Page 8 of A Storm in Every Heart (Enchanted Legacies #2)
Jett grins at me before he puts his head back down on his hands. I’ve always appreciated Jett for somehow understanding that I don’t like being stared at, but I would rather die than complain about it and appear to be begging for pity.
“I doubt it’s because of your appearance,” Fox says, interrupting my thoughts.
“Care to elaborate?” Daemon asks.
Fox looks pained, the same way he always does when he has to explain anything. “She’s essentially your sister. It’s obviously about an alliance.”
“There hasn’t been a land war between kingdoms in centuries,” Daemon argues. “Why the fuck would Hydratta need an alliance like that?”
“Everyone knows that Thermia is becoming increasingly isolated,” I say slowly. “No one really knows what’s going on up there and Vernallis is physically between Hydratta and Thermia. Maybe they’re thinking long term “
Daemon looks contemplative. “That’s possible. Not that it matters. You’re not fucking going.”
My back stiffens at his statement, not because I disagree but because it’s so final. As if it’s not my choice to go…not that I would.
“What’s so wrong with Hydratta?” Aurelia asks.
Rather than answering, Daemon looks annoyed at the door. “Where the fuck is Kas?”
“Come on Ashwater,” Jett says with a roll of his eyes. “You don’t need Kastian to be here to explain the problem—not when nearly everyone already knows.”
“Fine,” Daemon growls. “Kastian is the last remaining member of the former royal family of Hydratta.”
A silence follows his statement and I glance around the room judging everyone’s expressions.
I’m only a little surprised that hardly anyone looks as if this is news.
Alix is examining her nails, Jett looks excited, and the only person who looks confused is Aurelia—and perhaps Fox, but it’s hard to tell.
I suppose it makes sense. Daemon and I have always known Kastian’s secret, and at some point I assume Daemon told Alix.
I understand that Jett and Fox were unaware the entire time they were all trapped in Dyaspora together, but since then Jett has become the court spy and if no one told him, he obviously worked it out on his own.
“Well with that out of the way…” Alix shrugs awkwardly.
Daemon puts both his palms on the table and leans forward, his gaze intense.
“The current King of Hydratta used to be an advisor to Kastian’s father.
Decades ago, Magnus Von Bargen staged a successful coup and his soldiers killed Kastian’s mother and three sisters.
His father, the king, was kept alive and tortured as a message to anyone who might oppose the coup, but he eventually died too. ”
“How did Kas survive?” Fox asks without inflection.
Daemon shakes his head. “No one knows, but for some reason they spared Kastian and sent him to prison instead. I always assumed it was because he was the youngest.”
“Why would that matter?” Alix asks, her brow furrowing.
“Because killing children is extremely taboo,” I explain.
Alix holds her hands up, counting on her fingers. “He wasn’t a child though…right?”
“Not technically,” Daemon replies, “But we live so long that socially you’re hardly considered an adult until around thirty. It’s definitely possible that’s why he was spared.”
Everyone around the table nods in benign understanding, except for Alix whose brow furrows. “So murder is all fine and dandy but you draw the line at killing teenagers?” she asks sarcastically.
“Yes,” Daemon says flatly, throwing her a sideways glance. “You know justice is handled differently here than in the human realm.”
“I know, but it just seems a little trivial. If he was thirty would they have killed him without thinking twice about how honorable it was?”
“It’s not about honor,” I cut in. “It’s more of a superstition. Fae believe killing a child will curse you with decades of misfortune. The belief probably comes from the fact that we don’t have many children to begin with. Kastian had sisters, but that’s very unusual. Most Fae only have one child.”
I glance around the table. No one contradicts me which I assume means that everyone here is an only child—well, except for Daemon and I, but we’re not really siblings.
More importantly, no one seems surprised that I know so much about this. Perhaps they assume that Daemon told me, or perhaps it simply hasn’t occurred to anyone. I’d like to keep it that way.
“So this king let him live due to superstition?” Alix clarifies.
“That’s not why.”
The door creaks open behind me and I stiffen as Kastian’s presence fills the room. Everyone looks up at him.
