How is someone so young so damn terrifying?
“No.”
She regards me like she’s taken my voice and is studying it behind the lenses of her magic. “That’s very good to hear. And the other saddles, are any of them going to be a problem?”
I swallow. “No.”
“It isn’t a good idea to lie to me, Auren,” she chastises, her dark eyes gone barbed. “But it’s alright. I already know about the pregnant one. Mist. I can’t have my betrothed having bastards, so she won’t be an issue for much longer.”
Chills flee down the length of my spine, and my heart drops down into my stomach.
Won’t be an issue. What a generic way to talk about having someone killed. Adrenaline rushes me, like my body is begging me to turn and run, to find Mist and warn her, but my knees are locked in place.
“This is a business proposition and nothing more,” she goes on. “Still, I need the public to accept me. I won’t make the same mistakes as Malina did. I won’t be shoved aside for the favored or give the people a reason to rebel against me at the first chance they have.”
My ribbons tense like fisted fingers.
“I will have the people celebrate this union, Auren. It’s the only way they’re going to accept us joining our kingdoms. I want you gone. Which is why I’m so glad I overheard you tonight. In fact, that’s the only reason we’re talking, rather than me taking care of the issue of you as well,” she says pointedly.
Killed. She was going to have me killed.
Goddess, who is this woman?
She considers me for a moment, her onyx hair pulled back tight, enhancing her cheekbones. “Oh, don’t look so shocked. I can’t have anything threatening my reign. Certainly not an orphan girl—I don’t care if your hair is made of strands of pure gold. So I’m going to make you a deal, and I don’t do this often, so I’d take it if I were you.”
I have to suppress a wince at the underlying threat that prods up through her voice. Maybe it’s her magic, or maybe it’s just her, but either way, I feel the menace that nudges past her charming lips.
“I want you gone, but I don’t want to dirty my hands when it comes to you. So, I want you to run away with your army commander,” she says, and I gape at her in shock. “If you leave of your own volition, I won’t tell Midas that I saw you tonight.”
I have a feeling she wants me to leave so that if Midas does find out about her schemes, she won’t be responsible for killing me.
Kaila’s eyes are sharp, grating against my face. “If you don’t leave, I’ll tell him all about your little liaison with the spiked soldier, and I don’t think he’d take that very well, do you?”
My plummet ends in a violent crash against an unsteady ground, body left to sprawl amongst the threat. Kaila smiles at me, the beauty of her young face indisputable. I have to admit, blackmail becomes her.
The fact that I already planned to run away with Slade works in my favor, especially if she’s telling the truth about not alerting Midas about tonight. But I’m terrified that she holds this information that she can use on a whim. And what will she do once she sees that Midas won’t give me up?
I’m not sure what Kaila sees on my face, but whatever it is makes her grin. “I see you understand. I’m glad we had this little chat, aren’t you?”
My stomach twists with my placating lips. “I am, Your Majesty.”
“Good,” she nods before turning to scratch her timberwing’s chin. “The king and I will be making our announcement at the celebration ball. With the rebellions in Sixth and things tentative here with a prince not yet old enough to hold a throne, it’s imperative that we bring stability to Orea.”
The only thing this union will bring to Orea is two very power-hungry monarchs having access to even more power.
“Would you like to pet Riawk?” Kaila asks suddenly.
This woman must really enjoy catching me off guard.
“Oh, no, thank you.”
“Give him a pet,” she insists. “He’s very sweet.”
About as sweet as she is, would be my guess.
With a pinched smile, I turn to the animal and lift a hand. As soon as I do, it whips its head with narrowed eyes and snaps at me. I jerk my hand back with a yelp, barely missing the bite of its teeth.
Queen Kaila tips her head back and laughs before tapping the timberwing on its nose. “Naughty, Riawk,” she croons, though she’s still smiling. “Males are always biting at the hand that strokes them.”