Page 28 of A Curse of Salt

‘That’s not at all the same.’ His voice was gravelly, irritated.

I shrugged. ‘I didn’t like the name given to me, so I gave myself a new one. Suppose we’re similar in that way, you and I.’

‘Oh?’ The King tilted his head and I swallowed.

I knew I was treading on thin ice; a dangerous game in the presence of fire. But I lifted my chin, feeling the amber light dance in my eyes. ‘You’re just a man who calls himself king.’

He let out an amused breath. ‘You know nothing about me, blackbird.’

I scowled. ‘What did you call me?’

His lips twitched as he reached out to twist a strand of my hair between his fingers. My heart thudded at the proximity of his large, ruinous hand. He draped the curl gently behind my shoulder, but my body stayed tense long after his arm returned to his side.

‘They say when a blackbird is seen so far out at sea, it means war is coming.’

Fear churned through my veins. ‘And is it?’

He hesitated before answering me. ‘There’s always war coming. Only fools call it peace.’

I shivered at the timbre of his words, full of foreboding. He could call me what he liked, but he wasn’t about to blame me for the violent crusades of men.

‘Well, I have a name,’ I said.

‘Aye,’ the King agreed, his tone laced with amusement once more. ‘Aurelia.’

I didn’t miss the trace of distaste on his harsh tongue. It sounded different on his lips, nothing like the reproval it always was with Aberdeen. Still, I’d never liked it. Now at least I understood why. It was a princess’s name, not mine.

‘Are you finished making a mockery of me, Your Majesty?’

A low chuckle fell from his lips as he turned from the fire and took his seat at the table. I followed grudgingly, frowning at his back.

Tonight, even the expansive table between us felt insufficient. A rope-thin peace stretched between us as I dug into a plateful of roast lamb and honey-drizzled carrots. The soft meat fell apart on my tongue, the scent of rosemary and wine jus making me salivate so much I forgot all about my reluctance to let him see me enjoying the meal.

‘So, did you read the book?’

It took me a moment to realise what he was talking about. I’d almost forgotten about the book in the chaos of the last two weeks. Almost forgotten whose bloodstained hand had lifted it from the shelf and given it to me. A slew of images flashed through my mind, the same ones that had haunted my restless slumber. All that destruction, and he wanted to talk about books?

I bit my cheek. ‘Yes,’ I said shortly, piling more food on to my plate.

The King leaned forward, the table creaking beneath his weight. ‘Well?’

‘It was fine.’

He sat back again, arms folded smugly. I could sense the amusement coiling around him like smoke. ‘I knew you’d like it.’

I rolled my eyes, settling my attention on the plate in front of me. The King continued to watch me in silence, that unmoving hood fixed on my face. My blood simmered under his gaze, irked by the unfairness of it all. He could stare all he wanted, and I’d never get so much as a glimpse of what he was thinking.

I slammed down my cutlery with a metallic clang and glared right back at him. ‘What is it you want from me?’

All trace of amusement vanished from his voice. ‘Is that your question for tonight?’

I hesitated. There was still so much I didn’t understand, and the recent battle had only confused me more. It was a tempting question, but one I knew would get me nowhere, so I shook my head.

‘No,’ I huffed, chewing on my bottom lip as I sifted through the endless things I still didn’t understand. ‘I want to know what will happen to me – once Bane arrives,’ I said. ‘If you kill him, will you still sell me to his followers?’

The sea knocked against the hull of the ship as the King mulled over his answer. ‘No,’ he said at last.

‘Then what?’ I pressed, leaning forward. ‘And why did you kill Cullen’s crew? Now who knows how long it’ll take before Bane gets here.’

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