Page 24 of Queen of the Night
“Except me.”
“Sort of—you.” If I’m being truly honest. I cringe a little as I say it.
He throws his hands up in the air and mutters a curse. “You are the most?—”
“What? Mostwhat?” I challenge with narrowed eyes as I walk toward him.
I practically shove the journal at him. He takes it slowly and slips it back inside his armor. We’re close enough now that I can see the small gray specks in his eyes, surrounded by a ring of darker blue, and the small scar that infringes on his perfect upper lip. We stand there for one moment, then two.
Then we’re both leaning forward, an invisible pull between us. His hands slide up the back of my arms as I feel the barest touch of his warm lips against mine?—
“The birds ready yet?” Rhosse growls from the forest behind us.
I startle so hard Ikar has to steady me for the briefest moment before we abruptly step away from each other.
Ikar rubs a hand across the back of his neck, avoiding looking at me. “Yep. Coming.”
We walk in awkward silence the rest of the way back to camp.
“Have funcleaning the birds?” Darvy asks with a glint in his eye.
Ikar mutters something to him that has him immediately quiet, but it doesn’t wipe the mirth from his eyes.
I gingerly take a seat before the fire.What in the blazes is wrong with me?I just told him I didn’t trust him… and to prove it I almost kiss him? I silently groan. There is something wrong with my taste in men. He might not be a criminal, but heisafavorite of the high king and I consider that even more dangerous. Now he’s distracting me from the fact that the high king wants a Black Tulip to bridge with for the first time in two hundred years. He says the king wants to bridge to restore lucent, that it might be the only way to save the kingdom, but why should I trade the safety of my Tulip sisters and myself for lucent to be restored to a kingdom full of people who hate us? It’s a selfish thought… and maybe it makes me a little wicked, but we don’t owe these people anything. There’s no way to know if the king is kind and genuine, or evil and twisted. But my biggest fear? That after we’ve restored lucent a future king will end up having us tracked down and killed under the guise ofwhat’s best for the kingdomagain. History tends to repeat itself, but, in this case, it can’t if the Tulips stay hidden.
The inklings of true regret flicker to life as I recall my decision not to pay the dues. I tug on my bracelet twice, and it still holds, so I assume it continues to work, but it’s only a matter of time until it stops. I stare at it with the growing realization that Idoactually need it. Tatania was right all these years, and I ignored her. But here in the remote mountains I’m safe… from the high king, at least. It’s the time between when I return to the kingdom and get Tatania paid that I’m worried about.
My cheeks heat at the thought of groveling before her to take me back, but knowing what I know now, I have no choice. To ease my panic, I remind myself that I’ve never seen the king in my life, so it’s not likely it’ll be an issue at all, and I’m worrying over nothing. I can’t help but wonder, though, what will happen when my bracelet stops working? Will it simply fall off? Turn to dust? Or will it show no change and I won’t be able to tell at all? The questions surrounding it are a bit unnerving.
Rupi lands atop my wrist and turns a curious eye toward me. I twist the bracelet again.
“I should’ve paid the dues, girl,” I whisper.
She chirps once and pecks the bracelet as if it’s a bug she’d like to eat. I take that to mean she doesn’t agree with me.
And what do I do about this job? I can’t help the king’s extremely capable officers find a flower that could destroy my sisters and me… but I signed acontract.
I bite my lip and continue to turn the bracelet around my wrist as I mindlessly watch Rhosse turn the turkeys over the fire. I come to the decision that, until I know the king’s true intentions, which are probably horrid, I’ll only offer magic as I contracted to do—as little as necessary, only enough to keep these men and myself alive. But if I see that flower, I’ll do everything I can to make sure it doesn’t return with us. My conscience is satiated with that compromise. I’m not betraying my sisters, and I’m not betraying Ikar—fine line though it is. I’ll just have to walk it carefully.
Chapter 15
Ikar
“This turkey acted like it wanted to be caught,” Darvy says as Rhosse turns it over the fire.
“I’m sure it did,” Rhosse says with sarcasm.
“You’re just jealous I saw it first. Tell you what, I’ll let you have the next one,” Darvy responds in a placating manner.
Rhosse’s brows raise. “You’llletme?”
I smirk. We all know if he really wanted to catch the meal, he would, and could, beat all of us to it.
Vera smiles across the fire as she listens, her hands pressed between her knees to avoid the chill bite to the air. How is it that I feel guilty for getting caught about to kiss her… and it’s still the only thing I want to do? I run a hand through my hair and duck my head to keep my eyes from continually drifting her way. She draws me like a moth to a flame, and I fear I’m going to end up scorched. To make it worse, I’ve already been worried about Lucentia deeming me worthy, and here I am pining for a woman I can’t have when I may very well be married to another in a matter ofdays. Part of me wants to enjoy this time with Vera while I can, knowing that the rest ofmy life will be spent with an unknown woman, a relationship not of love but built on duty. It’s what I’ve been raised for… but now that I’ve tasted what I can’t have?—
Rhosse hands me a large piece of meat, pulling me from my thoughts. Then he directs his gaze to Vera, who avoids looking my way entirely. “Do you hunt?”
Vera shakes her head and swallows the bite she was chewing. “No, I’m not great with weapons in general… or blood.”
