while I discovered just who could be trusted, but you were never going to take my throne. Your numbers are much lower than you believe.”
Bevix bares his teeth. Then he turns to me.
“Don’t fret. There will be room in my bed for you. If you’re very good, perhaps I’ll add a second throne next to mine.”
“Fuck you.”
He frowns. “We’ll need to work on that mouth of yours. I suppose you don’t really need a tongue, do you?”
If he’s attempting to enrage Arix, it’s not working. The king doesn’t even look at me as Bevix draws his sword.
The castle shakes as something explodes, and Bevix’s eyes widen.
I laugh. “You didn’t think you were the only one who knew how to blow shit up, did you? That’s the sound of Arix’s subjects joining the fight. You see, they love him as their king. They don’t want you. No one wants you.”
Arix glances at me, surprise in his eyes. No, I didn’t tell him about this little plan. Sarissa and I scrambled to add to his ranks at the last minute. It turns out that of those who trade at the marketplace, most of his largest and strongest subjects much prefer him as king. And they were only too willing to help us. Somewhere out there, Dexar and his tribe have joined forces with Arix’s men, leaving Rakiz’s warriors to keep the main camp safe from the Dokhalls.
This fight needs to be wrapped up quickly, before the Dokhalls realize Rakiz’s defenses have been split in half.
A roar reaches us, the sound so loud it seems to shake the castle, and I slam my hands over my ears.
“Oh, that?” I ask when it’s finished. “That’s Dragix. And you really shouldn’t have fucked with the man who saved his life and helped his pregnant mate.” I tsk. “Dragons are surprisingly loyal creatures.”
Arix laughs, sending me an incredulous look, and I smile at him.
Bevix roars and lunges toward the king. Arix pushes me against the stone wall and draws his sword, his face hard even as a tiny smile plays around his mouth.
Metal hits metal, and I wish I had a sword of my own. Not that it would help, since Arix and Bevix are moving almost too fast to see in the small space.
But I have my own knife. The one Zoey ensured was coated in poison before she handed it to me. It’s currently tucked into a thigh sheath Nevada insisted I take.
I just need to get close enough to use it.
Bevix swings wildly, losing patience, and Arix steps smoothly away, laughing as his adviser’s sword hits the rocky wall.
From the way he flashes his teeth, Arix has been waiting for this moment for a long time.
A scuffle sounds behind me, and I turn, raising my hands to defend myself, but it’s too late.
“Zion?”
He
shoves his sword deep into my stomach, his grin fierce. My scream merges with Arix’s roar, and I slump to my knees.
He’s one of the guards Arix trusted with my safety.
I blink, and Arix is suddenly there. I blink again, and Zion’s head is no longer on his body. Another blink, and I’m lying on my back, Arix leaning over me.
I manage to push him away. “Behind…you.”
Arix spins, his sword once again meeting Bevix’s. The adviser’s face is pale, and his clothes are red in places as he bleeds from small cuts and slashes Arix.
Arix has been toying with him like a cat with a mouse. But he’s no longer playing with him now.
In fact, he’s barely paying attention, his eyes wild as they meet mine.
“Hold on,” he orders me. “Just hold on.”
Agony engulfs my entire body. I thought I knew what pain was when I shoved Nevada aside, taking a sword to the chest.
That was nothing compared to this.
My entire abdomen burns as if it’s aflame. I writhe uncontrollably, small noises leaving my throat. Death would be a blessing right now.
Arix is getting sloppy, most of his attention on me. This is exactly what Bevix planned for. He knew he’d never take down the king who trains every morning as if possessed. So he decided to kill me first, splitting Arix’s focus so he could take his head.
Not if I can help it.
I reach my hand down and almost pass out as the pain feels like a hundred knives, all of them buried deep in my gut.
I always wanted to be more than decoration. Now I get to save the life of a king on an alien planet.
Look at me now, Mom.
My mind is wandering, and I ruthlessly force myself to focus. Just a little longer, and then I can close my eyes.
Arix moves closer to me, and Bevix laughs, batting Arix’s sword away and stabbing his own sword into Arix’s chest.
No. Please no.
I scream, attempting to get up, but I’m too weak, my blood pooling around me. I must be dreaming, because Arix doesn’t die. Instead, he laughs, slashing his sword down Bevix’s arm while the other male curses.
