She furrowed her brow. The three kingdoms of southern Risa hadn’t been called Lela in hundreds of years. If Morkai sought to reform Lela…
“That’s the reason for the war,” she said. “You want to conquer Menah and Selay to rule over all three kingdoms.”
“Dimetreus wants to conquer Menah and Selay. I am simply helping him execute his plan.”
She shook her head. Regardless of what Morkai tried to insist, she knew better than to attribute any of this to her brother. He may have been signing the documents and approving the plans, but every seed was being planted by Morkai. “You just said you’d one day be king. How in the name of the Mother Goddess is that possible?”
Morkai lifted his chin and pinned her with a sly grin. “I am Dimetreus’ heir.”
“No. No, you’re…you’re a duke. My brother gave you that title. You didn’t inherit it. You hardly earned it. You’ve no royal blood. I…”
“Oh, did you thinkyou’dbe his heir? Think twice, Aveline. To the rest of your kingdom, you’re still dead. There is only one way you will ever be considered his heir again, but that’s a conversation better left for when we’re alone.”
Cora shuddered at the thought of being alone with him. The coach ride had been enough.
Morkai turned to Teryn and Lex. “Let’s get things moving, shall we? Prince Lexington, my offer to you is simple. You’ve seen my power. You’ve met my wraiths. I assure you the king’s living army is equally as impressive. Dimetreus’ reign over Lela will come swift. Unless you leave Ridine Castle as an ally, we will come for Tomas next. We will wipe out your pitiful kingdom in a single day and put an end to every life you cherish.”
Lex’s face was pale as he fumbled with the hem of his waistcoat. When he spoke, his voice was a trembling whisper. “What must I do to be an ally?”
Teryn stiffened.
“Go home, gather your father’s army, and send them to me,” Morkai said.
Lex’s eyes went wide. “His…army.”
“I’ll even take half,” Morkai said with a smile that didn’t meet his eyes. “Believe me, you will get far more out of an alliance with King Dimetreus than you will with Prince Teryn. Whatever belongs to Menah will soon belong to Lela instead. It’s a simple choice, really. Life or death to put it plainly.”
Lex took a step away from Teryn, his eyes on his feet. “When…when can I leave?”
“You can leave tonight if you wish. It seems someone has taken the liberty of readying your horse.” Morkai shot a glare at Teryn at that last part. “However, I will send you home in the king’s own coach. You can stay at the finest inns along the way.”
Lex lifted his head at that. “Will the king pay for my meals too?”
“Anything you like,” Morkai said, an edge creeping into his voice.
“All right,” Lex said.
Teryn turned slowly toward him. “Lex.”
“I’m sorry,” Lex muttered. At first, he couldn’t seem to meet Teryn’s eyes. Then his expression shifted, turning to steel. “You know what? I’m not sorry. You dragged me into this and I’ve still yet to understand how or why.”
“Lex, I wanted to tell you—”
“No, it’s too late for that. I’ve been asking you to explain what the hell is going on ever since we met Mister Scary over here. All I’ve come to glean—on my own, mind you—is that you’re a liar.” He jabbed a finger toward Teryn, then pointed at Cora. “You’re a lost princess, and you…” He shrank back as his eyes landed on Morkai. “Well, you have ghosts, an army, and a monster and I’m terrified of all three.”
“The only sensible one of you all,” Morkai said under his breath.
Lex returned his attention to Teryn. “From what I understand, you already made a deal with the king in exchange for some bounty. I’m only following your lead.”
“It’s not like that.”
“It doesn’t matter,” Lex said with an exasperated shrug. “I understand duty as well as you do. I also know how to identify the losing side in a battle. You forget, Tomas has watched two kingdoms fall to Norun. We’ve already done too much to keep from falling next.”
“So you’ll help him destroy my kingdom instead?”
“I’ll do whatever it takes to save those who are important to me. Trust that.”
Teryn’s throat bobbed, his expression pained.
