Page 26

26

Lorant

“ W ho are we going to kill?” Reyla asked in too perky a voice, pacing beside me down the road. Though I couldn’t see her, I could feel her. She’d hidden herself well in shadows, and I was incredibly proud.

And peeved that she’d insisted on coming along with me tonight.

“We are not killing anyone.” After that kiss, after her words sliced through any wall I might’ve erected between us, it was a wonder I could think, let alone talk.

This woman could rip me apart with only a few words. But she mended something inside me I hadn’t realized needed healing. And I’d not only lay waste to the world around us to protect her, but I’d also be willing to die for her.

Something that may very well happen.

“Who are you going to kill tonight then?” she asked. “I assume they deserve it.”

For endangering her? Yes, they did deserve death and so much more.

“It’s merely a conversation.”

She snorted. “I didn’t tumble off the dragon yesterday.”

I forced out a breath. “If he cooperates, he’ll hold onto his life. And stop playing with that nasty power. It’s stalking you.” I couldn’t quite see it, but I felt threads of it wavering in the air behind her, skimming in close as if to poke her in the spine before darting away.

“I’m not doing anything,” she said in complete innocence.

This woman. I’d like to drag her back to her bed with the blankets I’d crafted from magic for her and toss her on top, only to follow her down. I wouldn’t allow her to emerge from her bedroom until she was so well loved she couldn’t walk without grinning. I’d do that to her, with her, and more.

“You are. Leave it alone,” I snapped.

“Cranky tonight, aren’t you? Maybe once you release your pent-up energy on whoever’s caught your attention, you’ll smile. Laugh a little. Dance around a room or something.”

“I never dance around rooms.”

“Sometimes,” the wistful sound in her voice gutted me all over again, “I wish you would.”

“I’ll dance for you one day. Laugh with you. Smile.” She had all my smiles already. She just didn’t know it.

And one day, I hoped I’d have the chance to tell her.

I turned onto a lane leading to his manor house, the lights in his windows guiding our way. “What can I offer to convince you to remain outside while I enter?”

“Who’s place is this? It’s big. Gaudy, though. If he can afford all this, we need to increase his tilths. ”

So clever. “High Lord Zeiger lives here.”

“That sweet man who escorted me to Merrick prior to my crowning? You’re not planning to kill him , are you?”

“ Conversation , Reyla.”

“I’ve killed when it was needed.” Her mood suddenly dropped. “I’ll do so again to… You named it in the tower room. I will slay the world to protect those I love.”

Did I dare grab onto a scrap of Merrick’s hope? We had a little over four weeks left. Would it be enough?

I shrugged aside the emotions crashing through me. That was Merrick’s thing, not mine.

Or was it?

Sometimes I felt like we were blurring. We still ruled day or night with no crossing over, but when it came to this woman, we were equally shattered. We blended into one whimpering mass who’d crawl to her if she curled her finger our way.

“Hold onto your love, Wildfire,” I said. “You might need it.”

“Love isn’t something you cling to. It means nothing unless it’s shared.” She sounded so certain.

I stopped out of the clutches of the light spilling from the closest window and onto the path snaking over to the front door of the mansion. “Wait here.”

“Not happening. We’ve been through this already. Look at me. I’m the badass queen of shadows. I’m going with you. He won’t know I’m there.”

“He will if you keep chattering like you are now.”

It sounded like she shoved her words through pinched lips. “I can be quiet.”

I whirled to face her, reaching out to brace her shoulders but not finding her there. “Where are you?”

“See?” she said from my left side. “He won’t even know I’m here. ”

I didn’t like this. I should’ve tied her to the bed to make her stay behind.

But then I would’ve been too tempted to join her.

“You are to remain behind me,” I barked. “Don’t let him know you’re there. Eyes on me at all times. And?—”

“You know that’s an enthralling thing to say.”

I scratched the back of my neck. “What is?”

“Eyes on me. So domineering. Arousing.”

Fuck, fuck, fuck. “Don’t get aroused now.”

“I’ll try not to.”

My growl slipped out. “If I flick a finger your way, you leave without looking back.”

“I’m not abandoning you if you’re in danger. Never ask me to do that. Sacrifice isn’t only your middle name.”

Pray to the fates it never truly became hers.

“Behind me then,” I snapped, striding up the walk. I didn’t knock but used magic to open the door, stalking inside.

“Zeiger,” I bellowed. “Attend me.”

A woman stepped out of the parlor on my right, a duster in her hand and her mouth opening to release a brittle shriek. “What are you doing here?” She flapped her duster in my direction, her deep blue gown swaying with the movement. “Go away. You have no business here tonight, Viper .”

I could almost feel Reyla stiffening.

“Where is the exalted high lord?” I strode further into the foyer, peering around. Spying an office on the left, I walked toward it. “Tell him I’ll speak with him now.”

She shuddered and scurried down the hall, her long gray braid swaying on her spine as she darted dark looks over her shoulder.

I stepped into the office and walked around an enormous desk placed in the middle of the room with bookcases full of various volumes on two inner walls. A long bank of windows took up the right side, the darkness leaching through in inky bands staining the plush carpets. And on the final wall, near the arched entrance, I took in the long rows of mounted swords. Gifts from the king or other high lords, perhaps. Zeiger must be a collector. Lamplight winked off them as I turned away.

