“You seem drained,” was the first thing I said to her.
“You and I both,” she smiled. Getting up from her throne, the queen stepped off of the dais until we were both at the same level. “Your friends Jax and Isabel informed me that Tarquin and Adrean have joined kingdoms and their goal is to attack Astodia first.”
“They have to destroy your army before they can take Crea.”
“Zinovia spent the last few months building up her army. She’ll be able to help us and defend herself.”
“Good,” I said with a sigh. “That’s good news.”
Lorelle examined me from top to bottom. I could see her scanning me, curious, trying to see what I was thinking.
“What happened to you?” she asked. I glanced up at the gold crown on her head, decorated with glittering jewels and rubies.
“I don’t know what you mean.”
“Your face says it all. When your ship came back, we weren’t expecting you. Zinovia hadn’t sent any notice of your arrival day, and I doubt she was expecting you to come here instead of Crea. I’ve sent word to her of your arrival. She should have received it by now.” She played with a ring on her thumb. “What happened? Jax said it was your story to tell.”
“Did he tell you about the weapon?” I frowned, trying to
figure out just how much he’d told her.
She nodded, worry creasing her forehead. “The drakon.”
“It’s been unleashed,” I told her, keeping my back straight to show that I was stronger than I probably looked. “Do you know of the king’s story?”
She shook her head. “Again, your story to tell.”
“Alright. I’ll tell you what I know. Many years ago,” I began, flexing the five fingers of my right hand, “there was a king who ruled all four kingdoms. Back then, it was called Archaon.
“The king had a daughter he cherished more than anyone, who was married to a duke and had four children—three boys and a girl. The boys never got along, but each of them sincerely loved their sister. As they grew older, the king did as well. He decided to leave a message—a weapon—behind for anyone who wished to bring the kingdoms together again since he knew his grandchildren would tear it apart.
“He was right. When he died, the kingdom was left to his grandsons who decided to divide it into four separate ones, leaving the biggest portion for their sister. What they didn’t know was that a clan of pirates were building up their own forces on Amghadon. They excelled at sinking ships and looting carriages, which is what happened while everything was splitting apart.
“One of the pirates got ahold of the king’s riddle—a note, but only a part of it in all the ruckus. The rest of the files were transported to Trella.”
“How did you get your hands on the rest of the note?” Lorelle asked, her brows raised, leaning just slightly forward with interest.
“We were captured by pirates from Amghadon on our way
to Trella. Half of our crew was killed, but the others were
saved by Cy—Augustus.” I hesitated. I couldn’t expose Cyprian yet—no one knew he was alive, and maybe I could use that to my advantage in the future. I also didn’t know how much I could trust Lorelle with.
“Who?”
“The captain of the pirates. Augustus wanted the rest of the missing page—the location of the weapon the king of Archaon left behind.
“After arriving at Trella, we soon found out Dystalphi and Trella had already created a strong alliance, which left us one choice; find the missing page with the location of the weapon. I did find it, but we got caught. As we escaped, I was injured.”
“Hmm.” Lorelle glanced at my right shoulder. “I heard you missed a target with your bow at practice. Twice.”
“I haven’t been able to move it for over a month, Your Majesty. Maybe that’s why.”
The corner of her lip twitched at the honorific. I wasn’t trying to provoke the queen, but the way she said twice definitely irked me.
As if she had the right to be disappointed.
I ignored her, continuing, “On our way back, the pirates were expecting us. They ambushed us,” I said, leaving out the part where it had been my idea to go to Amghadon, “and tortured us for information.” A shiver ran through my fingers in response, and I clenched a fist, gritting my teeth. “I figured out what the riddle meant in my lavish cell, and gave it up to protect them.”
“Jax and Isabel?”
“And Xavier.”
She worked her jaw. “Xavier is here with you, I understand?”
“He’s trying to stay low. If you haven’t met him yet, I’m
assuming he’s doing a fantastic job of it.”
Her steely blue eyes narrowed. “How did you escape?”
“They took us to the volcano on Amghadon. The weapon’s
location had been on their island for years, right under their noses. Augustus sent us down, and the drakon was triggered by the heat. As it awoke from its sleep, enraged, it missed us, heading right up and destroying the island. It left nothing in its wake.”
Lorelle held a hand to her forehead, turning her back to me and stepping up the dais, back onto her throne. It had been upgraded; more magnificent, more feminine. I thought about how she felt with all that power coursing through her veins. Right now, to her, she was indestructible.
I had been indestructible too. I reached for my power, my immortality, and my mental claws grabbed at nothing.
Empty. Air.
I loathed her then. At that moment, I despised her. I was jealous of what she had, of the power she knew she possessed.
I wanted mine back.
“You’re telling me there’s a drakon roaming the skies of the four kingdoms? A mythical beast that can destroy my kingdom with one fiery . . . exhale?”
“I thought Jax informed you of this already. There’s no need to be so surprised.”
“I can tell by your expression how terrible it was. If it destroyed an entire island and ripped through everything it saw, what’s stopping it from eradicating this kingdom?”
