Page 110 of The Gilded Cage

He sent her a relieved grin, but it faded quickly at whatever he saw on her face.

Tugging her to the side and halting them next to the railing, he asked, “Do you want to tell me what’s wrong? All day, it’s like there’s been a ... sadness about you.” He eyed her carefully. “Is it because of the children? I thought you’d be all right with it, as a healer.” Quickly, he added, “Not that you’d be fine with them being sick, I just meant —”

“I know what you meant,” Kiva said, cutting him off. She’d thought she’d hid her misery well, but as always, he was able to read her better than most.

Use it,came a voice that sounded suspiciously like Zuleeka.Use this opportunity. He’s giving you the perfect opening.

“I —” Kiva started, and then stopped. The amulet shifted, as if it were begging her not to do this. Or perhaps that was merely her own heart.

There are things he doesn’t even share with the Royal Council, with hisfamily... But you have his ear.

That was definitely Zuleeka’s voice — and it kept coming.

Find us a legitimate way to take the throne, something that will make Evalon accept us as their new rulers without contention.

Feeling sick to her stomach, Kiva turned to lean on the rail, unable to look at Jaren as she said, “It was hard, seeing you with them today. How much you love them. How much they love you.”

Jaren leaned beside her, his arm resting against hers. “Why was that hard?”

“Because —”

Do it, sister.

“Because —”

It’s him or us.Themor us. You can’t have it both ways.

Kiva closed her eyes at the memory. She had made her choice then. And she had to stick with it.

“Because I couldn’t help worrying about something happening to you. To your family.” She pushed the words out fast, as if doing so would make it easier.

A startled sound of humor left Jaren. “What?”

Committed now, Kiva explained, “I know you’re not worried about the rebels at the moment. But —” She made herself look at him with fear in her eyes. “But they abducted me, Jaren. And that means they’re still conspiring. What if they’ve found a way to hurt you?”

Eyebrows rising, Jaren asked, with clear incredulity, “You’re worried about therebels?”

His sentiment was genuine, despite having been attacked by rebels himself only two nights earlier.

“If they try to take the throne —” Kiva said, but she was cut off when another startled laugh left him.

“Let me stop you there.” He cupped her face, his voice gentling. “You haveabsolutelynothing to worry about, Kiva. I promise you. As much of an annoyance as they are, they’ll never have the numbers required to take the kingdom by force. And even if they did, our citizens would never accept a ruler who spilled so much innocent blood.”

“But what if they’ve found another way?” Kiva asked, keeping an anxious furrow on her brow. “What if they know of something lawful that forces you to abdicate and the people to accept them?” Swallowing back bile, she made herself add, “If they have a Corentine heir among them, they’d have a valid claim, wouldn’t they?”

“Firstly, that’s unconfirmed,” Jaren said.

“But you believe it’s true,” Kiva pressed.

He acknowledged her point and continued, “And secondly, you’re right. There is a way they could, theoretically, be willfully accepted by the people.”

Kiva’s heart stopped in her chest.

“But when I say ‘theoretically,’” he went on, “the chance of it happening is so slim — impossible, really — that it’s not even worth thinking about.”

Barely able to push sound through her lips, Kiva asked, “How can you be sure?”

Jaren was silent for a long minute, just looking at her. She didn’t have to try to school her face, dread filling it without any effort at all.

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