CHAPTER 31

VIENNE

The next day was another lovely day in the kingdom. Though it never grew as hot around the castle or down in the village as it did in the rest of the Vast Desert, this morning was crisper and cooler than usual, enough so to require a shawl and an extra blanket for Anniston when we left my room.

Feeling restless and in need of a walk, I bundled her close and started down toward the garden, only to come across Brentley and Allera out and about among the flowers, laughing and talking by a row of bushes where Brentley was slipping a daffodil behind Allera’s ear.

I turned to leave them in peace, but Allera caught my eye and smiled. “Morning, Vienne. Lovely day, isn’t it?”

Pausing, I nodded and sent her a return grin, even though a nip of jealousy tugged at my heart. If only my own arranged marriage had worked out as successfully as hers seemed to be.

Although, actually, no, that wasn’t what I wished at all. If I wanted to be perfectly honest with myself, my thoughts veered more cruelly toward something more like, ~if only I’d never had to marry Soren in the first place~.

But what use were thoughts like that? He ~was~ my husband and unless I wanted to risk Urban’s life, lose my daughter, ~and~ change the entire dynamic of the kingdom, giving up my role in helping it—which I did not—that wasn’t going to change. So I needed to make do the best I could.

Bolstering my reserve, I smiled to the prince and princess. “Good morning! Yes, it really is pleasant out today.”

Allera motioned me toward them. “Brentley and I were feeling cooped up in the castle and are going to walk down to the village for a stroll through the marketplace. Would you care to join us?”

“Ooh! Can I come too?” Nicolette cried, dashing out from behind a tall bush and bounding eagerly forward. She must’ve been there long enough to listen in on our conversation, which made me wonder if she’d been spying on Brentley and Allera for quite some time. “I feel the need to get out and walk as well.”

I’d been about to decline Allera’s offer, to give the newlyweds their privacy, but when Nicolette joined in, asking to go as well, I decided I liked the idea of getting out for a while as well. “That does sound nice,” I admitted. “Let me just take Anniston in and see if a maid can sit with her.”

“Or bring her along,” Allera offered. “We’ll all take turns carrying her if you’d like.”

Partial to the idea of bringing my child with me, I nodded. “Okay, if you don’t mind that she might get fussy or that we may have to stop occasionally to change and feed her.”

“Not at all. The more the merrier.”

“~Where~ is it that you’re all going?” a new voice asked, making me startle around to find Yasmin, Caulder, and Soren once again taking a stroll along the flower path toward us.

I blinked, wondering how often they did that, just the three of them. Was it a daily routine? I didn’t want to feel left out of their bonded little group—because I typically wished to avoid two-thirds of them—but being that I was Soren’s wife and Yasmin’s sister, I felt distinctly left out.

“We’re off to walk down into Mandalay and stroll the marketplace,” Brentley answered his brother. “Would you three care to tag along?”

“~Walk~?” Yasmin cried in dismay, wrinkling her nose. “All the way to Mandalay and back? Why, that could take ~hours~.”

Brentley merely shrugged and smiled at his wife. “We thought the exercise and fresh air would be refreshing.”

Soren snorted and mumbled under his breath, “~You~ could certainly use the exercise.”

I glared his way because he hadn’t exactly been quiet about his cruel evaluation. I’m sure even Brentley heard him, though the prince had the grace and maturity to ignore his cousin.

“We should ask Urban if he wants to come along, too,” he said to his wife. “I heard Caulder didn’t allow him to return to the training field this morning either, after the rampage he went on yesterday.”

When he glanced his brother’s way, Caulder sighed. “That’s correct. I gave him another day to cool down, even though I admit he seemed in much better spirits by dinner yesterday.” His gaze sought mine. “Did anyone ever learn what ~did~ put him in such a mood?”

When all eyes turned their curious gazes my way, I cleared my throat and tried to ignore the fact that my face was heating miserably. “I…I believe he may have had a bit too much to drink the night before at the Donnelly Day celebration,” I lied, glancing Allera’s way and hoping she didn’t call me out, for surely she knew better. “He had a devil of a headache when I spoke to him, so we had the cook mix a concoction to fix it.”

“Hangovers do affect him miserably,” Allera added smoothly.

I sent her a grateful glance, to which she smiled back and nodded.

“Well, whatever the case,” Caulder said, clapping his hands together. “I’m just glad that’s over and done with. I need him back in the field tomorrow. It would be nice to have our soldiers trained and ready for war in case the dispute between Blair and Corandra spills over onto our land and we’re forced to take sides.”

