He frowns, considering. “Surprisingly few soldiers were willing to sacrifice their lives once it looked like I might win.”
“Of course not. Who wants to die for selfish, cruel people no one likes to begin with? Eleni and Lukia were different. Fisans liked them, especially Eleni. She’s dead, and Lukia’s gone. If Andromeda falters or dies, it won’t take much for Fisans to rebel if they think there’s a real chance of winning instead of getting massacred. Fisa’s army won’t fight any harder than Sinta’s did. Royals keep their power through fear. Plant a seed of doubt and vines spread. Until Fisans see the Lost Princess’s dead body, or she returns to rule, they’ll never truly accept one of the others as Alpha. They bow down mostly out of terror, but partly out of sheer tradition. Tradition breaks without the true Alpha.”
He’s quiet for a while. When he says my name, something in his tone makes me look up. There’s admiration in his eyes, and it gives me a warm feeling I don’t like at all.
“You’re more than just the Kingmaker. You’re a strategist. You understand how people think and can predict their moves. You’d make a capable ruler.”
His words strike fear into my heart. His next words rattle me like the gong of a death toll.
“It sounds like Fisa’s ripe for a takeover.”
“You have Sinta,” I say, swallowing stronger protests I can’t explain.
“Egeria has Sinta.”
I don’t say anything. I’m not about to encourage him to take over Fisa now that I’m tied to him for life. His life, anyway.
“So why was Otis so bent on killing you rather than bringing you back to Fisa?”
I shrug. “I don’t know if he wanted to kill me or capture me. It didn’t get that far.”
His eyes meet mine, challenging. “He looked like he wanted to kill you.”
He did, didn’t he? “Andromeda wants me alive. I’m certain of that. Maybe he wanted to thwart his mother. Or make sure someone else didn’t get me instead.”
“Your eye is twitching.”
Damn eye! “Dust.”
He snorts.
Fine. I didn’t believe me, either. “Otis knew it was him or me. It was Andromeda’s mistake for sending him instead of someone else. She doesn’t understand human emotion, or attachment, so it didn’t factor into her decision, but Otis knew I’d kill him for what he did to Eleni. She was good to me. We were…close, and she did her best to protect her sister. I only got away thanks to her. She died, Lukia took off, and with all the confusion in the castle, I was able to slip away. I owe Eleni my freedom. I owe her my life.”
He nods, believing me this time. “You must have enjoyed killing Otis, then.”
My lips twist in a smile Mother would be proud of. “You have no idea.”
CHAPTER 13
Beta Sinta wakes me up, darting back to avoid my fist. “You’re whimpering and all curled up in a ball.”
Lovely. He’s on watch. I only have nightmares now when Beta Sinta—Griffin—isn’t snoring a few feet from me. Well, he doesn’t really snore, at least not much, but he got me used to sleeping next to him with that bloody rope, and now I don’t sleep nearly as well without him.
Knowing that makes me want to kick him. I resist. I don’t want to end up with his tongue in my ear like I did earlier.
Not really.
Really, no.
No.
I clear my throat.
“Watch with me,” he invites.
I regard him warily. “Why?”
“So you can tell me about the Tarvans.”
Oh. I get up, my blood still pounding hot and cold. I shudder, rubbing my arms until I see Griffin watching me with a frown.
“Do you dream?” I ask.
“Doesn’t everyone?”
“I guess, but are your dreams just scenes your mind conjures up, or are they real?”
He rubs his hand back and forth over his jaw, his fingers rasping on thick stubble. “Real as in memories?”
I nod.
“No, they’re just normal dreams.”
“Huh.” Must be nice.
“And yours?”
“Memories.” And sometimes premonitions.
While we walk the perimeter of the camp, I force the nightmare aside by concentrating on a dream from earlier in the night. Not all my memories are bad.
Eleni and I are running up a hill, about to crest the rise and tear down the other side. I’m pushing hard, my seven-year-old legs straining to keep up with her longer, stronger, nine-year-old ones. I’m only a few feet behind, and her laughter whips back to me on the wind. My heart soars. We escaped. It won’t last long, but we escaped them all.