Chapter 26 #3
When she finally gathered herself together, she stepped back and wiped her cheeks as a smile broke free across her face.
“Tell us then. How are you here? And who are these fine people?” Ma-mar's gaze trailed over Kyra and Drake as she took in their presence, seeming to realise we had a guest above our rank.
“I know this seems strange,” I said gently.
I didn't want to lie to my family. But I needed to protect them, and I didn't want them fearing what I'd landed myself in. “This is Count Drake Nazari from the distant kingdom of Carubai, and this is his maid Kyra,” I said, having chosen the most distant kingdom as the false home of this false count, in part because it was highly unlikely that there would be anyone else from his supposed kingdom in Osaria to spot the lie. But also because the Carubai people were said to be half savage and that would at least partially help excuse any of Drake’s less than civilised behaviour if it was noticed.
“The emperor pardoned me considering all the years of service I offered him, Ma-mar, but I can no longer work for the palace. He heard Count Nazari was looking for a new guard and offered me up as a candidate.” I knew it was tenuous, but my mother wanted to believe that it was true so badly that I could see her buying it.
I’m a piece of shit.
“And why do you need him, Count Nazari?” Fatima asked suspiciously. “Don't you have your own guards?”
“Of course,” Drake said, raising his chin and offering them half a smile to reveal his fucking dimples.
“But I needed a man who knew the city and the royal family well. I actually deemed this man fit when I heard of his crime. After all, if I were to be given a death sentence every time I looked upon a beautiful face unexpectedly, I would have to be hanged five times over just for walking into this room.”
“Oh,” Marla breathed, raising a hand to fan herself at the compliment and throwing a wide-eyed look at my other sisters which suggested my sudden reappearance from the grave had just become the second most interesting thing to have walked into the room.
“That's very generous of you, Count, we're most grateful for you offering our brother work,” Imani gushed, fluttering her long lashes at him flirtatiously and my muscles tightened.
Oh fuck no.
Drake grinned, his eyes raking over her then falling on my other sisters in the room in a predatory way which seriously wasn’t going to fly with me.
I shot him a glare which I hoped made my feelings on his flirtatious smile very apparent, but he didn’t seem to give a single shit about that. If anything, he seemed to take it as encouragement or maybe a challenge, I didn’t know which but I wasn’t going to stand for it whatever his motivations.
Keep your thieving hands away from my sisters.
“Cassius!?” Kaminah, Alia and Zaria ran into the room, throwing their arms around me and screaming their surprise at finding me here, and I was tangled up in another round of sobbing and explaining, feeling worse by the second about lying to them.
“Why didn’t you come here sooner?” Zaria demanded, looking to Drake angrily. “Why didn’t you let him send word?”
“Zaria, mind your tongue,” Fatima hissed before bowing her head to Drake in apology on my sister’s behalf.
“I had urgent business to attend to outside of the city. Cassius sent a letter to you with a courier while we were on the road, didn’t you?” Drake answered Zaria’s questions smoothly. “But the couriers are all being held up at the gates of Osaria on account of the new girding tax.”
“Girding tax?” My mother frowned and I looked to Drake, wondering how he was going to finish this lie, having no choice but to go along with it. I couldn’t very well tell my family the truth and get them caught up in the perils of what we were planning.
“Yeah, for the loins, you know,” Drake said distractedly as he took in the sight of my newly arrived sisters. Kaminah was only in her undergarments and I thrust her sharply behind my back before he could get another eyeful.
“Go get dressed, Kaminah, we're in the company of a count,” Ma-mar scolded her and Kaminah darted from the room, her laughter ringing back to us, and I guessed that my mother was distracted enough not to question Drake further on his fucking loin girding tax.
Drake's expression told me exactly how much he was enjoying this, and I managed to dig an elbow into his ribs as my sisters swarmed around us again. I gave him a look that was all threat and he blinked innocently at me.
Touch them and you’re dead, thief.
“How lovely your hair is,” Zaria cooed at Kyra, admiring her.
“Oh, thank you, it used to be purple but this is much better.” She bit her lip and Drake's eyes narrowed.
“That's a joke,” Drake said quickly and my sisters started laughing. Not just laughing. Giggling, staring at Drake with wide eyes and batting lashes.
I had to shut this down. Right fucking now.