I sat in the chair behind the desk and hitched my boots up onto the lovely, smooth wooden surface in front of me, purposefully knocking things off to clatter on the floor.

Reyla glided across the room. I felt more than saw her, moving around to stand directly behind me.

“To your right a bit, if you please,” I said softly.

“Why?” she asked. “This place is as good as any other.”

Unless he threw magic my way. “You’re not being quiet.”

She huffed but moved.

“You,” High Lord Zeiger thrust himself into the room from the foyer. “Why have you come here tonight?”

“You know.”

He stalked toward me, a male still in his prime with broad shoulders, a narrow waist and only a touch of gray at his temples. “Leave my home this instant,” he roared.

“Now, now, there’s no need to be cranky.” I sensed Reyla biting back her snort. “It’s not like I’m sitting here in your office committing anything like…treason.”

I also felt her suck in a breath.

His lungs wheezed in and out, and he deflated before his posture tightened once more. His glare hardened as he stopped in the middle of the room, his feet planting on the rug as if he owned the world. “I don’t appreciate uninvited guests barging into my home,” he spat, his hands curling into fists at his sides. “Especially those making reckless accusations.”

Reckless? Hardly. The man reeked of calculation, each sneer and insult weighed carefully to needle me without pushing himself too far. He knew what I was, what I could do. He also knew how precarious his position would be if he showed even a hint of fear. Zeiger thrived on power, and power didn’t stumble, not without dire consequences.

I leaned back in the chair, savoring how it creaked in protest. My boots, still propped on his desk, scraped along the polished wood with a groan. The sound dragged through the room in a deliberate insult.

“Accusations. Me?” I kept my voice low. “I'm here merely to ensure you're still loyal to the crown.”

His mouth twitched. “You’ve lost your way in the dark, Viper.” He forced his stance wider, an attempt at a show of dominance that didn’t land. “Whatever you’re searching for, it isn’t here. Go back to whatever it is you do with your nights. The king may tolerate theatrics, but I do not.”

“Humor me.” I tapped one finger on the arm of the carved wooden chair, the rhythmic knock slicing through the room. “Remind me where your loyalties lie, will you, High Lord ? Are you still a friend to the king and queen or…” I dug my sharp gaze into his face, watching for the slightest crack in his facade. “Has your loyalty wandered elsewhere?”

His nostrils flared, and a flicker of uncertainty darted through his eyes. He crossed his arms over his chest and smirked, though it slipped at the corners of his mouth. “The king knows I’ve always served him loyally. I’m sure the queen knows as well. There’s no need for cheap games. You’d serve yourself better in asking questions outright, instead of poisoning my home with insinuations.”

I caught the faintest rustle. Reyla, listening. She wouldn’t interrupt, but knowing she was near sent my thoughts tipping out of balance. I kept my voice level, allowing only a hint of amusement to thread through it. “Let’s not insult each other like this, Zeiger. If your loyalty is steadfast, you won’t mind a simple chat. ”

His jaw locked, and his expression remained venom laced.

“King Merrick believes you’re a trusted ally. A voice of wisdom and reason in a court overflowing with ambition.” I lifted my hand and pretended to study my nails while, instead, I watched him from the corner of my eye. “But even the most loyal allies can falter. Pressure, secrets, even outside influence. These things could twist even the most resolute lords.”

Zeiger’s scowl deepened, and he straightened his shoulders. “You have no proof of anything, and if you think I’ll entertain a baseless interrogation, you’re mistaken. My actions speak for themselves.”

I leaned forward, planting my boots on the floor with a heavy thud. My quiet voice cut through the room. “Your recent actions concern me.”

“The kingdom has thrived under my counsel,” he bit out.

“For now. Please make sure you don't step into the wrong corridor. Someone might mistake your intentions.”

His mask slipped, his lips parting as though to retaliate before he caught himself and tightened his face.

“You escorted the new queen to Merrick. A grand gesture of allegiance. Yet on nights like these, it’s the whispers, not the shouts, that the king hears the loudest.”

“I owe you no explanations.”

“No, but you owe the king and queen everything, and you'd be wise not to forget it.”

“Leave my home,” he snarled. “You have no power here.”

“Is that what you truly believe?” I didn't miss the subtle shake of his hands.

“You're grasping at mist, Lorant. Your innuendos won’t change my place in this court.”

“Status is such a fragile thing. Don't you agree? Yours appears swayed by conversations conducted in moonlight. Take care where you tread.”

He glanced away for only a moment. “I serve the kingdom, as always.”

“Then there won't be any issues, will there? Don't let your ambition confuse you about who wears the crown.” I stepped around the desk, stalking through the space between us. “Make your loyalty known, High Lord, and do it soon and without question before someone misreads your intentions. Or worse, exposes them.”

“Don’t threaten me,” he growled.

I paused as I was passing him. “I never threaten. I act.” Done for the evening, I continued toward the foyer, sensing Reyla following.

See? No assassination needed.

A clang behind me was followed by a whoosh.

A torturous grunt.

And a heavy thud.

I spun, a blade already in my hand to find Zeiger lying on the floor, a sword in his grip and one of Reyla’s special blades buried deep in his back.