Page 64 of Court of Secrets and Flames

Lost in my head, I don’t realize Blair stopped walking until his hand jerks me backward. When I whirl toward him, he puts a finger to his lips and tips his head at Knox, the king, and the two other men. I catch on and stop, too, pretending to lean on him for a momentary rest while I strain to listen in on the conversation behind us.

“…another raid…out of nowhere…two others injured…”

I frown. What raids? I had a vague memory of overhearing a magenta-haired woman mention raids the other night, but that conversation slipped my mind with everything else going on.

The king’s baritone is easier to hear. “Were you able to capture one of them this time or confirm which kingdom they’re from?”

“No, but sure…Aclaris…”

A long pause. “Come, let’s take you to the healer. We can discuss this more in private.”

Blair nudges me into motion again. Moments later, guards clear the path. We scoot off to the side and watch as the king and the two men pass. Knox brings up the rear, cocking a knowingeyebrow at Blair and me as if to say we aren’t fooling anyone with our snail’s pace.

My mind spins as we trail after them. “Aclaris is raiding Tirene? Since when?”

Blair opens his mouth. Closes it. Shakes his head. “I’m not sure the prince would want me to?—”

Crying interrupts him, and I crane my neck to see a blond woman in a green dress hurrying up the path behind us. When she draws abreast with us, she slows and turns her head. The hatred blazing in her eyes freezes me in my tracks.

“This is your fault,” she hisses. “If you went back to where you belonged, my husband wouldn’t be injured right now!”

Leaning over, she spits at my feet before rushing off toward the castle.

“What in the world?” I mutter.

Most of the Tirenese within hearing range go to great lengths to avoid looking at me, and a few of the ones who don’t toss sympathetic glances my way. At least one couple eyes me with similar disgust as the woman did, though, and their expressions trigger a bout of self-consciousness.

I grasp Blair’s arm. “Do you know what she’s talking about? Why is she blaming me?”

His muscle contracts beneath my hand, his reluctance to reply all but oozing out of him. He clears his throat. “Perhaps you should wait and ask Knox…”

When the truth hits my whirling mind, I gasp. “King Xenon. He’s raiding in retaliation for Knox whisking me off to Tirene. That’s what’s happening, isn’t it?”

Blair sighs. “Maybe, maybe not. That’s the prevailing theory but since the raiders don’t wear any identifying colors and use unmarked ships, we can’t know for sure.” When I just gawk, he groans. “Fine. The timing makes Aclaris the most likely culprit.We dealt with raids every so often before this, but things really ramped up the day after your arrival.”

Guilt needles me in the gut. “I hate the thought that anyone is getting injured because of me.” My shoulders slump. “Just when it seemed like people were starting to accept me too. Now they’ll all hate me again.”

“They won’t all hate you. The two we just passed happen to be vehement nationalists, which means they basically hate anything that’s not one-hundred-percent Tirenese and would just as soon never interact with another kingdom again. A little short-sighted considering we’re an island and rely on trade to obtain the things we can’t grow here, but I suppose no one claimed they were particularly bright.”

The knowledge that the typically quiet soldier strung all those words together to spare my feelings helps lessen the sting a little. Still, the notion that my presence here could be hurting innocent people doesn’t sit well on my head, even if their prince didn’t exactly ask my permission before hauling me out of Aclaris.

The nobles we pass on our trek back to the castle chatter amongst themselves, their voices hushed as they cast frequent glimpses in my direction. I catch snippets of conversation about wings, queens, and foreign attacks. My mind races in different directions, and part of me wishes I could race back to the dragons and soar free into the open sky with them, untethered by the politics of men.

Once inside, Blair offers to escort me to my room, but I decline in favor of a stroll in the gardens. I’m not ready yet to be trapped alone with my thoughts in my bedchamber. Hidden from the castle behind tall, expertly manicured hedges, I trail my finger over soft, purple petals and inhale the flowers’ sweet perfume. I’m not sure how long I wander the lush grounds before boots crunch the path behind me.

The hot buzz of awareness inflaming my blood informs of the intruder’s identity without any other cues, but the rich, velvety voice proves it. “Blair told me I’d find you here.”

“Your meeting with the king over? Or should I say, my future husband and sire of my unborn children.”

A strong arm bands around my waist and yanks me backward into a hard chest. His tone harshens. “Unless you want to see me come unhinged, don’t ever say that to me again.”

I’m not sure why I did. After faking a dizzy spell to stop him from lashing out at his brother earlier, provoking him now over those same words seems senseless. My only defense is that between the king’s unwelcome comment and learning about the raids, I’m not at my best. “Sorry. I’m a little out of sorts. It’s not every day you learn that you’re betrothed to a king. Any idea where I can go to get a wedding gown made around here?”

Knox’s hands slide to my hips and squeeze. “Don’t get caught up in Jasper’s bullshit. Because I promise you that a marriage between you and him will never happen.”

“How can you promise that? Last time I checked, king trumps prince.”

“And I don’t give a flying fuck who trumps who. I’d rather commit treason than see you married to my brother.”

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