Page 54 of Autumn Queens & Shadows

“I wish you had said something. I wish you’d come to me on your own instead of seeking something from me in return. I wish you had thought of confiding in me.”

“Are we changing the rules now? Remember how this all started.”

“Yes, I don’t like those rules anymore. I want you to come to me. I want you to tell me whatever, whenever.”

“Why?”

“Unsaid words leave scars.”

“Maybe I deserve them.”

“No one deserves scars, Malik.”

“Maybe I do.”

“No.”

“No?”

“Just no. No, you don’t deserve them. No reason. You don’t need reasons to justify why you should have never and should never be harmed. It makes sense, you know. In my head. It should make sense to you.”

“It isn’t quite.”

“Well, force it.” Grabbing my skirts, I said, “Let’s find out if your brother has lost his mind after returning from the dead.”

He grabbed my hand. “Don’t tell Snow. Kil said she doesn’t know yet what happened at the lake.”

Chapter fifteen

Viridian Carnations

Thora

Iskyla had become oddly bold again considering her husband was still leisuring in my mercy and in so many luxuries it offered. I wasn’t interested in torture, much less in watching it, so keeping her husband as pawn didn’t really give me much satisfaction as killing him would. And now that Iskyla was breaching past the rules of my kindness, it was time to cut the loose ribbons and kill him.

She’d gone and touched over the Modr border and into Hanai. Not only to get on my very last nerve and attack one of my strongest cities, but to apparently get on Moriko’s last nerve, too.

What Iskyla didn’t know was that Moriko had a different approach to threats of violence and war compared to me. I kept them at bay because one way or another, it thrilled me just a little, but the Autumn Queen would set loose her cannons if she saw a single sail in sight.

“It’s just part of her propaganda,” I said, fiddling with my necklace, smoothing my thumb over the rock’s flat surface and smiling when I realised I remembered every little bump and dent on it. “To show Isjordians what I am not willing to do—put Isjord on top again. It hasn’t been long since Brisk lands were returned to Hanai, so she is rubbing Isjordian pride on a very fresh wound. You remember the uproar back then.” It had been the closest Isjordian’s had tried to overthrow me. Hard to overthrow me without a head though, so I’d gone and quietly taken a few off from my father’s old supporters that still had a little power and influence on the rest.

“I’d hardly say Isjord is far from the top, Thora. Even considering what it lost ten years ago.”

“They don’t want levelled playing fields. They want one crowned. Since they were made aware that Olympia exists, Isjordians have been wanting that even more.”

Nia’s all too warm of a gaze turned to me. “And what do you think?”

“That they need to get over their god damn fears and deal with it.”

A sly smile overtook her face. “Marrying Mal will make them think otherwise. They will become greedy knowing that one of the most powerful men in this realm will become their king.”

“He might be that, but he is just another tool.”

“Oh, he is a tool alright, but you’re underestimating him. Which strikes me as strange because you never before underestimated him. Better than everyone, you know how smart he is despite what he leads on. Just like Snow, his greatest power has never been his magic.”

“I know.”

“He will want to lead.”