“I’m sure the other three kingdoms feel that way as well. We’ll just have to work through it.”
She stood up, enraged. “Are you trying to act naïve to vex
me? Do you hear yourself?”
“I’m not acting, your Grace. I’m telling you how I feel
about this situation.”
Her nostrils flared, and she shut her eyes, inhaling. When
her eyes opened, she was calm again.
“Well, Adalia, do you know how to defeat this beast?”
I looked at the queen, right in her focused, daring blue eyes.
“No idea.”
EIGHT
Since I had destroyed my old room, I was left with nowhere to stay. I should’ve asked for a new one, but Lorelle probably wanted nothing to do with me after the way I acted with her, so I didn’t bother asking. I wasn’t going to lower myself even more in her eyes.
Instead, I made my way to Xavier’s room.
He opened the door a crack, his golden eyes peeking out.
“Oh. It’s just you.” He unbolted the door, widening the crack just enough for me to slip inside.
“Just me?” I said, offended. “Were you expecting someone else?”
He looked over his shoulder, grinning at me. “Jealous?”
“Never.” Yes. You’re mine.
The room was dark, with only a sliver of silvery glow seeping through the windows, enough to keep me from bumping into furniture. The sheets on the bed were untouched. I jumped on, bouncing up twice, and lay flat on my back. Xavier sat at his desk across the room.
“Where have you been all day?” I asked, letting out a sigh, a sudden wave of exhaustion crashing over me.
He glanced up at me for about three seconds, squinting, and then looked back down, toying with a lantern on the desk. It took a few more seconds for it to turn on, the flame brightening
up his workspace. I was thankful for the fir
e which allowed
me to see his face better.
His eyelashes cast spidery shadows across his cheekbones as he stared down, forehead creased in concentration. Dark curls of hair brushed across his eyebrows, falling into his eyes.
I crossed my legs, silent as I took in his tall, muscular figure. He was dressed in a white tunic which was tucked in his black pants, below the belt looping around his waist. He wore a knee-length jacket to keep him warm and boots that touched right below his knees.
“Get your boots off my bed,” he said suddenly, looking up. A blush spread across my cheeks, and I was glad the room was too dark for him to notice.
I swung my legs over the edge of the bed, pulling off my boots and setting them down.
“Satisfied?” I raised an eyebrow, and he gave me a thumbs-up without taking his eyes off the open book lying in front of him.
Annoyed at the zero attention I was receiving, I slipped off, snaking beside him. He seemed to notice this, and I saw a smirk forming on his lips.
“What are you looking at?”
Finally, he looked up into my eyes.
For a moment, I forgot how to breathe.
“I’ve been looking through books at the library for any information on the drakon. So far, I’ve only learned that its scales are impenetrable and . . .”
“And?”
“That’s all.” He straightened his back with a groan, turning
to me. “I haven’t left this place all day, and that’s all I could find. This terrifying beast is indestructible.”
I frowned.
“If it was indestructible, wouldn’t the drakons have taken
over the world by now? Everything has a weakness. We just have to get close enough to figure out what a drakon’s is.”
“Speaking of weakness,” a sly smile spread across his face, “what are you doing in here?”
Now my face burned everywhere, neck to forehead, spreading to my back, seeping into my bones.
“I have no place to stay,” I said casually.
“You didn’t ask for your own chambers?”
“Lorelle didn’t offer, so I didn’t bother.”
“What,” he snorted, “are you afraid of her?”
I scowled. “Afraid of her? Why would you think that?”
“You’ve been avoiding her since we arrived here.” Xavier leaned over the desk, palms pressed flat against the cherry wood to get a better view of the books.
“Because I knew she’d be busy with . . . ruling her kingdom.”
Xavier looked up at the ceiling, then around the room with a perplexed expression on his face.
“What?” I asked, confused, following his gaze. He sniffed a couple of times as if he smelled something unappealing.
“Do you smell something burning?”
My jaw dropped, and I smacked his arm. “I would never be envious of her. If anyone’s going to be anywhere near jealous, it’s you.”
That hit a sore spot. Xavier scowled, completely turned off.
“Well? How are you coping?”
“Same as you.” He gestured to my right arm.
“Okay, I get it. Let’s talk about something else.” I rolled my eyes, trying not to be offended. “For example, the drakon. Lo-
relle blames me for letting it go.”
“I’m sure she doesn’t,” Xavier shook his head.
“Let me remind you—she poisoned you. Don’t take her
side.”
He raised his arms in surrender. “I’m not taking sides! I’m trying to help you see the positive.”
“Whatever.” I crossed my arms over my chest.
“It’s dangerous,” he sighed, rubbing his eyes tiredly. “According to the book, its scales are made of something stronger than any human has welded. If we were to combine it into our armor and shields, they would be impenetrable.”
“What about its eyes? We could gouge them,” I suggested. “Blindness could keep it away.”
“Yes, but for how long? Their ears can hear from miles away. Adalia, they have two giant, beating hearts.”
I shifted my weight on my other leg, stifling a yawn.
