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But his actions, his words, the subtle changes in his personality over the past week…
Not to mention the monster with four faces. A creation that shouldn’t exist.
Larylis was right. He had to be. Somehow, this man was the former Duke Morkai brought back to life.
Larylis pinned Morkai with a scowl. “Where is my brother?”
Morkai patted his chest. “In here. This remains his body somewhat, though it won’t be for long.”
Larylis shifted, wincing as he tried to get a leg underneath him to stand, but Morkai curled his fingers inward toward the ball of blood. Larylis clutched his chest again and slumped back on his heels.
“Lare!” Mareleau tried to crawl forward but was intercepted by the creature. It pinned her beneath her father’s empty gaze and sent her scrambling back. It rounded behind her again, returning her view of Larylis and Morkai. The sorcerer’s eyes remained on her husband, that crimson ball still hovering over his hand. Was Morkai using the ball of blood to hurt Larylis somehow? To render him immobile?
Meanwhile, she was unscathed, guarded only by the monster. While the beast was terrifying, she realized something: Morkai didn’t see her as a threat. Not the way he saw Larylis.
Of course Morkai wouldn’t consider her a threat. He didn’t know her. To him, she was just a simpleminded, pampered queen. He couldn’t possibly know the full depths of her history. Her viciousness. The people she’d hurt. Lied to. Manipulated.
She could use that. The protective fire rekindled in her chest, her belly, encouraging her. Panic clawed her bones, but she could use that too. She could use all of it.
“What do you want from us?” she asked, letting her voice quaver even more, letting tears trail down her cheeks. Through her terror, she sought her trustymagic trick. Where normally she used it to don a confident outer shell, she used it for the opposite effect now.
Weak, she thought.Frightened. Soft. Desperate. The façade tugged her shoulders to her ears, raised the pitch of her voice, turned down the corners of her eyes. She hunched over the earth where she kneeled, hands digging into the soil as if she could barely hold herself up.
Morkai took a few steps closer to her. “Do not weep, Your Majesty. With your father’s death, you’ve added yet another kingdom to your reign. Is power not worth celebrating? You are now Queen of Menah and Queen of Selay. I asked you before what you’d call your new kingdom once the two merged as one. Have you decided yet?”
“Why would I even think about such a thing at a time like this?” Her voice edged on hysteria. It was an honest illustration of her current state, but with her mind focused on crafting a weak outer persona, it helped her pretend it wasn’t. Helped her detach. Feel like she was in control. “My father is dead. I don’t care about what that means for me as queen.”
Morkai gestured toward Larylis. “With your marriage, your husband has inherited a new kingdom as well. Your father was ambitious in setting you up as queen of one kingdom while keeping you as heir to another. It isn’t unheard of for kingdoms to merge under such arrangements, but I daresay a bastard has never risen so far in such a short time.”
Larylis narrowed his eyes, but his face twisted into another wince.
A sob tore from Mareleau’s throat. “Stop hurting him!”
“Should Larylis die,” Morkai said, “there would be quite a battle over who had the greatest right to the throne.”
Terror sparked inside her. She wanted to flee from her fear, but she reminded herself that she needed it. Needed all these dark emotions to craft what she wanted Morkai to see.
She shrank down, cowering.Weak. Small. No threat at all.
Morkai spoke again. “As queen of the single entity that is your newly merged kingdom, you could continue to rule as reigning monarch. But without an heir, your claim will be weak. Especially when Prince Teryn still lives, and his blood right to Menah is stronger, regardless of the marital ties that have joined the kingdom to Selay.”
She had to force herself not to react to the part about not having an heir. Force herself not to press a palm to her belly. Morkai didn’t know. Of course he didn’t. She’d told the man she’d thought was Teryn that she’d lied. She made herself sniffle, crafted a miniscule tone of voice. “What are you trying to say? You…you’re going to kill my husband?”
“In the unfortunate case that Larylis dies, leaving Menah and Selay in a contest of crowns, the most peaceful solution would be the one that creates the least amount of conflict. One that keeps bloodlines and land rights as they stand, with Menah and Selay as one. Better yet, why not reform Lela? Why not join three kingdoms? Do you understand what I’m suggesting?”
She shook her head.
“Then I’ll spell it out for you. For the sake of peace, the best solution would be for you to marry Teryn, the new King of Khero.”
Fire boiled her blood, and she didn’t have to fake her rage as she shouted at the sorcerer. “I wouldnevermarry Teryn.”
His gaze hardened, and he curled his fingers toward the ball of blood again. Larylis cried out, head falling forward as he clawed at his torso. “I don’t have to give you a choice.”
“Stop!” She extended a pleading hand. “Please stop hurting him! I take it back. I’ll do anything you say. Is it my kingdom you want? Menah? Selay? They’re yours. Take them. Take all of it. Just let me and Larylis go.”
Morkai scoffed. “You’re going to hand over your kingdoms, just like that? I thought you were stronger.”
The amusement in his voice said the opposite. This was exactly what he’d expected of her. She was so lost in her fear over Larylis’ fate, she wasn’t sure if her words had been truth or bluff. Lies had always left her lips easily, but now…now she’d do anything to save her husband. Promise anything and mean it with her whole heart.
