Larylis handed him a book. “The map is in this one.”
Teryn gathered it up, assessing the worn brown leather cover embossed with a simple gold title that read:The Once and Former Magic of Ancient Lela. He flipped open the cover and thumbed past the title page until he spotted the map Larylis had mentioned. It displayed an enormous land labeledLe’Lanaand was marked by numerous rivers, forests, mountains, lakes, and streams. As interesting as it was to study, it didn’t resemble Lela at all.
“Told you,” Larylis said with a crooked grin. “Rubbish. I won’t be offended if you’d rather not burden your saddlebags with my useless notes.”
Teryn handed the book back and traded it for his brother’s notes. “I’ll take it. It’ll remind me of home while I’m gone.”
“You mean, rubbish notes to remind you of our rubbish kingdom that’s about to be sunk by pirates?”
Teryn landed a playful punch on his brother’s arm. “Exactly.”
Larylis laughed but his mirth quickly fell away. “I feel like I should be going with you.”
“I feel like you should too, but you heard the princess’ terms. She wants her champions working alone. Besides, you’re needed here. You’ll have to carry the mantle of prince while I’m gone.”
Larylis huffed a dark laugh. “You and I both know that isn’t true. A bastard cannot be a prince.” His expression fell, reminding Teryn of how he’d looked the day of the Beltane festival. That, of course, only served to recall what Larylis had said about having kissed Mareleau. He’d claimed not to have feelings for her, but Teryn couldn’t help wondering…
As if Larylis knew exactly who’d sprung to Teryn’s mind, he said, “Don’t get yourself killed for that thorny harpy, all right?”
Teryn lifted a brow. “You clearly have no faith in my hunting skills.”
“Oh, I have faith in your hunting skills,” Larylis said as he rose from his seat. “It’s sleeping in the dirt for nights on end that will be your downfall.”
“Who says I won’t be sleeping at an inn every night?” he said in jest.
Larylis squeezed Teryn’s shoulder with a mock pout. “Aw, that’s adorable. Looks like you’ll need my notes after all.”
Teryn returned the squeeze and left the library. His conversation with Larylis had momentarily lifted his spirits, but now his stomach was sinking back into its familiar state of dread. There was no denying it any longer.
It was time for the Heart’s Hunt to begin.
15
Cora dreamed of blood again.
The stench of it was overwhelming, the cloying tang searing her throat. She stood in the doorway of the room with the bed, a tray of tea and cookies in her trembling hands. She already knew something was wrong, for she’d begun following that tug of unease before she’d picked up the serving tray. But seeing all that blood, those sheets soaked with red, the queen lying limp with sightless eyes that stared at nothing…
Cora’s scream shattered the air, and the serving tray tumbled to the ground at her feet. Only then did she notice the figure who stood at the side of the bed. Duke Morkai whipped his head toward her, his hair a slash of black tinged the slightest bit blue where it was struck by the lantern light. His face was all hard lines and sharp edges, making him appear both ancient and ageless at once. Like a statue chiseled to capture a famed faerytale hero. Or a villain, perhaps. Her breath caught when she met his eyes. His pupils were black and so large they swallowed the whites that should have framed his irises. He stood with one hand raised several inches above the body of the queen. Specks of blood rose from the sheets toward his palm. As if he were…hiding the blood. Somehow. It made no sense, but one thing was clear.
He’ddone this.
Cora bit back a cry and slowly inched away from the door, hardly daring to blink as Morkai pinned her beneath his unsettling stare. Her foot hit a slick spot on the marble floor.
Blood.
No, tea from the broken teapot she’d let clatter to the floor. She staggered to right her balance, and when she next locked eyes with Morkai, his appearance had changed. His eyes were no longer black but an icy pale blue contained to his irises. Blood no longer rose to his palm, and his hand was outstretched as if in plea, not…whatever it was Cora had thought she’d seen a second ago.
“Don’t just stand there,” he said, waving her inside the room. His voice trembled with distress. “Help the queen!”
Cora shook the conflicting images from her mind and rushed across the threshold. Morkai shifted to the side to let her take his place. She assessed Queen Linette. Blood trailed down the woman’s cheeks, her nose, her mouth, soaking the collar of her dressing gown. Nausea churned Cora’s gut as she gathered the queen’s cold hand in hers. “I don’t know—”
“What have you done?” The voice was soft. Anguished.
A glance over her shoulder revealed King Dimetreus standing in the doorway, eyes wide with terror. Duke Morkai stood just behind him. When had he left the bedside? The duke leaned close to the king and lowered his voice to a whisper. “You recall what she said to the queen earlier.”
Cora blanched. She knew what Morkai was referring to, but…but…she hadn’t meant it! She’d regretted what she’d said to Queen Linette the moment the words had left her lips. It had been an outburst, not a threat. The words had sprung from the anger of a twelve-year-old girl, nothing more. Besides, what didthathave to do withthis?
King Dimetreus’ expression turned hard, jaw set as he burned Cora with a glare. “You did this.” He stormed over to her, his voice rising to a growl. A yell. “What have you done?”
