Page 58 of Queens

Rexton’s nostrils flare as he brings the mug I provided to his mouth, the action subtle but damning. He suspects I’m trying to poison him. He still doesn’t trust me, not in the slightest. I don’t entirely blame him.

He takes a long sip of his drink, in no rush to acknowledge my statement.

“Do you have any friends, Cassia?” he eventually asks.

What kind of question is that? Of course I have friends. I’m not some fucking outcast. I rack my brain, searching for a name.No one immediately comes to mind, and I suck my cheeks into my mouth as my anger flares.

I have friends, don’t I?

Do I not have friends?

Jassy is the first person who comes to mind, but she works for me. She’s paid to spend time with me. Do Valeria and David count? They’re my siblings, and I usually hate them, but they know me better than anybody else.

I can’t think of a single other person.

“Exactly,” Rexton says. I hate how he reads into my silence. “I may not have spent much time with you and your siblings, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t care. Luca was an innocent child, and Charlie was my best friend. I’m not ashamed I took action against the woman responsible for inflicting her pain. You’d understand if you had friends.”

I lean back in my chair, unsure how to respond to that. I was only five when Luca died, and I have few memories of him and the years immediately after his death. My parents don’t like to talk about him, Aziel specifically. Everybody struggled with his death, but Aziel took it worse than the others.

He disappears every anniversary of Luca’s death.

“Anyway.” Rexton clears his throat, changing the subject. “What’s this idea you’re convinced I will dismiss?”

I straighten up. “It’s about the military bases you’re proposing.”

It’s been a month of intense meetings, and the generals are finally on board with the budgets and timeline. The idea will be presented to Aziel in two days. I was asked to attend, but not to participate in the presentation.

“What about them?” Rexton asks.

I sip my drink, taking a moment to organize my thoughts. I’ve prepared a thousand different scenarios for this meeting, but now that I’m here, my nerves are getting the better of me. Ican’t remember the last time I was this anxious. It’s unusual for me, and I blame Rexton.

I’m watching my kingdom slip further and further from my grasp, and there’s nothing I can do about it. Everybody is on Rexton’s side, and he’s too strong to force into submission.

The stress has begun to affect my work.

“You’re building too far south,” I finally say. “Greed’s army would attack farther north, where the mountain range is thinner and easier to teleport across. That’s where we should build.”

Rexton leans back in his chair. “We’ve been working on this plan for the better part of a month, Cassia.”

I nod. “I’m aware.”

“So why wait to share your hesitation until two days before we present to Aziel?”

The honest answer is because I want Rexton to fail. I believe Aziel will have the same concerns as I, and he’ll urge Rexton to revise the plan. He won’t approve of it as is, and the setback will knock Rexton’s ego down several pegs.

It’s why I initially decided not to say anything. Guilt has been settling heavily in my chest, though. It’s not for Rexton, but for Wrath. I have to put the kingdom’s best interests before my own.

“Because I wanted you to fail,” I admit. “But not at the cost of Wrath’s defenses.”

Rexton raises a brow, but he doesn’t seem overly surprised. I’m hoping my honesty earns me some goodwill. We haven’t had any progress this past month, and I’m willing to show a little honesty and vulnerability if it helps win Rexton over.

I’m not excited, but I’m willing to do it.

“And why have you brought this up privately?” Rexton continues. I’m getting tired of his prodding. “Why not wait until tomorrow’s meeting with the larger group?”

I suck my cheeks into my mouth. “Because it took me years to earn the trust of the generals, and even now, they barelytolerate me. I don’t want them to know I was intentionally keeping my concerns from them. They’ll never trust me again.”

It’s a vulnerable answer, one easy for Rexton to use against me. I’m pretty sure this is exactly what I need to do to earn his trust. He keeps me at arm’s length, and I’m hoping that arm will soften if he believes he has leverage over me.