“It means going to Fisa.” Griffin’s voice is like a gathering storm. “I don’t want you anywhere near there. Nearher.”
Mother. Yes, sheisa delight.I set down my glass. “You want to conquer Thalyria. That includes Fisa. What do you expect me to do while you’re at it? Ignore my Dragon’s Breath? My ability to turn invisible? To detect lies? To steal magic? Sit on my knowledge of creatures and royals and Oracles? Play with my knives instead of using them? Justwaitfor you? I might as well go back to the circus,” I say hotly. “At least I’d be entertained.”
I glare at Griffin. Griffin glares back.
“Should I lounge around eating sweets and fanning myself all day?” I ask. “Maybe in my nightgown? If I get bored, I’ll call in some pages to distract me.”
A muscle jerks in Griffin’s jaw. Maybe I went too far.
“You can steal magic?”
“Turn invisible?”
“Detect lies?”
The questions come from around the table.Damn it!I forgot I was keeping all that a secret from everyone except for the members of Beta Team. Besides Griffin and Carver, everyone in the royal family thinks I’m simply a soothsayer, reading people in some mystical way.
In the next second, I realize I don’t care. I trust them. Betraying me would mean betraying Griffin, and his family would never do that. I keep that knowledge close, just like the knowledge that Griffin loves me, no matter what. We both get angry. We both get over it. In the meantime, maybe I can get him to spank me.
I turn invisible to hide a completely inappropriate grin.
Gasps!
I pop back into sight when my face is under control.
“Really useful,” I announce. “In case you were wondering why I showed up so late, I spent half the realm dinner night invisible and detecting lies. I get burned to a crisp on the inside every time I hear a falsehood, and then the truth slams into me like vicious little punches all over my body, especially my head. It was a hoot.”
The family gapes at me—which is always satisfying.
I turn back to Griffin. His expression is stony and unreadable, although if I had to take a wild guess, I’d say it was tending toward ominous.
“I’m not staying here to write sonnets to Cerberus,” I tell him. “I’m called the Kingmaker for a reason. I go with you.”
Griffin’s eyes darken. He flashes me a look that promises…something.
“The Kingmaker,” Piers echoes with a jolt.
Heard of me, has he?I’m not surprised. He reads a lot of old scrolls.
“Go where exactly?” Egeria asks, her now worried gaze shifting back and forth between Griffin and me.
“To the Ice Plains,” Griffin replies stiffly. “That’s where magical creatures are.”
His entire family erupts in unison. It’s impressive.
“But we have our own Ice Plains to the north,” Carver finally says over all the denials and arguing. “Why go all the way to Fisa?” He shakes his head in confusion, setting loose a few strands of jet-black hair that curve toward his angular jaw.
I think what he really means iswhy go anywhere nearthat death trap at all?Carver is an expert swordsman, lean, sinewy, and strong. He’s smart and fast, but magic leaves him out of his element—and possibly with no means of defense.
“Because the Ipotane could be anywhere from our northern border with the Ice Plains to Mount Olympus in the far northeast. We need someone to help us locate the herd and tell us how to ensnare it. A Chaos Wizard lives just over the Fisan border, on the south shore of the Frozen Lake. I think he can help us.”Or, more to the point, I hope the Gods will.
“What are Ipotane?” Kaia asks. She’s young, southern, and Hoi Polloi—all good reasons she’s never heard of the creatures.
“They’re like Centaurs, only fiercer. Bigger.” I look sternly at her from under lowered brows. “Something you never want to meet in the dark. Or the day.”
Kaia’s blue-gray eyes go wide and sparkle with curiosity. She giggles.
“A single blow from one of its massive hooves will crush a man’s rib cage. A human skull doesn’t stand a chance. One flick of its long tail feels like a hundred lashes from a stinging whip. Two flicks will flay the skin and muscle from your bones. They have glowing, amber eyes that can see farther than a hawk’s, and equine ears that can hear a man unsheathe his sword from a mile away. They don’t eat meat, but I’ve heard they bite.” I snap my teeth at Kaia, and she giggles again. I probably shouldn’t joke. Ipotane are no laughing matter.
