Page 73 of Of Rime and Ruin
“No.”
“You deny my right to avenge the life of my son?” He tilts his face, giving me a clear view of his expression. If he knew the truth, he’d kill me on the spot.
I motion for the guards. “I deny you the right to decide for this kingdom. That is my responsibility to bear.”
“You are blessed with the siren’s Voice. You built homes for us near the plains with your magic, and we are grateful for your generosity. You are powerful, Your Majesty. Build a barrier beneath the waves. Give us a portion of the Rime to hunt as we please, according to our tradition. A fishing grounds. If it pleases Your Majesty.”
I flare my nostrils. “It won’t work. The clawbeast can’t be contained. Tell your pod to stay ashore, hunter. My order remains unchanged.”
The guards lift him, and Leon shoots me a glare. “Thank you for your time.” He seethes. “I half hoped you’d respect mine.”
My pulse roars in my ears. Cold tingles my fingers, and the blue scales spread.
Leon follows my gaze. His brow puckers, forming a tight V.
The guards pull him from his stance and escort him from the room.
I clench my fist. With a sharp bark of my Voice, I shoot a stream of ice after the hunter. The shards embed in the closing door.
Keep it together, Aethan. You killed the male’s son. Let him go.
I draw deep breaths and wrack my brain for a warm memory—anything to chase the anger away—and plunge into the first one that arises.
I stand beneath a palmwood, sunshine burning hot on my back. My hands sting from the scrape of bark. My toes dig into the grooves, gathering sap as I climb. Higher. I’m sweating. My hand reaches out, aiming for a large, fuzzy fruit hanging in a bunch between broad green leaves.
But this isn’t my memory.
It’s hers.
When I look down, a female guppy stands with outstretched hands. She looks like Princess Nahlani, with a sharper face and stern brown eyes. Her sister. I grasp the fruit and let it fall into her waiting hands.
Whatever magic the princess has in her veins, it’s saved me more than once. My scalp prickles as I recall her face one more time, scrunched in a sassy smirk. I smile as the warmth eases my nerves.
A confused pair of guards stand several paces away, careful to avoid the shards of ice that part the room.
“Shall we invite the next subject, Sire?”
With a dry throat, I form a spell and melt the ice. “Bring them in.”
The complaints come in waves. A mother grieves her son who will never use his tail. A noble says the winds are too cold this year; I should build higher walls. A hunter reveals the lack of local game. Then another.
By the third hunter’s arrival with the same complaint, my stomach is in knots. I drum my fingers on the armrest. Is this an issue I can remedy, without opening fishing grounds?
“How far have you expanded your hunt?” I ask the hunter before me now, a tall female named Cyrene.
She runs a restless hand over the tail of her braid. “Two days’ ride across the plains. We haven’t dared to go farther. There’s no telling what’s out there, Your Majesty, and the hunters lose morale venturing too far from the sea.”
“And how have the mounts fared?”
“The wind is brutal, but the snowbears are better suited to it than we are.”
“I see.” I press my fingertips together, forming a pyramid before my chest. “When is your next excursion?”
“We leave in two days, but we’re struggling to gather recruits.” Her expression is grim. “The hunters don’t want to waste their time if there’s no game, Sire. They’d rather risk their time in the water.”
I close my eyes and let the guilt wash over me. I’m failing them all. Cyrene. Leon. The rest of the hunters. Lucas. Deirdre. Perrin. My entire kingdom.
They need leadership, encouragement, and vision. All the things I cannot give.
