A cough sounded from behind Malachizrien. Exercising what little movement his iron grip allowed, Kadeesha craned her neck to just barely see over his shoulder. His cousin Trystin was leaning forward on his throne. His elbows rested on his knees and his hands were folded under his chin as he peered at her and Malachizrien in amusement. Nychelle simply looked bored.
“Nephew.” Nychelle’s word was toneless. It carried neither the authority of a command nor the beseechment of a plea. But Malachizrien immediately released Kadeesha all the same.
“If you move to attack me in my own home again, you die,” he told her plainly, and then turned and strode for thedais. Her throat burned like she’d swallowed flames. However, she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of rubbing where it hurt worst to ease the ache. Not when she was quickly seeing that, much like the way of the southern monarchs, everything Malachizrien did held a message. A purpose. And the message he snarled at her by turning his back to her and then stalking away was clear:You are no threat.
Her hands clenched at her sides as he ascended the dais and settled onto his throne again. “Now that the most important point has been stressed,” the northern king said smoothly, “you are before us because my auntie would like a word.”
“I would,” said Nychelle, eyeing Kadeesha with … something other than disdain or rage at attempting regicide against her nephew. If Kadeesha didn’t know better, she’d say Nychelle now regarded her with interest. The queen mother rose from her throne, the gauzy skirt of her blue gown swishing around her legs. A thick braid encircled her head to cast a halo effect, and a silver circlet inlaid with smooth onyx stones rested atop it to add to the look. Her gown was sleeveless and her cleavage ample. Silver arm cuffs and bangles decorated both her arms. Kadeesha took all these details in because she couldn’t look away from the queen mother as Nychelle descended the steps of the dais. It wasn’t her near-painful beauty that was so enthralling. It was something more potent—her very deportment. The veryaurathat composed who she was, for even the air around Nychelle seemed to still in awe of the woman as she moved. Nychelle stopped directly in front of Kadeesha. She reached out a hand and fingered the capped sleeve of Kadeesha’s wedding dress. “I know from rumors that you didn’t desire to marry that brute of a man,” Nychelle said. “But tell me, dear, do you actually desire to be married at all?”
Kadeesha blinked. She hadn’t expected that question. “No.” Her shock made her answer Nychelle truthfully. “I am the heir of the Aether Kingdom. I wish to continue to be its heir and the general of my squadron.”
Nychelle raised a brow as if she didn’t believe Kadeesha’s words. “You didn’t want the exalted title that marrying Rishaud would’ve bestowed upon you? You didn’t want to be theHyperion high queen? Many women, most women, within the southern lands would kill for the chance, no?”
“No,” Kadeesha affirmed. “Not me. Especially when all of Rishaud’s former queens have been killed. I don’t wish to pay for the honor of being the Hyperion queen, or even high queen, for a handful of years with my life. Even if I could tolerate Rishaud, the cost is too steep,” Kadeesha answered, uncertain where the queen mother was going with her questions.
Dropping her hand from Kadeesha’s sleeve, Nychelle nodded. “Smart girl. Fierce too,” she added with an appreciative lilt to her voice, although Kadeesha bristled a bit at the idea that she neededheraffirmation about who or what she was. A reaction that Kadeesha thought the queen mother noticed, because a small smile appeared when she said, “Which is why I asked to chat with you.”
“Care to elaborate on what that reason is?”
“I wanted to talk because I believe my nephew, though a shrewd king, has been shortsighted in his initial negotiations where you are concerned.”
“Which means …?” asked Kadeesha warily.
“You left a mother, one of the now-dead king’s concubines, back at the Aether Court, yes?”
Kadeesha blinked at the abrupt change in subject. “Why is my mother any of your concern?” she gritted out.
“Tell me,” Nychelle probed, “what fate do you think will befall your mother now that your father, her generous benefactor, is dead?”
Kadeesha fought to keep her temper in check and not jump to unproven conclusions. “Are you threatening my mother?”
“I assure you, I am doing nothing of the sort,” said Nychelle coolly. “I am merely expressing a curiosity I hold about the workings of your court when there is a transfer of power. Do your people value their women, Archprincess? Especially elder women, known for their entanglements with and loyalty to the old king?”
“My mother will fare fine,” Kadeesha said in a tone as bland as Nychelle’s. She wouldn’t speak it out loud, but that was mostly because there would be no transfer of power yet. Sylas had died with Kadeesha as his sole heir. She might not be around currently to take up the mantle that belonged to her by birthright, but Samira and Leisha were still in the Aether Kingdom and would tell her people where she was and the reason for her absence …
“And what of the Hyperion king?” Nychelle asked.
She hadn’t thought of that.
“Your betrothed’s vengeful nature is widely known,” the older woman said. “Have you considered what will happen when Malachi’s plan is set in motion and Rishaud becomes enraged over Malachi flaunting you throughout the Apollyon Court? What do you imagine will become of your mother then?”
Kadeesha reared back as if slapped. She should’ve already considered the wider reaching consequences of her decision to leave with Malachi; shewould’vealready weighed them if she hadn’t made the bargain while being engulfed by terror and griefover potentially losing Samira. Now that her head was clearer … dread sank its talons into her. Rishaud would most certainly torture Yashira or outright kill her just to hurt Kadeesha.
She saw the exact moment that the queen mother recognized Kadeesha had come to the expected realization. The one thing Kadeesha wasn’t sure of, though, waswhyNychelle wanted her to reach this conclusion.
“What’s the additional bargain?” she hissed. Because that was the reason Nychelle had brought this up in the first place: She wanted something from Kadeesha and was using Yashira’s life as leverage.
“It is a very simple one,” Nychelle said. “We will send people to retrieve your mother and bring her here where she’ll be treated as a guest of our court, not a prisoner. In exchange, you will swear an oath to uphold the exact bargain you and Malachi made and see it through to the end, plus you’ll swear that you’ll do so without trying to assassinate my nephew from within his own home or any other place on Apollyon soil.” The queen mother pinned Kadeesha with a look that made her feel like an insect being studied. “My nephew might be of the opinion that you don’t pose a threat either way, but I didn’t live to be an Ancient by taking any chances.”
“I won’t consider that unless you make an exception for self-defense and agree that such an oath of no harm is immediately voided upon Rishaud’s death,” Kadeesha automatically countered. She inclined her head toward Malachizrien, who sprawled lazily on his throne as if he’d grown bored. “I am sure your nephew doesn’t mean for me to live beyond the purpose he wants to use me for, so I want to be able to defend myself when that time comes.”
And burn his heart to ash instead.
Nychelle looked back at Malachizrien, who shrugged from his throne, as if weighing the entire matter was beneath him. But then he nodded his head once.
“Your request is reasonable. The royal family accepts it as part of our bargain,” Nychelle told Kadeesha when she turned back to face her.
“I have my own conditions to add,” Kadeesha rushed out, because they were far from finished. Nychelle had made her think of something that all the chaos of the last few hours had almost made her forget. And it was another thing that should’ve been at the forefront of her mind this whole time. The fact that it wasn’t …Damn it, she was smarter than that. “My mother isn’t the only family I have that’s vulnerable with me having all but vanished,” she said to Nychelle. And if Rishaud couldn’t get ahold of Yashira to exact his temper on, then he would go after others precious to Kadeesha. “I request sanctuary for my squadron of Kongamato Flyers and our kongamatos as well, under the same conditions that you are willing to welcome my mother into your court.”