“Forced to take sides?” Soren asked with a grunt and shake of his head. “Well, that’s an easy decision. We’d have to align with Corandra, of course. They’re larger and have more resources to offer us.”

I didn’t think it was so easy at all. Blair was our direct neighbor to the north. We’d never had any bad relations with them, and besides, Corandra was learning how to make clear rock on their own, meaning they were about to become our biggest competitor. There would have to be much to consider before joining a fray between the two realms.

The king refrained from responding to Soren’s comment, neither confirming nor denying such an action. He merely clasped his hands together and took a step backward. “Though I’d love to join you all for your walk, I fear I must return to the Throne Room before too long. I received some distressing news just before my lovely wife and best friend lured me into the garden that I wish to attend to sooner rather than later.”

“Oh?” Yasmin asked, her brow furrowing with worry. “What news has distressed you so, my love?”

Caulder glanced hesitantly at Nicolette’s way before sighing and addressing all of us. “You may as well all hear it now, but I demanded an audience with the High Cliff priestess who gave Nicolette her tattoo.”

Nicolette groaned. “Oh, no. Did she get into too much trouble because of me?”

“Well…” Caulder said hesitantly. “Not from me. I mostly just wanted to authenticate her permit and ask her more about the dark magic she’d told you she had sensed on you. But when the guards who went to fetch her opened the door to her room at the Inn, they found it trashed and deserted. She’d been missing ever since, until this morning.”

“What?” Allera shrieked, surging forward, worry marring her features. “That sounds like foul play was involved.”

He nodded. “I’m afraid so. Her body was found not long ago. From the reports, it sounds as if she’d been murdered quite gruesomely.”

“Oh, no.” Nicolette covered her mouth with both hands. “Oh, no, this was all my fault.”

Yasmin laughed. “Why ever would it be ~your~ fault, child? Did ~you~ kill her?”

“I might as well have,” Nicolette choked out. “I’m the one who announced there was evil in the castle and that the priestess could detect it. It only goes to show that whoever possesses the dark magic heard about her and killed her before she could discover who he was.”

“It wasn’t your fault,” I told her. “No one forced the murderer to take her life but he himself. None of this is on you.”

“What will High Cliff’s repercussions be on this?” Soren asked, glancing between Caulder and Allera. “She was one of ~their~ holy priestesses, was she not?”

Allera seemed too shaken to answer. She merely shook her head repeatedly and hugged herself.

Brentley stepped close and wrapped his arm around her shoulders in support. “I’m sure either Urban or Allera could send a message to their father through pigeon,” he offered. “If they explained what happened, then there could be no misunderstanding or blame cast on Donnelly.”

“Yes. Yes, of course.” Allera nodded and wiped at her eyes. “I’ll send the message myself this afternoon. Father will understand. After all our troubles with dark magic from the Graykey clan in Lowden during that war, he’s well aware of the destruction that comes with such evil power.” She rested her cheek on Brentley’s shoulder. “That poor woman. And all she wanted to do was bless our union.”

“I know, my dear. I know.” Brentley kissed her hair and then smoothed it down her back.

I felt another ache of longing tear through me. It must be nice to have a spouse who held and supported you when you felt down. I glanced Soren’s way, but he only rolled his eyes and sighed over their affectionate display.

“I ~really~ don’t want to stay around the castle now,” Allera announced. “Not while I know someone sadistic enough to kill a pure, innocent priestess is wandering about unchecked.”

“We’ll go, then,” Brentley assured her. “We’ll spend the entire day in Mandalay.”

“I’d rather you go too, my love,” Caulder murmured to Yasmin, touching her cheek. “I’ll even send the leader of my army along with you to keep you all safe.” When he sent a guard off to fetch Urban, Soren sighed.

“Well, if both my wife and the High Cliff bastard are going, then I should go too.”

“But who’ll be around to protect ~you~?” Yasmin was busy asking Caulder.

He merely smiled and pressed his lips softly to hers. “I’ll keep a dozen guards around me at all times.”

“Two dozen,” she insisted.

He chuckled and kissed her again. “Two dozen, it is.”

And so we waited for Yasmin to change into a walking dress and for someone to find and retrieve Urban, who’d snuck off to watch the soldiers train as well as help instruct their progress, even though he’d been forbidden to lift a sword. When he finally strode up to meet us, something in my chest loosened, glad to see he was alive and okay.

