“Well, I suppose that makes sense,” said Nicce quietly.
“But you can’t help me get out.”
“Well, maybe if I talk to the others.”
“You’re working with the knights.” Xenia lifted her chin. “Watch yourself. They’re all out for themselves. Absalom’s got some strange guilt complex about the entire enterprise, but he’s not willing to do anything to make up for what he’s done either. I see that you’re getting close to him. I’d be wary, were I you. I have spoken to other women here at court, and he seems to go through women like changes of clothing.”
“Yes, thank you,” said Nicce. “I’ll be careful.” A thought occurred to her. “Listen, if you have, er, feelings for Absalom, you should know—”
“I don’t,” said Xenia. “Men are so… large and hairy, aren’t they?”
Nicce shrugged. “Well, some of them, I suppose.”
“And the way they smell…” Xenia sneered.
Nicce thought of Eithan’s vague scent of pine. “I… not all men smell bad.” In fact, she remembered that the way that Zed would smell when he had been sweating could actually be rather enticing. “You just had bad luck with the king, and being forced to be with him. That’s all. If you were with a man of your choosing… well, you spoke of your daughter’s father, didn’t you?”
“I didn’t wish to marry that man,” said Xenia. “It was all arranged by my father. But I suppose getting my daughter out of it was worth it.” She shrugged. “Anyway, I have no designs on Absalom. You are welcome to that if you wish it.”
“Thank you,” said Nicce, unsure of how to respond.
“Can you give me some of your blood to take with me? I’ll find my own way out of the palace and through the portal.”
“I can’t,” said Nicce. “I don’t know how to make it turn to sunlight. It’s done it twice now, but I don’t seem to be in control of it.”
“Then why did you even tell me of it?”
“Well, I’m going to figure it out, and when I do, then I can help you. I want to help you.”
Xenia surveyed her. “Why would you work with the knights? I can’t understand it. They tried to kill you.”
“It’s complicated.”
“And why would you consent to letting Absalom into your bed?”
“He’s not in my bed.”
“Oh, but he will be. He attempted to climb into mine, but I stopped that. I spent my life spreading my legs. I refuse to spend my death doing the same.”
Nicce shrugged. “Sometimes, that sort of thing isn’t understandable, you know? Who you’re attracted to? What stirs you?”
Xenia considered and then she nodded. “I do know. Well, I’m sorry for you, then. Would it help if I told you how Absalom stood and watched while I screamed and struggled and blood spurted out of my neck? Would it help if I told you how he was stone while I begged for my life?”
Nicce swallowed. “I’m sorry that happened to you. I know it was supposed to be me. I’m doing my best to make this right.” She wanted to say more, but she had promised not to tell anyone what they were up to, so she stopped herself.
“I don’t need your apologies,” said Xenia, sighing. She headed for the door. “Thanks for nothing, Nicce.”
“I’m sorry,” Nicce called after her.
Xenia rolled her eyes and yanked the door open.
CHAPTER NINE
Xenia threw herself out of Nicce’s room, feeling frustrated and angry. When Nicce had appeared up there in the front of the throne room, Xenia had felt a hope for the first time since she’d been carried off to the dark forest by the Knights of Midian. She had thought for sure that Nicce was going to be the one that saved them.
After all, Nicce had somehow fought the knights off before. She had gotten away from them for good. And she had managed to keep the king off her too. Xenia didn’t know how Nicce had accomplished it.
She might have even had the tiniest of crushes on Nicce, but only a tiny one, because she had never really liked Nicce, what with her being a rival in the king’s affections and all that. And besides, there was a hardness in Nicce, something that was cold and still, and it frightened Xenia. It was hard to be attracted to things that were also somewhat terrible.
And ironically, just as Xenia thought that, Ciaska was there.
Had the goddess been in the hallway all this time? What was she doing there?
Xenia had to revise her thought. Ciaska was incredibly attractive, even though she was more than somewhat terrible. And yet, Xenia was drawn to her all the same, in a horrid way that made her feel helpless. She looked at the goddess, her mouth dry.
