Page 113 of Queen of the Night
Anger grows so hot within me I’m surprised flames don’t erupt from my body.
She opens and shuts her mouth, then begins again. “He required it in exchange for your life, and the others—” She looks at Darvy and Rhosse.
“You haveno ideahow badly you’ve ruined everything.” I push past her, giving orders to Darvy and Rhosse. “Get weapons, and meet me in Jethonan’s office.”
Nadiette’s face morphs into several different expressions: confusion, hurt, anger. But still, she follows me out the stable doors and all the way across exquisite gardens that are filled with flowers and garden tents that only further confirm the truth of her words. I cringe seeing the evidence of her scheming around us as I stomp past.
“Ikar, wait! How can you say that?” Nadiette asks with disbelief, sounding as frustrated as I feel with her hands fistedat her sides. “Waylon will be here in hours, or less. All you have to do is marry me, and he will stopallof this.”
I whip around. “You are confused to think I view Waylon as a threat.” My voice is cold. “I know my enemies better than you ever will. Don’t think to act for me again.”
Fear and hurt flash across her eyes, and she steps back. “You’d rather havewarthan marry me?”
“We will have much more than war if I marry you.” I turn and make my way toward a private side door where two of my soldiers stand, waiting. Now that I’m home, I need to find Jethonan and figure out how to fix this mess.
“Ikar—”
The guards offer sharp salutes before opening the door, and I step inside, leaving Nadiette behind. I don’t have time to process the fact that she has been working directly with my greatest enemy behind my back. I lock up the betrayal I feel. I’ll deal with her later. Now, more than ever, I’m grateful I didn’t marry the blazing traitor.
I find Jethonan’s rooms empty and clean. I would smirk at the sight, knowing he’s been too busy with the workIusually handle to have time for his experiments, but I don’t. Instead, I rush to my office. The guard spots me and hastily jerks to attention, stepping out of the way as I throw the door open.
Jethonan jumps in my chair, and a loose piece of parchment floats off the front of the desk. “Your Majesty!”
“Did Nadiette inform you Waylon is about to attempt to take my throne?”
Jethonan straightens a few of the scattered parchments. “Of course she did. She’s been flitting about like an anxious hen since you left.”
His unwavering confidence in me is a balm after finding out Nadiette appears to believe I’m incapable of handling a job I was raised for.
“I know I just returned, but I must leave. I don’t have time to share everything, but I need every weapon you’ve ever made or tested for me. Quickly.” I don’t have a plan, but I figure more weapons won’t hurt.
Jethonan’s eyes widen with excitement at my interest in his concoctions. “Yes, Your Majesty. Come with me.” He sweeps around the side of the desk and back into the hallway with his robes floating around him.
We reach his personal office, and I watch without patience as he rummages through a cupboard, haphazardly placing a variety of small and large vials on his large desk nearby, one by one.
I eye the vials carefully, prepared to commit the instructions to memory. “Tell me how to use them, the best you can.”
“How to say this in the short version?” he mutters to himself. “Let’s begin with this one here—” He grabs a vial filled with bright-blue powder and holds it up, pinched between his forefinger and thumb, as if he’s a teacher about to give a lengthy lecture. I motion him to continue with an impatient hand and raised brows.
He begins. “This one?—”
The door behind us bursts open with a loudbangas it smacks against the wall, and a large group of soldiers wearing Waylon’s patches spills in. I reach for one of my weapons before remembering I don’t have one. Renton tookeverything. This day continues to grow worse.
Waylon struts in behind them like a blasted peacock as theyencircle Jethonan and I. I inch toward Jethonan’s desk, ready to snatch one of the vials, willing to risk all our lives by using it in these close quarters, but before I reach it, Waylon’s soldiers surround me.
“What is this?” I look at the men, but they deliberately avoid my gaze.
“Bind him,” Waylon commands as he pulls a folded paper from his pocket. He snaps it open and begins reading, “Due to the lack of consideration for the safety of the kingdom of Moneyre, three of the four low kings have voted in favor of placing the High King, Ikar Moneyre, under arrest. He will voluntarily abdicate the throne to King Waylon, and the kingdom will be divided amongst the four low kings…”
I scoff beneath my breath and wonder which one wasn’t willing to go along with this sham. I’m pulling the small bit of lucent magic available, ready to fight my way out even without a weapon—I’m relatively sure I can make it from the room alive. Before I can move, though, my arms are forced behind me. I jerk against the soldiers’ grips while Jethonan shouts indignantly as he receives the same treatment. I don’t hear what else Waylon reads of his fraudulent arrest warrant as my ears buzz with hot fury. I’m pushed roughly past Waylon and his cocksure smirk and led to the dungeon beneath my castle in silence.
Jethonan and I are thrown into adjoining cells. The doors slam shut, and we’re left in darkness—the only light coming from two tiny cracks that are considered windows.
Jethonan groans dramatically as he picks himself up from the floor. “This is terribly inconvenient, my lord, but see it this way: I now have time to educate you on the weapons.”
I slide to the floor against the cold block wall, and rest my forearms across my knees. “If you hurry, you might finish beforeRenton arrives.”
I thought I felt hopeless at the beginning of this journey, but that was nothing compared to now. I run my fingers through my hair, pulling at the strands roughly. The low kings have taken my throne, Renton has Veraandthe tulip, I’m imprisoned and likely on my way to a public execution, and I can guarantee Renton will be marching his army here soon. Waylon is no match for him, which means my kingdom will be lost.