After hearing about the slain priestess, I pretty much wanted everyone important to me within sight at all times.

His gaze sought mine, as if he were checking on my welfare for similar reasons, before he turned to everyone else, huffing out a sound of surprise when his sister plowed into him for a hug and momentarily knocked the wind from his lungs.

“Did you hear about the High Cliff priestess?”

He wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “I did.” His brows drew together in troubled concentration. “It was a bold move from the dark magic bearer. Up until this, he’d remained hidden and stayed under detection. But I think now that we know he’s here, he’ll be more prevalent and open, which means he’ll be much more dangerous, too.”

“How do we stop him?” Nicolette asked, shifting closer to me and taking my arm as she sought solace.

Urban sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “I have some ideas on that, but first we actually have to find out ~who~ he is. Until then, anything out of the ordinary must be treated with great caution.”

I nodded, thinking that was good advice.

“So, what will you do once you find him?” Soren asked as we waited just inside the barbican for the queen to finally join us.

Urban shook his head, only saying, “I’d prefer not to say, just in case something gets out to the bearer of dark magic himself.”

Soren whirled to him in outrage. “Are you saying you don’t ~trust~ me?”

Urban sent him a quick, bitter smile. “Nothing personal.”

Snarling out a growl, my husband turned away and folded his arms moodily over his chest.

Yasmin finally appeared from the keep, strolling toward us in a dress much too elaborate for a mere walk to the village.

“Alright,” she announced with a flourish of the hand. “I’m ready. Now let us proceed.”

So the guards opened the gate and started to lower the bridge. Once it was fully extended across the moat, our not-so-merry band began its journey. Brentley and Allera murmured private things amongst themselves, escaping into their own little bubble while Anniston began to fuss in my arms, Yasmin nitpicked at Nicolette for the style of dress she’d chosen to wear, and Soren cast dark glances past all of us at Urban, filling the air with more contention than should be humanly possible. I pretty much wanted to turn back home and hole myself up in my room away from them all, but then, I also wanted to keep them close too, so I could make sure they stayed safe.

It would’ve been nice if they could’ve at least ~pretended~ to get along for one little trip. But I suppose that was too much to hope for.

“Oh, no,” Nicolette murmured, causing me to look up and pay attention to the world around us. “Someone’s had a carriage accident.”

We’d just left the thickness of the forest and entered a path through sandy hummocks. It was usually a clear, lonely road, not often traveled, since people from the castle typically kept themselves at the castle and people from the village rarely left the village. Unless there was an important event to attend, usually only the stray vendor selling his wares or soldiers traveled this road. So we all slowed to a stop, gaping in astonishment at the abandoned carriage that had broken a wheel and lay turned on its side at the top of a small knoll not too far from the beaten path.

“That’s strange,” Brentley murmured, frowning as he stepped off the roadway, steering us toward the accident. “I wonder how it fell over and landed… up there.”

“And where are its horse and driver?” Allera added. “Do you think anyone’s still inside?”

Nicolette covered her mouth. “I hope no one’s injured.”

“Well, this certainly calls for the leader of our kingdom’s mighty protection to go check it out,” Yasmin announced, lifting her eyebrows meaningfully toward Urban.

But he merely slowed to a stop and cocked his head to the side as he held up a hand for all of us to remain where we were.

“Hmm,” he murmured, frowning.

“What?” Brentley asked, coming to a halt next to him.

Urban squinted before shaking his head. “I swear I just saw a glimmer or something shimmering around the exterior, but it must’ve merely been a reflection. For a moment, it reminded me of these enchanted baskets Lowden used in their attacks against High Cliff. As soon as someone would open the lid, it would—” Eyes flaring wide, Urban shouted, “~Don’t open that~!” and rushed forward.

Soren had completely ignored Urban’s warning to stay back. He’d strode right up to the carriage, reached for the door of the coach, and was already tugging at the latch.

At first, it stuck and wouldn’t budge, which gave Urban enough time to race up the hill and reach him. And then suddenly, Soren was able to wrench it free, and the door sailed open.

Urban flew against him, shoving him aside so hard that Soren lost his balance and fell, rolling down the incline. He cursed and came tumbling straight for us just before a blast lit the air with a boom that deafened us all.

Then a ball of fire large enough to engulf the entire carriage bloomed exactly where Urban had been standing.