Page 22 of The Fated and the Damned
I hadn’t had a chance to speak to Kitarni about herannouncementlast night. I’d gone along with her charade with gritted teeth and charming smiles, but if she thought being my wife meant she’d be able to make decisions for both coven and clan without the courtesy of informing me, she had another thing coming.
Hadur’s blade, I needed a stiff drink.
I sighed, donning a light shirt and loose pants, not bothering with my leathers. After the rain during Caitlin’s execution, the air was thick with humidity and hot as hell. With Kitarni’s temper, the heat would surely worsen.
Something I craved and feared in equal measure.
The door groaned in protest as I left my quarters and swept through the inn. It was mostly empty, just a few witches deep in their cups laughing together in the corner of the room. They whispered together as I passed, and I flashed them my dimples before I left, an explosion of giggles following my footsteps.
Let them talk. I couldn’t care less what gossip circled me, but if a bad word was said about Kitarni, they’d soon think twice if I caught wind of it. I liked to think I was a fair ruler, but my leniency only went so far. Mercy was a foreign virtue when it came to hurting my family. Ironic really, given that protecting Lukasz was what had put me in this mess in the first place. He couldn’t be blamed for my actions though. They were all on me.
The temple stood tall and proud in the distance as I walked through the square, breathing in the heady floral scent of wisteria and rose wafting from the gardens. The pyre was still sitting in the town centre, giving the usually peaceful village an ominous feel. The hairs on the back of my neck prickled with awareness, and I found my pace quickening as I hurried to move past it. The dead didn’t scare me. I could control them, after all, but this business with Caitlin and my mother felt decidedly unfinished, and that foreboding haunted my every step.
I didn’t like surprises and a nagging tug in my chest told me our luck would give out soon. Something bad was coming and we were woefully unprepared. I just had to hope we’d covered our bases because, when Sylvie came for us, it would be with vengeance in her black heart and an army at her back.
My skin prickled at the thought and, before I knew it, I was standing at the temple doors, frozen with both hands pressed against the ingrained wood. Gods above, is this what I’ve been reduced to? I shook my head and pushed, heaving the doors open, a gust of wind slamming them shut behind me.
The thud echoed through the room, but all I saw, all I heard, was her. She was dressed in a thin shift, a simple shawl covering her shoulders, her curls mussed as though she’d had trouble sleeping. But then, if she was dressed for bed, why had she called me here so urgently? I walked down the aisle into the small chamber at the rear of the temple.
“Dante?” She looked me up and down with wide eyes, noting the thin shirt and pants. She rushed towards me, then slowed her steps, pausing a healthy distance away. “When I got your note, I thought the worst. What happened?”
My brows scrunched together. “I was going to ask you the same thing. I received a letter too. You didn’t send for me?”
Confusion clouded her features. “No, I—” Her wide eyes shuttered before they snapped open and she swore colourfully, her hands meeting her hips. “Oh, that sneaky little … I’m going to kill him.”
Of course, I should have known. The conniving little shit couldn’t help interfering in things he absolutely shouldn’t. “András,” I grumbled. “The handwriting matched your own, so I just assumed …”
“This stinks of Eszter’s handiwork just as much.” She shook her head. “I can’t believe they’d do this! When I’m through with them, the pair will wish they’d never …” Her voice trailed off as she leaned around me, shock registering on her face. “Dante! The doors!”
She lunged behind me and I turned just as the doors shut with a resounding bang, a ruckus following as something clanged, sliding against the wooden grain. I pushed, swearing as the doors rattled. They didn’t budge.
“I’m ever so sorry, but the doors appear to be jammed. I’m afraid you’re stuck in there for the night,” András called innocently from the other side, sounding remorseful.
Liar.
“András,” I warned, “open these bloody doors or I’ll wring your neck.”
“Not an option,” he said cheerfully. “You and Kitarni need to work your problems out and seeing as you’re both equally stubborn, we thought you needed a little push in the right direction.”
“So you’re locking us in here?” Kitarni fumed, her mouth gaping.
“All you need to do is talk to each other. And until I am satisfied with the outcome, you’ll remain in there as long as it takes.”
“I’m sorry Kitarni,” another, softer voice came muffled through the door, “but this has been a long time coming. For both of you.”
Kitarni ran her hands through her hair. “This is so childish. Let us out. Dante and I can have a rational conversation without being shoved in a cell.”
András yawned. “If you’re both so mature, you’ll be out of there in no time. Then you can punish the children when you’re ready. Until then, we must bid you farewell. Our beds await.”
“Sorry,” Eszter squeaked quietly. The sounds of shoes scuffing echoed until the temple doors thudded shut, leaving Kitarni and me in awkward silence. I didn’t miss her quick glance at the open window, but even with the desk to assist her, it was a stretch and one I didn’t think she’d dare bother to look so undignified to reach.
She looked at me warily as she paced the room and I watched her quietly, arms folded against my chest. Gods, we really were stubborn. An age went by and still no one spoke. The tension was taut enough to slice with a knife and my stomach knotted; András might have moved onto the top of my shit list, but he had a point. This had gone on long enough.
As if coming to the same conclusion, Kitarni finally deigned to look at me. A glare, admittedly, but I’d take it. “Why are you staring at me?” she snapped.
Despite myself, I couldn’t help the small smile gracing my lips. “This is the first time we’ve been alone for a while. Being cornered like this reminded me of our first meeting in the woods, after being attacked by those wolves. You were so angry, you threw a dagger at my head.”
She paused her relentless stalking and folded her arms. “You deserved it. You were being a dick.”
