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I raced up the stairs, my heart thumping in my chest. Cautiously opening the door to our suite, I slipped in, Mirijana’s snores providing some comfort that the Marshal hadn’t returned. Running into the bedroom, I shoved the knife beneath the mattress and yanked off my clothes. The sound of male voices had me scrambling into bed as Theron walked in. I fought to keep my breathing even as he stared at me before he shut the door gently. I let out a shuddering breath, my heartbeat pounding in my ears like a hammer in the foundry. Fuck, that was close. I listened to him moving around the suite until the clinking dishes lulled me to sleep.
Chapter 13
Theron
IglancedatKael,but her face was set in hard lines that hadn’t shifted since we’d woken. If I’d thought our conversation in the lagoon had helped us understand one another more, I was sorely mistaken. She was even more distant than before, not even treating me to her sharp words or glances, instead keeping her attention locked outside the carriage window. It reminded me of those months after my mother had let me out of the cage, withholding the smallest bits of affection to keep my behavior in line.
I took a deep breath and tried again. “What do you think of the city?”
Kael didn’t answer, and I followed her gaze out the window to where gilded spires glinted in the hazy lantern glow. The original section of the city was said to be a wonder of Maeoris, but Kael seemed unimpressed by its splendor. For someone who had spent most of her time outside its walls, it should have been awe-inspiring. But then again, had she spent her life in the slave quarter? I’d assumed that she had, but I’d never asked. I knew next to nothing about the woman I’d claimed as my own. Only the unwavering certainty that she was mine.
The noble district was stunningly crafted, showcasing the talents of his forebears in abundance. Its winding streets were framed by tall black stone walls, the sharp corners of obsidian cladding glinting in the moonlight like stars scattered across the sky. Statues and mosaics lined every street corner, brightening up the darkness with their beauty. Elven artisans had built this district from nothing but sand and rock, creating a unique desert city of dark hues and intricate designs.
The few plants that grew here seemed to thrive despite the lack of water, sending their vines to encase buildings and statues alike in a pale green embrace. The air was heavy with spices, both sweet and savory, mingling with exotic perfumes to create an almost dizzying atmosphere and a crowd shouted as a man blew fire from his mouth in a cloud. Everything about it was designed for beauty—no expense had been spared to ensure its opulence. A stark contrast to the rest of the city. We had built the addition with speed in mind, lacking any soul in its red stones.
Kael just stared out at it all wordlessly, her expression curious, but her lips pressed together in a thin line. I almost felt guilty for disrupting the silence between us and wished I had said nothing.
Then she spoke up in a soft voice, “It’s strange how this place can be so beautiful yet so hollow.” She turned to look at me with those intense green eyes; they seemed to hold something deeper than words could express. “Why do you keep bothering me?” She asked, her tone weary.
“Do I need a reason to speak to you?”
Her eyes flashed, and relief flickered through me. I preferred her fire over her ice. “Most people have a point to their conversations.”
“Where are you from?”
She lifted a delicate shoulder, and my gaze flicked to her dress, a bold blood-red sheath that clung to her curves and left precious little to the imagination. “It doesn’t matter.”
“Humor me.”
She glared at me, and my cock throbbed. It wasn’t on board with the plan to wait. “I’m not your entertainment.”
“Do you want to be?” I murmured, sliding closer to her. She trembled, goosebumps running down her arm before she shot me a nasty look. As if it was my fault that her body reacted to me. It was only fair. She should be as obsessed with me as I was with her.
“I’m from Haechall.” She said, her voice hard.
I froze, not wanting to frighten her back into silence, even though worry threaded through me. I’d decimated Haechall on Varzorn’s orders. It was a wasteland now. “Have you been in Adraedor long?”
“What’s long for me is nothing for you.” She turned those eyes on me once more, pinning me to my seat. “If I tell you I’ve been here for more than a decade, what does that mean to you? That’s a blink to an immortal. To me, it could be a third of my life. Slaves don’t last in the desert.”
“I’m not that old,” I muttered even as dread filled me. The Fall of Caurium had been fifteen years ago. “I’m only two hundred and seventeen. That’s young for my kind.”
Her eyes widened in disbelief, and her mouth twisted in a mirthless smirk. She shook her head and let out a low, hollow chuckle before turning away.
The carriage came to a halt, and I stepped out, holding my hand for her to exit. She grimaced at the harnessed vanira, taking care to step away from it as we walked toward the stone entrance. The outdoor amphitheater was bedecked in imperial colors: red, black, and gold ribbons cascaded down from the ceiling of the stage, billowing in the midnight breeze. Flaming torches lined the walls, casting a warm glow across the sandstone and colorful mosaic tiles that depicted the city’s history, images of Kearis and Atar building together. People bustled around us, their faces illuminated by the firelight as they searched for their seats.
“Come on.” She didn’t fight me as I tucked her arm into my elbow, guiding her to the front of the amphitheater, ignoring the section that the Emperor had claimed, my mother and Rhazien by his side. Tannethe stood next to her, a seductive grin on her face as she beckoned for me to join her, but I pointedly looked away. Nyana gave me a disapproving glare before we moved to take our seats, angry at my blatant refusal of her demands.
We sat, surrounded by the various Thain Noble Houses and their scheming members vying to claim the throne for themselves. The Vennorins were almost too obvious in their plotting; a family of vipers with too much money and not enough connections. House Sarro had old blood but lacked popularity among the nobility. And then there was House Taelyr and Cairis; enemies who had recently become lovers that seemed to be winning over hearts of all persuasions with their displays of devotion, not that Raenisa was interested in spending time with her newly married cousin.
There was a sense of excitement in the air as people waited eagerly for some entertainment; musicians tuning their instruments offstage and the scent of fried dough drifting around us. I heard a familiar laugh and looked over my shoulder to see Raenisa sitting with Caelia Sarro; her smile was radiant as the older woman whispered something in her ear. Herrath didn’t seem to be in attendance, and Zerek still hadn’t returned.
“What is this? A play?” Kael asked, crossing her arms over her chest.
I shook my head, glancing away from the stage to watch her glower at the assemblage. “It’s a dance,Sia. The story of Kearis and Cetena’s courtship.”
“Seems like poor taste to make a show about gods you murdered,” Kael muttered under her breath and I swallowed a laugh.
The audience grew quiet as a pair of scantily clad performers emerged from backstage and began to weave their way up the spider silk ribbons suspended in the air.
