“We have spies everywhere, you know,” Zuleeka said conversationally when Kiva remained silent. “They’ve been watching since you left Zalindov, following your progress all the way here. Your note arrived weeks before you did — I’m on my way to Vallenia. It’s time to reclaim our kingdom. You penned that yourself, your hunger for what is rightfully ours literally written in your own blood.”
She was wrong about that — it wasn’t Kiva’s blood that the note had been written in. And that wasn’t all she had written.
Mother is dead.
Zuleeka had yet to mention the first line of Kiva’s letter. Had her spies — her rebel spies — already shared the details of Tilda’s death, or did she simply not care to know?
“It seems you’ve been busy, little sister,” Zuleeka continued, cocking her head to the side. “Surviving the unsurvivable Trial by Ordeal, escaping the inescapable Zalindov prison, and somehow growing close enough to the crown prince that he’d invite you to live with him and his precious family at the River Palace.” She smirked. “Now, that is a bold move. I applaud you for your strategy. And your acting skills.”
With every word that came out of Zuleeka’s mouth, a burning feeling grew inside Kiva. She squashed it down, not allowing herself to consider the reason for it.
“Unless,” Zuleeka said, drawing the word out. “It wasn’t all an act.”
Kiva sat stiffly in her chair, holding her sister’s narrowed gaze.
“I hear he’s very handsome, Prince Deverick.” Zuleeka flicked the edge of Kiva’s sleeve in a silent observation of whose jacket she wore. “But you don’t call him that, do you? People he cares about use his middle name. Jaren, isn’t it?”
“What exactly are you accusing me of?” Kiva asked tersely.
Zuleeka pressed a hand to her chest in mock innocence. “No accusations here, little sister. I’m merely trying to assess your priorities.”
“My priorities are the same as they’ve always been,” Kiva said in a firm voice. “First and foremost, they’re to my family.” After everything she’d been through for them, she couldn’t understand how that was even in question.
“It’s time to reclaim our kingdom.” Zuleeka repeated Kiva’s note again. Her expression turned cunning, even vicious, as she went on, “Forgive me, but I can’t help wondering how you plan on doing that while rolling in the prince’s bedsheets.”
The burning in Kiva’s chest rose to her face, but it wasn’t from embarrassment.
“I don’t know where your information is coming from,” Kiva said in a cold voice, “but you should have a word with your spies about getting their facts right.”
Zuleeka’s dark eyebrows rose. “You deny that —”
“I’m not denying anything,” Kiva said, bubbling with anger, “because I shouldn’t have to. I’m your sister. That alone should be enough for you to trust me.”
“I don’t trust anyone,” Zuleeka shot back. “Least of all someone who might as well have been dead for a decade.”
Kiva’s head jerked as if she’d been slapped, her reaction violent enough that Zuleeka’s features softened for the first time since she’d set foot in the room. She opened her mouth, looking like she was about to apologize, but was interrupted by the approach of loud, fast footsteps and a male voice demanding, “Where is she?”
A stuttered response came from the guards, and seconds later, a young man stormed through the door, coming to a dead halt when his eyes landed on Kiva.
Emerald eyes — the exact same shade as hers.
And the exact same shade as their late mother’s.
“Kiva,” her brother Torell breathed, saying her name like a prayer.
Throat tightening, Kiva whispered back, “Hey, Tor.”
He took another step forward, his gaze still locked on hers, but then it narrowed as he noticed the gag, the ropes, and what she could already feel was a nasty bruise blossoming on her left temple.
“What the hell?” Torell growled, spearing their sister with a look that had Kiva’s knees trembling.
“Calm down, brother,” Zuleeka said. “Kiva and I were just getting reacquainted.”
Tor’s face darkened further, his jaw clenching as if to bite back words. Unsheathing a dagger, he knelt before Kiva and began sawing at her bonds. Once she was free, he stood and pulled her up to her feet, straight into his arms.