“Me?”
Riordan rests his hand on my shoulder, “Yes.”
“You are the Coroner.”
“What can I do? I have no formal training, no political knowledge. I’m not prepared to take the throne at all. Ivaia would be more—”
“Ivaia has earned the position she’s in. She serves no one and no God, only herself. Never again will she be welcomed in Ro’Hale.” King Arias says.
“I am a warrior. A hound as you called me,” I say. “What could I do?”
“We need you to go because you have a blood right to, and the power no one else has. A God goes with you,” Riordan says.
“We need Queen Hero to stay on the throne but others oppose her. If they deposed her, King Berlium of the Baore will try to plant a usurper there, ready to replace her with his own puppet King.” Arias adds. “King Berlium killed his own father, uncle, and brothers to take both the Baore’s two thrones. He seeks to rule this Province too. Her reign is in question, and she is weak. He will strike.”
“So, you want me to go to the kingdom? To do what, exactly?” I scan all the gold and silver eyes staring back at me.
“Spy.”
I laugh. I curse. The weight of the word, the sting of it in my ears. The Death Spirit within me bristles with excitement.
“Spy on my cousin, my Queen? And report to who?” I ask.
“Our people lack the power they need to fight back in this war. We need information we can report to the High Council— evidence of the Queen’s negligence or of the Baore’s reaching influence.” Riordan chimes in.
“So, why isn’t the High Council already involved in the Baore?”
“They’ve tried to intervene but Berlium has grown too powerful. They want Queen Hero and King Gemlin to ally and act. Ro’Hale and Elistria have a duty and they aren’t upholding it.”
My body suddenly feels too small, my rib cage too tight. “Surely, we have allies who—"
“Usually, the kingdoms gather information on the problems of the province and report it to the council or its agents,” Arias explains.
“But the kingdoms are the problem,” Rio clarifies.
“The Sunderlands clans are on their own,” Kaltain adds.
“So, you want me to go spy on my cousin. Ensure she isn’t usurped and gather information.” I take it all in.
“Observation is your sole mission. Your people need proper advocation, not more derision, not a rebellion. If you stand up beside Hero and make yourself known as her weapon or personal guard, you will attract the exact attention we’re trying to avoid. We need to know what is wrong at court before we can fix its relationship with the clans.” King Arias’ voice is a haunting, melodic shiver across the air.
“We also suspect the kingdom is under the influence of a higher power.”
“There’s a new Oracle,” Another voice interjects. We all startle at Indiro’s ghost-like presence. I’ve always wondered how he moves silent as a shadow. He holds his hands out at his sides. “The child, Osira.” He joins the circle, and the Gryphons make way for him.
“So we heard,” King Arias notes.
Indiro and Riordan exchange a curt acknowledgment of each other. They must know each other, both former Knights of the Ro’Hale Legion. It seems the blood between them isn’t warm.
“If another Servant is at court, the Oracle would know,” Indrio says.
“If there is, could this servant be the hand of Ahriman, The God of Chaos?” Riordan asks.
“It’s very possible. Why else would Mrithyn also raise up his servant in the Sunderlands?” Altair adds.
“Our sources also speak of another servant to a God rising in the East.” Arias says.
“A servant to which God?” I ask.
“No one knows.” He seems to frown, in his weird Gryphon way. Afternoon sunlight catches in his golden eyes.
“Well your sources sound unreliable.” I say, earning a glare.
“Gods aside, we need to know what’s changed in the hearts of the Queen’s men.” Indiro adds. “The armies can’t be satisfied with sitting on their hands. Not while she executes innocent subjects in the search of her mother’s murderer. I know those soldiers. They would rather fall on their swords than desert their duty to the kingdom and clans.” He shoots a glare at Riordan.
My jaw drops. “Wait. Queen Herrona was murdered? Hero is executing innocent people!?”
“That’s what Hero believes, and she’s killing those who deny it. Trying to torture an answer out of her court. Nobody is stopping her. She may be as bad as King Berlium,” Indiro says.
