Chapter 7

CHAPTER SEVEN

C lutching the note a servant had slipped into her hand while she was on her way back to her rooms to change for dinner, Sonah stopped in front of the doors to Prince Lerek’s rooms. She tapped her foot while enduring the Imperial Guard’s scrutiny before he opened the door and let her inside.

The antechamber was cool, the early spring breeze wafting in from the terrace on her left, and she smiled in greeting at an Imperial Guard just inside the room. He did not respond, staring at her with a stoic mask, and she rolled her eyes and strode toward the terrace.

Sonah shivered and folded her arms, hunching her shoulders as another chill breeze whipped her blonde hair off her shoulders. Looking around, she saw light from the fire pit to the right where the pergola’s white silk curtains floated. Squinting, Sonah saw Prince Lerek and straightened, taking a deep breath before proceeding toward him.

Pushing aside one of the billowing curtains, she stepped into the relative warmth of the pergola. Sitting on a large, cushioned wooden chair near the crackling fire, Prince Lerek stared into the dancing flames, arms resting on his knees. Uncertain, Sonah stood awkwardly and cleared her throat .

“Ah,” Prince Lerek said with a smirk when he looked up and saw her. “Little Changeling.”

Blinking, Sonah’s mouth hung open for a second before she launched forward, arms out and screeched, “Isher!”

The prince stood in time to catch her, Sonah’s embrace making him almost fall back into his seat as he laughed. He squeezed tight before pushing her back and lifted a hand to her face, tucking a lock of blonde hair behind her ear as he grinned at her.

“Been a while,” he murmured, and she laughed, hugging him again.

When she finally let go, she swatted his shoulder. “What are you doing here? I thought you were Lerek!”

“I just got here,” he said, retaking his seat. Sonah looked around before moving to a seat nearby and pulled it close to Isher. Sighing, she sat and gazed at him while he settled back.

“I’m waiting for Lerek,” he added.

“Does he know you’re here?”

Isher shrugged. “I sent him a note this morning.”

Sonah opened her mouth and made a noise. “So it was your note he got at breakfast,” she said, snapping her fingers and pointing at him. “That’s why we didn’t leave.”

“What are you doing here? Not that I’m not glad to see you, Little Changeling,” Isher said with a wink. Sonah blushed, loving the nickname he’d given her when she first arrived at the White Palace because of her different colored eyes. She had been self conscious of them, one brown and one green, when she’d first come to court, the other ladies making fun of her for them. But Isher loved them, exclaiming how unique they made her, which made the other ladies jealous, especially since Isher showed so much interest in her. It wasn’t in a romantic way, Sonah knew, but in a cherished, younger sister way, making her feel loved and protected.

Sonah sighed and opened her fist, the crumpled missive in her hand. “I’ve a note saying Prince Lerek was to have drinks in his rooms before dinner, so… here I am.”

“A Royal Taster’s duty never ends,” Isher said with a trace of disgust. “Thank the gods he’s the heir, Sonah, because I’d run you ragged.”

Sonah laughed and ducked her head to hide the flush of color in her face. “It’s too bad we’re leaving in the morning,” she groaned. “It would’ve been nice to see you for more than a few minutes.”

Isher leaned forward and rubbed the back of his neck. “I think you’ll be seeing a lot more of me soon, Little Changeling.”

Sonah’s eyes widened. “Truly? The emperor will allow you to come back?”

The harsh laugh greeting her words made Sonah startle. “Let me come back? No. I doubt my father would let me, but I see some changes coming.”

Sonah’s brows furrowed, but she didn’t dwell on his words for long. Looking around, she saw the wine decanter and crystal goblets on the sideboard and cocked her head at Isher. “Well, I supposed I should at least do my job and taste the wine before he gets here. I need to get going.”

Isher inclined his head and motioned with his hand, smiling at her as she rose and went to the decanter, pouring herself a glass. She arched an eyebrow at him, shaking the decanter in question.

“Of course,” he said with a laugh, and she poured a glass for him.

