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“Just as you are.”
I didn’t need Tavion Montgomery and his weaknesses jeopardizing this operation, not when we were so close to realizing the end of the war. But someone had to keep an eye on Anaria, at least until I got Raz out of the prison and back where he belonged.
“Solok has eyes inside the Keep, inside our operation now. If you want to continue gambling and whoring, follow Anaria and the Reaper back to her rooms, make sure nothing happens to our future queen.”
He snorted. “It’ll be a cold day in hell before I bend the knee to Anaria.” Tavion muttered.
“But I’ll make sure the Reaper doesn’t kill her before she serves her purpose.”
43
ANARIA
In my haste to put as much distance between Ember, Zor and Raziel as possible, I overlooked the fact I was now alone with a Reaper, heading for the Keep.
I had no plan past getting her to my room.
Nor did I have any idea what a Soul Reaper was, except they could get into you through a wound and eat your soul. I’d mentally checked myself over twice and other than a hangnail, I was wound-free.
Besides, if Solok’s goal was to gather information, I doubted she’d kill me, not as long as I was being…accommodating.
Still, being alone with Em wasn’t my smartest choice. As long as she was here, I had to make smart choices. There was more than just my life riding on what I did these next few days.
An entire conspiracy rested on my shoulders.
“Are you hungry?” Once we entered the Keep, I steered her toward the kitchens, servants and slaves ducking out of our way. “You must be, there’s nothing between here and the wall, you have to be starving.”
“I am.” Her fingers dug into my arm, the further into the Keep we walked, and I wondered if it was Ember or the Reaper who was nervous. According to everyone, my friend no longer existed, but she was in there somewhere.
She had to be.
The kitchen set aside a small area for the staff and I settled Em at the end of a long table, the other servants vacating the room the second they saw me.
No one wanted to be near the king’s daughter, even if I really wasn’t.
“Stay here, I will be right back.” I couldn’t help smoothing her tangled hair away from her face, pale enough I picked out every freckle on her cheeks. “Bread and water to start. Perhaps an apple.” I decided, gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze then went to find the cook.
She’d lost a lot of blood yesterday and I doubted Solok cared enough to feed her before sending her here, vowing again to kill him the next time I saw him. Cook blinked in surprise, then rushed around shouting for her helpers and I returned with enough food to feed an army.
Ember’s dark gray eyes widened at the display of meats and cheeses, fruits and pastries before she reached out and took a croissant. I held my breath as she took a bite, not sure what to expect.
Did Reapers eat? Did they sleep?
There were a million questions I should have asked Zor, but now it was too late.
“Well, isn’t this like old times.” My heart leapt into my throat when Tavion prowled in, his silver hair gleaming in the torchlight, boot heels clicking on the stone floor like hammer blows.
He wasn’t looking at me, though, he was staring intently at Ember and she at him, and for a brief second, something shifted in her silvery eyes. A fleeting shadow, a hint of the thing that possessed her and I balled my hands into fists.
“Don’t you have a gambling den to visit?” I asked sweetly. “Or some dismal brothel to spend your time?”
“Why would I, when I can spend the afternoon with my favorite little thief and her friend?” He swung his leg over the bench and sat across from Ember, who chewed her croissant thoughtfully, meeting his dark stare with one of her own.
“Nothing to say?”
I could barely breathe as Ember set her croissant down slowly, picked up the glass of water and took a sip. “What would you have me say, commander? From the looks of it, the dark king has paid you well for your betrayal.”
It was Em’s voice, Em’s lips moving, but that voice was tinged with a malevolence my friend was incapable of. Tavion smiled up at me, as if to say…do you see now?
