But if my sister had taught me anything on this trip, it was how to keep going even when those closest to your heart stick a knife in it.
“Don’t count on it, Princess,” he said.
“Fine,” I said. “We can take you home to the Ocelot Kingdom if you want, or you can stay in the Lynx Commonwealth if they’re welcoming. All I ask is that you keep my magical status private.”
He shrugged, his eyes cutting to the window. “Whatever.”
“Do you want to go home or not?” Shadow growled.
“Yeah, I’ll help you get King Ocelot off the throne,” Tadeu said. “I’d love to see that asshole blubbering like a baby as he begs for his life, like he made so many commoners do.”
“And Camila?” I asked, my heart somersaulting as I voiced the fear in my heart. “You sure you don’t maintain any loyalties to her?”
“Camila can suck my cock and die,” he said. “That crazy bitch couldn’t lead a camping trip, let alone a country.”
He’d said she shot him and abandoned him in the mountains, that he hadn’t meant his oath of loyalty to her and that she hadn’t used the ocelot amulet’s contents to make him fall in love with her. But what if he was lying? What if she’d made him fall for her, then asked him to do this so she could get information on our plans? If he loved her, he’d do anything for her.
But no. I was being paranoid. I’d summoned him to me, and she had no way of knowing that was going to happen. She hadn’t known I had magic at all.
Had she?
I remembered Lord Balam telling the group I was more than human, and Camila insisting that I could only be human, that there was nothing special about me. Had she known then?
She didn’t know what I was, though. She couldn’t have. No one knew that.
The thought sat funny with me. I’d always shared everything with her, from the smallest detail of my life to the loftiest ambitions. It was strange to know something so monumental about myself, and to know that she didn’t have that information. Everything had changed on her amulet tour, though. We were no longer close, no longer bound by the sisterly bonds of blood and crown. She had chosen that separation, not me. I’d have been happy to get her onto the throne and serve as her advisor. She was the one who had cast me aside, the same way she’d done Tadeu.
Right?
Or did he refuse to join our little family because he still retained some loyalty to her?
Three
“This is it?” I asked as the helicopter settled into a barren landscape outside a tiny, huddled village in northern Siberia. “How small is the Commonwealth?”
“Small, population-wise,” Lord Balam answered. “But they don’t all live in town. There are a few in the surrounding territory. Lynxes are loners by nature.”
“Sounds like it might be harder than we expected to get the amulet,” I said. “Does anyone know who has it?”
“We’re going to visit their chief,” Lord Balam said, climbing down and holding out a hand to help me down. “She either has it, or she knows who does. Humans gave this whole area to the Lynx clan, mostly because they didn’t want it. It’s pretty inhospitable in the winter.”
“Sounds like humans,” I said with a shrug.
“You were human until a few weeks ago,” Tadeu said, glowering at me as he ducked out of the helicopter, stooping because of his enormous height. “Now you’re talking shit about them?”
“Sounds like shifters, too,” I admitted. “I’ll be the first to admit there are plenty like my father.”
“There are only a few towns here, but it’s actually one of the biggest pieces of land owned by shifters in the world,” Lord Balam said as we pulled our hoods up against the chill in the air and started toward the main street. “We might have to travel to another town or a remote location if the chief doesn’t have it.”
We entered the small village and made our way along the street, which was lined on either side with colorful, interconnected townhouse-style houses that reminded me of something out of an old photo. They were charming and quaint, with little potted plants hanging outside most of the doors. In a weird way, it reminded me of home, though it was colder than the Ocelot Nation ever got. There, we had a wet season and a dry one. There was no winter. Here, I wondered if they ever got summer.
Still, the old-timey feel the place had cultivated reminded me of my father’s insistence on maintaining an image of medieval times with castles and no modern technology. This didn’t look nearly as old, but it still looked like we’d stepped into the past century. I didn’t see any cars here, either.