“Well, it sounds like the answer to our question is Hero. She’s the problem, and it sounds like you already know what’s going on there.” I look Indiro up and down. “No wonder the army won’t march for her. She’s a bloody tyrant!”
“Perhaps she has ordered a stand-down and they believe obeying their Queen is their most important duty. Most men would fear committing treason.” Riordan lifts a brow.
“No. Not the men I knew. They would have never chosen the Crown over what was right for the Province. Not many of them, anyway. Something has changed in the ranks, I suspect. We need to know what’s going on with her Captain.”
“Anyway, no one can force you, Keres.” Riordan regains my attention. “But now you know why it must be you. If we will send anyone into the mess that may very well be the handiwork of Ahriman, we need to send an instrument of the Divine. You know I would go with you if I could, but I must stay with Ivaia. He looks to our war chief, “And I’m assuming Indiro has duties to attend to here with all the attacks.”
“I must prepare for consequent retaliation after our actions today.”
I take a moment to mull over their words. I can’t determine a reason not to go. Except my impending wedding. I can tell my father I wish to go on my pilgrimage, to see the oracle. He suggested I go. It’s a chance to escape the hatred my kin are feeling toward me for what I did to Thaniel. A chance to do something other than kill, serve the Gods, and please my family. My purpose must be greater than that.
“I will go.” The words run out of my mouth, smooth as water.
Indiro claps his hand on my back, “That’s my girl.”
“Can the Heralds offer any protection to my clan?” I ask King Arias. Humor flickers in his eyes. “Clan Ro’Hale has more than the Coroner. There are others who will rise in your absence.”
“Who?” I look at Indiro.
“Trust your people, Keres,” King Arias says before turning to Riordan. I look at Indiro again and he just smiles at me, crossing his arms over his chest. My uncle and the Gryphon King exchange brief words before the Heralds wish me luck and set off. Off to rebuke another Clan leader, I guess.
When Riordan is available again, I ask, “Has Ivaia told you what happened?”
“That you stood up for yourself? Yes.” Riordan smiles. “You should come visit before you go. Make peace with each other.”
I nod and kiss his cheek before I join arms with Indiro and head back to camp.
Before we reach the gates, Indiro stops, taking hold of my chin.
“When I left you this morning, I went to the war tent to retrieve my shield. A letter arrived for me, from your uncle. He told me he had summoned the Gryphons, and that they were coming. To prepare your father. I tried to reach you poor sods, but the Heralds were already there.”
I nod. Thank the Gods, King Arias caught me off guard and saved Thaniel from me.
“When King Arias told you to follow him, I slipped away to pen this.” He presses a letter into my hands.
“The moment you turned to walk with them, I knew what they would ask you.”
“Am I allowed to read it?” I cock an eyebrow at him.
His drawn mouth explodes into a fit of laughter. “Agh, Keres. My little white-haired witch. Still asking for permission. Read it when you get to court.”
I agree and we part at the gates.
Mentally preparing myself for the onslau
ght of Liriene’s special type of disapproval, I shove the entryway curtain aside. She’s sitting on my bed, going through the books and trinkets Lysandra gave me.
“Those are my things!”
“War has come.” Liriene turns her cold gray eyes on me.
I watch her play with the string of beads Katrielle made for my wedding gift.
“It would seem so,” I say. “Picking which of my things you will inherit when I’m dead?”
“These were Katrielle’s things and now she is dead.”
I meet her cold, watery stare.
“Katrielle is dead,” She repeats.
“Yes, Liri. Wishing it were me instead of her?”
She doesn’t answer.
“She made that string of prayer beads for me.” I don’t know what else to say and begin stripping off my armor.
“Did she ever kiss you, Keres?”
I pause before pulling my jerkin off, not sure how to answer. “Liri—”
“I heard Thaniel’s lover stood up to you in the forest. And you would have killed them both. Tell me, was Katrielle your lover?”
