Page 15 of Songs of Retribution

"I miss Prince Lennox being next door," I said.

She gave me the slightest bob of her head. "Is there anything I can do for you, Your Highness?"

"No, thank you. You've been very helpful."

She curtsied and left the room. Hope burned in my chest, a coal that might catch flame. I no longer felt exhausted and defeated. Lennox and I had allies within the palace. I hadn't even considered that as a possibility. I wasn't alone and though nothing had truly changed in my predicament, I suddenly felt invincible as I scraped my thumb back over the mark of Carrington's magic.

CHAPTERSEVEN

MARGO

I wipedsweat from my forehead as Eldrick and I galloped through the torrid Prasanna territory. In the distance, tall ivory walls sat beneath rays of sunlight. I lifted my face to the sunshine spilling past the trees overhead. We'd spent the first part of our trip pushing through a snowstorm then rain in the human territory.

Only a few clouds marred the sky, and I took a deep breath of fresh air. Guilt quelled in me over enjoying it, though. We'd left Lira. Weakness had drifted through me in waves as we trotted farther from her and my connection to Lira and my magic grew distant. As we'd escaped, Eldrick had rushed us to the Seelie stables, pilfered a kelpie, and raced us out of Seelie territory before I could think straight. We'd spent a day in hiding, waiting for Lira, until we'd gone out glamoured by Eldrick's magic and heard various rumors about Lira. We couldn't discern exactly what had happened, but we both concluded she hadn't made it past the King.

Eldrick's lips pressed into a grim line for a moment, and he reapplied glamour to the kelpie, disguising the creature as a standard human horse. We'd boarded the creature in a human stable and had to keep appearances up.

"We leave for Prasanna territory then."

"But what about Lira?" I asked too loudly then looked around the stable. No one was around, but I leaned in closer to Eldrick and whispered. "We can't leave her."

"It pains me to do so." He slipped riding gloves onto his hands as his boots crunched over the hay. "But she tasked us with a mission, and we cannot fail her or the Prince."

I looked past the stable doors to the murky gray outside. I'd failed Lira so many times. Leaving her in the King’s hands—a man I knew capable of harsh punishments and dark actions—felt like the greatest disloyalty I could commit.

The bag I'd slung across my shoulder pulled on me. It contained the journal I'd written, everything the King had schemed for the war with the Prasanna. Lira wanted it taken to Prince Sai. If she was here, she'd want me to focus on getting the book to him. I clutched the bag’s braided handle and closed my eyes. "All right."

Eldrick and I both kept money on our person at all times. It was the least miserable part of our journey as we both realized it when we needed to purchase supplies and changes of clothing.

He'd grinned at me. "A flirt and a survivor both, are you?"

"It seems our similarities continue to grow."

His hazel eyes sparkled, and it sent tendrils of warmth curling through me. That faded as we both returned to our private worries and moved towards the Prasanna lands at the speed of lightning. The trip reminded me that Eldrick's background was military. We slept for three hours each night then continued our frenzied pace.

As we finally approached the Prasanna gates in dowdy, travel-dirty clothes with minimal sleep, I struggled not to slump on the kelpie. My connection to the magic Lira held was faint. Eldrick pulled an arm around my waist to steady me, and I was too tired to feel anything aside from relief.

We boarded the creature at a stable near the palace, found guards who'd apparently been expecting us, and followed them into a palace so opulent and colorful, I struggled to focus on my steps as we moved through it. The guards left us in a massive sitting room with navy and plum furnishings and large windows that offered a view of gardens and a grand fountain which trickled quietly through an open window.

Vast chandeliers stretched overhead, and I leaned back as I took a seat to better see them and the colorful tiles they hung from. I sighed as I drifted deeper into the couch. It was a relief to rest for a few minutes, and my legs and stomach ached from the days of horseback riding.

Eldrick, however, paced across the rug, his hands behind his back, his broad shoulders tense. I didn't know how he wasn't exhausted.

The door snapped open, and Eldrick froze as Prince Sai walked in and waved guards off. They retreated, closing the door behind them. Sai had a reputation of being so magically powerful and intimidating that he didn't need guards. He wore an outfit of fine black material, and his dark eyes flicked between the two of us, but his expression gave nothing away.

"Prince Sai," Eldrick said, his tone guarded. "On the request of Princess Lira, we have traveled here to bring you information." Eldrick frowned at the last part. He wasn't pleased to hand over Seelie secrets to the Prasanna despite Lira wishing it and Lennox trusting this court as well.

At his words, I rose and opened the bag, pulling the journal from it. The leather had grown softer from my flipping through it and the pages curled at the edges. The Seelie crest—a crown with a sword through it—marked the book’s corner and I felt Eldrick's hesitation as I handed it to Prince Sai.

The Prince was attractive with a firm jaw and muscular build that his clothing couldn't hide. But I was curious how Lira could have fallen for this man. She'd always been gentle and kind, and Prince Sai was the opposite of that. He accepted the book without looking at it and tucked it under his arm. His gaze darted between the two of us. "You abandoned Lira."

His voice sounded like a threat, and shadows slipped out of him, curling around his ankles.

"We followed her orders," Eldrick answered, his unblinking eyes fixed on the Prince. He was hiding a great deal. I knew guilt had plagued him as much as it had me over leaving her. "I request an audience with Prince Lennox."

Sai's lips thinned and he clutched the book tighter. "I'll let him know." He offered nothing more before giving a dismissive half-bow, turning, and leaving the room.

Eldrick released a quiet sigh, but I placed my hands on my hips. "As soon as we get Lira back, I have quite a few questions for her."

---