Taking both goblets, she walked over and handed him his wine, then tapped her glass against his. Sonah took a long drink, closing her eyes and savoring the sweet taste.

“How long do we wait until you’re dead?” Isher joked with a grin.

She scowled at him and set her glass down on the rim of the fire pit. “So, you never said why you’re back. Are you going with us to see the new northern king?”

Isher made a face. “Lerek wrote to me about the trip north, but it was Serephina who told me to come home. Apparently, I’m a surprise for my brother.”

“That’s weird,” Sonah said. Lady Serephina was the emperor’s second wife, and she disliked Lerek and Isher, mostly because they were ahead of her own son in the line of succession.

“Aye,” Isher said with a deep sigh and stretched. He shrugged and took a sip of his wine. “I think she’s trying to get on my good side. Anyway, I wanted to make sure he’d still be here, so I sent him the note. It’ll be good to see my mother, too.”

“The empress has kept to her rooms in recent months,” Sonah said, lifting sad eyes to the prince. “It’ll be good for her to see you.”

Isher nodded and looked down at his goblet.

“Will you still be here when we get back?”

Isher stared at her for a few long seconds before he nodded. “Aye, Sonah. I’ll still be here.”

“Good,” she said and stood. The blood rushed to her head, and dizziness swamped her vision for a moment and she snapped her hand out. Isher bolted from his chair and grabbed her arm to steady her.

“Are you good? Was it the poison?”

“Ha ha,” she muttered. “I think I stood up too fast.”

Isher released his hold, his eyes still on her, and she gave him a quick smile. “Tell Lerek I was here, and the wine is fine?”

“Aye, Little Changeling.”

Sonah nodded and turned to leave, then turned back and gave him another hug, her arms tight as she rested her head on his chest. Going up on her toes, she planted a kiss on his cheek. “I’ll miss you, but I’m glad you’ll be here when we get back. I’ll see you soon!”

Isher grabbed her face and dropped a kiss on her forehead, then stared into her eyes for a few seconds. Sonah frowned, but then he tweaked her nose and she jerked her head back.

“Ugh, stop!” she said, pulling away.

When she made it to the terrace doors, she glanced over her shoulder to look at him one last time and caught him still standing, his gaze sad as he watched her.

A chill went down her spine, and Sonah had the feeling she was missing something, something important. She shook it off and left, hurrying through the antechamber and out the door as if chased by ghosts.

Terena paced through the Winter Garden, pausing now and then to sit on a stone bench, only to rise and pace again.

She glanced over at the doorway for the hundredth time, wondering where Lerek could be.

Only once had he failed to meet her: when his father had unexpectedly fallen ill, eating some spoiled fruit. The palace had been in an uproar; half the kitchen staff put to the sword before the Royal Physician had announced the fruit was bad, not poisoned. They executed the fruit vendor that afternoon.

Terena cursed and strode toward the exit, nodding as she passed two Imperial Guard and took the stairs down four flights and across the walkway, where another flight of stairs led up to the royal residences.

The upper gallery was silent. Terena stepped out into the hallway and listened. As she strode across the hall and down the corridor leading to Lerek’s rooms, she frowned.

There were no guards about.

Lerek’s personal Imperial Guard, Alexi, was always outside the prince’s rooms. Terena had caught him sleeping more than once during a night shift, but it wasn’t late enough for him to have already fallen asleep.

And she’d never seen him not at his post.

Terena looked around, then reached for the latch, lifting it slowly and pushing the door open. The silence beyond was not reassuring at all.

Terena unsheathed her dagger slowly, pushing the door wider, and slipped inside. She closed the door behind her, her eyes adjusting to the dark, darting around the large foyer.

As she turned to step into the room, she saw a guard lying on the floor on the far side of the door.

Terena held her breath as she hunched down, her hands sliding up to the guard’s neck to feel for a pulse. She gasped, snatching her hand back when she felt the slippery slide of blood. Glancing around, Terena moved carefully through the antechamber, stopping beside a plush chaise where someone was sitting facing away from her .

