Once I’d found her in Kavios, she’d been like a beacon calling me. I assumed she had the same pull toward me now, thanks to our shared curse. At least we were stuck together—so long as I could help it—so maybe it wouldn’t be an issue.
Fucking Chaos, I couldn’t believe the goddess Eris had cursed her own Champion.
And somehow, that was the least of my problems.
Yes, I’d help Ember break the curse, but I cared more about what came after that. I wanted to know what she planned for Kavios. How did she think to fight my father? Would she allow me to help? I intended to keep her safe until she could see her goals completed, but she’d told me nothing of her plans. I hadn’t wanted to push her on our journey. I wanted to give her time to grieve, to rage, but she’d done nothing of the sort.
Now, as the queen and a group of soldiers approached usoutside the gates of Ciril, she decided to share. A bad plan at that.
“What?”
Linia’s capital felt bright and airy compared to the enclosed space of Kavios. A stone wall circled it, but with more points of entry than the two at home. The castle had stone columns and grand, expansive entryways rather than tall spires and steep steps. It felt almost welcoming.
Then I glimpsed Queen Lucinda’s expression.
“I’ll explain?—”
I shook my head as Ember restated her plan. Perfect. Now she thought me an idiot as well as a liar. We needed to talk, and soon. She couldn’t avoid this forever. “I heard what you said, Chaos. I’m questioning why we would share that with the Queen of Linia.”
A sharp, peppery taste heated my tongue when Ember’s arms folded over her chest. I welcomed her anger like I welcomed my next breath.
“What would you have us say?” she pressed.
This is what days of silence brought us. We hadn’t strategized or challenged each other’s plans. She wanted to walk in and tell them why we were here, but of the three of us, I was the only one with experience in Linia.
I glanced toward the group that approached. “Queen Lucinda is a peacetime ruler. She has no concept of the humans’ true living condition in Kavios. She knows my father keeps his secrets, but his trades are good and his gold is spendable.”
“You still haven’t answered me. What would you have us say?” Ember breathed.
Even as her annoyance grew, she leaned infinitesimally toward my words. Her curiosity got the better of her.
At least I engaged her mind, since she refused me her heart.
“She knows who I am. She’ll let us in on that alone.”
Ember flinched, and I didn’t need the minty taste of her sadness to tell me she was hurt that the queen knew my identity. Thanks to her avoidance of conversation between us, I didn’t have time to explain. I bit down on my frustration, knowing all of this was my fault.
“It would be … easier … if you let me introduce us as more than traveling companions.”
How quickly that sadness returned to anger. Her icy glare should have had me reaching for the cloak tucked in my pack. Too bad for her, the faintest taste of smoke hit the tip of my tongue, too. I didn’t know what game the chaos goddess played, but when she’d connected mine and Ember’s curses in the throne room, she’d added something new. I was sure of it.
The thick, smoky flavor on my tongue indicated Ember’s lust. This wasn’t the same as what I’d sensed from her the few times we touched on the journey, but it was a start. As the smoke mixed with the spicy flavor of her anger, I knew I’d intrigued her again—more than she liked.
A smirk curled my lip without my consent.
She bristled. “Why would we do that? Aren’t all scholars welcome in Linia?”
It was my turn to glare. “Do you want her to know you’re a scholar? Do you want her to know anything about you? She keeps my movements a secret because she has no interest in war with my father and no interest in Themis’s Champion on a neighboring throne.”
Ember looked thoughtful. The topic of my father was another she’d avoided on our journey. One that I avoided, too, if I were honest. I didn’t like the reminder, but if I had any hope of explaining things to Ember, my father was inextricably part of my story.
“If she fears you as you say, she’ll let you in. Why would itmatter who I am? Why do I have to be … yours?” She swallowed hesitantly around the word.
I wanted to respond that everyone in this Chaos-cursed kingdom needed to know she was mine. I’d accept nothing less.
Instead, I took a deep breath. “Doesshe fear me?”
I was toying with her, and we really didn’t have time as the group approached, but the peppery taste escalated to scalding at my question, making it worthwhile. Ember had been so stoic since we left Kavios. The tears for Alaric, tucked away. Any fear of our circumstances, repressed. She didn’t appear to mourn the loss of … us. She seemed intent on pretending we’d never been anything to each other.
