She hurriedly stood to curtsey. “Your Majesty.”
I frowned at theYour Majesty, then felt a chill fall over me like a shadow. Literally.
That explained her lack of a cold shoulder.
“I am not here to interrupt,” Carmine replied to the crimson. “Go on as usual. I wish to sit here with my future queen.”
Ick.I shuddered and ignored him when he sat on the couch beside me. Gratia glared at him, then marched across the room to a group of chatting mothers.
“Why is your power so depleted?” Carmine wasted no time in asking. “When you agreed to train with my army, I naturally assumed you would give it your all. That’s twice that you have been unable to present a real challenge for my soldiers. Do I need to remind you that this is your trial?”
The thing about being a mother? Sometimes my head was too full for more bullshit, and so my mind did this thing where it just let the extra bullshit bounce away. “Let me know if I fail the trial, Carmine. Otherwise, get to the point.”
I was already chilled by his presence, so I could guess his icy alter ego was present.
“Why were you in the middle realm yesterday afternoon?” he demanded.
He had PMS every second day—that was my lead theory. “I was upholding my end of a deal. I told you that my strategy in Tiers was different this week.”
He paused. “What was the deal?”
I really hoped the red had already relocated his family. “Confidential.”
“Not if your king commands the answer, enamai,” he said in a silken voice.
I arched a brow. “I guess if you were my king, that would be the case.”
Carmine’s face was carved of ice. “Do I need to remind you of my power again? I had thought we were past that after Tygrio.”
“You proved very little with Tygrio. But if you must know, I tried to heal a child’s sickness. The healing failed, and his sickness accelerated. He will die soon.” I let every bit of guilt and grief over Grandfather’s execution rise up to fill my voice.
In the hour I’d had in the desert before returning to the fortress last night, Athira had confirmed that my grandfather was gone. I hadn’t asked how or where he was now because such things were obvious. She would have taken his head to Carmine.
As if echoing my thoughts, Carmine asked, “Will you say nothing about your grandfather? I told you what I would do.”
So you can’t blame me.“Why would I say anything to you about my grandfather? I understand everything I need to about who you are, and so none of your monstrous actions will ever surprise me.”
“Ever is a long time,” he replied after a beat.
Everwasa long time. But I only needed days—hopefully. Because Athira had delivered more bad news to me last night. They’d come across company close to the magus-demon gates. Athira had created a diversion so Tempest could slip into the nearest passageway to a gate.
In short, Athira hadn’t actually seen Tempest escape with her eyes. My twin could be wandering around demon gates right now. And if I searched for her, then I risked alerting Carmine to her escape and whereabouts.
She should have escaped by now, but my divination power pulsed in a low warning that made me hesitate. I needed to take care in this matter in case something was amiss. “Is that all?”
A ball rolled our way, and I leaned down to catch it.
A young demon blurred our way, then froze when she realized who was before her.
“It’s okay,” I said softly. “Would you like your ball?”
The girl nodded, and I rolled the ball back.
Carmine’s gaze was drilling into my face. “Perhaps our mating holds no joy for you now, but there will be daughters in your future, Syera. Many of them if you will surrender your body. Life will not always feel so lonely and empty.”
Bitterness filledme.“Daughters. Will you kill my sons at birth or sixteen, I wonder?”
“Birth,” he immediately said. “I cannot allow myself to become a broken king.”
