“But there’s more!” Carlo slapped his thigh with delight. “They also planned—”
“My father didn’t respect Aren,” James interrupted. “He thought he was a bad king who’d caused unspeakable harm to his people for the sake of a pretty face. He aimed to back a coup to overthrow Aren and make you queen of Ithicana. But I—”
“Which would have made dearest James the Master of the Bridge!” Carlo crowed. “King of Ithicana, and then one day king of Harendell as well. The true lord of the north with a pretty wife at his side. That was their plan!”
Nausea swam in Ahnna’s stomach, and she swallowed hard to keep from vomiting.
“Do you know what happens during coups?” Carlo asked, and though Ahnna could not see his face, she sensed the smile on it. “Kings die. Queens die. Little baby princessesdie.”
They planned to kill my family.Ahnna lost control of herself and vomited into the snow, because Carlo had been right. It was so much worse.
“Ahnna, I didn’t know that was his intention until that night.” James stepped toward her, but the soldier holding his leash yanked him back. “I didn’t want any of it. Told him I didn’t support it and that you wouldn’t either.”
“And so vehement was he in his rage toward Eddie’s plan that dear James took action and—” Carlo held up his hand in a dramatic pause. “—sat alone drinking in his father’s study while fireworks burst over Verwyrd. The true man of the hour! Huzzah!”
Ahnna’s mouth was sour with vomit, her chest hollow. Edward had planned to kill her family, and James had done nothing?
“It is said that Harendellians are spiders,” Carlo continued in a low voice. “That the court in Verwyrd is like wading into a web. Yet I’ve always found the Ashfords to be more like wolves. Did you not see how they separated you from your flock, Ahnna? How they got you alone? How they made you weak to use you to achieve their own ends? Amber eyes aside, James is very much an Ashford, because he ensured you were cut off from anyone who might aid you. Princess Bronwyn was trussed like a pig and cast on a ship for Northwatch, and your dear cousin Taryn locked in irons and sent off to prison at Verwyrd.”
“Please tell me this isn’t true.”
Please don’t let it be true that Taryn is a prisoner again.
“I arrested her at the conservatory.” James’s tone was clipped. “Taryn was to be brought back to Verwyrd to be kept as a political prisoner.” His throat moved as though he were swallowing hard. “And as possible bait for you.”
A shudder ran through her whole body, and Dippy snorted and sidled sideways as he sensed her distress.
“She’s a lady. She won’t be harmed, and she’ll be kept as befits her station.”
“Like Lestara was?” The words came out as a shriek, sudden and desperate panic filling her. “Why would you do that to her? They were nowhere near Verwyrd when your father was murdered. I deliberately stayed away from them when I knew your dogs were on my trail. I didn’t even send them afuckingmessage, because I didn’t want to give any reason for you to think they were involved!”
“I knew she wasn’t involved, but…I’m sorry, Ahnna.”
“You’re sorry?” She could barely breathe. She’d naïvely thought she’d been protecting them, but instead she’d left them to the wolves who’d already been planning to exterminate her entire family. “You’refuckingsorry? Is that all you have to say?”
“There isn’t much to say, is there?” James finally met her glare. “Alexandra fooled me. I should have heard you out. I should have done things differently. But regret doesn’t undo what has already been done.”
“Edward planned to destroy my family to give you Ithicana like a fucking gift.” Her whole body was taut with fury. “You can’t blame Alexandra for that.”
“I didn’t ask him for any of that!”
“But neither did you try to stop it!”
Carlo shifted behind her in the saddle, his arm tight around her waist, and though Ahnna knew he was relishing this moment, she didn’t care. “Fuck you, James. I should’ve timed that avalanche better. I should’ve let you stay beneath the ice. I should’ve let you freeze to death.”
He didn’t answer, only stared at the snow between them.
“You had best hope that yourdear nemesiskeeps my ropes tight,” she hissed, “because if I get loose, I’m not going to run. I’m going to slit your goddamned throat, because you seem as great a threat to Ithicana as the rest of your awful family.”
She thumped her heels as best she could against Dippy’s sides, and Carlo didn’t check the reins as her horse broke into a trot. Instead, he wrapped his cloak more securely around her and pulled her close to him. His breath was hot as he whispered, “I have more truths to share, little sheep. Let me know when you are ready to hear them.”
24
James
James’s breath came in raggedpants as he stumbled through the knee-deep snow, desperately trying to keep his feet beneath him. Because to fall meant being dragged, and he wasn’t certain he’d be able to get up again.
His hands were numb while the rest of him burned with heat, and he knew the sweat soaking his clothes would turn to ice when they stopped to make camp that night.
