Salandrin thrashed harder, and I nearly lost my grip on the knife. There was blood everywhere from the multiple stab wounds, and my air supply was getting too low. I fought the pain in my lungs as I made my slow progress along the creature’s back. When it stopped wriggling, I briefly wondered if I’d managed to draw enough blood to kill it, but then it shot forward so suddenly I would have been ripped off had I not grabbed hold of its spiny dorsal fin just in time.
I looked up and realized it was heading back toward its lair. I didn’t want to end up in the crevice with the beast, where I would be blind in the dark. It could be much deeper than it looked, and if I got myself trapped in there, I’d drown.
I was almost at the neck—I had to make my move now. With all my strength, I surged forward and drove the knife deep into the soft spot where the neck met the head. The pain disoriented the creature for a moment, and it slammed into the wall next to the crevice, pinning me against the rock. The monster’s body tensed and I involuntarily screamed as its ribs burst through its flesh, narrowly missing me. It was a horrifying defense mechanism, but it was undeniably effective.
I was out of air. I was trapped between two of Salandrin’s ribs, which were as sharp as daggers and three times as long. And I’d dropped the knife.
The ribs retracted suddenly, and before I could think, the monster shot into its lair. I didn’t know how long I had, so I pushed up toward the surface, gasping for breath to fill my burning lungs.
My frantic eyes found Talin’s, just a few feet away. He reached out for me. Then searing pain shot through my leg as Salandrin grabbed me and pulled me back below the surface. I was caught in the monster’s jaws, its teeth clamped tight around my right leg. I expected it to open its mouth and suck me in right there, but instead it circled the lake until I was again out of air and faint from blood loss.
It came close enough to the surface once that I was able to take a breath before it went back down. It was toying with me, torturing me—killing me slowly instead of eating me right away.
As it passed in front of the crowd gathered on the shore, I lifted myself up enough for what I was sure was my last breath. And then I saw Talin’s hand, reaching out for me once again. I reached for him, too, but instead of flesh, my hand met metal, and as the creature dived, I realized I had a knife in my hand.
Without thinking, I twisted around until my torso was lined up with the beast’s eye, and then I plunged the knife into the eyeball with all my strength, elbow-deep in blood and mush, too numb to even feel what I was doing. The jaws released instantly, and my hands slipped free of the knife. I kicked toward the surface with my uninjured leg and felt a strong arm gripping mine before my terror exploded into blackness.
24
I woke in my chambers. I had no idea how much time had passed or who had tended to me, but my injured hand and leg were bound in soft white bandages. There was no pain, and I suspected I had probably healed already.
I sat up and reached for the pitcher of water on my nightstand. Ceren was asleep in a chair that must have been brought in while I was unconscious, but when I set the pitcher back down, his gray eyes flashed open, immediately finding me.
“You’re awake.” He rose and came to the edge of my bed.
I recoiled when he reached for my hand, hurrying to cover myself with the blankets. “What are you doing here, my lord? Where’s Ebb?”
“Your maid was exhausted from keeping watch over you all night and day. I told her to go get some rest.”
I knew my injuries were extensive, but I hadn’t realized the damage was that serious. “I’ve been unconscious an entire day?”
“A little more. I’ll send for the doctor to change your bandages.”
I shook my head and tried to keep the panic out of my voice. “Please, don’t.”
His brows knitted together. “Why not?”
Because I don’t want you to see that I’m already healed. “I just want to know what happened.”
He settled farther onto my bed. “Talin pulled you out of the water. Your leg wasn’t torn as badly as we’d feared. The royal physician dressed your wounds. I fed you some broth with ground-up pearls. I believe that’s why you have so little pain.”
I didn’t correct his mistake. Let him think it was the pearls that had healed me. “Where is Prince Talin now?”
The worry on his face evaporated. “He’s back at Old Castle. Where he belongs.”
“Of course. I only wanted to thank him. Without the knife—both knives—I would have died.”
“I’m sure you’ll see him soon enough.” He was quiet for a moment, and then he huffed out a soft laugh. “It’s funny—you escaped the rumors that you’d saved me from a water spirit at Lake Elwin, only to then face one yourself here in Mount Ayris. The nobles are calling you a witch.”
I twisted my mouth to the side. “Is that a good thing or a bad thing?”
“It’s nothing to concern yourself with,” he said, waving his hand dismissively. “Once you’re their queen, they won’t dare speak ill of you.”
“And what about the monster in the mountain? Salandrin? What do the nobles have to say about that? They probably believe it’s one of their so-called water spirits. You’ll never get them to dive for pearls for you now, no matter how many of your devices you make.”
Another moment of silence followed. When his eyes finally met mine, the truth I hadn’t wanted to see was written on his face.
“You were never planning on making the Ilareans dive for the pearls, were you?” All this time, I’d been worried that my people would go hungry. I had never once considered they might be forced to work directly for the prince. “What will you do? Make the Varenians dive even more than they already are? It won’t get you what you want. If anything, you’ll simply run out of pearls faster. The shoals are gone. You’re lucky we scrape together as many pearls as we do every month.”
