Total pages in book: 210
Estimated words: 200096 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1000(@200wpm)___ 800(@250wpm)___ 667(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 200096 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1000(@200wpm)___ 800(@250wpm)___ 667(@300wpm)
“That is Kazimir, Atticus’s arse licker,” Jarek confirms.
“Kazimir can hear you talking about him,” the man croaks, cracking his eyelids and rolling his head toward us. Dried blood speckles his beard. “You, I know, unfortunately.” His gaze veers from Jarek to me. “And you, I escorted from the rift to Cirilea, so I know your face well, and I did not see it outside the Goat’s Knoll that night.”
Of course he would recognize Princess Romeria. “Different face, but I promise you, it was me.” How close is he to Atticus, anyway? Does he know what his dear friend did with his brother’s betrothed on that escort south?
“That’s a trick I’d like to learn.” He pulls himself up with a wince. “I heard whisperings of the new Ybarisan queen with silver eyes while they thought me unconscious. They say she is a key caster and that she killed her own mother to claim the throne.”
“I killed Queen Neilina to stop a war we don’t need so we can fight a war we have no choice in fighting because of Queen Neilina,” I counter evenly.
“And which war is that? The one you caused with your blood?” There’s challenge in his tone.
I’m beginning to see why Atticus kept this soldier so close—they’re both smug asses who always have an answer. “The poison is no longer an issue, in case you haven’t noticed.”
“I may have.” He runs his tongue over his teeth as if a reminder. “And why is that?”
Because I opened the nymphaeum, unleashing all our new problems. The weight of that truth is not lost to me.
“His Highness insisted we bring him with us to see what he could share of Atticus.” Abarrane sneers at the soldier. “I was happy to leave him there to suffer.”
Kazimir smooths a hand over his jaw, but it doesn’t hide the smirk. “Always a joy to be in your presence, Abarrane.”
“Did you find Atticus?” A quick glance around shows me he isn’t here.
“No.” Abarrane shakes her head. “Kazimir witnessed him struck down in a deadly blow from an ax. We searched for his body but could not find it.”
“Kier took it as a trophy,” Jarek says.
My insides twist at the thought. There’s no love lost between us—especially after what I observed in Cirilea under Atticus’s reign, of mortals dangling from city lights—but it would wound Zander.
“A king’s corpse does King Cheral little good,” Abarrane counters. “But we do think he might have survived. Romeria healed him. That might have been enough to keep him alive until he reaches Kier.”
“Do they have healers there?” I feel Kazimir studying me.
“I do not see how. It is a mortal realm, and the waters between Ybaris and Kier are impassable. But our connection with Kier was severed many centuries ago. We know little and have cared little of what goes on across that border.”
“How do we find out if they have him?” I ask.
Abarrane shrugs. “We go to Kier.”
“When?” Kazimir blurts, urgency filling his voice. Atticus is obviously important to him.
“You are not going anywhere but to the rift to help Islor defend itself,” Abarrane snaps. “Something your king should have done instead of ignoring pleas for help and giving traitors room to tear our realm apart.”
“That began long before Atticus sat on the throne and you know it,” Kazimir throws back, defending his friend. “And he did not ignore anyone. He sent half our army here to aid you, weakening us for the battle in the east. That is why Kier was able to defeat us.”
He’s not wrong on all those accounts, but this is not the time or place for this fight. “Our focus has to be on the good of all people, not just one.” I add more quietly, “Even if he is Zander’s brother.”
Kazimir’s jaw clenches, but he doesn’t lash out. “And what of the people in Cirilea? I hear the situation is grim and they”—his eyes cut to Abarrane—“will tell me nothing.”
“You deserve nothing,” Jarek retorts.
That he seems to care draws my sympathy. But it’s another update I still need from Zander. “We helped a lot of them get out before the rebellion, but many more remain.”
“There were children in the ballroom—”
“They are safe now.” Playing tag with pot-bellied nymphs until recently.
“He gathered them there so they would be protected,” Kazimir counters. “He feared they would be dosed with the poison if he did not.”
“We wrote to him! We told him that the poison wouldn’t matter after Hudem.”
“And why would he believe you? You’ve never given him any reason to.”
“Because he should have wanted to believe me!” My voice cracks with my eruption. “He should have looked for any excuse. But instead, he killed all those people. I saw them! I saw their bodies hanging in the streets!”
“Romeria …,” Jarek whispers.
I take a deep breath, trying to rein in my emotions. What good does yelling at this guy do? He didn’t make these decisions, and what’s done is done.