Kallin sighs as he runs a hand down his face. “That is enough for today. We will resume questioning tomorrow morning when hopefullyeveryoneis ready to cooperate.” He sends a pointed look my way. I fight the urge to roll my eyes, standing whenKallin turns his attention to my father. “Three groups of guards have been sent to retrieve Nox.”
That stops me in my tracks.
“On whose authority?” the king asks, standing from his chair and bracing his hands on the table.
The council is quiet, all save for Daje’s father who stands as well. “The councils. We voted on it earlier today.” Hadrik’s eyes narrow, a vein throbbing in his forehead as he stares at his fellow councilman. I know Hadrik well enough to know that if he didn’t tell my father before the meeting, there is a reason. Likely one that originated from Kallin. “They were told to return him here by any means necessary, short of killing him of course.”
“His magic is still weakened. Hehimselfis weakened! To sendourguards after him like he is some type of criminal—”
“He is!” Borris booms, slamming his hand on the table. “He defied our orders to leave that lyingwhoreof a woman. He defied our orders when he left his kingdom to chase after her, clearly willing to draw a line between choosing her and choosing the duty he was born for. He—”
“Why did you call her a liar?” I ask, interrupting his rant. His face turns a hideous shade of red as he begins to sputter something, only stopping when Kallin holds his hand out.
But it’s Councilman Arav who answers my question. “She claimed to be from Santor, which as you know borders Galina. Someone tipped us off that no record of her there existed.” His light blue eyes, a shade darker than Cass’s, glitter beneath the light of the chandeliers while his lips pull definitively to the right. “I had my own people confirm it. She was lying about who she was.”
My father shakes his head. “You did not think to come to me with that discovery?”
“I did not think you could be trusted to tell your son that the woman he so clearly loves is a fraud. I think when it comesto him—to both of your children—you do not approach them with the thoughts of a king. You approach them with the actions of a father, and while it is admirable, that behavior can be dangerous. It can make you blind and complacent.”
I turn towards the door, my boots heavy against the stone as I push it open, nearly running into Cass on the other side. I had said practically those same damn words to Kai, even though the circumstances are so very different. Yet here stand men ready to rip a family to shreds over the perception of a king who could not choose between his children’s happiness and the duty his council swears he owes to the kingdom. It is madness.Lunacy.
“Bahira.”
I know instantly who calls my name, and I freeze halfway down the hall while I wait for him to catch up. “You were right,” I tell him when he comes into view, stepping to my side and crossing his arms over his chest.
“What do you mean?”
“When we rode together to Starla’s Flame Ceremony. What you said to me.” He doesn’t answer, though something shudders in his expression. I bank my anger, storing it deep within as I face him fully. “You said that I should be wary of the rumors that surrounded mysleeping habits,for they could ruin my reputation. That it wouldtarnishit. It must please you to know that you were right.”
He frowns, letting his hands fall to his sides. “Nothing aboutanyof this pleases me, Bahira. Absolutelynoneof it.”
I let my gaze rake over his face and find that I believe him.
Needing to be anywhere else, I head towards the front exit of the palace, passing the guards at the doors and those at the bottom of the stairs. Both groups eye me warily, but there must not have been direct orders from Kallin to keep me here, so with their stares heavy at my back, I follow the stone pathway that leads out into the forest until the palace is no longer in sight.
I navigate the closely growing trees, taking a hidden path that I’ve traveled a hundred times over as a child until I pop out at the edge of Galdr’s center plaza. Folding my arms over my chest, I brush past those mingling between shops and aim for the tavern tucked into one of the large albero trees.
The door swings open as I step through and release a breath, pathetically grateful that, unlike everything else in my life, this establishment hasn’t changed since the last time I was here. It’s crowded, loud and boisterous voices coming from the tables dotting the space. A few curious eyes glance my way as I head to the bar, but no one attempts to speak with me as I take a seat and order a drink. One shot turns into two and then three and four, a pleasant numbness settling over me. I ignore that inner voice that tells me this is a pathetic way to deal with my problems and order a fifth shot.
“Hello, Bahira.”
Fuck me.I give the man now at my side a look that relays my annoyance, only to find that he misses the cue. Gosston’s eyes are bloodshot, evidence of just how much time he’s already spent here. I ignore him as I down my next drink, wincing from the taste before lifting the empty glass to signal the bartender for another.
“Well, isn’t this a familiar sight—the princess come to drown her troubles!” he drunkenly shouts. The men around him laugh, except for one.Max. He stares at me with wide eyes, like a child caught stealing in a candy store. Gosston leans in close, his breath hot on my cheek. “Just like the last time I saw you.”
“Funny,” I drawl, tapping my nails against my shot glass as I look at him. I take in his messy curly black hair and his glassy gaze, my nose wrinkling in disgust. “Because I remember you on your knees before me the last time I saw you.”
The men let out low noises of amusement, and Gosston’s lips lift into a sneer. “Thanks toDaje. I had you at my mercy likethe magicless whore you are before he swooped in to rescue you. Ever the fucking savior.”
“Call me a whore again,” I say, gripping the shot glass in my hand. “Go ahead.”
“Maybe don’t do that,” Max pipes up from the back of the group. But the rest of the men around him egg Gosston on, obliging to the alcohol in their veins that is encouraging them to act like the fools they are. Gosston rolls his shoulders back, stumbling into one of his friends before they help straighten him back up. Adrenaline sparks like lightning within me, my muscles tensing as his lips form the words I hoped they would.
“Magiclesswhor—” Glass shatters on the side of his head, sending him sprawling onto the floor where his blood leaks onto the stained and worn-down wooden planks. The tavern falls silent as I flex my hand, hissing at the sting from the shards of glass embedded in my palm. Gosston’s friends all stare with mouths hung open, only Max brave enough to step forward. He looks down at Gosston, nudging him with the edge of his boot before his gaze finds mine, a brow raised.
I offer him a wide smile as I turn back around and signal the bartender. “He should have kept his mouth shut.”
Chapter Thirty-Nine: Nox