“What’s your name again?” said Ciaska. “Zoe or something?”
“Xenia,” she whispered, looking down at the floor.
“What were you doing in there?” said Ciaska. “Feeling a bit threatened, are we? You were Absalom’s favorite yesterday, I suppose, and now there’s this one.”
Xenia didn’t respond. She couldn’t tell Ciaska why she’d been in Nicce’s room. She didn’t understand much about the goddess, but she did know that Ciaska did not allow people to leave, that she was possessive of every member of the court. And she also knew that Ciaska was impossible to predict. The first week Xenia had resided here, she had watched the goddess slice a woman in half with a battle ax, starting between the woman’s legs and going all the way up to her skull. There had been no warning. Ciaska had summoned the person and then just done it. Xenia still didn’t know why. She strongly suspected it had been done on a whim.
“Oh, stop staring at me like that,” said Ciaska. “Say something. You do talk, don’t you?”
Why was the goddess in the hallway outside Nicce’s room? Xenia didn’t think she’d ever seen her walking the hallways, but then, Ciaska was unpredictable. “I talk,” she managed, her voice threadbare.
“So?” said Ciaska. “Did you tell her to stay away from your man?”
“Yeah,” said Xenia. “Absalom is mine.”
Ciaska snorted. “Oh, come now. Are you trying to convince me? There was no conviction in your voice.”
“I’m a little… out of sorts at seeing you here, Exalted One.”
Ciaska considered this. She cocked her head to one side and then the other.
Xenia’s gaze skittered over the goddess, on her slender arms and the curve of her hips. What was she doing? Don’t look at her! She cast her gaze down on the floor.
“Hmm,” said Ciaska, stepping closer. “Perhaps it’s not about Absalom at all, then.” Her fingers underneath Xenia’s chin, lifting her face. The goddess’s touch was cold and it spread a frigid horror through Xenia’s body. “Are you as intrigued by our new addition to the court as my Eithan, then?”
Xenia shook her head. “Of course not. I’m… I’m a woman, Exalted One.”
Ciaska laughed. It was like frosty bells echoing through the darkness. Then, abruptly, the laugh cut off. Her expression was suddenly severe. “Why were you in there, then?”
“I…” Xenia shook her head. “No reason. I knew Nicce before I was changed. It’s good to see a familiar face, I suppose. That’s all. It’s nothing. Really, nothing. I swear.”
“You’re very insistent that it’s nothing.”
“Please, I…” Xenia was starting to shake. “I don’t wish to make you angry. I’m very nervous right now.”
Ciaska let go of Xenia’s chin, disgusted. “Oh, very well. Off with you then.” She made a dismissive gesture with one hand.
Xenia nodded. She scurried off as quickly as she could, forcing herself not to look back even though she wished to, if only to make sure that the goddess wasn’t behind her, creeping along, her eyes bright, a battle ax in her hands.
But she made it safely to her own room and she locked the door tight, even though she doubted locked doors meant much to Ciaska.
She paced, her eyes stinging, panic scraping at the inside of her rib cage. This wasn’t good. She had never been noticed by the goddess before. She wo
uld have liked things to stay that way.
All she wanted was out of this place.
All she wanted was to go home.
CHAPTER TEN
“I’m only saying that if you strategically don’t get enough food, then we’ll have a reason to go back through the portal,” Absalom was saying. He was standing in Jonas’s room, and Eithan was lounging in the open doorway, glancing over his shoulder every few moments to make sure no one was around.
Eithan could have closed the door but that looked suspicious and he didn’t want to arouse any suspicion at all.
“What do we need to go back through the portal for?” said Jonas.
“Well, who knows?” said Absalom. “But we might need to, and this would give us an opportunity.”
“Eithan?” said Jonas. “Why can’t you get the food?”
“He needs to be here,” said Absalom. “Besides, Ciaska said it should be you.”