The smirk was back, and I knew what was coming. I couldn’t expect anything less of Xavier.
“Do you want to—”
“Take the sofa. I’m going to bed.” I tried pushing past him, but he was too fast. He grabbed my arms, pulling me towards him.
“What are you doing?” I asked, my voice muffled in his chest. I could hear his heartbeat quicken and was relieved I wasn’t the only one.
“I just wanted to hold you for a second.” Xavier kissed the top of my head.
The hug lasted a lot longer than a second, but I had no reason to protest.
I woke up early the next morning.
Sitting up in bed with a groan, my eyes fell on Xavier who
lay on the sofa in front of me, wrapped tightly in three layers
of blankets.
The weather seemed to have dropped several degrees over
night.
I was not pleased. I slipped on my boots, shivering as I had to leave the heavy covers of the bed. I stretched out my arms, ignoring the shakiness in my right side.
There was only one place to go to warm up.
A few floors below, there was a place I’d created.
I had trained myself in there. It was the only way I could stay in shape—when I wasn’t killing for the king.
I’d picked a secluded room, pushed to the side in the corner of a corridor no one ever went to. But as I approached the door, I heard noises. Multiple thudding sounds and shouts flowed through the wooden door, followed by loud clangs. I turned the knob, pushing it open.
About eleven men were in the room, the smell of sweat and whooshing up my nose. I stared at them. They had taken over my practice room. The Knights had upgraded the place I had worked hard to create. Sandbags hung from the ceiling, heavy iron lining the walls for them to lift. On the far left lay swords where they practiced sparring against each other. Slowly, a few of them began to realize I was there. The stopped punching the bags and lifting their weights, pausing their spars to look at me.
The tallest one in the room made his way to the front, towa-
rds me. His muscles were taught against the sleeves of his tunic, face slick with sweat.
“Well,” he smirked, crossing his arms over his chest, “who are you?”
I looked past him to see ten other sets of eyes on me now, as confused as I was.
“The question is,” I crossed my arms over my chest as well, mimicking his stance, “who are you, princess?”
A rumble spread through the room as the Knights chuckled in response.
“We train here,” he retorted, irrational flicking through his eyes. “Women aren’t allowed in this area, sweetheart.”
I smiled. “Is that so? Then, may I ask, who let you in?” This was answered with hoots and hollers. My smile slipped away, and I scowled at all of them. Silence. “I don’t believe we’ve met,” I said to the blond man, narrowing my eyes. I was going to stand my ground. “Being a woman is not an insult.”
“I never said it was,” he raised an eyebrow, shrugging off the comment as if it had never meant anything.
“Mate, I’d advise you to stay clear of this one,” another dark-haired knight cautioned. “She’s—” His dark eyes met mine. He’d clearly recognized me, but Blondie wasn’t as bright, and he wasn’t about to give up.
“You don’t look familiar, which means you’re new here. Let me explain the rules. Your job is to help out in the kitchen upst—” Before he could finish that sentence, I spun around, delivering a roundhouse kick right against his face. As my heel connected with his cheekbone, he was out in seconds, crashing against the floor.
Chest rising and falling as I caught my breath, basking in the fresh rush of adrenaline for a moment, I looked up at them.
“I built this place.”
“You’re the assassin, aren’t
you?” someone called. “Taj told us you were back.”
“It was obvious,” a knight with green eyes spoke, unwrap-
ping the bandages from his knuckles. They were turning purple from beating the sandbags. “The idiot was trying to impress you.”
“By telling me that I should be helping prepare his meals? If you think that’s impressive, you’re the dumbass.” The Knights were silent as I strode into the room. “Can someone get him out of here?” Blondie was still on the floor, completely unconscious.
Two of them came forward. As they carried him out, I turned to examine all of them, when suddenly, my blood froze.
All the way in the back sat Lance, his eyes trained on me. There was a smug look on his face as if wanted to say something but decided to use his expressions to taunt me instead.
Lance was the head of the Knights and guards, which obviously, obviously made him one of them. I cursed myself for not noticing him sooner.
I nodded my head at him in greeting, but he turned his face as if hadn’t seen me at all.
“You say you built this place?” the dark-haired knight from earlier asked. He seemed to realize he hadn’t introduced himself and stepped forward, bowing. “I’m Reyner. The man you just knocked out was Simon, and the other guy is called Asselin.”
I snorted. “So he really is an ass.”
“Asselin’s not too bad. Simon is the only chauvinist pig that’s a knight. We had to recruit him because of Lance.” Reyner pointed towards Lance, who had started up a quiet conversation with one of the Knights. “Lance!” Reyner called, and I silently groaned as he waved him over. Lance looked up, and
I watched as he sighed, making his way over to us.
“This is Lance,” Reyner gestured towards him. Oh, I knew.
I knew very well who he was. “Lance, this is . . .” he trailed off, waiting for me to introduce myself.
“We’ve met,” Lance said, his eyes traveling up and down, assessing me.
“Well, that’s great.”
I glared at Lance. “Why don’t you find a better place for
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