I don’t know what possesses me, but I charge toward my sister and catch her by the hair. Her utter shock escapes her throat. I fling her lanky frame to the floor. “How dare you?”
She laughs, her hair matted across her face. She tucks a knot behind her ear and faces me. “Dear, Keres.” Laughter interrupts her and my hands ball into fists. “I heard Thaniel’s lover crossed you and feared—” She wipes a tear from her eye. “I feared you tried to kill them out of anger about their sex.”
“I hold nothing negative towards love. I despise the Human for what he is, not for what he isn’t. I’d have felt the same if Thaniel had taken a female Human lover.”
“I figured as much, little one.” She dusts her skirts off as she stands again. “I could not believe you would harm them both for being male. Knowing your love of Katrielle then led me to wonder if you’d been jealous. How Thaniel’s lover, a human, might live. And yours would be dead…”
“Kat was not my lover.”
“I know.” She smiles.
“Then why on earth would you ask me that? What’s your problem, Liriene?”
“She was my lover.” Liriene whispers, all signs of laughter fading from her face. Air hits my lungs like an arrow. She approaches me, one hand knotted in her skirt.
“I needed to know whether you hated Thaniel for his lover’s sex or for his race. Because I loved Katrielle,” She searches my eyes, “I could not bear to grieve her loss untruthfully. To hide my tears.”
I remember Katrielle’s last words. Lysandra said Liri and Kat fought. Kat wanted to postpone her wedding to Hayes.
“Asking me if she was my lover was your way of confessing she was yours?” I shake my head, “Makes no sense, Liri.”
“How does one confess such a thing to another person… without first confessing it to oneself? Our love is what others consider unnatural. But what’s unnatural about love?” She laughs again through her tears.
“Katrielle loved a male. She was marrying Hayes. If she had loved a female, if she had loved you, I would have known.” I try to deny what’s so obvious now. Katrielle had always been the common thread between me and my sister. She was my closest friend, fought alongside me. Died in my arms. But Hayes, Silas, Darius, Thaniel, Katrielle, and Liriene… they’d grown up together. They shared a different bond.
Liriene stares at me. The silence between us billows like smoke from a clash of fire and ice.
“What of Silas, then?” I flail my hands.
She looks confused, “What of him?”
“Oh, come on, Liri. Everyone knows how close you two are. You’ve spent more time with my future husband than I have.”
“Silas and I are friends—”
“Katrielle and I were friends.” I hiss. I jab my finger into her shoulder, “You cannot believe you loved her more than I did. Or that you have some sick claim on her, her stuff, because of… whatever you did with each other. She was my closest friend since childhood. She might have turned to you out of fear of her impending marriage. You might have seduced her—”
Liriene slaps my face. Hard.
My hand flies to my cheek instantly, noting the stinging flesh. But deep inside my head burns hotter. My veins fill with fire, my lungs fill with smoke. My skin turns a lurid blue as my wrath and magic collide within me. Liriene’s triumphant smile shatters into a look of horror as I smolder in front of her.
“Your— Keres! Your eyes!”
My voice splits into multiple tones as I speak, “Come sister, try that again.” I grab her and my touch sizzles her skin. My magic boils as my temper burns. She breaks out of my grip and gasps at the red handprints I’ve left on her pale skin. The smell of burnt flesh taints the air. She goes running from the tent. I follow her out, steam rising out of my pores, smoke lolling off my tongue. My hair whips around my face as the heat inside of me rises into the afternoon air. I spark screams of terror in my neighbors as I move fast as a wildfire.
“Liriene!”
I whip around a corner and catch sight of her red hair. I spit sparks into the dirt as she turns to face me.
“Your eyes! They’re black as jet.” She stammers, tripping as she walks backwards away from me. I reach for her again—
“Keres!” A familiar baritone runs up my spine. I whirl around and am stopped by the heavy hands of Darius.
12. TEMPTATION
My touch scorches his skin as he grabs my arms.
“Darius!” My voices collide, crashing back into one scream of frustration.
“Keres, stop this.”