He barked a mirthless laugh. “Lucky, am I? Lucky to have a father who is dying at forty because of too many years spent in this mountain? Lucky that I will likely share the same fate?”
“Then leave!” I shouted, no longer worried about what Zadie would say. “No one is forcing you to stay.”
Ceren leaned down over me, his long hair surrounding me like a curtain. “Look at me! Do you think I can spend my life outside this mountain? I’m as incapable of surviving out there as a cave salamander. My vision is poor from a lifetime spent in darkness. My skin burns after just a few minutes in the sunlight.” Slowly, he composed his features and leaned back. “I am many things, my lady, but lucky is not one of them.”
I felt a fleeting stab of sympathy for him. But he was just one man with one life. Did he truly believe his was worth the freedom of an entire people?
He looked at me as if he could read my thoughts. “This isn’t only about me, Zadie.”
“What do you mean?”
“My father is dying, and if something should happen to me before I’m able to produce a healthy heir, this kingdom will be without a ruler,” Ceren explained. “Our land has weakened along with my father. We use resources we don’t have to keep a large army. My brother has entire regiments posted along our borders, and those soldiers have to be fed. And when the villagers aren’t able to pay their taxes because their crops have failed, who do you think they blame? Not the weather, I can assure you. So I realize my existence may seem of very little consequence to you, but thousands of people rely on me on a daily basis. Including the Varenians. Or perhaps you’d like to live under the rule of this so-called woman king to the south? I hear she captures women and children and uses them as soldiers.”
I had nothing to say in response. Ceren was right. I hadn’t thought about the larger consequences of a kingdom without a strong ruler. “But what about your brother?”
“What about my brother?”
“If something should happen t
o you, wouldn’t he be next in line for the throne?”
He cocked his head at me, the silvery strands of his hair sliding off his shoulders. “Is that what you would like to see happen?”
I shook my head, suddenly realizing what I’d said, how it must have sounded. “No, of course not. That’s not what I meant.”
“Why not? I don’t doubt there are many others who feel the same way. Certainly it was my stepmother’s hope. Unfortunately for her, that’s not how Ilarean succession works.”
I raised my eyebrows in question.
Ceren sighed. “This land was once a queendom. There hasn’t been a princess born since Ilara died, but our laws still state that if an Ilarean king dies without an heir, or before the heir comes of age, the crown passes to the queen.”
“Are you saying that if you died before we had children...?”
“Yes, you would be the ruler of Ilara.” His lips twitched at the corners. “Of course, we need to get married before that can happen.”
This was what Ceren did. He pushed people, making them as uncomfortable as he could, to see how they would react, to see if they would reject him the way his own stepmother had. I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of my discomfort. “How old does the heir have to be before he can rule?”
“Twenty-one. My birthday is in five months. Let’s hope my father can make it that long.”
Ilara was in peril, I realized, but not just from foreign enemies. I knew pressing Ceren further was likely ill-advised, but I had to ask. “And if he doesn’t? Who would take the crown?”
He rose to his feet. “It would mean civil war. Now if you’ll excuse me, my lady. I’m sure all this talk of rulers and succession is exceedingly dull for you. I’m glad you’re feeling better. As soon as you’re well enough, you may take your day of freedom.”
I sat up a little straighter. “I can?”
“You’re surprised I would honor my words after your arrogant and nearly disastrous actions?”
My eyes rolled involuntarily. “That’s not exactly how I would put it, but yes.”
“Whether or not you had something to do with what happened at Lake Elwin, you still saved my life. And somehow you managed to survive Salandrin. I can’t very well kill you now. But I also can’t let you get away with that kind of reckless behavior. It wouldn’t do for the nobility to see you go unpunished for the crimes you so stubbornly admitted to.”
The spark of hope I’d felt when he mentioned freedom immediately died. “What are you talking about? The page—”
“The boy is gone. I suspect I have you to thank for that, as well. No, it’s clear to me that your own life means far less than that of the people you love.”
It felt like the cold water was closing over my head again, but I was on dry land. “What have you done?” I whispered.
Ceren raised his chin. “Your family has had their drinking water cut off for one week. No one at the floating market will trade with them.”
I lunged toward him, filled with rage, but he held me down easily with one hand. “How could you? They’re innocent in all this!” My eyes burned with tears at the thought of Zadie and my parents without water. Would Sami help them? Had the other villagers taken pity on my family, or did they still think I was a liar who had plotted against my own sister?
“I’ve been generous,” Ceren said, still pinning me against the bed. “They’ll survive, this time. But if you ever try something like that again, the entire village will see what happens when one of you tries to take advantage of me. Do you understand?”
I nodded reluctantly, my cheeks streaked with tears, and waited until he’d left the room before I screamed into my pillow.
* * *
When Ebb returned, she told me more of what had happened after I’d killed the monster. Talin had carried me to my chambers, where Ebb had applied the stain to my scar before Ceren had a chance to see it.
“Did Talin say anything?” I asked her.
