Chapter Thirty-Eight

C HAPTER T HIRTY-EIGHT

As I shake my head, I can’t help but pace back and forth across the sitting room. Darius seems more composed than I am as he leans against the wall by the windows, Tibith resting on his shoulder.

No one else is here with us. Right after our public speech, I made sure to send everyone away. The thought of Rydan and Lorcan or my brothers talking to me at the same time would have sent me into a nervous collapse. They have seen too many of my tragedies to bear another one, so the last thing I want to do is do it in their presence.

I let out a frustrated breath, longing to pull my gown apart with my bare hands as I nearly trip over the bulk of the skirt. ‘This is ridiculous,’ I mutter, turning to face Darius. ‘Why did we even dress up when we know they still don’t see us as anything but the reason this world is a mess?’

‘I suppose the strategy to blend in wasn’t so horrible when we initially considered it.’

I shake my head, knowing it was a foolish plan to begin with, yet Darius and I still went along with it, even when, deep down, we knew the people wouldn’t listen to us straight away.

‘You’re not really mad about the gown.’ Darius shoots me a glance. The sun is setting, casting a golden glow over half of his face as the other half lies in shadow. ‘You’re mad about something else.’ He steps off the ledge and walks up to me. When I try to look away from his beguiling stare, he delicately hooks a thumb beneath my chin and turns my head. ‘What is it?’ His soft, hushed voice is too irresistible. Despite myself, I immediately open my mouth to answer.

‘When they called you a monster,’ I say quietly, ‘it felt like you believed them. You know that it isn’t true, right?’

He pauses for a second as if my statement has surprised him. I feel his fingertips running over my jaw as he nods and visibly swallows.

He does that lately.

If a thought bothers him, he doesn’t like to bring me down along with it. And while he is usually good at hiding it behind a fa?ade of witticism and distracting me with his touch, this time I can see right through it.

Then it hits me.

Darius has only ever known what it is like to be hated, to be called a monster, and he thinks this will always be true.

Grasping his hand, I place it on my chest. ‘Darius—’

Ruvyn bursts through the double doors, his face flushed. ‘I tried to make them wait—’ Following him, a procession of men clad in regal blue uniforms stride past with spears made of shells as they pave the way for another figure.

Darius carefully turns in the other direction, placing his hand on the small of my back as the man ahead looks at us with a less-than-friendly stare. In the golden room, his crown made of broken lapis lazuli shards shines, and the stark contrast between his rich, bronzed skin and white frosted hair is mesmerizing.

It’s the ruler of Undarion.

I know because the first time I laid eyes on him was on the night of Noctura. Back then, he was laughing while in conversation with others. He looked so welcoming yet unapproachable for someone like me. Now, the level of disgust in his expression makes him look . . . ordinary.

‘So, this is what Emberwell is faced with now.’ His voice doesn’t suit him. It’s higher than expected. ‘A criminal as the future king, and his whore.’

The insult stings my skin, and I consider my response, but Darius has already snapped into action. His anger is so palpable I can feel it vibrate onto me through his hand.

‘I suggest you be careful of how you speak about my wife, Hedris,’ Darius says almost menacingly. ‘I would hate for your kingdom to be without a leader.’

Hedris’s eyes – too pale to be blue – enlarge. ‘My, my, you haven’t been crowned yet, and you are already trying to threaten those above you.’

My fists clench at the lack of respect he blatantly has for us. Ruvyn looks over at me, waiting for my approval to kick him and his lackeys out.

I shake my head, signalling for him to leave. If something goes wrong, he can alert my brothers.

He seems to hesitate at my request for a second before he storms away.

When Hedris sees Tibith peeping around the corner of our legs, his eyes drop to the floor. ‘How intriguing,’ he says. ‘We exterminated that species in our kingdom because they served no purpose for us.’

As a reflex, Darius and I step forward to shield Tibith.

‘What is it you want?’ I demand. Arlayna had already forewarned me that the people of Undarion were furious over the treaty. They were rule followers. Always have been – unlike the Aerian’s.

Hedris looks at me. There is no kindness behind his eyes. ‘I want you out of here. Neither of you are fit to rule over a kingdom, we already witnessed that today.’

I scoff. ‘And what? You take over instead?’

He considers it while his men around him cast sly glances at each other. ‘I have an army at my disposal, loyal followers, and I’m respected among others. What do you have, except for people who cannot differentiate between a dessert fork and a fish fork?’

‘Well, of course, you would know,’ Darius says, and by the amusement in his tone, I can tell he is about to make things worse. ‘You can’t be eating your own kind with a dessert fork. At least have a little respect for your people.’

Hedris’s face darkens. ‘I am giving you a warning here. Stand down and hand the reign over to me—’

‘Or you’ll have my head on a platter. I’ve heard it all before.’ Darius sounds bored, a smirk playing on his lips. ‘So, I think I’ll pass.’

Furious, Hedris’s nostrils flare. ‘You’re making a mistake here.’

I take a step away from Darius, narrowing my eyes. ‘What is it that you would do differently if you were to take over instead of us?’

Hedris gives me the side eye and blinks as if he hadn’t anticipated me speaking up once more.

‘Suggest another treaty so that kingdoms can’t so much as communicate with one another?’ Again, I move an inch forward, the heaviness of my gown making it hard to walk any quicker. ‘Feel more powerful than the rest for ruling two kingdoms rather than one?’ I cock my head to the side. ‘Tell me.’

I’m near enough that Hedris’s men can attack me at any given moment if Hedris orders it, and even closer, I can see the twitch in his right eye.

‘You don’t know the first thing about ruling,’ he tells me in a quiet, wrathful voice.

‘Perhaps.’ I lean into his face. He is so much smaller now that I have him in front of me. ‘But at least I know how to treat others right.’

That only manages to infuriate him more. To be told that he is worthless, without a heart.

Satisfaction pulls at my lips as I turn to face Darius and Tibith. I can just about make out Darius’s smile before it morphs into something furious.

I quickly spin around in time, raise my hand, emitting a bright white light, and twist my fingers in the air, snapping Hedris’s hand before he can use his powers to attack me.

He howls in pain, causing his lackeys to surge forward, swords drawn out at the ready. But their weapons transform into black mist as Darius comes by my side, his hand wielding shadows.

‘What are you?’ Spit forms around Hedris’s mouth as he tries to heal his broken hand with water coming from his fingertips.

I smile and simply say in his face, ‘Solaris’s vessel.’

‘That’s impossible,’ Hedris hisses, his face contorting into another fierce glare.

One of his men tries to pull out another weapon.

‘I wouldn’t if I were you,’ Darius says casually, lifting his hand and observing the shadows go from finger to finger. ‘I forgot how much I missed using magic.’ Lethal gold eyes cut to Hedris. ‘Think of all the pent-up power I could use if you so much as breathe in her direction.’

Another of Hedris’s men audibly gulps, which humours Darius all the more. Tibith springs past us on all fours and starts growling at Hedris.

Shock flickers across his pained expression as he stares at Tibith.

‘You should leave.’ There’s a condescending tone to my voice as well as a warning.

Hedris brings his furious gaze up to Darius, and something about his silence tells me this is far from over.

He stumbles back, hauling his men along with him while Darius, Tibith and I stare on, making sure they leave.