Page 41 of Queen of the Night
“Well, it’s…” He hesitates for another moment and looks into the trees. His jaw clenches as if he can’t make himself say it.
I lift a brow, which seems to make it worse. “It’s coming for me?”
“No,” he nearly growls. “I was going to say that it’smisbehaving…broken… something is wrong with it, and I don’t know why.”
I feel slightly wicked for enjoying his discomfort. The ever-confident, unflappableking,Ikar is stuttering for words before me like a schoolboy, and I find it entirely too irresistible. “So itiscoming for me.”
“Can younotsay it like that?” he finally snaps.
I fight the smile that tempts the corners of my lips, feeling like the worst sort of scoundrel for leading him to believe his magic is the only thing misbehaving.
“Apparently you’ve noticed. Just… ignore it.” He stands and stalks back to the other side of the fire without waiting for me to respond.
Rupi sends me a scathing look from the forest floor with a narrowed eye turned toward me, but I ignore her attitude. She doesn’t understand yet, but this couldn’t have gone better. Not only does Ikar believe his magic isbroken, but he must not recognize mine either, which means I’m hiding it well. I almost pump a celebratory fist in the air.Finally, something goes my way.
Ikar refuses to look my way the rest of the night, just stares into the flickering fire, occasionally using a stick to stoke the flames. He remains there as the darkness deepens, and I prepare for bed. I notice the frown he wears when he’s deep in thought, the way his forearms are braced on his thighs, and his shoulders appear as if they carry the heaviest of weights—good thing they’re broad and very muscular. I assure myself he’ll be fine, but guilt burns at the knowledge I’ve added to that load tonight.
I spot Rupi perched on one of his thighs, side-eyeing me beneath his arm as ifI’min the wrong. I narrow my eyes at her. What does she want me to do, spill all my secrets, break my promises, and get my sisters killed?Absolutely not.
I flip over on my bedroll angrily. Sometimes I wonder if she’ll stay with me or Ikar when all of this is over. I toss and turn restlessly, trying to be quiet so Ikar doesn’t notice, but I know it’s pointless. He’s the most observant man I’ve ever met, which makes my restlessness even worse.
Finally, once the fire has died low, I drift off.
Tatania stands before me, my Tulip sisters spreadout on either side of her, facing me, as we recite the Black Tulip oath in echoing tones:
“We will never remove the bracelet and will always pay our dues on time. We will never reveal our Tulip identity. We will never work with soldiers, armies, or kings in any way. We will always attend the annual meeting. We will never bridge with a king.”
Everyone claps after, except me. I’m crying because now the past Tulips, the ones who were murdered, rise up behind them, begging me to keep the Tulips safe, reminding me in eerie tones, “Kings are murderers. They can’t be trusted.” Over and over again. I see the blood on their bodies and squeeze my eyes shut and clap my hands over my ears. I try to shout that Ikar isn’t a murderer, but their voices grow louder and louder… and louder…
A hand shakes me gently within the fog of dreaming. “Wake up, Vera.”
My eyes flash open in the dark with a gasp, and I find Ikar crouching beside me with a hint of concern in his eyes and a warm hand resting on my shoulder. I don’t know when it happened, but my hand grasps his wrist so tightly I feel his pulse beneath my fingertips. He waits for me to make the first move. For a moment we stay there as images of the dead Tulips hover on the edges of my vision, the fear and horror of it making me want to curl into his warm chest and allow his solid presence to block the memory, but I realize painfully that the one person I want to turn to for comfort is the one I can never ask.
“Sorry for waking you,” I whisper.
“No need to apologize. We’ve all had nightmares.”
I force myself to let go of his wrist, even though it feels likeI’m letting go of a lifeline. His fingers slip through mine and he squeezes them gently before he stands and heads back to his bed. I pull my blankets up to my ears, my fear of kings deeply renewed even as I battle confusion over how safe I’ve always felt with Ikar. As my eyes grow heavy again, I remind myself that not all dreams carry meaning… but deep within, I still hear the echoes of my dead sisters, and I can’t help but feel that that nightmare carried a message I’d better pay attention to.
Chapter 28
Vera
Iyank the sleeve of my shirt from the grasp of a scraggly bush with pursed lips as I follow Ikar up a rocky, weed-infested incline. Maybe it’s the lack of sleep, or maybe it’s the nightmare that still nags with images of dead Tulips whenever I close my eyes, but I’m in no mood for the gloamy forest today. What would I give to see the bright color of a healthy butterfly… even just a few patches of soft grass rather than the spindly, spiky twigs that claw and scrape at my boots? I have a stash of items for my future shop, and I occupy myself by mentally examining each one, debating which I would, in fact, trade to see something other than gloam and half-dead vegetation.
We reach the top and Ikar’s deep voice breaks me from my contemplative musings. “The arrows.”
We stand beside what I can only describe as a never-ending, tightly woven fence of thick, gnarly, unnaturally bent and twined trees that grow as tight as a twisted rope and climb high above us. Ikar points ahead, and I’m tempted to rub myeyes to see if it really is the three gold arrows glinting in weak evening sunlight.
Ikar picks up the pace, motivated by the sign that we’re not actually lost. “We should be close. Just need to cross this somehow.” He eyes the tight-knit trees with a frown as he continues forward.
“Wonderful.” Forced cheer in my voice belies the rush of nerves racing through my belly. We’re one step closer to finding the nymphs, who will likely lead us to the dreaded flower. On the other hand, we’re also one step closer to escaping this blazing forest—I’m going to choose to focus onthat.
As we search for a gap wide enough to accommodate Ikar’s breadth, I stop and peer through a small opening, curious what awaits us on the other side. The forest lookshealthiersomehow, if we can get past this tree border.
“This look like a fence to you?” I take one last look through the opening before I follow him as he examines the tight weave for a place to pass.
Ikar shrugs. “Of sorts.”
