Page 86 of The Curse of a Kingdom
There was also the fact that she was in love with a version of himself that didn’t exist anymore. She was the only woman he was interested in, but he wasn’t interested in marriage, at least not now.
“I’m not marrying anyone in your court,” he growled with a finality that shocked the king. “I will bring you the proof of the demons.”
The king nodded and waved his hand in dismissal.
CHAPTERTWENTY-NINE
NAVA
It had been a day since Nava had seen Arkimedes, and the hours dragged by. At least this time, she wasn’t forced to stay in her room for the duration of it. Smoke hazed over the sky, thicker with each hour. She stood almost immobile in the wide hall, staring in the distance; wingless fae walked behind and in front, minding their own business as they took care of chores around the castle.
The cool stone column grounded her, and she searched for a sign of a forest fire nearby. It would be her excuse to leave at this moment and damn the consequences.
A few dozen bees crawled over the banisters and walls, camouflaged against the warm tones of the surrounding marble. It hadn’t taken the Zorren long to return, and the pressing need to be out there in the forest with her Beekeeper was growing like a weed.
She had hoped the next time she escaped this castle, Arkimedes would be with her. It had been ignorant to think this would be anything but difficult.
Deep inside, she knew his reaction was her fault, that she had acted in a similar way a year prior when he’d hidden the truth from her. It was a humbling experience to choose to lie to protect oneself, knowing the truth always came out to hunt you down.
Maybe it was time to admit that, buried within the crevices of her heart, she had half expected the curse would break if they kissed or lay together. That foolishness had driven her to hide the truth from him for longer than she should have. Like her lips would be magic on their own.
It didn’t help her morose mood that she was also worried sick about Ari. Knowing he was fighting their battle on his own was another kind of torture. Nava was being pulled in both directions, torn apart by her love and her destiny, which were supposed to be one and the same but weren’t fitting properly.
She rubbed her eyes, and her mind took her back to the nightmares that had plagued her dreams the night before. She had slept little, between dreams or memories of being hunted by demons and Arkimedes’s hard features telling her she had to leave.
With the scent of ash and burning wood, she knew he had to be thinking of the Zorren, and the Beekeeper as well. At least Cameron was safe, away from this danger. Nava closed her eyes and swallowed the heavy knot that had formed in her throat.
Please be fine.She trusted Gavin, Violet, and Laurie to keep the vibrant teenager at bay. Still, he was a ball of energy and curiosity, and she hoped he was staying out of trouble.
If she didn’t make it out of this mess alive, at least she knew he would be okay.
Out of nowhere, her heartbeat sped up, bringing the nervous reaction down her body as her stomach did somersaults. Arkimedes was nearby. She straightened and turned, searching for him in the empty halls.
“Is there something wrong?” Fael was next to her in three strides. He had been waiting while she got some fresh air away from her room.
The thudding of heavy boots on stone came soon after, quick steps and the screeching of metal as Arkimedes turned the corner, followed by five of his guards. Like the rest, he wore his copper armor, layers of chain mail under his breastplate, and cognac leather belts that held its placard in place. His face, much like the rest of his outfit, was marked with soot and dirt. His golden skin gleamed with sweat. Vibrant green eyes sharpened over her, and his expression turned from fierce to haunted when he noticed she was there.
He held his helmet in the crook of his arm as the group strode toward them, and her heart matched their quick steps. They didn’t stop when they walked past her and Fael. His gaze barely held hers before he turned around, abruptly facing forward, and continued his journey down the corridor.
Not a word or a sign of a greeting. The Zorren were back, and he was back to fighting them on his own, and it was all her fault.
“Are you ready?” The fae next to her sensed that something was off, his voice gentler than she was used to.
“Yes, I guess so.” She hesitated. “Have there been forest fires nearby?”
Fael’s face turned solemn as he nodded. “Been fighting them all summer.”
“Do you know what might be causing them?”
He paused as they walked down the corridor to her room. “We believe it might be an attack from an organized group of the citizens who are unhappy with the king, though there is no proof of this theory. Yet.”
It was vague but also wrong. Still, Nava was glad she’d gotten an answer at all. It might mean that Fael was trusting her more, and she would take that as a win on this bleak day. “Are there many unhappy citizens in the city?” Curiosity had gotten the best of her again. Her worst quality, her mother had said. But if you didn’t ask questions, how were you supposed to get answers?
“Isn’t there always at least someone unhappy?” Fael raised his brow as he examined her. “Let me guess, you are one of those people who like politics?”
“It’s more like I’m here for the foreseeable future, and I’m curious by nature.”
His lips tilted into a smile. “Yes, I guess you are going to be here for a while.” Nava didn’t like that comment one bit. “Our kingdom is vast, and the city’s usual lack of presence from the Society of Crows made it an ideal place to migrate years ago.”
