AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“How?”
Her head cocked. “Why do you wish to know, Keris? I was under the impression you were ambivalent about Aren’s fate.”
“I am. But I grow weary of my family being surrounded by corpses. Give me the contact and I’ll put an end to this.” It was risky, because Serin’s menalwaysfollowed him outside the palace, but what choice did he have? He needed the Ithicanians to help him free Valcotta.
“It’s not worth the risk of your father catching you meddling, Keris. Serin is watching you, looking for any possible mistake. And if you believe I’ll risk you for the sake of my gardens smelling more appealing, you don’t know me in the slightest.”
His panic was rising, because he was losing control. Had lost control. “I need to do something.”
“Why? Why is this so important that you’d riskeverything?Not only yourself, but your sisters, for if your father realizes I was the one who told you the information, which he will, he’ll renege on his promise to stop hunting your sisters. We can endure the corpses, but wecannotendure more of our children dying.”
Because I cannot endureherdying!was the thought that screamed to be voiced, but he couldn’t. The harem hated Valcottans. They hated Zarrah. “Because it’s too much like what was done to my mother.”
Coralyn’s expression softened. “I know it is, dear one. But it won’t last much longer. Once Aren realizes I haven’t helped him, he’ll put an end to this himself.”
“You’re crueler than I’d believed, Auntie.” And he hated it. Hated that the one he loved like a mother was capable of this.
“Family is everything.” Coralyn motioned for the other women to follow her toward the door, though she paused to pat his cheek. “And there is little I won’t do to protect the harem’s children. Goodnight, Keris. Perhaps tomorrow will bring an end to all our woes.”
50
ZARRAH
The harem had been up to something tonight at dinner—even without the note Keris had written in his book, that would have been obvious. But Zarrah didn’t dwell on what the conversation between Coralyn and Aren might have achieved as she allowed the servants to prepare her for bed because after tonight, none of it would matter at all.
The clock in the tower struck the first toll of the ninth hour, announcing the harem’s curfew had begun. It was time. Zarrah swallowed down the twist of emotion in her stomach, but her grief refused to be vanquished. As did her regret.
What she wouldn’t give for the chance to say goodbye. To apologize for the grief her actions would cause. To tell him—
Tap.
Zarrah jumped, whirling around to face the window.
Tap.
Her pulse roared with equal parts anxiety and anticipation, and she extinguished the lamp and went to open the window. Faint mist rolled over her, and in the distance, lightning crackled across the sky.
Zarrah pressed her forehead against the bars and looked down into the darkness, her heart rivaling the thunder that rolled across the city.
And then he was there.
Keris swung himself up so that he was seated sideways on the ledge, one arm through the bars to hold him on the narrow perch. Then he said softly, “I’ve got news.” Zarrah’s heart skipped with the sudden certainty that her aunt had agreed with Keris’s terms. That she was to be freed, and her opportunity for vengeance was lost. But then Keris said, “Aren Kertell provided Coralyn with a way to contact his people in exchange for her giving them his orders to stand down in their rescue attempts.”
It wasn’t at all what she’d expected him to say, and for a moment, she was lost for words.
“She won’t act on it. She made a side deal with my father and revealed much of what Aren told her in exchange for him agreeing to make Serin cease his hunt of my half sisters.”
“Backstabbing old bitch.”
Keris shrugged. “She held back critical details from my father, the most significant of which was that Aren gave her a way to contact his people in Vencia. She has refused to share that knowledge, but that’s of no matter. I’ll get it from Aren himself, meet with his people, and give them the information they need to make a successful rescue attempt.”
Zarrah blinked, then realized his intent. “Your plan is for them to rescue me as well.”
“Yes.”
“Keris…” She exhaled. “This is a mad plan. What the Ithicanians are most likely to do is eitherkillyou on first sight or kidnap you in an attempt to ransom you for Aren.”
He laughed. “They’d have better luck kidnapping and ransoming my father’s horse.”