“Don’t overthink it,” said Eithan. “Don’t get too much, of course, but that’s because food doesn’t store well forever. And don’t get anything fresh, because it will spoil, so look for—” Someone had entered the hallway. He straightened, because he realized what he’d seen was mist turning the corner. “She’s coming,” he breathed.
Absalom’s eyes widened. “Gods take it. I’m meant to be with Nicce.”
“Shh,” said Eithan, before forcing himself to lounge against the door again, relaxed. He didn’t look back to watch Ciaska’s approach. He raised his voice instead, and said, “I don’t know what you’re doing here. If you think an apology is going to fix this, Absalom, you couldn’t be more wrong.”
Absalom licked his lips. He cleared his throat. “It’s not my fault she doesn’t like you, Eithan. You should have thought of that before you killed that Rhodes person.”
“I didn’t kill him,” said Eithan.
The mist seeped into the doorway, wrapping its cold tendrils around Eithan’s ankles. Now, Eithan turned.
Ciaska stood in the hallway, twirling a strand of dark hair around one of her fingers. “Absalom, are you in here too?”
“I was, um, just leaving,” said Absalom, striding for the door. “Obviously, I’m wasting my time here.”
Ciaska stepped into his path. “I thought you would be spending all your time with Nicce.”
“Yes, of course,” said Absalom. “I’m sorry. I will go to her at once.”
Eithan rolled his eyes pointedly.
Ciaska looked back and forth between them. Then she stepped out of the way, gesturing for Absalom to go through.
He strode past her, head down.
Ciaska stepped inside the room and made her way over to Jonas. She was so short that her head only came to midway up the big man’s chest. She slowly craned her neck up to look at him. “So, what have you three been talking about?”
Eithan spoke up. “I came in here to talk to Jonas about getting food, but—”
“I asked Jonas,” said Ciaska in a firm voice.
“Apologies,” said Eithan.
Ciaska reached out and made two fingers crawl up Jonas’s abdomen. “Well, big man?”
Jonas sucked in breath at her touch, flinching.
Eithan looked away, his gut twisting at the thought of Jonas’s discomfort.
“We were talking about food,” said Jonas. “Eithan said I’m to go and bring some back for Nicce. And then Absalom showed up, and he was trying to smooth things over with Eithan.”
Ciaska nodded. “Because?”
Jonas looked at Eithan, his eyes wide.
“Don’t look at him,” said Ciaska, reaching up to curve a hand around his jaw. “Look at me, hmm?”
Jonas focused his gaze on her. “Because Eithan is angry at Absalom for bedding Nicce.”
“Oh, for the gods’ sake, he hasn’t bedded her!” Eithan bellowed, standing up straight.
Jonas’s eyes widened even more.
Ciaska giggled, letting go of Jonas. She turned to look at Eithan.
“Has he?” said Eithan quietly.
“I… I don’t know,” said Jonas. “I don’t know any of it.”
“So, did Absalom tell you—”
“No.” Jonas shook his head. He was confused. He was doing his best to play his part, but Eithan could see he was worried he’d made a mistake, but in actuality, he had done well.
Ciaska giggled some more, but then her giggles faded and she regarded Eithan. “Are you playing a game, Eithan?”
Eithan’s turn to look confused. “What do you mean?”
“I like games,” said Ciaska. “But I don’t like it when you try to trick me. I hate being tricked. I know you know this about me.”
Internally, he felt panic flood him. “I do know this about you,” he agreed. “I assure you, I don’t have a lot of energy for games right now. I’m trying to… adjust to the new equilibrium at court.”
“Oh? What’s so new?”
He hesitated.
“Just her?” Ciaska’s expression clouded.
“And… you and me,” he muttered at the carpet.
Ciaska brightened, coming closer. “Oh, yes, you and me.”
Of course, hadn’t she said to him the night before that she didn’t want to bed him because then she’d have nothing to look forward to? But she wasn’t predictable, so he couldn’t hold her to that. And now, she was coming even closer. He went still all over, his muscles tensing.
She pressed her body into his, and he could feel her cold skin radiating through both of their clothes. Her hand came up and curved around his neck. She pressed her lips into his.
