It wasn’t uncommon for me to come home bleeding. Jace was Aurelia’s guard back then, not mine. And princes were not treasured enough to protect. At the time, Evangeline didn’t think anything of it, but now, I can see all her gears turning.
“Was that Nicholas or Jace?” she asks. Deirdre would have brought Aurelia back to life.
Holding my hand out, I twist my wrist so she can see both sides of the knife wound that has long healed. “Jace.”
Nicholas, she might be able to convince to turn on me. I’ve done my best to protect him from the worst parts of this world; his heart is still good, still naive. One can play on that to trick him. But Jace? Not a fucking chance.
Her anger slips for just a moment, disappointment and pain flashing through.
And then it’s gone.
“Pity he didn’t go for the heart.”
I don’t react despite having wished the same that day. After they learned I was going to kill Aurelia, Jace stabbed me through the hand, pinning me to the ground so he could beat me to a pulp. Nicholas stood on the side, shocked and horrified while I lay there praying for Jace to kill me before I went through with what my sister had ordered me to do.
“The number of assassinations I’ve saved you from…” she says flatly. “Do you have any idea how tempted I’ve been to just be a bit slower in stopping them? Just one second andpoof, Aurelia would be avenged.”
“Vengeance doesn’t bring them back.”
“I know,” Evangeline admits on a growl, “but, fuck, would it feel good to feed your ass to the birds.”
“So why are you here then if you don’t want to protect me?” I drop my hand as I shift my weight, prepared to fight. I’m bigger than her. I have a longer reach. If I can get to her and bind her hands before she calls on her magic, I might stand a chance.
“I’m not protectingyou,” she growls. “I’m protecting Aurelia’s bloodline, which just so happens tobeyou.”
“Nicholas is still alive.”
She snorts. “Nicholas is a baby. His blood is weak. In two generations, we would have a family of softies completely obsessed with their hair.”
I smirk. “And sweets.”
Her eyes narrow. “Are we joking with each other now, Dickie?”
My smile drops like a headless corpse. “No.”
“Good. Because it makes me feel like I need a shower.” She wipes at her arms and shivers in disgust, pulling a face that makes me look at her dryly.
I’ve seen her purposefully rub herself in rat shit so she could sneak through Alzan territory. She then refused to shower uponher return (assassination mission successful, of course) because she “got used to the smell”. If it wasn’t for Aurelia giving her a regal order, Evangeline would’ve ended the wars simply by smelling so bad she made us all commit suicide.
“I know the feeling,” I deadpan even as I relax. As much as she hates me, Evangeline won’t do anything to jeopardise any other part of Aurelia. I know I can trust her with my wife. “What do you need her to do?”
“I’m going to take out a hit on her. Ms Traitor will want to make sure she stays alive, so she’ll use her own resources to protect her.”
“Like hel –”
“In the meantime, start taking her to Council meetings. She’ll give you extra protection when Jace can’t be with you. Have her sit on your lap. That way, if they try to kill you, they’ll most definitely kill her, which will make them hesitate.”
“No.” It comes out as a fucking snarl. “Find another way to draw them out.”
“This isn’t a request, Dickie.” Her eyes flash sweetly. “As head of FI-9, I’m giving you a fucking order.”
I take a step towards her, but she doesn’t flinch at all. She lifts her head to hold my gaze.
“Arienna...” The words stick in my throat, and my body buzzes with the need to strike first and fast and eliminate the threat before me. Telling Evangeline anything about my queen feels wrong, like smothering oneself in honey before going to kick a wasp’s nest.
She smiles viciously, and I know she’s enjoying watching me struggle. “Go on,” she purrs.
I exhale sharply. “If any harm comes to her, I will repay it to you a thousandfold.”
