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Things between Aunt Berna and Lord Castemont were never the same after that night. But he’d been right, she hadn’t left him. I kept my mouth shut on the matter. I didn’t need to be involved. And to be honest, I was looking forward to the day the plan was carried out, because then I could keep my distance from Castemont.
It’d been two years since I agreed to go along with his plan. One year since King Umfray passed and I ascended the throne. And six months since Castemont and I worked out the logistics of this very day. He’d introduced me to the dozens of spies he’d employed over the years to watch the Daughter of Katia from afar. Of course, they were none the wiser to my identity.
“You have eyes on her?” he asked under his breath. We stood in the cordoned off area of the waterfront reserved only for royals. The morning of Cindregala was in full swing with a harbor full of ships and all of Eserene watching them.
I answered with a nod, watching the same head of thick brown hair moving through the crowd that I’d been watching from afar all morning. That Castemont had eyes on for years.
The Daughter of Katia.
“And you’re absolutely positive it’s her?” I asked.
“I have it on good authority.”
I know he did. He’d had spies watching her for years at this point.
This was it. My feet started moving. I dodged the stares of festival-goers as I neared her. Her eyes were glued to the harbor as she trailed behind two women — a full-cheeked brunette and a lithe blonde who Castemont told me was her sister.
I sped up, planning to catch her attention like I caught everyone else’s. Everyone else was always staring at me. She’d be no different. Hands in my pockets, I strode by her, making sure that I was in her full view. But she simply let me pass, her eyes transfixed on the harbor before her.
Damn.
I looped back around, intent on catching her eye. This time I cut directly in front of her, between her sister and her friend. Still, her gaze didn’t stray from the harbor for even a moment. I was completely invisible to her, something I would typically be happy about.
A challenge, then. I could rise to it.
Marching behind her, I purposely nudged her hard enough to get her attention — too hard,fuck, because now she was on the ground.Good fucking job, Cal, knock over the Daughter of Katia.
She was embarrassed as she straightened herself out on the ground, her gaze low and hidden. This was perfect, actually. The perfect way in. The handsome stranger who helped her up. My hand shot out, and then she looked up at me.
Her eyes were the middle of autumn. The last warm day of the year, when it’s been cold for a week now, but you walk out in the morning to the surprise of mild air amid the changing trees and fallen leaves. And you know that tomorrow it’ll be cold again, and the sun will take on its dull winter hue. But for today,just for today, it’s warm again. That’s what I saw in her eyes.
Shit.
I couldn’t tell if it was shock from the fall or my eyes on her, but she stared back. There was the attention I’d been expecting. But for a moment, I couldn’t move, couldn’t think of what to say. I finally shot a hand out to her, an apology in my mouth but stuck on my tongue. “Are you okay?” It was all I could think to ask.
She reached out, the feel of her hand in mine a contradiction in and of itself. Small but hardened. Delicate but prophesied to be the destruction of all that exists. “I’m fine.” She stood taller than I thought she would, and she dusted her hands on her cloak as she collected herself. “Thank you.”
I blinked hard, trying to keep my wits about me. But something about her was throwing me off. How couldthisbe the person destined to burn the world to ash? This tall, brown-eyed peasant in a torn cloak was going to bring the world to its knees?
Get close to her, then kill her.
“Try to be more careful.”
“Mhm,” she hummed. I had her attention now. She was melting under my stare, just like I hoped she would, but–
As if she pulled a mask off, she snapped out of it, her jaw squaring for a split second as she turned back to her sister and friend. “Enjoy Cindregala.”
“Wait.” I grabbed her shoulder, and her eyes found mine again. I drank her in,Saints, I lapped up every second I remained in her view.You have to kill her in the end, I reminded myself. But I let myself study her face, her strong, straight nose, the curve of her lips, and those damned autumn eyes. “What’s your name?”
“I have to go. My sister is leaving.” She turned away, out of the gentle grip I had on her shoulder. “Thanks again.”
Back into the crowd she went, leaving me…wanting.
? ? ?
Castemont’s study was silent. My mind was anything but.
I could still see Autumn Eyes frozen in fear as she watched the flaming ship headed straight for the seawall, straight for her sister. I’d lunged to help tow the rope in, to help in her efforts to save the sailors desperately trying to flee the path of a fiery death, but Castemont placed a hand on my shoulder. “Her sister would need to bedealt withanyway, and maybe we’ll be lucky enough that it’ll take out the Daughter of Katia, too,” he murmured in my ear. “Let nature take its course.”