I can hear his flesh sizzling, but he locks his hand around my arm and pulls me away from the crowd still gathered from the audience with King Arias. I quickly check the crowd for my sister, Silas, or anyone else that would be as shocked as I am to see Darius put his hands on me. Most people still watching only look relieved I didn’t fry Liriene.
Darius silently veers me off the campgrounds. Steam pours off my skin where we touch. Once we’re among the trees and out of earshot, I jerk free of his hold and slug a fist at his face. He catches my fist with one hand and his other hand flies to my throat.
I claw at him, but my fiery touch seems to lose its effect on him. Pushing me back against a tree, he steps between my legs and brushes against the apex of my thighs with his knee. His smoke-filled eyes burst into flames, matching the fire within me.
“Listen, killer.” He licks his lips and tightens his grip on my throat, making me scratch at his hands. “You want to take it out on me, try. You want to play with fire?”
I gasp for air, tapping his arms as a sign of surrender. He loosens his hold on my neck but doesn’t back away, keeping me pinned against the tree with his knee. I catch my breath and use it to say, “Don’t forget who I am!”
He leans his head back and laughs.
I shove him off me and stand up on my toes to get closer to his face. “Who do you think you are?”
He grabs me by my hair and pulls me in closer, eyes darting from mine to my mouth. Struggling to keep my feet on the ground, I grab onto his armor.
“The beast has fangs.” A snicker breaks through his lips. “Settle down, killer, or I will burn you right back.” My instincts tell me to believe him.
His use of the word ‘killer’ as a pet name angers me even more. Luckily, emotions incinerate his resolve first. He draws in a sharp breath. I can feel and hear his heart pumping. Adrenaline courses through his veins with the same urgency and disparity as the magic rushing through mine. Beads of sweat crown his brow as he nears closer and closer to the fire within me. I feel his body against mine and the heat coming off him. There’s fire in him as well, but it’s primal, not magic. Unadulterated angst and masculine energy.
He pulls my head back by my hair and bites my neck, sending shivers of his own dominant power into me. One hand firmly grips my breast through my thin shift and the other writhes around
my center. His touch dares me to submit, drawing my body to his own. I buck against the full weight of him, the fire beneath my skin still boiling and turning his hands red as my cheeks must be now.
“Easy, killer.”
“Stop calling me that!” I say.
“Would you prefer princess?”
We glare at each other, his fist still knotted in my hair.
“Didn’t you hate me yesterday?” I ask.
“Would you prefer I hate you?”
“You’ve never even looked twice at me before.” I say.
“And now you’re all I see.”
“Why?” I ask.
He bites his lip and something wicked lights up his ember eyes. He shakes his head and leans into my neck again, nipping at my fluttering pulse, caressing my skin with his tongue where he bit me.
“You don’t hate me. You like me? But want to fight with me. Overpower me?” I stutter nervously. I’ve never been touched by a man before. His hand falls to my breast again, squeezing a small sound of protest out of me.
“Fight you. Fuck you. A little of both.” His breath fans against my neck.
I feel heat blossoming on my face and pooling between my legs. I’ve never explored my sexuality with another person, only on my own. That doesn’t mean I don’t think like he does, that I don’t want all the things I’ve fantasized about. All bodies know how to respond to touch and temptation. I attempt to push him away again.
Darius moves faster. Locking his massive hands around my tiny wrists and holding them at my sides.
“I haven’t been able to stop thinking about how you challenged me last night. Then, I saw you going after Liriene. All that fury and glorious fucking power... Makes my dick hard to think there’s a girl who might be as savage as I am. I bet you know how to use those fangs. I like it when a woman bites. I bet you could handle everything I’d give you.”
“What would you give me?” I lick my dry lips, trying to stare back at him with the same unwavering intensity he’s giving me.
“Unbridled passion.” He nips at one of my trapped wrists. “Pleasure that would show you what true fire feels like.” His eyes glow hungrily when they lock with mine again.
The Sunderlands Page 12
