Page 115 of Queen of War and Ruin

“Maybe you two can fuck each other after we escape the castle where they’re planning to execute you?” he whispers.

Lilias makes a soft, embarrassed sound in the back of her throat. Her cheeks flush. Gods, she’s adorable.

“Can you walk yet?” Petrys whispers, staring at me. “You, uh, look like you’re standing just fine.”

“I feel much better,” I whisper, still smiling at my beautiful wife. “Quite invigorated.”

I didn’t think it was possible for her cheeks to turn any darker, but I was wrong.

“Bleeding hells,” Petrys mutters. “Can we just get out of here?”

“Please,” I reply. “Lead the way.”

And I turn to follow my wife and my brother out of the palace that’s been my cage for my entire adult life.

Chapter 59

Lilias

SMILE AND KEEP WALKING

Ithought I knew my way around the palace of Vsenrog. I lived here, after all, even if it wasn’t for that long. I assumed I could find my way from the fourth floor to the stables.

Gods, was I wrong. Petrys and Zarek lead me through a maze of narrow, dark passageways and tight staircases. There’s an entire world behind the walls of Vsenrog’s palace, and it’s not until we actually leave the building and step into the soft, cool night air that I start to get my bearings.

We’re in the kitchen gardens. We left the palace through a little back door I’d never even noticed, then stepped around what smelled like a refuse pile. Petrys walks slowly, keeping his back to the wall and his eyes on Zarek. Zarek stumbled going down the first flight of stairs, but I caught his arm, and he’s been fine since then.

Well, he’s been looking at me like he wants to eat me alive. Again. My cheeks burn, and I turn away from his dark eyes and hungry lips. I’m still trembling from what he did to me in the servants’ passageway. Damn, I never knew it could feel like that.

And I want more. I want to beg him for more. Hells, I want to get down on my knees in front of him, unlace his pants and⁠—

Petrys clears his throat. I glance up and try to look like I wasn’t just fantasizing about my husband. We’re at the edge of the kitchen garden. Soft, distant music fills the air, mingling with the slow rustle of voices. Behind the low stone walls of the kitchen garden, a long row of high windows burns with the light from dozens of chandeliers.

“There are probably going to be people in the garden,” Petrys says in a low voice. “Hopefully just couples looking for a little privacy.”

He looks at both of us like he can read our minds and, yes, those are terrible thoughts. Then he clears his throat again.

“Lilias, give the cloak to Zarek,” he says. “And Zarek, keep the damn hood up.”

“Of course,” Zarek replies. “I’m not a complete idiot, thank you.”

Petrys rolls his eyes. I pull off the heavy, dark cloak and hand it to Zarek. He tugs it over his shoulders, then brings the hood up, hiding his face.

“We’ll keep to the shadows,” Petrys continues. “Everyone knows I’m guarding Lilias, so they shouldn’t be surprised to see us together. Hopefully, you’ll just look like a second guard.”

“If no one looks too close,” Zarek says, in a low voice.

I open my mouth to ask what will happen if someone does look too closely, but something about the way the two brothers look at each other makes me think I don’t want to know the answer. I twist my hands together and try to ignore the way my throat feels like it’s closing.

“Alia’s waiting for us at the far end of the stables,” Petrys says. “We make it that far, and we get the fuck out of here.”

Zarek nods. He lifts his hand to touch the metal vial around his throat, the one that holds the ashes of Dungal.

“Gods be with us,” he whispers.

Petrys nods, then turns to me.

“If anyone approaches us,” he says quietly,“smile and keep walking.”