“No, milady. He was too concerned over your wounded leg. How is it feeling now?”
“It hurts, but I can bear it.”
“Good. I gave you some of the poppy tea the king often drinks. I can fetch more if you like.”
I shook my head and turned away from her, unable to stop imagining my family’s suffering. They couldn’t sleep through it like I could. And they wouldn’t, even if it was a choice. We struggled on a daily basis in Varenia, but we didn’t drink tea to numb the pain. We prayed to the gods for help, but we still got in our boats every day and exhausted ourselves to keep our families fed. We relied on each other.
“We are few, but we are strong,” I murmured.
“Milady?”
I turned back to Ebb, realizing I’d spoken out loud. “It’s nothing. I’d like to rest now, please.”
“Of course, milady. I’ll be right down the hall if you need me.”
I hardly left my room for the rest of the week. There was no one in New Castle I wished to see, least of all Ceren. He came once more, but I refused to speak to him, and he didn’t try again. But each night, when the rest of the castle was abed, I made my way to the portrait hall, where I had imaginary conversations with Zadie. Mostly I apologized for letting her down, for letting everyone down. The only thing stronger than my desire to return to my family was my fear for my people. If it weren’t for that, I would have escaped, or died trying.
At least my wounds were fully healed, though I kept them bandaged to avoid suspicion. I had realized something after Ceren told me he’d cut off my family’s water supply: if he ever discovered that the coral had something to do with my healing abilities, he would become as obsessed with that as he was with the pearls. And once he learned that the blood coral only grew from the bodies of the Varenians, my people might not just become slaves. They could be slaughtered.
Tonight, I kissed my fingers and pressed them to Zadie’s painted lips before turning toward the end of the hall. I gasped at the sight of a cloaked figure approaching me. Instinctively, my hand reached for my skirts. I kept the coral blade my father had given me strapped to my leg now, just in case.
“Calm yourself, child. It’s only me.”
I exhaled through my nose. “Lady Melina, what are you doing here?”
She pulled me into a shallow alcove in the wall. “I’ve been forbidden from speaking with you. But there’s something you need to know, so that in case you have another opportunity to put an end to the prince, you don’t squander it like you did the last time.”
“I’m so sorry, Melina. None of this has turned out like I planned.”
“Never mind that now. What’s done is done. But you need to know that it was Ceren who killed Queen Talia, and there is no doubt in my mind he’ll do whatever it takes to become king.”
A cold chill crept over my scalp. “A servant murdered the queen,” I whispered. “Ceren told me.”
“He’s full of lies. You must see that by now.”
“But surely if that were true, someone would have done something.” It wasn’t that I didn’t think Ceren capable of murder, but Talia had been his stepmother; his brother’s mother and his father’s wife.
“He covered his tracks well. The servant he blamed for the crime was a sweet young girl who wouldn’t hurt a flea, but she had no money or power to defend herself. No one believed she did it, not even the king. But what could anyone do? The queen’s body was gone, and there was blood in her chambers. It was clear Talia had been murdered, but without a body for evidence, no one could accuse the real killer. Certainly not someone like me.”
“They never found Talia’s body,” I said, remembering what Ebb told me.
“No. Just the smears of blood on her walls and carpets. They found blood in the servant’s quarters as well, and on her gown. But it was the middle of the night when Ceren found her, asleep in her room, and she was completely oblivio
us to the queen’s death.”
That did seem a bit odd. “How do you know she wasn’t just pretending?” I asked.
“First of all, only a fool would kill a queen and return to her bed without washing the blood off herself. Second, as I said, she had no motive. And third, how did Ceren even know where to look? The girl wasn’t a lady’s maid. She was a lowly chambermaid, the kind who empties chamber pots and draws baths if she’s lucky. She couldn’t have been older than thirteen. She never would have been allowed to be alone in the queen’s presence, and frankly I don’t think she was strong enough to overpower Talia. Nor was she in any way capable of making a body disappear.”
Lady Melina was right. It didn’t make sense for a servant to do something like that, not unless she had a very strong motive. And Ceren? What was his motive to kill the queen?
The answer came to me immediately. The crown. If the king died before Ceren’s twenty-first birthday, Talia would be next in line to rule, not Ceren. “If the crown had passed to Talia, what would have become of Ceren?”
“It’s hard to say,” Melina admitted. “It’s only happened once that I know of, a thousand years ago, when a queen refused to relinquish the crown to her son once he turned twenty-one. He tried to have her deposed, and she had him executed.”
The Bloody Queen. I remembered Ebb’s story of the wise queen who had risen to power. She must have been the start of the queendom that ended with Princess Ilara’s death. “And you think Ceren was afraid the same thing would happen to him?”
“I believe that boy would do anything for the crown, including kill his own stepmother.”
I thought back to his words earlier. Everything he told me had made sense: the kingdom needed a strong ruler, and without the pearls, Ceren believed he would die young. But if he was capable of feeding a child to a monster, he was more than capable of killing a woman who stood in his way.
Crown of Coral and Pearl Page 25
