I stepped out of Rilen’s arms and stared hard at Roren. “I’ll be sleeping alone until all of you figure your shit out.”
I marched out and headed for the training range.
The bull’s-eyes would look more like Roran and Dorian than anything else.
Chapter Eleven
Kimber
The king was standing onthe roof, looking out at the Scar and Chasm.
I pulled the coat around me a bit tighter as I walked over to him. It wasn’t cold. It rarely reached truly cold in S’Kir, but it did snow once or twice in the winter months. We were still far from that, but the bitter chill nipped at my skin.
“Your Majesty,” I whispered.
He glanced over his shoulder, only to confirm that it was just me standing there. “Mistress.” His tone betrayed his anger.
Moving to stand next to him, I accidentally looked up to see the top of the Spine. I sighed and brought my chin back down to the Scar.
“Can’t get used to that,” I said.
Belshazzar tossed a chin at the Scar. “I can’t get used to that. It wasn’t there when… It was green, rolling hills, not jagged, broken rocks.”
“I didn’t realize that… The mountains were beautiful, even if they did divide us.” I stared through the wreck of S’Kir, grateful it no longer burned or smoked.
It was strange to stand next to Dorian’s twin. A brother none of us had known about, who had delivered the head of his son—that none of us knew about—to his feet. And now to have him stare at the same height of the Scar as I did, for different reasons, was wholly bizarre on so many levels.
“She’s going to be fine, sire,” I said.
He laughed lightly. “Gwen will pluck their eyeballs from their heads at the first bad look she gets from them.”
“That seems a little merciless.”
Another mirthless laugh slipped out. “Ruthless, Princess. Gwen is ruthless, not cruel.”
“Princess.” The word hissed out from between my teeth. “I’m not…”
“Your father was Savion,” he said. “He was a king. As his child, you are a blooded Princess of S’Kir. As Gwen was blooded Princess of Earth.”
“Her father was a king?”
“Lord Otto is the biggest pain in my ass, ever. But yes. Her father was king.”
“He’s alive?”
“Kings are not meant to be beheaded, Princess. They are meant to rule and step down with their queen.” Belshazzar shook his head. “That doesn’t always happen, of course, but that’s the way it’s meant to be.”
“Do you hate your brother?”
This time, the laugh was full and round and genuine. “Like any brothers, yes. Of course, I do. I hate his fucking guts. And at the same time, I was a bit lost without him.”
“Just like Roran and Rilen.”
“Just like your twins,” he nodded. “Splendid job landing three men in your bed, Princess. Few vampires could do that. It would end in a jealous blood bath.”
“What makes you think that it isn’t?”
Belshazzar nodded, the smile clear on his face. “I don’t think there’s so much blood as… other things, Kimber.”