As she stepped closer, her eyes narrowed, and she leaned in to see a guard slumped half on and half off the chaise. The smell of copper hit her nose as she kneeled, hissing at him to wake up, but he didn’t so much as twitch. Terena lifted a hand and pushed at his shoulder roughly. He slumped over and Terena’s heart skipped.

Alexi.

Terena reached out, running both hands over his body. Something warm and wet covered his armor.

She pulled her hand back, sliding the pads of her fingers together, the coppery smell filling her nostrils. Terena leaned forward, her arms flying across the guard’s chest to his neck, where the blood pooled thickly at the collar of his uniform jacket. Blood roaring in her ears, Terena rose slowly and glanced around the room once more before stepping toward the open terrace doors.

Outside, she paused, straining to hear. Nothing but silence and the gathering darkness greeted her. Her grip tightened on her dagger as she stepped up onto the upper terrace. Lerek’s garden terrace surrounded a pergola wreathed in white silk curtains billowing slowly as she neared. The cool night air did nothing to ease her overheated skin. Beyond the swaying silks, she could see the dim embers of a dying fire.

The silence was thick in her ears and she blinked owlishly at her surroundings. As she parted the silks, Terena stared dumbly around at the scene. Lerek lay on the ground in front of the settee, wearing the same clothes he’d worn earlier, a dark stain marring the white silk, his arms stretched out wide. Looking across, her eyes landed on another figure, her eyes widening. Lerek’s twin, Isher, was half lying on an armchair across from Lerek, an empty glass near his fingers shattered on the stone. Another guard lay on the ground face down near his feet.

Terena rushed to Lerek, her hands trembling badly. She whimpered incoherently as her hands groped his chest, his face, feeling something sticky she couldn’t see but knew by the coppery scent what it was. She put her head to his chest, her cheek in the wetness on his shirt. He was so still, his skin like ice.

She couldn’t hear his heartbeat.

Terena drew her hands back in horror, then stared at them like she’d never seen them before, covered in blood.

Terena sat there, mouth opening and closing.

“Please… please,” she whispered, over and over, her shaking hands reaching once more for her beloved as she moved them frantically across his body, begging him, pleading with him. “Please!”

A movement across from her startled her, and she fell back, her ass hitting the stone hard, jarring her out of her stupor. She looked up to see Isher mumbling and working to sit up. At last, he lifted his head and stared back at her. As their eyes met, he blinked at her.

“What are you doing here?”

Terena stared at him, then back down at Lerek.

“What did you do?” she whispered. Isher’s eyes widened as he stared at her.

“WHAT DID YOU DO?!” she roared as she sprang to her feet.

“Wait!”

Fire raced up from her belly, along her arms and up her chest. Her vision tunneled. She flung out her hands and roared.

Blinding light filled the terrace. Isher screamed as he rose in the air and crashed against a pergola beam, his head cracking loudly against the wood. Terena’s hands lifted higher, her left hand curling as if to choke him. Isher struggled against the force holding him against the beam, his legs kicking wildly as he clawed at his throat.

There were shouts and running feet behind her, but Terena was focused only on Isher. She tightened her fingers and was rewarded with fresh, guttural sounds from Isher. Hands pulled at her, nails gouging into the skin of her arms, leaving bloody welts, but Terena did not relent. More hands pulled at her and she lost her control of Isher. He crashed to the ground.

Terena turned with renewed rage and shook off the hands holding her in place and whipped out her arms. A great force whooshed from her hands, arms glowing bright white, and three guards flew across the terrace. Two more guards rushed forward, followed by three others. Swords held high, they ran at her, yelling, but she snapped out her left hand, curling her fingers. The two guards closest to her dropped to their knees, hands clutching at their throats in agony.

She was about to turn her attention to the others when something cracked against her head and she fell atop Lerek’s body.

Terena held her eyes open long enough to see her love’s dead eyes staring back at her.