Lord Balam pointed to a robin’s egg-blue house, and we approached and knocked. My pulse sped as we waited for the chief to answer the door. I had only one amulet in my possession, and we had no way of knowing whether Camila had already arrived and taken this one. Lord Balam said the Lynx clan would give it to anyone, no tasks required. Ironically, this was probably the only one Camila was capable of getting on her own. Any other nation would have broken her.
The door swung open, and an old white lady peered out at us. Her face was ruddy and wrinkled, her hair as pure white as snow and pulled back at the nape of her neck.
“Chief Alina,” Lord Balam said, bowing deeply. The rest of us clumsily followed suit.
I knew less about lynxes than I did about magic, which meant I didn’t know their customs at all. Even though the other Feline Nations weren’t on good terms with Father, his political maneuverings with and grumblings about them had colored my life. This clan was the only one in the world that was more isolationist than ours, though they seemed less hostile.
The chief clasped her hands in front of her chest and bowed in return. After we’d all bowed to her, she straightened and smiled, warmth coming into her eyes. She spoke in a slow, muddied accent, but I was grateful she spoke a language I knew. “You must be here for Princess Camila,” she said. “She mentioned her party was staying back. I’m glad you decided to join us. Won’t you come in for some broth?”
I glanced at my mates, alarm running through me. Shit shit shit. We were too late.
“Thank you,” Lord Balam said, bowing again before stepping through the door. The rest of us repeated the performance and stepped inside one at a time. By the time we were all inside the small house, there was hardly room to close the door.
“I apologize, but I’m afraid I must ask you to keep your voices low,” Chief Alina said. “My daughter is sleeping upstairs, and she’s not well. She’s just lost another baby. Her fourth one.”
“I’m so sorry,” I said, feeling awkward about the personal information she dropped so matter-of-factly.
“I’m beginning to think I won’t leave a legacy,” the old woman said. “But that’s okay. Let someone else have a turn, I suppose. Mostly I just feel bad for my daughter. She wants a baby so badly, and it’s so hard on her each time.”
We emerged into a cozy kitchen, and I pulled up short, my breath catching in my throat. My sister sat at a small, round table, and behind her, Gabor stood against the wall. When our eyes met, butterflies exploded in my belly. Luckily, I didn’t have long to dwell on it. Camila jumped up from her seat, her eyes blazing with fury. “What are you doing here?” she hissed.
“The same thing as you, I’d imagine,” I said, leveling her with my gaze. “After I got your hunting party down the mountain to the next town, we left the Tiger Empire.”
“It’s my amulet,” she snarled, her ocelot eyes flashing gold. “It’s my throne, and my crown, and my country to rule. Why can’t you accept that and leave me alone?”
“See, I tried that,” I said. “For eighteen years, I accepted it. And where did it get us?”
“Well, you’re too late,” she said, crossing her arms and lifting her chin in a haughty pose. “Chief Alina already said she’d give me the amulet.”
“If it’s not in your hands, it’s fair game,” I said.
“It’s not fair game,” she said, her voice rising. “You’re not even suppo
sed to be in this game! You’re not an ocelot. You’re a cheetah!”
“Please keep your voice down,” Chief Alina said from where she stood at a large, cast-iron stove. She ladled broth into clay mugs, her back to us. Her pure white hair fell straight down the center or her back to her waist, thick and coarse as a horse’s tail.
“Actually, I’m not a shifter at all,” I said, turning my attention back to my sister. “But you know what? I’m not sure that matters. Most of the people in our country aren’t shifters, so why is the monarchy limited to ocelots? Seems like the queen should represent the majority at least sometimes.”
“You’re insane,” she said, glaring at me. “It’s the Ocelot Nation. You can’t rule it if you’re not an ocelot.”
I shrugged. “I guess we’ll see.”
“We’ve seen,” she snapped. “I’m the legitimate heir.”
“And yet, I’m the one who did all the tasks required to take the throne.”
