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“What did it say?” And why hadn’t he addressed me? I was his superior.
“Just once again reassuring me that everything was calm on the northern front. In fact, he suggested that I come to visit to see for myself and I couldn’t agree more.”
Emilie leaned forward in her seat, eyes lit with excitement. “May I come along?”
“Absolutely not,” I said at the same time my brother shook his head.
From the look she gave him, I knew she expected him to side with her. My refusal, however, didn’t faze her.
“I’m sorry. The outposts really aren’t suitable for you. It’s nothing like Renoa. Very dirty and filled with rougher folks than you’re used to.”
I grinned, feeling pleased that she’d be staying behind. I’d already had enough of her constant presence.
Emilie frowned. “I can handle myself. I’m not as delicate as you think I am. I want to be included, Cyrus. Please reconsider?”
He looked pensive as he stared at her. She fluttered her lashes, and I almost lost my shit. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“I didn’t say anything,” he said to me.
“Your face says it all, Brother.”
He sighed and placed his hand over Emilie’s on top of the table. “I’ll think about it.”
Already he was caving into her demands. It didn’t take long for Queen Emilie to have him wrapped around her finger. And she knew it, too. Looking across the table, I found her glaring at me with her pink lips pressed into a deceitful smile. I curled my fists so tightly under the table that I left little crescent indents in the center of my palms.
“So, when will we be going?” I asked.
“Two weeks. The evening of the full moon.”
The lunar cycle was sacred to the religious nuts in Osavian. Luxurious balls and fancy dinners often fell on the full moon in our kingdom, as it symbolized new beginnings.
I nodded my head, still fuming that he was even considering allowing Emilie to come along. And I still wasn’t sure why Kalen hadn’t contacted me directly, but I couldn’t deny the desire to see for myself how things were going at Fort Malek.
“Perfect. Can’t wait.”
Chapter Nine
Ladon
I flipped the page of the latest book on war strategy I’d chosen to keep myself entertained. This one detailed the battles that had occurred on the Murvort and Osavian borders many centuries ago. The people and weaponry might’ve changed over time, but the landscape hadn’t. If there was anything in that tome that we could use to our advantage, I’d be happy to study it day and night.
So far, I’d already learned of a tunnel of caves hidden in the mountains. The people of Murvort used them to evade a blockade of resources during the Battle of Endless Night. It was only briefly mentioned and fables of these supposed tunnels had never reached my ears before, but it was worth checking out.
“Are you even paying attention?” My eyes fluttered closed at the grating sound of Emilie’s voice. After a moment’s hesitation, I peered over the top of my book. Ten feet away from me, Emilie stood with one hand on her hip and another hand holding a small throwing knife. Many yards beyond her was a target with black and white lines.
I huffed a laugh when I noticed she hadn’t hit the target once. Not once in the forty minutes we’d been out there under the scorching morning sun.
“Are you even paying attention?” I taunted.
Her face reddened, and I smirked, infuriating her further. I knew she hated it. The fury in her hazel eyes gave her away every time.
She made an indiscernible noise when my eyes flitted back down to my lap and I turned the page. It sounded something like a wild hog, and I had to hold back a laugh.
It didn’t take long before a shadow descended on the pages of my book. When I looked up, Emilie’s lips were pursed and her hair was a frizzy mess, a visual representation of the wild frustration trapped inside her.
If she was waiting for me to break the silence, then she was going to be waiting a long time. It was a challenge to see which of us would blink first, but I met her determined gaze with an endurance of my own. The slivers of green danced amidst a pool of bronze in her eyes and my pulse quickened.
The air felt thinner, and I questioned for a moment if she was using her magic, but I didn't sense its tendrils swirling around me. No, it was just her very essence that made me feel dizzy.
