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“I felt more magic coming from the useless potion the dragons gave us,” Arkimedes challenged, allowing his hand to hover over the knife, his lips setting into a flat line.
“If you have a better way, I’m all ears.”
Nava observed their interplay, much like everyone else in the room. How much of the advisors knew about Leir? Were they aware that the king had murdered the queen in a fit of jealousy and anger? If so, then they were keeping it quiet.
“When I fought Leir in the forest, I noticed he had a powerful sword. Nava and I have been talking about the possibility of stealing it.”
“And how are you going to steal it if he is as strong as you make him sound?” The king’s eyes glinted with curiosity.
“He won’t know what’s happening, and he won’t see us coming.” Arkimedes glanced down at the knife, pursing his lips.
“What did you find in your mother’s chambers? I had it searched after she passed to discover where she took you, but there was nothing.”
“How did you know…?” Blood rushed through Nava’s head as she met the king’s eyes from across the table. She had been extra vigilant of being followed, and her bees had been on high alert all night long.
“Don’t be surprised, girl. The castle speaks to me. Soon enough, it will begin to communicate with you if you listen. It always prefers the queens.”
Nava pressed her lips together. No need to reveal that the castle was already doing so.
“We found something Leir gifted my mother. It should call to him if one of us wears it. Our plan is to bring him to the tree my mother died on,” Arkimedes said. “I do believe you know precisely where that is.”
The king smirked, his eyes gleaming with something Nava couldn’t decipher. But he didn’t say a word.
Ark placed a hand over her shoulder as if the touch alone would soften the sorrow filtering in waves through their bond. It was hard not to empathize with the emissary’s loss of his soulmate, not when they both knew how devastating that would be.
“Brilliant,” the king declared. “And that’s why you’re my son.”
“Indeed, Your Majesty,” the male next to the king gushed, eyes bright with excitement. Instantly, the room darkened, and the scent of magic wafted through the air.
“These bastards know he killed her. I’m sure of it,” Arkimedes growled through their mind bond, and his aura darkened further. The counselors sitting by his father shrunk back into their chairs with wide eyes, probably sensing they were one wrong word away from meeting Ark’s power.
Her heart ached as she remembered the ghost of his mother and what she’d shown them. All her notes of how her life had spiraled due to her choices. How she’d tried not to fall for the king but had done so either way.
“What did you find in Briar’s room, Orion?”
“A ring,” Arkimedes said, steadying his temper. “You will wear it.”
“Prince Orion, you can’t be serious.” The counselor laughed loud enough for the shrill sound to echo in the wide-open room, although his face showed nothing but panic. “His Majesty is ill. He can’t fight an undying Dark One.”
“Yes, he can. He is Leir’s primary target. Leir will be too focused on his need for revenge to notice anything else, which will give us a chance to get close enough to steal his weapon.”
“You won’t need me as a distraction if you have a part of me within you,” the king said. “Use that anger, take what’s yours, and use my power to defeat him.”
“You’re mad,” Arkimedes whispered, shaking his head in disbelief. Judging by his advisors’ widened eyes, they felt the same. They had been right. All along, the king wanted to become a part of Arkimedes, to be absorbed so he could remain in this kingdom as a part of his shadows.
“The emissary’s weapon will poison either of you if you were to hold it. A guard should do it instead,” the female counselor said, calling their attention to her.
Nava felt numb. Why hadn’t they even considered that?
“Miss Elina is right. The artifacts lose power the longer they remain in our mortal lands. Most artifacts will poison a person after they hold it only twice. I can only imagine what it would do to His Royal Highness if he were to steal it,” Finian said.
“I agree as well. His Majesty should consider this.” The last counselor indicated the guards standing by the door. “Neither of you two, nor the future queen, can be the ones to steal it. It has to be a guard.”
Her life wasn’t more important than those souls standing over there. This felt wrong, even if the gods had tied Arkimedes’s life to the kingdom and Nava was a Beekeeper, tasked to maintain a balance in nature. They couldn’t demand their lives, right?
Perhaps that was naïve, but she didn’t care. The person who should get poisoned by that weapon was the king. He’d caused this entire debacle.
If she was reading Arkimedes’s emotions right, he felt the same. “There is no need to sacrifice the guards.”
