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“Isn’t it always magic?”he asked.
“Goblins don’t rely on powers.Not like witches.”
“Your people believe royal blood sustains the realm.Sounds like magic to me.”
“That’s a myth.”
“You don’t have to believe in something for it to be true.A couple of days ago, I would’ve sworn this place didn’t exist.”He went quiet as Mykata and the other guards joined them.
Much of the wall had crumbled out of neglect.Uniformed guards patrolled along the top, and the gates opened, slow and creaking.The antiquated weaponry was a testimony to a long-dead king’s fear of invaders from the faerie realm.Before Kradnovtl’s famines and shortages that had begun with her father’s coronation.Not that her history tutors had dared to teach her how the mad king had brought starvation to the kingdom.But she’d heard the courtiers gossip.
Vori bottled all her emotions and locked her calm court composure into place, the expressionless mask she’d hidden behind when her father had raged.She’d been in Kradnovtl for minutes and already old habits had returned.But this time was different.
This time she had a set end date.
Find the killer, steal the stones, kill some beastie, and get the hell out.
Plus, she had Perry.
The rock face split into basalt columns in a natural formation ringing the entrances to the goblin court.The crests hanging from giant banners featured the same pointed crown as the one she’d painted on Perry’s forehead, but now they gleamed crimson and silver instead of the traditional purple and gold.
“You didn’t mention your castle is a massive cave in a mountain.”He sounded awestruck.
“Welcome to the goblin court.”Her home once.
The stares of guards weighed heavily on her.Surprised shouts from above spread the word of her return.
Perry moved close enough to whisper in her ear.“Your people recognize you on sight.”
“My look is distinctive.”She used the sarcasm as a shield.“I’m guessing it’s the giant gold crown.”
“It’s so much more than that.Supermodel or princess, you can’t hide.Stop acting like you’re anything less than next in line to the throne unless you want this group of guards to revisit thekill-the-witchdecision.”
“Fake it until you make it.”Her motto.The words came out sharper than she would like, her accent thickening with the assault of memories hidden behind every corner.
He glanced at her forehead.“You were born with it.You just need to own it.”
The reminder made her roll her shoulders back and hold her head high.If they were strolling into this mess, she would own it like a catwalk, beginning with taking over this pathetic parade.“Suggestions?”she asked him.
“Make sure we’re not headed for the dungeon.”
Oh hell no.“Where are you taking us, Captain?”She put the full force of princess power in that question, so it came out like a command.
“A messenger went ahead to announce your arrival.”Mykata’s arrogant tone might lead someone to believe she was born with an enormous crown on her head instead of skinny silver scrolls.“The queen will decide.”
“The queen consort?”Vori refused to call anyone a goblin queen.Her mother had been consort, and it’d been good enough for her.“Not the king?”What had changed?
“The king is away.The queen is here.”
Maybe the consort held as much power as a true queen, or maybe it was only a personal agenda shared by her family.After all, Mykata was a young captain.Had she risen to the position through talent or nepotism?“The queen consort is your older sister?”A guess given the way the captain talked about queen-in-charge this and queen-is-boss that.
“Yes.”
“Any other siblings?”
The guard curled her fingers into fists.“We had a baby sister.The night you disappeared, your father murdered her.He didn’t care that Phaedra was just a little girl.Only the royal blood mattered.Artanya is forever scarred from fighting to save our sister from the mad king.Not that it did any good.He sacrificed Phaedra to his gods rather than let a little golden blood live to challenge your throne.”
“I’m sorry.”The sentiment was genuine if unhelpful.There went her chances for an alliance with Mykata.Or with the queen consort most likely with that muddied past.
