Page 7 of A Sky of Emerald Stars

Grae nodded in agreement.

“We need a representative of our court to go to Valta, too,” Calla said. “Secure King Luo’s allegiance if this all escalates.”

“I can take whoever wants to go,” Navin murmured. “I was planning on taking Galen den’ Mora to Rikesh next for the wine festival.”

“The wagon? The oxen?” Calla asked. “Are they okay?”

“Fine.” Navin slid his gaze to Mina and said, “I could use a few more musicians on my travels, though.”

Mina’s brows lifted, a silent conversation seeming to pass between the two of them. Whatever was going on with Navin’s evasiveness, Mina seemed to know, too.

“I think I’d rather stay close to my Queen,” Mina signed, making Navin’s frown deepen.

“Navin, you can’t go as my ambassador without any backup,” Calla insisted. “I don’t want to make Galen den’ Mora a target.”

“Let me go,” he pushed. “Galen den’ Mora will be far less suspicious than Wolves traveling on their own, and safer, especially now,” he added pointedly. “No one can breech the steps of Galen den’ Mora without one of us welcoming them in. It is stormproof, fireproof. We could ride through a battlefield and be safe in there.”

Maez let out a low whistle. “That’s a pretty strong dying wish.” She rubbed her chin and stared back at the map of Aotreas. “At least one person with fighting skills should go with you.”

“And Luo will be more likely to listen to Wolves rather than humans,” Mina signed, giving Navin a knowing look.

Calla nodded. “Sadie will go with you.”

“What?” My eyes bugged as I whirled. “You can’t be serious. Why don’t you send Maez? Then she can communicate any news from her travels with Briar?”

Maez let out a soft growl at the suggestion she be split up from her mate. But my logic was sound. Mates could communicate in Wolf form, even from hundreds of miles apart. Yet Calla was already shaking their head and I looked at them in disbelief. They just looked back, and it was clear they were being stubborn to punish me.

I almost said as much before Calla pinned me with a look. “Can I speak with you in the hall?”

My shoulders bunched around my ears, my knife tight in my grip as I stood. Maez patted me on the shoulder and I snapped in the air between us, threatening to bite her mocking hand. I knew Calla would admonish me for abandoning my duties, butthis, this was beyond cruel.

“Thank you, Your Majesty,” Navin said to Calla. “I promise I can help fix this.”

I didn’t know if he meant the relationship with Valta orourrelationship, but it made me fume. Maybe he truly was kicked too many times in the head if he thought me traveling with him was a good idea. I had no interest in his apologies or amends, but I did have quite a few ideas of what I could do with the weapons under my now-bloodied tunic. If Navin wasn’t on the brink of death, he’d have the good sense to be afraid.

I stormed through the doorway, pushing past Calla and muttering, “I can’t believe he’sthankingyou, oh gracious one.”

Calla didn’t follow straightaway. Instead, they paused behind me and turned back to Navin.

“I may look like a benevolent queen right now, Navin,” Calla said, giving him one last piercing look. I leaned back in through the doorway to see his good eye widen at the menace in Calla’s voice and my lips curved. “But I was first and foremost trained as a warrior. If you hurtanyof my court again, I will gut you myself.” Calla then marched through the door, leaving him speechless.

Calla

I stalked into the hall after Sadie while the others continued their questioning of Navin and made plans. The muscles in her jaw popped as she folded her lean, muscular arms over her chest, looking like a petulant child being scolded by a tutor. I lifted my chin. She could mope all she liked, but it was time for her and me to have a reckoning. If she wasn’t going to climb out of the pit she’d fallen in of her own volition, I’d drag her out by the tail with my teeth.

“This is ridiculous.” She sounded more like a hissing cat than a Wolf. “This doesn’t seem like a fair punishment for a few weeks shirking my responsibilities. I’m sorry I had a couple of nights out, but this is just plain evil... Your Majesty,” she added hastily as she spotted the two guards at the end of the corridor.

The guards stood at attention, their heads facing straight ahead, but their eyes darted to the side, watching me. All it took was a nod of my head to the eavesdropping guards and they left.

I waited until we had our privacy before folding my arms in a mirrored posture to Sadie’s own and leaning against the far wall. “A ‘couple’ of nights?”

She had the presence of mind to at least look chagrined.

Softer, I asked, “You think I’m punishing you?”

“It sure feels like it,” she groused as my eyebrows lifted inamusement. I still had a flair of her same stubbornness, but none that rivaled her own. Grae had tempered a lot of it in me, and right now, I knew I had to be that counterbalance for her as she scowled at me and asked, “If not punishment, then what?”

I studied her face—the half-moons under her eyes, her tattered clothes, the stink of ale in her mussed hair. “I’m saving you, Sadie.”

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