Page 72 of Brighter Than Gold

“How are you?” he asked. He looked to be deliberately deflating himself of the tension from his fight with Yates, calming himself for my sake.

I had no words to answer him. He sat on the bed beside me and gave me the most pleading expression.

“Did you know?”

“Of course I didn’t know!” I cried. “Is that what you think?”

“No, Reyah, I don’t think that.” He put his arms around me, and I clung to him.

“Does Yates think that?” I whispered.

“I’m having a hell of a time trying to convince her you didn’t. It would be a brilliant fucking plan.”

“It’s not a plan, Callan, it’s my miserable fucking life.”

“I know sweetheart.”

He held me tighter and stroked soothing circles against my back.

“Does your brother know you’re here?”

“No, I haven’t spoken to Kieran in years.”

“You have two brothers, right?”

“Harrison is the eldest. We used to write, but not for a long while. I didn’t see him in that room.”

“Kieran was the one you saw sitting on the throne.”

“Yes.”

“Hmm.”

I pushed away from Callan, trying to decipher exactly what he was thinking.

“We have to find out what your brother is planning, and what he knows. I doubt very much he is aware his sister is a Princess in the Realm he plans on overthrowing.”

I swallowed. “You think that’s what is going to happen?”

“The North doesn’t need an army to defend itself, Reyah.”

He was right. No one could get through the mountains without our help. The cold was defence enough.

“What do you think he’s after? Is this over the Womb of the North again?” The Womb, that mystical strip of land below the Kardonian mountain range that could grow nearly anything. It was the territory that the war nearly fifty years ago had been fought over. And the North had lost.

“That would be my best guess. The Womb is so far North that it’s difficult for the Realm to defend. Once winter comes it’s nearly impossible to keep an army alive and in fighting condition. The Kala Muata have a huge upper hand.”

“But why the attack on the palace during the wedding? Why announce their return?”

“They’re goading us, trying to pull our army North where they have the advantage.”

“What do we do?”

“We go home. We travel to Arronbach.”

“No, I—”

“This won’t stay secret forever. It can’t look like you’re running away.”

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