Cold terror flooded him. He fought the urge to shudder.
She pulled away, smiling. “If I find out that you’re lying to me, Eithan…”
He coughed. “I would never do such a thing, Exalted One.”
She snorted. She trailed her fingers over his shoulder as she left the room.
Eithan waited until she had gone and her mist had gone before he sagged against the wall, shutting his eyes.
Jonas’s voice was deep. “It gets easier.”
Eithan’s eyes jerked open.
“When she touches you,” said Jonas. “It’s always bad, but it gets easier.”
“She’s touched me before,” Eithan snapped.
Jonas looked away. “I was only trying to help.”
Eithan made a fist and studied his knuckles. He shouldn’t have snapped at Jonas. “I know. I’m sorry.”
“I’ll leave to get the food right away.”
“Thank you, Jonas,” said Eithan. “And this… we will be leaving this place. This will not last forever.” He was saying it as much to himself as to the other man.
* * *
“So,” said Nicce, “what is it that you usually do that’s so very charming?” She eyed Absalom, who she had spent the better part of the day with, and who had been mostly silent and grim. He was attractive enough, she supposed, if you liked the glowing eyes, which—well, she obviously had a thing for Eithan, didn’t she? Otherwise, she didn’t get it.
Absalom lifted a goblet to his mouth, smiling for the first time in hours. “Mostly, it’s winking, I think.”
Nicce’s goblet was empty. She was sitting at a table in the throne room with Absalom. They were in a corner, far enough away from anyone to look as though they were cozy and isolated and also far enough away that they couldn’t be overheard. Even still, they weren’t discussing anything about the plans. They were being careful. She ran her finger around the rim of the goblet. “Are you quite skilled at winking?”
“Oh, immeasurably,” said Absalom in a mock serious voice. “I spend an inordinate amount of time practicing in the mirror to perfect a roguish effect.”
She laughed. “That’s your appeal, then? You’re roguish?”
“Of course. I am the sort of man that women dream about, what can I say?” He took a long drink from his goblet.
“Ah, yes, well, I don’t know why I hadn’t seen it before. It’s obvious.”
“Isn’t it, though?” He winked at her.
She laughed again, throwing her head back, truly enjoying herself for the first time since setting foot in this court.
“I’m sorry,” said Absalom, setting down his glass. “Truthfully, I am terrified to interact with you too much.”
“Terrified? Why? Do you think I’m going to hurt you? I have no weapons.”
“My terror is of Eithan, of course. But I suppose that you are probably equally terrifying. I haven’t seen you fight, really, though. Eithan says, of course, that you’re extraordinary. But then Eithan is smitten with you, so…” He shrugged.
She felt her cheeks heat up. Smitten? Truly? No, of course, she knew this, and yet it all still seemed so unbelievable.
“The worst part is that we are all playing a part,” said Absalom, lowering his voice. “And Eithan’s part is to pretend to be angry with me. But he’s very good at pretending, so I can’t know if he truly hates me or not.”
“It was his idea for us to play at this,” said Nicce. “Surely, he can’t blame you for doing what he asked.”
“Eithan is…” Absalom leaned even closer, and his voice was quieter still. “He’s very controlled. He could keep himself from reacting to Ciaska. Most men don’t have that sort of control over their physicality, if you know what I mean? You’re the first thing I’ve ever seen Eithan react to without control. That terrifies me.”
She didn’t know what to say to that. She was blushing even harder, though.
“You know, I realize that I have made certain assumptions,” said Absalom. “But why are you here? How do you feel about Eithan? Because it doesn’t really make sense for you to want him. So, is this about the goddess for you? About revenge?”
She toyed with her goblet. “It’s not revenge, not exactly.” Her voice was very quiet as well. “I just… I feel as though I was meant for… for more. To do something important.” She shook her head. They were treading into dangerous territory. They could not speak of such things here in the throne room. “Perhaps we should change the subject.”
The Dead and the Dusk (The Nightmare Court Book 2) Page 9
