Page 131 of The Queen’s Shadow

“Flashing your powers in a parley, Zayne? I didn’t expect such terrible etiquette from someone as highborn as yourself.” Kieran drawled. Zayne just gave him an easy smile back. I had seen him use that smile countless times when Ash Nevra and her inner circle would make their monthly visits. I shuddered. He always seemed to use that smile moments before something terrible was about to happen.

“You can never be too careful.” Zayne said pleasantly. “Just an extra precaution to ensure our peace talk remains… peaceful.

“Who said this was a peace talk?”

Zayne’s eyebrow arched and his smile darkened. “I suppose I was right then, to take precautions.”

Lightning cracked overhead and Elektraz screeched. A subtle shiver ran through the army that stood waiting behind Kieran and Nytara.

“Touché.” Kieran smiled. I glanced back and forth between their deceivingly civil expressions, nervously fingering the shadowstone blade. Maybe they didn’t have The Flute with them. I supposed it might have been too much of a risk that Zayne could force one of them to hand it over.

“Prince Zayne. First, I would like to offer my condolences for the death of your sister. Vespara’s death weighs heavily on all of our hearts.”

Zayne’s eyes flashed, but he chuckled. “I am sure she is thriving in whatever hell was twisted enough to lust after her soul.”

“Indeed,” Kieran smirked. “I sense that with the death of your sister, The Court of Greed’s allegiance seems to have shifted in this war.” He gestured to where I stood. Zayne subtly moved, putting himself more solidly between myself and Kieran.

“Prince Zayne, our courts have been allies for millennia. Would you truly throw that all away on an empty promise from the False Queen?”

Zayne held up both hands before himself and examined them with mock scrutiny. He then feigned an inspection over the rest of his person, tugging on the lapels of his leather waistcoat, as if checking for stains.

“Strange… I don’t see a slavery bond? I suppose her promises aren’t as empty as you claim.” He raised his hazel eyes in challenge to meet Kieran’s. “What has your Queen ever promised me, other than several lifetimes of pain?”

Hearing Zayne refuse to acknowledge Ash Nevra as his queen sent a nearly visceral shock of surprise coursing through my veins. Kieran’s smile dropped from his face, at the implication.

Zayne had more or less admitted allegiance to Raven, directly to Ash Nevra’s bonded. Nytara’s eyes shot back and forth from where she remained, frozen by Zayne’s osteomancy. I couldn’t read her expression at all, but her lips were pursed and her eyes were wider than I had ever seen them.

“Our Queen is prepared to make you an offer.” Kieran said, intentionally ignoring what Zayne had just implied. The Bone Prince cocked his head to the side, examining his fingernails, as if the conversation were boring him.

“Is she now? Color me intrigued. What is it that your Queen wants?”

The subtle jabs back and forth were growing tedious. I narrowed my eyes. Why was he even bothering to ask what she wanted? I gripped the shadowstone blade tighter. If he showed any signs of switching sides I would stab him right here, right now.

“Give us the shadowstone blade that your precious little whore holds, and Ash Nevra will make you King. You will remain free, and she will take you as her mate, solidifying the bonds between our courts. You will be equals, and rule over The Dominion together.”

Zayne froze at Kieran’s words, and it felt as if the very air around us turned to ash. I tensed, watching Zayne in horror as he considered the offer. I tightened my hold on the shadowstone blade. They could take it from me over my dead body. I had already died once today; I would do it again before I let them have it.

“Kieran,” Zayne drawled, and I thought I heard a small hint of a threat in his voice. “You must truly think I’m a fool. Ash Nevra would never allow me to remain free. She will never share power, and whatever perverted form of mating she is offering is not something I’m particularly interested in. If you want the shadowstone, you will need to try to take it by force, I’m afraid.”

“You didn’t seem to have a problem with the Queen’s idea of mating when she was gracious enough to allow you the opportunity to bed that bastard whore.” He sneered, pointing to me.

Lighting flashed overhead again, and Zayne fell still. I felt his aura flare, and for a moment I thought the crack of thunder was the sound of Kieran’s neck snapping beneath Zayne’s grip. Thankfully, I was wrong. Zayne had not killed the wizard, despite the violent promise in the air as his sanguineous aura roiled around us.

If he had killed Kieran in a parley he would have likely died as well. Who knew if that consequence would have extended to me. With both of us dead, The Siren and her forces would have had nearly unfettered access to Midasara.

“If you survive the night, and I hear you call Cerenah a whore in my presence again, I will shatter your skull.” Zayne threatened, his voice was so low I could barely hear him over the roll of thunder overhead. “Turn around now. I will not forfeit the shadowstone blade to you and I do not recognize your Queen. You will not penetrate these walls. If you try to take Midasara, I will show you why this city has not been breached in over a thousand years.”

With that, he turned on his heel and roughly shoved me toward the door to the city without so much as a glance in my direction.

I watched a muscle in Zayne’s jaw tick as the heavy sandstone door closed slowly behind us and I wondered, for a moment, why he would care at all what Kieran thought of me.

Raven

We arrived at the gates to the city where Cerenah met us, showing us the way to the top of the wall. Zayne was uncharacteristically quiet. He looked out at the terrifyingly silent army that waited outside of the gate, both palms flat on the parapet of the wall.

I listened as Cerenah filled us in on the parley they had just conducted with Kieran, and I pursed my lips.

“I still don’t understand why they want the shadowstone.” I murmured, and Zayne scoffed in annoyance, pushing up off the parapet finally and turning to face us. He sneered down his nose at me.