Page 64 of Brighter Than Gold

Idona stared at me, blinking, utterly prickled that I would dare disobey her. It gave me a small ounce of satisfaction.

“I am grateful for your help, but that does not give you authority over what happens with the Princess.”

“Burke wants her back under his protection.”

“Then he’ll need to send someone else to collect her, in an official capacity. You must understand that I cannot simply give her over to somecoven.” By the look on her face, I’d struck a nerve, a very, very angry nerve. I sat back in my chair and sipped the coffee, which was extraordinary.

“When Yates wakes, she can make the decision then,” she finally answered.

“No, she can’t. Yates abdicated, she holds no more power than you or I. If it’s a royal decree you’re seeking, thensheis the only one here with the ability to do so.” I pointed towards Reyah who was smiling gleefully at a young girl with whom she shared the table.

“Yates is royal blood, she out-ranks the marriage.”

“If blood makes the difference to you, then don’t forget who holds the future of the Realm in her belly, Idona.”

The woman went red in the cheeks as she tempered her rage at me.

“And if you don’t allow us to leave, then Reyah and I are in no better a place than we were with Lazio. So how do you want to play this?” I leaned over the table testing her resolve.

“I will confer with Yates when she is well enough. It will take me a day or so to find you horses in any case, so I hope that you can find it in you to rest here until we can properly equip you to go.”

She hated every compromising word she uttered. I knew it was all to shut me up, but I didn’t give a shit. She rose to leave.

“Will you let me know when Yates wakes? I would need to speak with her as well.”

Idona turned back with a scornful smile and nodded.

* * *

Reyah

My body and mind tried to settle as I found myself in a safe place once again, but horrible pangs of fear would shoot through me every once in a while. I couldn’t understand why.

The women here were lovely. This, I gleaned, must be the Sisterhood Kaspian had mentioned before I’d left the palace. A secretive group of women, some of whom shared special abilities. Kas had told me that Idona and the women in her family had a shared memory, one passed down from their mothers and grandmothers. The women in her family were easy enough to identify by their shimmering silver hair and eyes. And they had released that strange, lethal smoke into the cathouse, I wondered how they had done that…

After dinner everyone had settled into a cozy sitting room in the rear of the large farmhouse. Callan looked particularly miserable, and I noticed that not a single woman here would approach him. Frankly, I didn’t think he would mind in the least.

I played with a few young girls in front of the fire, stacking cards to build up a card castle. It seemed like such a long time since I’d been around children, and I was enjoying every moment of their honest, capricious nature.

“Your Grace,” crooned a voice behind me. I almost didn’t respond to that title.

“Yes?” I turned, and found Idona behind me.

“Yates is awake, she would like to speak with you.”

I was suddenly nervous. Yates always made me nervous.

“Oh. All right.” I stood, and as I did, Callan stood as well from his chair across the room.

I followed Idona up the stairs and down a corridor to Yates’ room. It felt so strange having Callan follow at my heels again, just a soldier complying with orders.

“Through here,” Idona said.

Yates looked horrible. More swollen than when I’d last seen her, and the bruises were much darker now. I walked to her bedside and gave a tiny curtsey, unsure really of how I was to address her.

“Are you well?” Yates asked.

“I am. Are you?” I croaked.

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