Page 20 of The Blood Traitor

“You can be quiet, or I can cut off your tongue.”

Kiva turned cold, instinctively aware that the woman wasn’t bluffing. There were numerous weapons strapped to her leathers, and the confident way in which she moved indicated she knew how to use them. Whatever orders she was following, she clearly hadn’t been told to be gentle.

Maybe Zuleeka hadn’t had a change of heart after all — not that Kiva would believe her, even if that was what she claimed when they were reunited.

Turning back just once more as she was hustled into the carriage, Kiva struggled to reconcile all she was feeling. Mostly, it was relief from her unanticipated freedom, concern about her newest captors, and sadness for leaving Cresta behind.

Of them all, relief won, but her sadness dampened it.

I’ll come back for you, she mentally vowed. I promise.

And then the carriage door sealed shut, leaving her alone in the luminium-lit space sitting opposite the taller of the two men, with the woman and the shorter man having mounted horses to ride on ahead, leading the way out of Zalindov.

Leading Kiva to her freedom.

Chapter Five

It only took a short journey through the dense Blackwood Forest for Kiva to realize they were heading north, not south. That explained the presence of Mirraven’s soldiers — the wedding must be taking place at Navok’s castle in Zadria, rather than at the River Palace in Vallenia.

Kiva was disappointed — and alarmed — by the discovery, since every mile they traveled was another mile between her and her friends.

So many questions bounced around her mind as they ventured toward the wild northern kingdom. Was Zuleeka already with Navok? Whenwasthe wedding? Would Kiva be sent back to Zalindov afterward? If so, how would she escape and make her way back to Vallenia alone?

There were just too many unknowns, all of which occupied Kiva’s mind as the scenery shifted from the lush alpine forests of Evalon into the craggy, barren landscape of Mirraven, becoming a rocky gray wasteland the further they traveled. There was nothing welcoming about this kingdom, but Kiva endured it by reminding herself that every day they moved closer to the capital was a day closer to when she could leave.

For the sake of her sanity, when they stopped each night — usually to camp on the side of the road, or at a tavern in one of the sad little villages along the way — she made sure to do the exercises she and Cresta had disciplined themselves with in the Abyss. The strenuous movements helped keep her thoughts at bay, fighting back the darkness that had overwhelmed her during her early days at Zalindov. She would be no good to anyone, including herself, if she fell back into that all-consuming hopelessness. And with the food the Mirravens were shoveling into her— You’re nothing but flesh and bone,the woman had said with a frown — she wasbeginning to regain the health she’d lost after leaving the River Palace. She still had a long way to go, but she was determined to be as strong as possible, mentally and physically, for all that was ahead.

As their northward journey continued, Kiva considered what she knew of Zadria and the Kildarion royals. She already knew to avoid King Navok, but his sister, Princess Serafine, was said to be his polar opposite, kindness epitomized. Then again, shewasin love with Mirryn, so that alone made Kiva skeptical about her nature.

Aside from the royal siblings, she knew little else about the family. Thanks to Navok, their father, Arrakis, was dead, and years previous, their mother was said to have fled, abandoning her two children — with rumor claiming she’d barely left the castle grounds before Arrakis had hunted her down and killed her. That was the extent of Kiva’s knowledge, limited as it was. She also knew nothing about Zadria other than that it was the capital of Mirraven and, being located at the center of the kingdom, was completely landlocked. Despite her unease, she was interested to see how a city might survive in the middle of such a rocky wasteland.

After twelve days of uncomfortable travel, they finally made their approach to Zadria, crossing the last of the desolate, cracked earth before it began to rise in a steady incline. Kiva didn’t hide her curiosity as she pushed the carriage curtains wide, gaping openly at the sight before her.

The city was built into the side of a rugged gray mountain. There were no trees — nothing but rock and stone as far as the eye could see. The sun had already fallen beyond the horizon, so lanterns lit the dark buildings that spiraled all the way up to the top of the mountain. At the peak sat a castle made of blackened stone, more a fortress than a palace.

Kiva’s insides knotted as they approached a fortified wall enclosing the city, easily thrice the size of Zalindov’s limestone perimeter in both height and depth. There were no gates — the entrance to the capital wascarvedintothe wall, which opened slowly like a giant stone doorway once the soldiers on duty approved them for entry.

Goose bumps broke out on Kiva’s skin as the carriage trundled over jagged cobblestone paths, winding ever upward toward the imposing castle. She tried to look out the window, but it was difficult to see much in the darkness, with the buildings blurring together and any people out braving the bitter cold having the hoods of their thick cloaks raised to cover their heads. If this was summer in Mirraven, Kiva didn’t want to imagine how miserable their winter months must be. She ran her fingers over the travel clothes she’d been given soon after leaving Zalindov — a belted forest green tunic, brown trousers, and a pair of lined boots — and found herself grateful that her guards, surly and silent as they were, had made sure to give her warm blankets each night. Relatively speaking, they’d taken good care of her — much better than anything she would have experienced at Zalindov.

Kiva’s heart gave a pang at the thought of Cresta still locked away, but she reminded herself that the ex-quarrier had survived five long years, and she would survive a while longer. After the time they’d spent together, she also had to hope that Cresta would believe Kiva would come back for her — that she’d know Kiva owed her that much and would fulfill that debt as soon as she could.

Pushing the redhead from her mind, Kiva grew alert when the carriage reached the highest part of the city and began to slow. She briefly considered throwing herself out the door and making a run for it — surely that had to be better than facing her sister and her soon-to-be brother-in-law — but one look at the keen-eyed woman sitting opposite her, and she knew such an act would be futile.

Kiva gathered her courage as they rode across a stone drawbridge —howthey’d dug a moat into the mountain, she didn’t know — and made sure to keep breathing as steadily as possible. Whatever her sister might say to defend herself, nothing could excuse her actions. Kiva would notyield — and she would not forgive. Not unless Zuleeka was willing to give up her stolen crown. And Kiva already knew that was never going to happen.

The carriage finally drew to a halt after passing through two sets of iron gates, stopping at the base of a granite staircase that led up into the castle entrance. Someone stood at the top of the steps, backlit by the strong luminium lights bleeding out into the night, making their face unidentifiable. Their figure, however, was female, causing Kiva’s breath to hitch, but then they moved closer and she could see that it wasn’t her sister, allowing her racing heartbeat to settle again.

I’m not ready for this, Kiva thought, having no idea how she was going to handle seeing Zuleeka after everything her sister had done.

The betrayal.

The death magic.

The angeldust.

The imprisonment.

It was too much.

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