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Nyx steps toward Hiram.
“What has him so upset he’s throwing things at you?” Nyx asks.
Hiram’s eyes snap to me, and he points. “Her! He saw her last night. He’s been demanding to see King Asher. He wants to know what happened to her and why the king hasn’t killed him yet. The captain has only become more agitated as the day has gone on,” Hiram yells, throwing up his arms in defeat.
A pained groan escapes Nyx as I tilt my head at an awkward angle.
“Please tell me you didn’t bring me in the back door last night, bleeding and unconscious, right past his cell.”
He holds up his hands in defense. “I was a little preoccupied to worry about our uninvited guest,” he reminds me. “It was the first place I could picture clearly enough to get the adveho to open a portal to,” he defends himself as if that is a good excuse for his lack of thinking.
I lean back, crossing my arms. “Great. No wonder he’s so distraught.” My voice is harsh and annoyed at Nyx’s lack of forethought when returning last night.
It had to be traumatizing for Theo to see that. A bloody redhead must be a very strong trigger for him. Maybe he remembers more than I thought.
“It’s fine. Just summon Asher to go talk to him and then he will stop,” Nyx says as if that is the right answer.
I rub at my temples again, my headache returning far too quickly.
“Asher has tried talking to the captain several times now, but he’s refused to speak to the king. Why would the captain be demanding to talk to Asher now?” I ask as they both stare at me dumbfounded. “It’s because he doesn’t want to talk to King Asher. He wants to kill him. And if he doesn’t, he will die trying. A hero’s death, as they would call it in Lux.”
“Besides, Asher wasn’t with us last night. He wouldn’t be able to explain what happened.” I sigh in frustration.
No, Asher wasn’t there. He can’t get involved.
“All the captain knows is that he saw a woman who appeared to be beaten by a large man. Based on the horror stories Lux tells about us, he probably suspects one of our own did this. Maybe even Asher himself. Lux believes Umbra has a fondness for abusing women,” I explain as Nyx’s mouth falls open.
“He did curse Asher last night after Loma asked what had happened. So, what do you want to do?” he asks.
Go back in time and fix all our mistakes from the past day?
I rub my face and trail my fingers through my hair, twirling a strand. My heart tugs as a reckless thought comes to my mind. Only the fates know how this will work out.
“I have an idea, but you won’t like it,” I say, looking at Nyx. “I’ll go talk to him as the Queen of Umbra.”
Nyx and Hiram simultaneously declare, “No.”
I point at them and raise my eyebrows. “Do you two have any better ideas?” When neither of them answers, I turn to Nyx.
“I told you before, they brought him here for a reason. He survived the Cypres for a reason,” I say as he steps closer to me, his lips pinched tight.
“And I remember telling you I thought it was a bad idea then, and I still think it is,” he answers, towering over me. I grit my teeth at his stubbornness.
“We have no other choice,” I say up to him, “I have to show him that his assumptions about us are wrong. It’s the only way we can get anywhere with him. I’ll tell him I’m queen and no one here would hurt me. Especially not Asher.”
I turn from him and head to the door, but Hiram halts my path with a raised hand.
“If you are going to do this, may I suggest changing?” His gaze runs from the top of my head to the tip of my boots. “Queens rarely wear trousers.”
I look over my outfit. I’m wearing my usual black trousers, a shirt, and boots. I only wear dresses on special occasions. I’m a warrior queen, not some fair maiden.
Nyx places his arm around my shoulders. “Hiram’s right. To make him believe you, you have to look like he would expect a queen to.”
My eyes dart between both men. “But I am the queen,” I reply, frustrated.
Hiram lifts both hands in front of him and steps out of the way. Nyx ushers me forward and out the door, steering me toward my chambers.
Panic twists my insides as bile rises in my throat.Oh, gods, what am I doing?I try to come up with what I’m going to say to Theo, but my mind is blank. I need him to see Umbra for what it truly is. The kingdom I have worked so hard to bring to life. Vibrant and full of possibilities.