Her nostrils flared, her eyes narrowing. “I won’t let you take this from me.”
“Oh, you mean how you took the others from Prince Kwame’s things when he wasn’t there?”
“So what? I stole them fair and square. That’s a completely legitimate way to obtain them. In fact, the Feline Nations will admire my cleverness and cunning. I got them all without having to lift a finger.”
Shadow growled behind me, but I barely heard him. Fury was pounding in my brain. She was right. She’d used and manipulated me into doing all her dirty work, and in the end, she’d stolen all the amulets and would waltz right onto the throne with pats on the back for her treachery.
“You’re missing one,” I said. “You don’t have the snow leopard amulet.”
“Oh, don’t worry,” she said with a smug smile. “I’ll get it.”
I wanted to reach across the table and slap her, so I was grateful that Chief Alina chose that moment to deliver the clay mugs of broth to us. I thanked her, took a sip, and offered my compliments. She waved away the compliments, but her ruddy cheeks rose in a smile.
“I’m not giving them back,” Camila said, her lower lip protruding in a royal pout I knew all too well. It was the one she used to get her way on the rare occasion she disagreed with our father. “And I’m not giving up. I’m getting the Lynx amulet whether you like it or not. There’s nothing you can do to stop me.”
I wondered briefly if I could whack her over the head with my clay mug and knock her out. That might stop her.
“It seems we’ve reached an impasse,” Chief Alina said. “Two princesses, one amulet.”
“It’s my amulet,” Camila insisted.
“It’s our amulet until I give it to one of you,” Chief Alina said.
“You promised,” Camila howled.
Chief Alina scowled at her. “I did no such thing,” she said quietly, drawing herself up to her full height. Though she was more stout than tall, she managed to look quite imposing as she stared at Camila with ice-crystal eyes. “I simply stated our tradition was not to make heirs engage in challenges. And you’d do well to remember the other things I said when you entered and keep your voice down.”
“I apologize,” Camila muttered, her cheeks flushing scarlet at being chastised.
Gabor shifted against the wall, frowning at the woman who had offended his queen.
Chief Alina didn’t seem to notice. “Though we don’t usually do a challenge for this, since there are two of you in need of the amulet, maybe we should have a contest to see who wins.”
“That’s not fair,” Camila protested. “She’s not the heir.”
“Is she not a princess?” Chief Alina said.
“Yes, but not an ocelot.”
“I’m afraid I really don’t care,” Chief Alina said. “I will give you three tasks. Whoever wins at least two of them gets the amulet.”
Lord Balam took my hand and squeezed. “May the best princess win.”
“May the best queen win,” I said. “It doesn’t matter who’s good at being a princess. One of us needs to be good at being a queen.”
Camila glared like she’d come across the table and rip my throat out. Her ocelot glowed gold in her narrowed eyes again, her nostrils flared as she fought to control her temper.
Maybe I wasn’t the only one who had Father’s temper, after all. Maybe she just always got her way, so she had no reason to fly into a rage.
“First, I need some wood cut,” Chief Alina said. “My daughter’s laid up, and my back isn’t what it used to be. I haven’t filled the shed for the coming winter.”
Camila huffed. “How is that going to prove I’m worthy of the throne.”
“Oh, I didn’t say it would,” Chief Alina said with a twinkle in her eye. “I just need it done.”
“It shows you’re willing to serve your people in return on occasion,” said Sir Kenosi, who could literally make anything a task to prove your worth as queen, even giving a blowjob.
“I don’t mind helping out,” I said, standing from the table. I set down the clay cup and smiled at Chief Alina. “I admit I’ve never done this before, but I’ll give it my best shot.”
“Can my guard do it for me?” Camila asked.
“I don’t care who does it, as long as I get my woodshed filled,” Chief Alina said.
My sister smirked at me. The startled look of realization on her face when she registered the six men standing behind me was so comical, I almost laughed. Too bad we’d left the film crew behind, so they couldn’t capture that face and make a meme of it.
