Four days later, we land in Vix, near the Okahi border. I don’t like my queen being this close to the fighting, but she doesn’t want me to spend my nights alone. The tall gorges housing our beetle-like enemies are but a few trees over, guarded by the fort at Fla’kre.
And just like I knew she would, Deirdre approaches us as soon as the debate is over. Whatever she’s found, tonight is the night she’ll try to blackmail us. “Why don’t you stay at mine tonight, Your Majesty?” she says. “We can have a game of throwing knives as we discuss... some business.”
“Really?” Arienna squeals before she turns to me. “Can we, my king? Please?”
I nod, then look back at Deirdre.
“Your hospitality is appreciated,” I say, electricity running through my skin. She might think she’s protected given her family name and the rarity of her necromancy, but if she so much as looks at my queen wrong tonight, she’ll not live to see the morning.
Our guards surround us as we fly to the upper branches of the tree. Peaking above the canopy, her house gives a clear view of the skies. It’s dangerous to be this open to the birds of prey, but Deirdre always did love playing with fire.
As we break through the foliage, Arienna gasps and twists her head around. “It’s so pretty,” she breathes.
I point to a twinkle of light relatively close to the fading sun, its brilliance a speck among the pinkening sky.
“That’s Konistra,” I murmur. It’s the only world of the Seven Planes that can be seen in our heavens, and yet, it is the one we know the least about. “Everyone who goes there never comes back. Tales of monsters and madness surround it. Ancient texts claim it was cursed by the gods, though none ever say why.”
Leaning forwards, she squeals. “I want to go there. Fabia, look!”
My arms tighten around her as she twists to look over at her friend. Fabia looks at her suspiciously, and I reckon she is thinking the same thing I am. Arienna would come back with some horrible creature she claimed wasadorable.
Thank gods all her pet wasps are gone.
We land in front of twelve wooden columns painted a stone grey. They form a circular room open to the elements. Small green vines wrap around the pillars and spread out into intricate arches at the top, connecting the gaps between them. I place Arienna on her feet, and her neck cranes up, looking at the stained glass dome above us.
The awe stays in her eyes as we move through the house. The greys and greens follow us from room to room. They’re the colours of the Deirdre family, the green representing the power of necromancy, the grey the souls they bring back.
When Deirdre leads us into a games room, I nod for Fabia and the other guards, par Jace, to stay outside. As much as I do not trust her, Deirdre prefers making subtle threats, her power coming from her name and her magic rather than any physical skill.
Arienna waves at Fabia as she shuts the door behind us. I head for the bar. A row of expensive bottles line the shelves, but myeyes are on the cabinet markedKitchen. A notepad and pen hang beside it. Writing down a full meal, I tear off the piece of paper, open the cabinet,and toss it inside. When I close it, its handle turns red. Once green, the food will be ready, having been freshly cooked by the kitchen staff and transported into the cabinet.
“So, Your Majesty,” Deirdre says as she steps over to a table of throwing knives. Four sets of six are already laid out, with each set a different colour. Jace always plays with the lilac ones – the colour my sister’s eyes were. I’m black. Deirdre is green. And a new row of pink sits at the top.
Fingering a pink blade, she looks at my wife. “Have you ever thrown a knife before?”
Arienna shakes her head. “No. Is it hard?”
“Some find it easier than others.” She smiles, one full of calculation and subtle threats. “Would you like me to teach you?”
“Yes!” Before she can lunge forwards and put herself in harm’s way, Jace throws a bag of crisps at Deirdre.
Distracted, she drops the knife in order to catch them. Her eyes fly to mine as she opens the bag. Her chin lifts as she eats a few before holding the bag out to me.
“If I was going to poison you” –Deirdre chuckles– “I sure as hel wouldn’t put it in your food when you have testers. I’d put it on your toothbrush; no one would think to look there.”
“His toothbrush…” Arienna pales as she finally figures out how Fabia managed to poison me. But Jace’s already bolted across the room and I’ve jumped the counter, heading for my queen.
“I’m not –” Deirdre shouts as she steps away from the knives, her hands up.
“How did you know Fa–” Gasping, Arienna slaps both hands over her mouth just as I reach her.
Yanking her behind me, I keep hold of her hand. A knife is in my other one, but Jace has already grabbed Deirdre and slammed her against the wall. One of the lilac throwing knives is pressed to her throat, its tip biting deep. She cranes her head back. “Wait!” she cries.
“I’m so sorry,” Arienna whispers, and I don’t know if she’s talking to me or Deirdre. She’s a soft little thing, and I don’t want to have to kill someone in front of her.
But nor am I going to let a threat to her live.
“I didn’t come to that conclusion myself!” Deirdre blurts out, the only words that’ll save her life – for now.
