Page 26 of Queen of the Night
She nods and stands, catching my gaze and looking away quickly as she rounds the fire and follows him to a small clearing nearby.
I watch as Rhosse instructs her, testing her skill to find out where to begin. Jealousy that it’s not me adds to the frustration I already feel. We didn’t have much time to train while I was cuffed, but I’m proud of her when he pulls a wicked-sharp knife, and her eyes simply widen before she steels herself. At least it’s not the battle axe. That weapon even scaresme.
Darvy and I are quiet for a moment, the only sounds the crackling of the fire and Vera and Rhosse’s training that holds my attention.
“So she’s an originatoranda healer,” Darvy states thoughtfully, watching the two of them.
“Apparently. I’ve experienced both.”
“Never heard of such a thing.”
It seems odd to me too, but I don’t say that.
“What’s her story?”
I try to sum up what I know, which now seems like very little. “She most often works with bounty hunters and lives with her best friend, Renna. And, it seems that Drade is her ex-boyfriend.”
Darvy laughs out loud. “Low king Drade?”
“Yes, that Drade.”
“How—”
“I have no idea. All I know is she’s half-fae and spent her teen years living with her aunt there.”
“She’s pretty,” Darvy says.
I jerk my head toward him with a scowl before realizing I played right into his hands.
He nods slowly. “Thought so. You like her.”
I press my lips together. She’s been with us for less than three days, and Darvy already figured it out. My feelings must show more than I realize. I’ve got to do better.
“Doesn’t matter how I feel about her. I’m on a mission to save my kingdom,” I force the words from my lips.
“So do I have permiss?—”
“No.”
He uses a stick to move the wood in the fire and sparks shoot up, illuminating the smug grin on his face. Imagining Vera in Darvy’s arms has a foreign sort of rage building in my chest.
“You know, I think I can use some sword practice tonight myself. Let’s go.” I stand angrily and stalk toward the open field, drawing my weapon.
“It was just a joke,” he mumbles from behind me while he sets the stick down and follows, pulling his sword in resignation.
Chapter 16
Ikar
Another portion of my mark turned black, waking me in the night with its horrid burn. I caught Darvy’s attention with the sound of my curse while he took his turn keeping watch, but he said nothing. He already knows what it means. It’s a physical indicator for me to know the state of my kingdom. It wasn’t good before, but now it’s worse.
Since I’m up anyway, I volunteer to take my turn at watch, early. I feel antsy as I wait for the suns to begin their trek back across the sky. The dark lingers too long, and I find my knee bouncing before I promptly still it. I get irritated when those around me fidget, so it’s alarming to find myself doing so. But the further darkening of my mark and the vast amount of gloam in these mountains has me feeling close to panic—as if I’m stuck watching sand fall through an hourglass with only the smallest bit left, unable to turn it over when it runs out.
I cannot fail.
My people have been resilient these many years, but they are weakening—dying, even. I’ve lost some of my best soldiers just for attempting to pull lucent when there was none duringbattle. It’s something I don’t think anyone considered when they decided to do away with Black Tulips and their bridging all those years ago.
I watch Rupi work her way out of Vera’s blankets, tumbling out before she rights herself and flutters to perch on my knee. She may not be Arrow, Simon, or Champion, my own pets, but I’ve come to love her all the same and appreciate her company. I stroke her soft feathers as my thoughts turn to the Black Tulips I search for. Jethonan says he has no idea where they might be, though he certainly believes they still exist. DoIbelieve they still exist? The question tugs uncomfortably, and I rub my tight chest with a frown. Lucentia wouldn’t juststopsending Queens of the Night, would she?