“Then why did he let you live?” Daemon asks.
“Because he’s a fucking coward and couldn’t look me in the eye while he did it.
” Kastian closes the door behind him and leans against it, crossing his arms. “My entire family were powerful magic wielders. Magnus was only able to attack them because he used accomplices and ambushed them in their sleep. I happened to wake up as Magnus and his guards were entering my room. They restrained me before I knew what was happening, but Magnus couldn’t kill me while I looked him in the eye.
He ordered I be banished to Dyaspora instead. ”
A ringing silence follows his explanation. My breath catches in my throat and I can’t keep myself from staring at him. As much as I knew about his life before, I’ve never actually heard him explain how the court of Hydratta fell. My chest constricts. I can’t breathe.
“That’s fucked,” Jett bursts out, helpfully breaking the tension. “But if that’s who we’re dealing with then why are we still just sitting here? Let’s kill the emissary. Or better yet, maim him and send him back to his king with a warning that we’re on our way to take back Hydratta.”
“Both have occurred to me,” Daemon grumbles darkly. “But emissaries are peaceful messengers, if we kill him it would give Hydratta an excuse to start a war with us and we can’t handle that right now unless we absolutely have to. We’re still recovering from the curse.”
Fox cocks his head to the side. “We’re not far off from being able to handle a war…give me six months.”
“No,” Kastian says flatly. “There doesn’t need to be any war and we’re not going to take back Hydratta.”
“But it’s your kingdom, right?” Alix asks.
Kastian shakes his head. “Not anymore. I don’t want to go back to Hydratta. Most of the continent has believed me dead for decades, I’d rather keep it that way.”
I can see the confusion on everyone’s faces—they don’t understand why Kastian wouldn’t want to be the king even to take revenge. I understand; I understand perfectly , but I can’t say anything even if I wanted to.
“We’re not talking about overthrowing Magnus right now,” Daemon says, sinking back into his chair. “I’d like to avoid a war with Hydratta, not start one…at least not for six more months.” He nods to Fox in acknowledgement.
“I didn’t hear anything about you while I was hanging around the ships in Hydratta,” Jett says to Kastian. “I don’t think this is about you, Hydratta probably hasn’t even realized you’re here.”
“Right,” Daemon agrees. “As far as Magnus is concerned, he’s been ruling unopposed for decades. I don’t know why he’d want an alliance with us but it’s likely unrelated.”
“So, we’re back to the marriage issue,” Alix sighs, turning to me. “Obviously, he can ask all he wants but you don’t have to say yes. Magnus seems to think we’re operating like it’s the 12th fucking century over here and have the authority to sell you to him for six cows and a duck.”
I can’t help the corners of my mouth tipping up. Half the time I have no idea what she’s talking about, but the sentiment is clear in her tone. “Thanks, I think.”
“I think we should wait for the emissary to arrive,” Daemon says. “We’ll tell him a marriage isn’t going to happen and send him home. If Magnus knows what’s good for him, he won’t press the issue.”
“We should probably accept that we’ll need to send our own representatives to Hydratta,” Alix says to Daemon. “For diplomatic relations or whatever.”
Once again, the urge to say that I could be the ambassador is almost overwhelming. I know I could handle it, even with the added complication of a rejected proposal.
But for some reason, I can’t get the words out and before I’ve worked up the courage to ask, Daemon is standing up and signaling the end of the meeting.
Jett pushes his chair back and stands, intentionally bumping into my shoulder as he does. “Don’t look so moody, Dessa.”
“I’m not,” I say quickly, standing as well.
“Don’t worry, if that prick in Hydratta really pushes it I’ll marry you instead.”
I choke. “Oh really?”
“Sure, why not?” He grins. “Just picture how beautiful our kids would be.”
I start to laugh, but it quickly fades away when I turn around and find Kastian glaring at us. His glower pierces through me with a ferocity that far exceeds any anger he showed when discussing the death of his family.
My tumultuous temper rises, and I can’t help myself. I flash him a brilliant smile as I flounce out of the room.