Page 37 of Reign of Stars and Fire

Memories of Davorin’s cruelty had a way of poisoning my mind. The things he would do to me now if I was brought to kneel at his feet suffocated me into a debilitating numbness. I couldn’t fight. I could only think of fear and the frenzy in my mind.

You promised, Saga. Ari’s voice pleaded. I tried to drown out the fear by replacing the sneer of my former consort with the fierce eyes of my husband. I’d promised I’d be there when he woke; I intended to keep that promise.

“Fight him, Bo!” The words slid through my teeth. “You can fight him. Come back to us.”

Bo’s nose crinkled when his lips curled, but deep in the inky veins in his poisoned gaze, was a flicker of recognition. A softness, deep and buried. The sleeve of my tunic slid up, revealing Riot’s royal seal on my forearm. With a swift glance, Bo studied the mark, then met my gaze again.

“Bo, don’t—” A scream burst from my throat when all at once Bo collapsed, cradling his wrist that had bent at an odd angle.

He cried out in agony, but it wouldn’t last. A burst of dark mist swallowed us whole. I coughed against the smoky filament and stumbled back when Bo’s broken grip finally released its hold.

On hands and knees, I coughed and shouted for Calista.

The burn of the smoke drew splashes of tears on my cheeks. I couldn’t see a damn thing. Then, it ended.

As though a breeze fluttered through the clearing, the smoke was swallowed up again. The Borough guards, Bo included, were slumped over, sleeping. Their chests rose with deep, peaceful breaths.

I flipped onto my back and scrambled away when three hooded figures stood amongst the warriors picking pockets and snatching the blades. The tallest of the three tossed a pouch of coins between their palms. The smallest spun a jade crusted dagger in their grip. After a moment, the small one tossed back the hood.

A lanky boy with messy dark hair and a sly grin glanced my way. He pointed the dagger at me, chuckling. “Nice touch with the wrist, don’t you think, thrall?”

He was familiar, but my mind spun too wildly to place him. Not until the other two figures removed their cowls.

Niklas Tjuv and his wife, Junius.

Niklas tucked the coin purse into his trousers, eyes on me, and threaded his fingers with brass rings. The man had shaggy brown hair to his shoulders, and tattooed runes coated the tops of his hands and over the front of his throat.

Niklas was tall, not as sword strong as Ari, but he was not the kind of man I’d like to meet in the dark. The way he smiled when he met my stare left no doubt he knew how to stick a blade through the flesh with enough finesse the victim would never even know they were dying.

His wife kept her hand on his bicep. Her long ebony braids spilled over her shoulders, and kohl along her cheeks and eyes darkened her brown skin. They were clever; I’d witnessed how Niklas used his skills with potions and poisons, how Junius devoured the lies of others to entrap them.

“Glad to know you got my missive.” Calista hopped off the top of a boulder. She stepped between us, to protect me or to greet them, I couldn’t tell. “Didn’t know you’d be bringing the bone breaker, but I’m not complaining.”

Calista winked at the boy.

One side of Niklas’s mouth twitched. “Ash was in Skítkast when Junie got your note.”

“No question, you just left?” Calista rubbed her chin. “I feel a tad powerful.”

Niklas chuckled, his gaze jumping to me for half a breath. “Junie didn’t taste a trap, and you used some impressively ominous language. Plus you asked for unique elixirs made to target corrupted blood. What Elixist could say no?”

I glanced at the sleeping guards, lost to the smoke when we still stood. “You were able to target their blood without . . . without knowing the affliction?”

Niklas sneered. “Impressive, aren’t I. Now, what is this about Ari and the end of our kingdoms? Tell me the chatty bastard isn’t making a go for another throne. We’ll never hear the end of it.”

They were jesting, but talk of Ari rammed into my chest.

“Oh, he made a go at a throne all right,” Calista said. She jabbed her thumb over her shoulder at me. “But maybe you ought to hear it all from her.”

“The treasonous thrall?” Niklas folded his arms, a wicked kind of grin on his face.

I wasn’t convinced he’d let me speak long enough to explain myself before he used whatever poisons he had on his person to send me to the Otherworld.

Niklas was still, but Junius studied me.

“I’m Junius, in case you didn’t know, and I have a few questions for you.” She crossed the space to me. “Have you harmed Ari?”

“No.”