Page 35 of Kiss of Death

I’d hit rock bottom.

I sat in front of the fireplace and let myself cry in privacy, no longer needing to appear strong for my soldiers because the battle was over. Now, I was just a daughter who grieved her father, who grieved the man she loved.

A knock sounded on the door. “Queen Rothschild, General Viper is here to see you.”

I sucked in a hard breath and wiped away my tears with the sleeves of my sweater. I brought myself as close to calm as I could reach before I called out, “He may enter.”

The guard let Viper inside, as always dressed in his full armor and cape like it was a gesture of respect to be fully clothed in my presence, even though I wasn’t his queen…or anything else.

He entered the sitting room and looked at the fireplace instead of me as he sat down. It took him a moment to turn to look at me directly. “Still no change?”

I shook my head. “No.”

“Don’t give up hope. It was a deep wound.”

All I did was take a breath. I didn’t have the heart to hope but didn’t want to give up either. “If it doesn’t work, I have no idea what to try next.”

“You could administer it differently. Consult with the elves of Riviana Star.”

“Queen Eldinar is sending another healer who will be here tomorrow.”

He nodded. “You will find a way.”

“But if this isn’t the platinum, I don’t know where to find it.”

“Who told you platinum was the solution?”

“Callum.”

There was a quick reaction in his eyes, a cloud of suspicion. “And you’re certain he’s right?”

“That’s what Riviana told him.”

“But you didn’t hear this from her?”

“He would never deceive me. Just because he’s the god of the underworld doesn’t mean he’s evil and vile.”

“With all due respect, it doesn’t sound like a job a good man would ever take.”

“You don’t know him. You don’t know his story. And I’m not going to share it with you, because it’s none of your business.” He hadn’t even confided in me, just vague pieces of it.

Viper looked at the fire again and let the silence fall like snow for a while. “I don’t say these things to provoke you. I say these things to help you.”

“Questioning the integrity of the man I love is not helping, Viper.”

“I’m not questioning the man you love, but the demon that rules the underworld. And once your family knows exactly who you’ve given your heart to, they will question it far more than I ever have.”

“He’snota demon.”

“Just because you’ve never seen that form of him doesn’t mean he’s not.”

“All I care about right now is my father, and you’re provoking me.”

“I’m simply questioning the source of your information because I’m trying to help you.” It was the first time he’d lost his temper, his eyes hardening in anger, his nostrils flaring like he was about to scream.

I turned silent, having not seen this side of him before now.

He looked at the fireplace again and rubbed his knuckles with his palm. “It’s time that I return home. My men have recoveredand are anxious to return to their families.” After another pause, he turned to look at me. “But I’ll stay if you need me.”