“That’s it, Ade, it’s alright.”
She managed to drag her gaze from her father’s face, and that helped too—though she landed next on Avette, and caught a hot flicker of rage tugging her slim brows, those hollow eyes narrowed on Ger’s hands around her waist. She glanced quickly away, butGoddess, that was worse—because there was Kai, staring at her, still frozen save for the collapse of his brow and the wet gleam in his eye. The sorrow rose in her again; she had to look away, or she wouldshatter.
“Well, Empress?” said Avette. She schooled her features as she turned her gaze, frown smoothing and eyes wide with feigned interest. “Have you nothing to say for your brother’s demise?”
Eleni’s swallow was audibly brittle, and when she spoke, her throat still sounded dry.
“Only,” she said slowly, “that despite my shock, I cannot say I am sorry to see an obstacle to my throne removed. I should thank you, really. And, perhaps, offer you something in return.”
“Another gift? Something even more delightful than my cousin, no doubt.”
“Oh yes,” said Eleni. Her voice had recovered some of its surety, and Adeline knew what was coming. She couldn’t look at her, couldn’t look at any of them. So she stared at the dagger-sharp frost patterns beneath her own feet and counted her breaths, stomach aching with tension. “Something rather valuable: the gift of information.”
Adeline betrayed herself then, to look at Kai. She couldn’t, but she couldn’tnot. It was unbearable either way, so she would do this for him, do him the courtesy ofseeinghim. Of seeing his pain, and feeling it with him like she might bear some of its weight. She wondered if he understood yet, or if the tense line of his shoulders had more to do with whatever ice spell restrained him.
“Well, do tell,” said Avette. Impatience lent a bite to her tone, but Eleni took her time all the same. Perhaps theatricsdidrun in the family; from her periphery, Adeline watched Eleni take several slow steps forward. She watched Kai’s wary gaze follow where the Empress moved.
“On our journey here, my fleet tracked the surviving Merrow over the Common Crossing. They’re searching for something, as I understand it. A treasure of some kind.” The Empress paused for effect, drew one long, wavering breath before her tone dropped to a confidential murmur. “Your Majesty, they have found a way through the Frost. A way back to the Laune.”
Aera whispered a soft lament into the cavernous room.
Though the flicker beneath Avette’s perfect, porcelain mask said she’d heard Eleni’s every word, there was no shock or confusion. There was nothing but understanding; it lit her dark eyes when she tilted her head toward Kai.
“Tunnels, my heart?” She smiled, without an ounce of contentment. “Tunnels to the Pearl.”
Adeline’s heart hit the ice and marble beneath her feet.
And then, Kai let loose a guttural, inhuman sound; a moan of terror and sheer fury, muffled behind his sealed lips. He strained and screamed inwardly, the tendons in his neck taut beneath a ruddy flush and his gills tensing with effort, until finally, one arm ripped free in a light spray of blood. Adeline clamped a hand over her mouth, swallowing back her own scream at the sight of Kai tearing his body from Avette’s spell, bits of cloth and skin still bound to his chair while rivulets of red sluiced down his forearm. He didn’t seem to notice, just scratched and pried at his other arm, half-crazed with panic.
Ger held her tighter against him; he knew her well enough to anticipate the tug in her gut, the one that called her to go to Kai despite the very real threat of Avette at his side. The queen sighed then, pinching the bridge of her nose as though her betrothed were an unruly child and she a worn-out mother.
“It would be nice,” Avette said blandly, “to haveoneconversation in this palace without a member of my Court making a show of themselves. Gards, my beloved is overcome. Remove him.”
Ger didn’t move, but he didn’t need to; two further gards peeled out from the cavern’s shadows and darted up the dais just as the spell released Kai’s body, and he slumped from his throne, still screaming beneath sealed lips as his knees crashedon the ground. The gards made quick work of wrestling his arms behind his back, and Kai convulsed at the grasp around his bleeding arm.
Adeline wrenched herself free from Ger’s hold for just a moment before he caught her again, but he could not catch the protest that ripped from her lungs.
“Stop it,” she yelled, voice shrill and shivering.
The gards did pause, and so did Kai, the fire in his eyes guttering when they met hers. But Avette’s eyes were on her too, as cold as Kai’s were hot.
“Remove my cousin also,” she called. “I should like some peace and quiet.”
???
Being dismissed from the throne room should have been a relief.
She could feel her toes again, cold as they were, and in the chaos of Kai’s removal, Avette hadn’t had the presence of mind to demand Adeline be sent to the dungeons. That was likely the sole reason none of the other gards in her lovely little escort stopped Ger as he led them down the slippery halls to her old rooms.
She should be grateful for this much at least, but Adeline couldn’t blink away the sight of Kai. Bleeding and bound, eyes brimming with a pain she was helpless to soothe.
“He’ll be alright,” Ger whispered, reading her silence. “Avette needs him.”
For now,she thought, then immediately shunted the idea away. No. Hewouldbe alright, not because Avette needed him, but becauseshedid. She was going to make sure of it, starting right now. Adeline steeled herself as they drew up to her room. How would this work? She’d be under guard, of course, but would Ger be allowed to escort her inside? Could she get him alone?
She had her answer when Ger opened the door and let her in; the shuffle of feet behind her did not pause.
Adeline turned and came nose to nose with the snivelling little shit who’d been leading her around like a dog on a leash. He fell back a step, but otherwise didn’t flinch—didn’t even drop her gaze.
