Page 86 of Untamed

The old regent shifted on the throne, combing his fingers through a gray beard. “Why have you come?” A permanent frown line dipped down his forehead and reflected the arch of his grimaced lips.

Minerva dropped a curtsy. “Prince Regent, I’d like to make a request.”

The old man’s dark eyes stilled at Minerva’s words and drifted to Zichri and then to me. A spark of recognition crossed his face. “I see you bring me the butcher as payment for your request.” His hoarse voice unsettled the little peace I had managed to cajole.

“No.” Minerva glanced over her shoulder and back toward the regent. “I’ll bring you the heir to Pedroz.”

“Our king hadn’t more children and neither did his father before him.” The regent coughed. “There’s but one uncle who’s being considered by the council.”

“And what if Prince Lux had a sister?” Minerva maintained a subservient posture, but her question echoed across the room.

The majordomo, who’d let us into the throne room, flinched just as much as I did. What was she talking about?

“Yes, Señor. I need a galleon to retrieve our queen.”

The pocket watch pulsed beneath my dress as if telling me something so obvious but completely out of reach for my mindto comprehend. I had planned to give away the relic, but Minerva had something bigger to barter with.

“This could be a lie,” the regent rasped.

“Try me.” The faint whisper off Minerva’s lips held authority. “Bring out the truth teller and have the genealogist test the señorita when she is retrieved.”

The regent bobbed one leg and clasped his fingers in thought. A minute passed with little else for a response, so I prayed.

Please soften his heart, Ancient One.Laude’s life depends on it.

“Where are you headed?” the regent asked.

A moment passed where Minerva swallowed a hard lump of truth. We couldn’t tell him we were headed to an island with the possible last relic, yet he’d want something enticing enough to lend us an expensive galleon.

I prayed harder.

Minerva said, “To isles two days south of Aracibel.”

The regent’s eyes darkened to the same shade I had seen in my vision.

How could I hand him a relic when the vision had shown me his greedy heart?

“Fine,” he barked out the word. “I will grant youMagdelenawith her crew and my trustedcapitán. She’s our quickest galleon. But I expect you to teleport back with the supposed queen the moment you retrieve her.” The regent motioned for the scribe to pass us an edict.

“As you wish.” Minerva dipped a curtsy and was offered a document with the regent’s seal. She spun around and pushed Zichri and me out the gold-plated doors as if the verdict might be changed if he thought more about it.

“When are we—”

Minerva grabbed Zichri’s and my wrists and our bodies pulled forward until our boots landed on the pier beside a sleek ship. The stink of fish attacked my nostrils.

Chapter 36

Beatriz

Minerva leaned against therailing at the bow of the ship like a living figurehead and waved her hands, causing the air to ripple ahead of the galleon. We leapt forward through a portal and then cut back into the calm sea a hundred arm spans ahead, again and again. Off to the side, wind whipped my hair as I leaned against the railing with Zichri at my side. Though I was astonished at Minerva’s power and stamina, I was still afraid. I gnawed the inside of my cheek, too nervous to speak, too anxious to admit I feared we were too late despite Minerva’s help.

“Jaime and Laude will be all right.” Zichri brushed his shoulder against mine. “The Black Knight didn’t take them because he needed a blood sacrifice. He wants to place his ownpeople on the thrones and control them like puppets. It’s much easier to work with an accepted leader.”

“About that.” I turned on Zichri, now squared up to him.

He quirked a crooked smile, and my legs buckled a bit even after seeing him every day for a week. “I’m at your service, Princess.”

“What did Minerva mean about returning the queen? There is no queen of Pedroz.” I poked his bicep in a teasing way, though the question was anything but a joke.

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