Page 40 of Wings of Cruelty and Flame

“Aliah said you were up here,” Shula’s rough feminine voice made me jump and turn, watching her crest the final few steps to the landing where I watched the sky. “She also said you refused food, but I’m not as easily swayed as our sweet Aliah. Here. Eat.”

The words were a command. I gave her an unbending stare and curled my hands into fists at my sides. Eat, so they could poison me?No, thank you.

Shula sighed, coming to lean against the tall, arched window beside me, the hot coal of her wrath subdued compared to hoursago. “Do you have any idea what Varidian will do to me if I let his wife starve to death?”

“Shit scooping?” I asked dryly.

“More like hang me upside down and slice my stomach so my innards fall out.”

I blinked. “That paints a vivid picture.”

Shula snorted.

I eyed the hand-painted plate in her hand but refused to get distracted by the slice of pastilla in her hand, even if the scent of warm, flaky pastry and shrimp made my mouth water. I hadn’t eaten since this morning, and hunger gnawed at my stomach. Pastilla was my favourite, a food that brought to mind celebrations and holidays, but I resisted temptation.

“What’s the occasion?” I asked, facing the window again, trying not to show how rattled she made me. Unlike me, she’d redressed in her brown leathers after prayer and looked every bit the warrior, with her fierce scowl, scarred knuckles, and bulging biceps. Her scarf was as black at pitch, probably to hide bloodstains.

“Aliah made it. She’s pre-empting Fahad and Varidian’s safe return. It’s a thing she does. Like their return is a foregone conclusion.” I felt Shula’s eyes on the side of my face but didn’t give her the satisfaction of reacting. “You must be starving.”

“Nope.”

She snorted. “Fine, be stubborn. You’re a perfect match for Varidian; he’s one of the most bull-headed people I’ve ever met.”

My frown deepened. I scanned the dark sky again, searching for spots of inkier darkness where wings might blot out the light.

“You care so much after such a short time?” she asked, refusing to leave me alone.

“Trust me, I’m trying not to.” I crossed my arms over my chest. “It’s inconvenient.”

“Feelings usually are,” she muttered. “I didn’t only come to force you to eat something lest you drop to your death. I wanted to talk to you about—Kaawa.”

It took me a moment to remember she meant Naila, and then I stiffened. “I don’t need to know the gory details of her murder, thank you very much.”

Shula’s reply was just as clipped. “I didn’t kill her. I fought for her to be spared, for all the good it did me. I loved her.”

I startled so hard my forehead knocked into the glass, then turned to stare at the huge, muscular woman. “You… what?”

“You heard me.” Shula glared at me, daring me to start a fight, or to insult her, I wasn’t sure.

“But that’s…”

“Forbidden? Shameful? Punishable by death in other kingdoms?” Shula flicked me a dry look. “I’m aware.”

I blinked, processing that fact. The sad truth was I was so overcome with panic for Varidian and rage that he was involved in my cousin's murder, I didn’t even know how I felt about this. “You’re certain Kaawa was my cousin? I never heard anyone call her that name.”

“Because she only used it to fool us,” Shula replied bitterly. “And I’m sure. Zaarib says he only ever carried one person into the square, and you saw him carry your cousin’s body so… yes, it’s her.”

A buzzing started in my head. I became very aware of where I’d used the leather straps Varidian buckled to my body earlier to hide three knives under my clean dress. “Did you have a hand in it?”

“I was the one who realised she was a spy,” Shula said, suddenly quiet, her voice a raw whisper. “So yes, I had a hand in it. Everything that happened was because of me.”

I looked at her. I couldn’t stand not to. The expression on her broad face was wretched, misery turning her brown eyes bleak.Whatever else had happened, I believed her pain. There was no way to fake misery that acute, no matter how good a performer someone could be.

“You weren’t the one who cut her up like that? You weren’t the one who executed her?”

Shula’s bronze throat bobbed. “It was supposed to be Varidian, as commander of our legion, but Saif got there first.”

I jerked like I’d been struck. “Your wyvern?” The wyvern I rode today. The wyvern Varidian hadtoldme to ride, knowing all along that he had murdered my cousin. “Fuck.” I was going to be sick. “Fuck.”

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