James closed his eyes, his head throbbing as he pleaded to the stars to keep Ahnna safe.
Wasted pleas, because if it had all gone to shit, Ahnna would be inthe thick of it. Fighting for her people right up until her last breath, knowing he’d failed her on every level.
“We can do all that with James dead.” George gave a sharp shake of his head. “He’s a threat to Virginia, and I can’t tolerate that.”
“We are united in our desire to protect my daughter.” Alexandra’s tone was soothing, but her eyes were cold. “Yet I must remind you that William wept when he believed James dead, and grief might incline him to believe Ronan’s accusations. Whereas faced with the bastard who made his life miserable, the bastard who is trying to ruin Virginia’s reputation, the bastard who is actively scheming to steal his throne, William is unlikely to believe a damned thing Ronan says. Emotion is a formidable weapon, Georgie. You need to learn that.”
There wasn’t an ounce of decency in her chest, and James’s skin crawled as he stared into the monster’s eyes.
“We’ll keep him alive, then.” George picked up the shovel. “But do you also require him to be well?”
“Not at all,” Alexandra said with a smile. “Just ensure that he still appears a worthy threat. William has such a soft heart for those weaker than him.”
Georgie swung.
And darkness fell once more.
82
Keris
Keris stood at the window,staring out at the clouds surrounding the Sky Palace, his fourth drink of the day in hand.
They were dead.
Lestara had arrived bearing the truth of what had happened in Ithicana. Poisoned grain and corpses littered through the bridge, Amarid gleefully taking advantage of Harendell’s ignorance. All of Verwyrd was screaming outrage, and William had apparently sent ships to trap Katarina as she tried to make a deal with the Maridrinians. She was to be killed on sight for crimes against humanity.
But her death would not bring his family back.
The family dead at the hands of the queen Keris had pushed them to ally with, and there was a big part of him that wanted to open the window and take the long fall so as to escape the burden of guilt weighing upon his soul.
Thud.
Keris flinched, then realized the noise was not a body hitting stone but the door shutting behind him. Familiar footfalls filled his ears, then Zarrah wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her cheek against his back.
“We don’t know for sure that they’re dead,” she said softly. “It’spossible that they’re in hiding, regrouping, and we need to put our heads toward how to aid them.”
“Of Lara, I might believe that. She’s strategic and is willing to bide her time.” Keris swallowed a mouthful, the liquor burning down his throat. “But Aren would not hide while his people died. He wouldn’t hide while Amarid spread across Ithicana. And to fool Amarid, there would need to be corpses. You can’t fake corpses. How do we know that one of those tiny graves isn’t—” Keris broke off, unable to say it.
“Delia is too young to eat bread, so banish that thought.” Zarrah’s breath caught, and he felt the dampness of tears soaking through his shirt. “Do not discount them just yet.”
“It’s my fault.” Not allowing his wife to respond, he added, “I came here to be the eyes and ears on the enemy, but I was so obsessed with Alexandra’s endgame that I lost sight of how opportunistic Katarina can be.”
“No one dreamed that Katarina would poison an entire nation. Even Alexandra was stunned. You saw her expression when Lestara revealed what Ronan had learned, and no one knows Amarid better than Harendell.” Zarrah drew in a ragged breath. “I was no better in my obsession with undermining Lestara. Everyone discounted Katarina, and she took advantage. Except—” She broke off with an aggrieved noise, then took the glass from his hand and drained it.
“Except what?” He went to the decanter on the table and poured another, refilling hers.
“Except it doesn’t make sense.” Zarrah paced the room, riding boots thudding against the carpet, her brown curls bouncing against her shoulders. “Katarina had to know that Harendell would eventually find out what she’d done and retaliate. She had to know that she’d have no chance against them, especially with the Cardiffian alliance. Why would she risk outright war with Harendell for a few weeks of control over the bridge?”
Keris lifted one shoulder. “She risked Harendell’s wrath when she allied with my father to invade Ithicana. Harendell could easily haveretaliated, which, ultimately, it did. Edward himself led the siege on Northwatch. That I’d already arranged for it to be empty does not negate his intent.”
“Even so, it was bold of her.” Zarrah pursed her lips. “Katarina is like a spider hunting in the shadows. She likes sure bets and has little tolerance for risk, yet twice now she has tempted Harendell’s wrath. Why? Why isn’t she afraid?”
Keris abruptly stiffened, the wheels in his mind turning, only for his hands to turn to ice as memory washed over him. A vision of the cart trundling through the bridge toward the entourage his father had assigned him. The men had all stood as it approached, more sober than they had any right to be. All of them looking anywhere but at the wagon.
His skin pricked as it had in that moment, and in his memory, he asked, “What’s in that wagon?”
Raina’s voice, clear as a bell. “Goods from Harendell. Steel, likely.”
