Page 68 of Three Dark Kings and the Gilded Serpent

A petite woman kneels beside me, the burnt-orange silks she’s wearing drawing out the glow in her tan skin. Golden jewelry clinks at her wrists and ears and multiple rings circle her fingers. A wide, amber streak in her hair highlights the tawny flecks in her deep-brown eyes.

“Hello, dear,” she says. “I’m Miriam.”

I can’t reconcile my current environment with my last horrifying memories. I was lying on Stellen’s chest, pummeled by the storm, my hands covered in blood. Then I spent hours in darkness, the False Queen’s cruel whispers echoing in my ears, telling me that tainted blood was pumping through my body, creating a power like no other. All while I was certain Stellen lay dead beneath me.

My voice is hoarse, even though my throat isn’t dry. “Stellen!”

Miriam’s hands press to my shoulders, gently pushing me back to the bed. “The Frost King is safe and well. He brought you here.”

“He’s alive?” I study the woman’s face, listening to her heartbeats, prepared to detect some insidious lie. Some intention to break my heart.

“He asked us to take care of you. He’s waiting for news that you’ve awoken.”

I listen carefully, assessing her promise, not taking it at face value. Her voice is completely steady. She’s speaking the truth, as far as I can tell, but fear lives in me still.

“Where is he? I have to go to him.” I need to see for myself that he’s alive.

I push back against her hands, trying again to rise, but my head swims and I’m forced to sink back to the bed.

“Easy, Oracle,” Miriam says, peering intently at me. “You’ve been through an ordeal. You must rest and regain your strength.”

Cautiously, I ask, “Where am I?”

“You’re in the Ember Kingdom. Safe within our underground city. When our sun burned cold, our king went to find you, as you commanded him to do, but the Frost King was already bringing you to us.”

Stellen brought me to the Ember Kingdom? I can’t imagine a more unlikely scenario.

Miriam presses her hand to her heart. “I’m a healer. These women are my friends. You’re safe with us.”

If Stellen is awaiting news of my awakening, then what of Maxim?

Trying to calm myself, I ask, “Where is the Ember King?”

“Keeping his distance,” Miriam says. “By choice. He, too, is waiting to hear that you’ve awoken.”

“I don’t understand.” I shake my head. “Frost and Ember are enemies.”

The last time Stellen and Maxim interacted was on the western coast when all three kings battled to seize me. They tried to tear each other apart.

“Your concern is warranted,” Miriam says. “But it seems the Kings of Frost and Ember have managed to find common ground and agree to a temporary peace.”

I slump fully against the bed, conscious now of how keenly Miriam is observing me, her focus gliding across my face, homing in on my eyes before descending to my hands.

My first thought is that she won’t be able to see the Dragonstone Blade or the blood bind because only the three kings can see those, but then my focus flies to my right hand, where the blood-soaked band wrapped itself around my wrist.

The band is gone.

I jolt, new dread spearing through me. “The blood.”

Dear Goddess, did it all assimilate into my body?

“Fully extracted and disposed of.” Miriam’s grip on my shoulders tightens before she reaches for my right hand. “With the help of both kings, the tainted blood was pulled from your hand. Maxim then burned the blood.”

“Burned?”

“To ash,” Miriam says, studying me from beneath her lashes. “Whatever darkness that blood contained, it has been defeated.”

I wish I could feel comforted, but nothing is ever that simple with the False Queen.