Page 22

Kronk heaved a massive sigh. “And they claim I’m thick headed.”

“Do tell us, oh great master of denial,” I said, “why are you not going to prison?”

“Because, unlike you peasants, I am valuable.”

I was beginning to think Custodis enjoyed my reactions to his ridiculous statements. There was no other explanation for the crap that spewed from his lips. I schooled my expression, refusing to give him what he desired.

“How so?” I asked.

“I am Victor Custodis, Clan Leader of the Eastern Realm. A legend in my world. I’ve centuries of experience in leading armies. Oversaw the rise and fall of dozens of kingdoms. Guided many infamous rulers to victory.”

Goodbye composure. Fury rushed my veins so fast I feared my brain would explode. “You intend to offer your services to the false king? To aid his cause?”

Of all the things the leech had said and done, this one hit its mark, slashing at me with claws and fangs.

“Runa,” Kronk said softly as though he feared anything more may set me off.

“And you believe we are the fools,” I said in a voice so icy even Drazen shivered. “You have no idea the crimes the false king has committed—the destruction he has caused both to the realm and those seated before you. But, by all means, if you desire to pledge your loyalty to him, do so. The two of you deserve each other.”

For once, the vampire fell silent, seeming to ponder my words.

“If this is not my best course of action, then educate me,” he demanded in that annoying way of his. “I am a reasonable male, after all.”

“Reasonable. Ha!” I narrowed my gaze at him.

I was growing familiar with his ways. He wanted information, but instead of asking, he tried to manipulate me into telling him. Still, I conceded, curious about his reaction.

“Very well. The throne of Carcerem is carved into the base of one of five sacred arbors. Millennia ago, the great goddess Hathor gifted each of her favorite kingdoms one of these trees. Sadly, due to war, neglect, and greed, only a few remain. Those kingdoms that were able to protect these sacred treasures were blessed with magic in the form of obsidian. Carcerem’s tree is the heart and soul of our kingdom. An organ pumping life into everything it touches. Those who sit upon these thrones are tasked with regulating that power. Only a child touched by the divine can handle such a monumental task.”

“A descendant of the gods?”

“That’s right. Only one who is god-touched can claim the throne. Lesser beings cannot control the immense flow of power and are incinerated by its strength.”

“And the current king?”

“While Idris has the blood of the gods in his veins, he is the worst of all the kings before him. His body may be strong, but his mind is diseased. When his father died, he inherited the throne. From the moment of his coronation, those of us whowere connected to the land knew he was a false king. When the sacred arbor rejected him, Idris retaliated, finding a way to steal what he desired, sucking the life from our great arbor’s roots. That deficit affects all of us. Crops wither, animals sicken, rivers run dry.”

“So, with this magical throne comes immense power.”

I clenched my jaw. “Is this all you took from my explanation?”

“Yes. Yes.” Custodis fluttered his manacled hands. “So, your crops are diseased, and your oxen lean. Nature has a way of weeding out the weak.”

Surely, even Victor Custodis could not be this callous. “Those who defied the false king were made an example. Families were murdered, children orphaned, and entire villages were burned to the ground. If that wasn’t bad enough, those who survived had their free will stolen. The milky eyes you see on the guards? The false king uses his gifts to exert his will on his followers, making them his adoring slaves.”

Custodis’s brow furrowed, and his expression turned condescending. “These matters involving monarchy are rarely personal. For a new king to come to power, there are those who must fall.”

Furious tears stung my eyes. “You would not be so cocky if it were your family, your village,your sister.”

“Runa,” Drazen entreated. “The leech isn’t worth it. Don’t waste your breath on him.”

I inched forward on my seat, peering into the vampire’s heartless visage. “Perhaps this is why you yourself were kicked out of your world. Because you were the weak, insignificant thing that stood in the way of the new king.”

To my delight, Custodis’s disdainful expression slid from his face.

“You know nothing,” he snarled.

Ah, I’d hit a nerve. “Don’t I? Explain to me again how youwere banished, oh, great one.”