Page 114 of Blood of the Stars

“He’s branded. It’s not his fault.”

“Branded? By Mayvus?” Gaeren had the nerve to snort. He shook his head. “I shouldn’t be surprised that she does blood magic.”

“Who are you?” Sylmar asked.

“Prince Gaeren of Elanesse.” He said his own title with a mocking lilt, then gave an exaggerated and awkward bow from his seat on the ground.

“We can deal with him—” Aeliana started, but Sylmar stepped in front of her.

“Lukai. Take her.” Sylmar’s arms spread until his cloak hid Aeliana from view.

Lukai yanked on Aeliana’s arm, but she shook him off. “Stop being ridiculous. He came to protect me.”

“Is that so?” Sylmar asked. “Then why do his parents have a reward out on your head?”

CHAPTER 47

This time, Gaeren laughed so hard he coughed. When he finally caught his breath, he squinted up at the older man, the pock-mark scars resembling destination points on the maps in The Sins of the Stars. He’d thought all those points led to Daisy, but now he didn’t know what to think about anything.

“If my parents had a reward on her head, do you think I’d march in here and announce my name?”

The man’s glare didn’t falter. “They may revere you in the north, but your image gets more distorted the farther south you go. They say your sister will be the queen to save Rhystahn, second only to Queen Amaya, the first queen of Elanesse, who united all of Vendaras under the Sun.”

The stranger waved his arms out in mock praise, making Gaeren’s gut clench. He couldn’t argue with the man for thinking the northern people were overly obsessed with having a perfect monarch, but it wasn’t Enla’s fault they’d put her on a pedestal.

“But you…” The man bent forward, tapping Gaeren’s chest with a gnarled finger. “They also speak of you. They say you can’t take anything seriously. That you look pretty enough beside your sister, but you’re not good for anything else.”

The words shouldn’t have stung, but they did. Gaeren took the things that mattered seriously. Those close to him knew that. But most of what went on in Elanesse was pomp and ceremony. If he didn’t laugh at it all, he’d grow depressed over the waste.

“If I’m not good for anything else, why am I tied up like I’m a threat?”

The stranger straightened. “Do you know why your parents are after Aeliana?”

Gaeren let his gaze flick over the old man’s shoulder, taking in Daisy as she gnawed on her lip, her brow crinkled. The man next to her took a step closer, as if to shield her, but Gaeren noticed she stepped away, rejecting his protection. For some reason, it made Gaeren smile.

“You find this amusing?” the older man barked.

“I try to find something to be amused about every day. You never know when it might be your last. I’d like to be happy whenever I join the Sun.” He rested his head back against the trunk. It didn’t matter what he said. They wouldn’t believe him. Besides, maybe his parents did have some sort of reward out for Daisy. It wasn’t like he’d been home recently to check.

But if that was the case, the man’s question was a good one: why?

Shouts came from beyond the small crowd of strangers, causing everyone to turn and further block Gaeren’s view.

“We found two more of them coming from the southwest.” The crowd parted for the petite older man who spoke, finally revealing Riveran and Orra marching Gaeren’s way, their wrists bound in front of them.

Gaeren grinned in relief, the humor of his reaction not lost on him. A few weeks ago, he hadn’t been particularly fond of either of them, and now they were a welcome sight.

“Did you find their grandfather?” he called.

Riveran’s face brightened as he sought out Gaeren among the strangers—until he saw Gaeren tied up.

“Yes.” His surly response was all Gaeren got before they were hushed.

A much bigger man nudged Riveran forward, his voice soft. “The criminal claims to be his oldest friend”—Riveran avoided Gaeren’s eyes—“and the woman refused to answer any questions until she saw Aeliana.”

Daisy craned her neck around her personal guard, and to Gaeren’s surprise, her face turned a fascinating shade of pink.

“You.” In a blink, Daisy rushed at Orra, her attack blocked by Riveran as he stepped between them. She beat a fist weakly on his chest and continued shouting at Orra despite the wall between them. “You stood by and did nothing. She died and you just—you just watched.”

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