Page 9 of A Queen’s Game (Aithyr Uprising #1)

Chapter Five

Marietta

T he door latched behind Keyain as he stepped into the room. Marietta’s heart jumped to her throat as she scurried backward on the bed. “What is this?” Marietta asked. Of all the people to attack her, why hadn’t she considered him?

“Marietta,” he whispered, eyes wide as he approached, “it’s been so long.” His hand reached out to her, but she pressed her back against the wall.

“For a good reason,” she hissed. “Why am I here? Where’s Tilan? The nurse said my husband was coming.”

His hand fell, as did the look of hope on his face. Keyain swallowed hard as he said, “I am your husband.”

“No, no, no….” If she was in Satiros because of Keyain, then her situation was worse than she realized.

With bile rising in her throat, heart thundering in her chest, Marietta jumped from the bed, past Keyain.

After two steps, her vision turned white, her limbs weak beneath her. Keyain caught her as she collapsed.

“Please, you must rest.”

With the slight effort she could afford, Marietta pushed him away. “I asked where my husband, Tilan, is.”

“Mar, I—”

“You don’t use that name. Not anymore.” Hot tears blurred her vision. A hasty hand wiped them away as she glared at Keyain.

“Okay,” he said, holding out his hands. “You’ve been through a lot. It’d be best if—”

Keyain reached for her, and Marietta smacked away his hand. What right did he have to bring her to Satiros? “Why am I here, Keyain? And where in the hells is Tilan?”

“Do you remember what happened to Tilan?” he asked, taking a step towards her. “He’s gone, Marietta.”

Gone. Tilan was truly gone. Marietta’s breath hitched as tears spilled from her eyes, mouth quivering as she yelled, “What did you do?”

“Hush, please.” He reached for her again, Marietta’s weak punches powerless against his embrace. Keyain’s lips grazed her forehead, the touch scathing. “The soldiers said your injuries were severe, that you hit your head hard.” He paused with a deep breath. “I’ve missed you so much.”

She thrashed against him, screaming into his chest. His touch was familiar yet foreign from memories she’d long blocked out. Marietta needed to break free—to escape.

In a blur of motion, her knee found his groin, jerking up into his crotch as she darted away from him.

Even in his pain, Keyain’s size and strength held her to his body.

As his arm shifted to her face, Marietta bit down and broke his skin.

Dropped from his hold, she fled for the door.

The handle was in her grip. She pulled with all her strength as Keyain’s hand landed next to her head on the door, slamming it shut.

The bastard. She wouldn’t stay there. Not with him. Marietta swung her hip into him to shove him out of the way, but his mass held. Her limbs were leaden as she tried again, failing in their weakened state.

Keyain wrapped her in his arms, whispering into her hair. “I know it’s a lot to take in,” he murmured to her. “I’m so sorry the humans have tricked you so.”

“What are you talking about?” Breath snagged in her throat as she looked up at him. Was he always that tall?

“The Enomenoans took you from me. And now you’re home, my wife.” He whispered as he guided her back to the bed.

“I’m not your wife,” she hissed.

With his strong arms, Keyain placed her on the bed as he knelt beside it with his face, keeping his face level with Marietta. “You are my wife.” He moved a stray curl of hair from her face, the gesture too personal, too sensuous.

“You’re a liar,” she whispered, her voice fraying with emotion. “Why am I here? What did you do?”

“I saved you, Marietta. It took longer than I would’ve liked, but it was now or never.” His thumb rubbed over the top of her hand.

“Now or never?”

“Olkia is now under King Wyltam’s rule. We besieged the city after my team extracted you.”

Marietta smacked his hand away. “That isn’t true.”

“It is. It’s a wonderful success for us in Satiros. That includes you, Lady Vallynte.” A soft smile formed on his lips despite the sadness in his eyes.

“Don’t call me that.” The walls of the room pressed in, threatening to smother her. “If Olkia fell to Satiros, that means your King has damned my home.”

“Hush, Marietta. It’s alright. Please, don’t cry.” He pulled her tight to his body.

Numbed, she barely registered her tears that fell.

Marietta struck his face with a weak effort, the hit darkening Keyain’s expression.

Her entire body shook. “I told you no, I would not marry you, and I made that very clear. The last time we spoke, I said I never wanted to see you again.” Didn’t he get over their relationship?

Her voice cracked. “I married Tilan, not you.”

A vial appeared in his hand from his pocket, filled with a light blue and milky substance. “I didn’t want to do this, but it’ll help with your emotional pain.”

Marietta scrambled away from him as he brought the vial to her mouth, her voice thick. “I want nothing from you. Not now, not ever.”

“Marietta, please. It won’t knock you out again; it’ll just take the edge of pain off. The doctor wants you to take it.”

As he leaned into the bed towards Marietta, she pressed her body against the wall. With the uncorked vial in one hand, his other grabbed her jaw, forcing it open as the contents emptied into her throat.

The thick substance was like syrup, slowly dripping down and causing her to gag.

Keyain held her mouth shut as she attempted to spit it out.

Only when he was sure it had gone down did his grip loosen, her body falling into him as energy fled from her.

Keyain placed her down on the bed, his hand rubbing circles on her back.

Some things never changed. Unattainable goals were challenges to Keyain. Anything was possible with a plan. He had tried to control Marietta’s life—which she never wanted—but it seemed his efforts had paid off. Marietta was in his custody, so he would get everything he wanted.

His touch, once welcomed, felt like a thousand needles pricking across her skin.

His smile and his laugh once made her chest tighten with happiness.

Being in his home city-state, getting a glimpse of his other life, once would have thrilled Marietta.

At one point in time, he was her most trusted friend, but now, with Tilan dead and her city seized, Marietta learned how far Keyain would go to get what he wanted.

Marietta wanted to believe the Keyain that she once knew disappeared, replaced with an evil, ruthless version of himself.

But that wasn’t true. His smile, his touch, and his tenderness were still the same.

His affection was so much like the day she left that it was unnerving, sending chills down her spine.

Keyain’s cruelty had always been there; he had always been this version.

She just never saw it until now. The anger subsided, replaced with a depth of sadness and mourning that left her breathless.

Her reality hit her again; Keyain had taken everything from her.

She had learned that hurting others wasn’t above him the night they met, and yet, she would never have thought he’d be okay with attacking an entire city, killing innocents as they slept in their beds.

Sorrow washed over her, first a slow wave, then heavy crashes, threatening to drown her as breath lost its grip. Grief took her heart—for her lost city, for her friends, and for her husband.

As the drugs took hold of her consciousness, her world faded to black.