“Ma-mar we're due at the palace. Drake is offering himself as a suitor for the princess,” I announced, those words like acid on my tongue and my sisters' expressions dropped like stones. What’s worse: him fondling your sisters or your beloved princess?
My heart beat harder and my hands curled into tight fists. I’ll bleed him out slowly if he lays a finger on any of them.
“Oh, how exciting for you,” Imani murmured, her disappointment clear.
Drake brushed a lock of hair behind her ear with a roguish grin. “I'm having second thoughts.”
“Drake, we should really go,” I said through my teeth and Imani turned scarlet as the rest of my sisters giggled wildly.
Ma-mar hurried towards me, taking my arm. “A word before you leave,” she said firmly and I let her guide me out of the room, glancing over my shoulder as I watched my sisters fall all over Drake again.
I swear to the Fallen, if he gets handsy, I’ll tear his damn head off and bury it in the garden.
He threw me a roguish grin and I ground my teeth, trying to curb my anger before I lost it and hauled him out of there by the scruff of his neck.
“My boy,” Ma-mar said as we rounded into the hallway, her eyes glimmering. “Are you safe? Does this count treat you well?”
“Yes,” I promised, cupping her cheek. “I'm fine, Ma-mar. Truly.”
“Did the emperor really pardon you?” she asked, her gaze boring into me like she could sense the lie I was concealing and I hated myself for it. I had to sell it to her though, because the alternative put her in danger, and I simply wouldn’t do that.
“Yes, but he has done so discreetly,” I said.
“It is best you don’t speak about it with our neighbours.
The emperor has offered me this gift because of how well I served him, and how close we are to the Unveiling.
It was an accident that I saw the princess’s face, that’s all.
He has forgiven me. But we mustn’t spread word unnecessarily and let the emperor seem too lenient. ”
“Alright,” she promised then smiled at me with the weight lifting from her eyes. “Is she very beautiful?”
A lump built in my throat, and I nodded stiffly. “Very.”
“That’s all you have to say?” She prodded me and heat burned along the back of my neck.
“Of course. What else?” I said a little abruptly and she gave me a knowing look that I needed her to stop aiming at me.
I pulled her into my arms, resting my chin on her head.
She was so small and yet she was the strongest woman I knew.
Most of my sisters had inherited the exact same quality.
Anyone who thought women were the weaker of the species had yet to meet my siblings when one of them had been insulted.
They were a vicious pack of dogs and would rip any man a new arsehole if they felt under threat.
But they couldn't protect themselves from a man like Egos or the wickedness of Magdor, so I had to do it for them this time.
We headed back to the kitchen and I spotted Drake in a seat with Imani in his lap while the rest of them all leaned in close, listening to him telling some story which I had no interest in letting him finish.
I clenched my jaw at the sight, rage pulsing through my veins and making me want to fight him man to man.
Kyra was watching, seeming fascinated as Drake whispered something in Imani’s ear.
“Kyra, ask them,” I ordered, unable to keep the rage from my tone.
Drake spoke first as his sparkling gaze whipped onto my mother. “I want to offer you the protection of my household as a gesture for how grateful I am to have Cassius's assistance.”
Ma-mar's eyes brightened. “That's very generous of you.”
“So you all agree?” Kyra asked and my family all nodded.
Fatima didn't, folding her arms and frowning at me.
“You must agree,” Kyra said uncertainly, biting her lip.
“Fatima,” I growled. “You will agree to this. As your brother, I insist on it.” Great, I was playing the man card.
She sighed dramatically. “ Fine .”
Drake was still running his filthy hands all over Imani, one of them skimming up her spine while the other swept a lock of her hair behind her ear and I was damn close to ripping them off.
“Perfect. Now we need to go,” I said through my teeth, trying to contain my fury as I glared at this thief who I had to fake respect for.
“Leave?” Ma-mar gasped. “But the Unveiling isn’t until tomorrow. Where do you plan on spending the night?”
“I had thought to show the count to the Inn down on-”
“Nonsense!” she barked, shooting me a look which had me feeling like a small boy all over again, the power of my mother’s stare never fading no matter how old I grew.
“The girls will help me prepare the house for you. The count will of course take the finest room and we will arrange the guest space for – Kyra, was it?”
“It was,” Kyra replied with a nod. “I think.”
If Ma-mar noticed the oddness to that response she was far too polite to ever make mention of it and she smiled warmly as she nodded.