Page 115 of Ruthless Scoundrel
Blue flickers under her hand and when she pulls away, only the blood remains, which she licks clean. “Don’t want any on my dress,” she says with a shrug.
She takes my hand and her healing magic tingles along my knuckles up to my wrist. Then the daft, deliriously lustful woman licks the blood off my hand, holding my gaze as she does. “Don’t want any on your suit, either.”
The fear that had been squeezing the life from my stomach eases as it’s replaced by heady affection. I glance around to see if our ruse is squid ink now, but no one is looking at us. They’re all looking up.
I follow their gaze and the air is punched from my lungs at the sight of a towering black metropolis stretching into the open sky, encircled by gold and mist. My mouth hangs open as I take in the sharp spires, glowing watchtowers, and radiantly colorful windows. This isnotthe tiny kingdom I saw a year ago. How has so much changed in so little time?
Our fellow travelers murmur with excitement as we stare at the monstrosity of a palace that seems to have sprung from nowhere. The captain shouts commands to his crew as we pull closer to the port. A long, black path extends from the base of a sheer cliff, atop which looms the castle of blackened stone and shimmering gems.
“Goodness,” Reina whispers. “It’s Fynren Palace’s antithesis. My mother would love it.”
I tuck her hand tighter into the crook of my elbow. “Stay close to me.”
“Wouldn’t dream of wandering off,” she says.
The mist swirls over the water as we leave it behind and pull into port. Two enormous knights fully encased in golden armor stand at the end of the pier, waiting. My eyes dart back up to the palace and I hunt for signs of activity.
There are more gigantic, golden-clad knights walking the ramparts and standing watch in the towers, but no one else I can see.
“I have a bad feeling about this,” Reina whispers against my shoulder.
“I was just thinking the same thing…”
The gangplank is lowered, and the golden knights wordlessly gesture for the lords and ladies to come ashore.
“Do you think this is a trap?” she asks from the corner of her mouth.
“Definitely a trap,” I reply as I lead her toward the pier.
“Good,” she says, smiling like a well-bred woman.
“Why so?” I ask, adopting what I hope is a similarly jovial expression.
She looks up at me with adoring eyes that blaze with murderous light. “I won’t feel guilty at the end of the night.”
My deadly little ray of sunshine.
I smile back at her. “Neither will I.”
Chapter thirty-four
Reina
Jasper guides us down the gangplank past the two massive guards in pure gold armor. I keep my eyes roving and my expression full of awe as I take in the details. I’m no fawn when it comes to court politics and playing the game. Observingeverythingis key to survival.
The knights don’t appear to have any breaks in their armor where one usually would under the arms, at the torso, and near the groin. The golden light we passed through was most certainly someone’s magic, and based on Jasper’s recounting of the day he lost his family, I’m going to bet it’s Vansen’s.
Could these knights be constructs he’s controlling? That would take massive amounts of magic to maintain.
Mother did something similar with the guards who observed me, though I’m not sure how. Sometimes their eyes would go black, and they’d follow her every order without a word. But those were men and women she was commanding; these things appear to be seamless suits of armor.
My fine shoes clip-clop on the dark path as we walk double-file toward a massive doorway. The orange light that glows from within appears welcoming, but there’s something sinister about the lack of warmth coming off the rocks.
The sea is unnaturally calm here. There are no waves smashing against the cliffs or rippling around the pillars of the pier. It’s so placid it feels dead.
The other lords and ladies chatter avidly as we reach the gate, and none of them notice the clanking of the gangplank being removed. I glance over my shoulder to see the golden knights shoving the ship back to sea.
The captain catches my gaze, and he waves farewell with a wide, malicious grin. Definitely a trap, then. The false king must have some big plans for tonight.