“That’s not fair,” Camila wailed again. “She has six men, and I only have one.”
Gabor gritted his teeth, the muscle in his jaw jumping as he worked his jaw back and forth and glared at me.
“Fine,” I said. “I’ll only use the help of one man, same as you.”
“I’ll do it,” Tadeu said, surprising me. I turned to him. He was the last one I expected to volunteer. I assumed he’d feel used if I asked for him to help just because he was the biggest.
“Have you ever split wood?” Gao Jetsun asked.
“No, but if I have to listen to Camila whine about how unfair her life is as a fucking princess for five more minutes, I’m going to use the ax on her.”
Gabor’s hand went to his gun, and Shadow growled.
I held up a hand. “Let’s just go get this woman the wood she needs.”
We started outside, following Chief Alina. Behind me, I could hear Camila moaning to Gabor. “He’s literally twice as big as you. There’s no way we’ll win.”
“I’ll do my best,” Gabor said.
Behind the row of townhouses, the ground was cold underfoot, probably still frozen beneath the surface. Little sheds stood in a line, one behind each house. Beyond them was another row of sheds, some with piles or stacks of wood rounds beside them and some without, and then the back side of another row of townhouses. I pulled my jacket tighter around me against the bitter chill in the air as Chief Alina walked us to her shed where a heap of wood rounds waited.
“There are tools in the shed,” she said. “Enough for two of you, anyway. You can grab more from the next sheds if you need them. We help each other out around here. Just remember to put them back.”
I thanked her, and she turned and went back into her house. Shadow was already opening the door to the shed when Camila pointed at him and shrieked, “He’s not supposed to help you!”
“He’s opening a door,” I pointed out. “Calm your tits.”
She looked like I’d just told her to go fuck herself in the ass with the jaguar amulet. I couldn’t help but laugh, which made her face go nearly purple with rage. “You’re no more fit to be queen than a stable maid,” she hissed. “Gabor, get the tools before Shadow takes them all.”
We all crowded around the shed and stared at the tools. Camila grabbed a handsaw and held it to her chest, a triumphant look in her eyes. No one else moved.
“Get an ax,” she hissed at Gabor.
He stepped
forward to obey.
There were two long axes, two sledgehammers, several little saws, a hatchet, and a pitchfork. On the floor were two very thick, very dull-looking ax heads, both of them brown with rust, a bucket, and some kind of canvas sling that looked like it might be for carrying wood. I was out of my element. I’d had a different upbringing from Camila, but not that different. I sure as fuck had never chopped firewood.
Gao Jetsun stepped forward and picked up one of the heavy, dull ax heads, also selecting a sledgehammer.
“You can’t take two tools,” Camila protested.
“It’s a set,” Jetsun said.
“Then that’s the only one you can use between the two of you.”
“You’re just making up rules as you go, aren’t you?” Shadow growled at her.
“Why are you even out here? Itzel chose Tadeu to help. But if she wants to choose someone else, I accept.”
Of course she would. Tadeu was the biggest and obviously could get the job done fastest. But he’d never done this before, either. We didn’t burn firewood. Prince Kwame was royalty, and he lived in a warm area where he’d never have to chop wood even if he wasn’t. Same with Lord Balam. Sir Kenosi was rich as sin and had servants, and even before he made his fortune, he’d lived in a city. No help there.
Jetsun seemed to know what he was doing, even though I didn’t really know what he was planning. I had to trust my mates, though, so I turned to Camila. “We’ll each choose three tools—one for each person on our team, and a backup. You chose two already, and we got two. What else do you want?”
Camila grabbed Gabor’s arm, and they took a few steps away to confer in low voices. I could tell they were arguing, and some ugly little part of me was glad. Camila stomped her foot, though, and Gabor’s jaw went tight, and I knew he’d do whatever she was asking.
Fallen Princess Page 4
