Page 113 of Knightfall
Abbas held still. I knew he was already aware of this ‘mistake.’ Quinn had been dull and lifeless since the chain had been placed over his head, against my vehement protests.
“Darling princess, I find it as hard to believe that was a mistake as you found my leaving the chain behind to be.”
I wasn’t certain if Abbas realized his admission. I did. He’d admitted to killing my mage. And it made my stomach twist as we moved into the next steps of the game. He’d already taken a life. And Quinn had bet his life the moment my hair-brained husbands had agreed on this scheme. I swallowed my emotions and kept my face passive as I asked, "What do you really want, Abbas?"
Abbas grabbed my hand and brought it to his lips. "I've already told you."
"You want Evaness? Is that it? You want our fertile crops? Our land? Our ports? Access to the treaty with Sedara? What?"
"My family may be interested in all those things. But ... as I've said. I'd likeyou."
"What do you need peace power for?"
"Ah ... now darling, why do you think it's only your power I want?"
"You might be slightly interested in my body. But you're half-djinn. Power means more to you than anything." I met his eyes head on.
He raised his eyebrows. "You're such a smart little thing. So, I have to ask myself, why would such a smart girl allow her knight to do something as stupid as put my chain around his neck?"
I ground my teeth together. This was the part of the negotiation I didn’t want to go through. The part where I put everything on the line. My nerves turned my insides into a bubbling tar pit. I smiled wider to hide what I felt. “I asked you here tonight to offer you a choice. Clearly, my power needs to remain secret. You may have my mind-talker, as a gift, given your written guarantee you’ll never breathe a word about what Wyle told you. Or … you can have the engagement you seem to desire so much.”
“Beautiful girl, why would I want your husband when I could have you?”
“I highly doubt your sincere interest. And I like to hedge my bets,” I gave Abbas a cold look.
“And is this how you treat your husbands?”
“Their duty is to Evaness first,” I spit out the words Declan had coached me through, trying to sound as cold and calculating as I could, instead of like the quivering little girl I felt like inside.
Abbas reached for my hand. “I want to work with you for our mutual benefit,” Abbas raised his lips to my hand and gave it a gentle kiss. “And I will give you your mind-talker back in exchange for our official engagement."
My insides collapsed in fear and relief. Fear for what I might be taking on with Abbas and relief for Quinn. A brief flash of gratitude toward Declan also passed through my head. Everything had worked out exactly as he’d said it would. And so I stuck to the script, continuing to act reticent and cautious. "I don't like going into this blindly. Without knowing your end game."
Abbas leaned forward and brushed my forehead with a kiss. "My end game is the same as anyone else's."
“I highly doubt that.”
"Well, what do you think I want?"
"To escape your father's control?" I guessed. "To be the only one of your brothers to have a claim on Evaness. To--"
"To fall in love?" Abbas asked.
"No," I scoffed. "World domination is more likely."
He bit his lip and grinned. "You see right through me. I like that."
I sighed. "You can stop with the compliments. Release Quinn and you'll get your way."
“You gave me Quinn. You want this alliance as much as I do. You’re desperate for it, even.”
I grabbed Abbas’ hand and raised our entwined fingers. That was the signal. The herald trumpeted beside us, blasting my ears. And then he took up his bullhorn and announced our engagement as a sign of peace and treaty between the kingdoms of Cheryn and Evaness.
Below, Meeker looked furious. He cut a path through the crowd, no doubt to send a pigeon carrying an angry message to Sedara.
Everyone else cheered.
Abbas waved at the thronging masses below and turned to me with a bright smile.
