I steeled myself and headed for the door. “How long?”
“Four days, Mistress Breaker. Just four.”
It seemed too long.
At least now, I could regain power without actual sex.
Just something so utterly sensual and powerful—and forbidden—I wasn’t sure Dorian would forgive me for it.
JUST TO MAKE SURETHAT EVERYONE KNEWwhat an asshole he was, Savion moved up the audience day.
Aiko and Kane were scrambling to try to fix the plans to get me out, but they couldn’t sort it. Not without risking my life.
I wasn’t keen on dying.
So instead, they decided to come up with another plan, and I wound up going to his open audience for the people of East S’Kir.
Also known as another bloodbath.
Savion adored taking heads off. It was some kind of sick game for him.
This time, though, the audience was held in the fountain entrance, and the doors were wide open. I stood at the end of the railing of the balcony and could see straight out into the courtyard and beyond.
The Arch of Life was there, Kane and Aiko had explained in hushed tones and quietly slipped away.
Lord Billan stood next to me, and he was also acting funny about the arch. He kept giving it the stink eye.
Finally, I’d had enough waiting and leaned over to him. “My lord, could you please explain what exactly it is we have to fear from this arch? Everyone is… panicked.”
“You don’t have an arch?” He seemed amazed.
“No, we don’t. We never did that I know of.”
He blinked and knitted his fingers a few times before answering me. “The Arch of Life shows everyone their death. We all hold secrets here, my dear Mistress Breaker, and this is not the way you want to leave or enter the castle.”
“Magic?” I asked.
“Ancient, old. A gift from the Three.”
I stared out the door. “Has the king ever walked through?”
“Not that any of us have seen. Odom said that he did once, ages ago when the Spine rose. Just once. And only four people saw him.” Billan leaned forward and glanced at Savion ensconced on his makeshift throne. “He’s vowed to kill the other three.”
To kill? That meant that the people who had seen him were still alive.
Solid money on Dorian being on that list.
Was there anyone that man hadn’t pissed off?
Staring out the door with Billan, I was quietly glad that Aiko wasn’t there. Things had gotten awkward between us since the Blood Rite.
I thought we were becoming friends, but it seemed that his taking my blood—and the subsequent orgasms—had strained him. I didn’t understand, but I stayed back, respecting that he needed the distance.
I missed him, really. I needed a friend. Kane wasn’t in that category, Odom was gone—and Savion hadn’t noticed—leaving Aiko.
This Breaker of the Spine crap was tough on me.
Toss the Bright Sword thing on the pile, and I was really crumbling internally without Roran, Rilen, and Dorian there.
