95. Jia
Jia laughed in Ye-Jun’s face as he grimaced at her in mock desperation. “ Fuck. They don’t have any Whitleherb here?”
She shook her head. “Trust me, I have been searching since I arrived.”
Ye-Jun grunted in mock devastation as he twirled Jia out on his arm before pulling her back into him and dipping her low.
Having Ye-Jun here was a boon to her morale, she felt alive, happy even. Between Ye-Jun being the Frost Dragon commander and her own duties in Koppar, she and her brother hadn’t had so much uninterrupted time in years, and gods it felt amazing. No one can alleviate pain like a sibling, and Ye-Jun always radiated with so much love and light that she couldn’t remain in the shadows if she tried; just being around his glow was healing.
The Guardian had called for an impromptu ball to be held in honor of the Frost Dragons’ arrival. There had been some grumbling from the men and from some of the houses, but now that everyone was properly drunk all were enjoying themselves thoroughly. They were halfway through the night, and Ye-Jun had already asked her to dance several times, making an already spectacular night even better.
As their dance slowed to an end, Ye-Jun stepped back and patted his pocket. “I might have brought something a little extra for you if you want it . . . it’s Lemon Whitleherb, your favorite.” He winked at her, and she smirked. Of course, Ye-Jun would never leave home without being prepared.
“No,” Jia shook her head. “That’s okay.”
“I’ll be on the balcony if you change your mind.” Ye-Jun gave her hand a squeeze before he slipped through the crowd.
Jia turned, a small smile on her face before she stopped short. Her stomach dropped to the floor as she stared in horror from across the room.
Kaiya Whitethorn was cupping Enna on the back of her neck, bringing her closer so that she could whisper into her ear. Whatever Kaiya had said made Enna grin from ear to ear.
Why were they so close? It made Jia grit her teeth so hard, the tendons in her neck strained.
Then Kaiya pulled back and kissed Enna, slipping her fingers higher into Enna’s long black hair and pulling her into her embrace. White-hot fury ripped its way through Jia’s system.
Betrayal, thick and hot clogged her throat and made her hands curl into fists.
Enna was her enemy. Her number one obstacle to making Rorax the next Guardian of the Realms. Kaiya was supposed to be her friend, her ally. She had pulled Jia out of some of the darkest days of her life, and now this?
Jia made a mad dash to the edge of the dance floor. Kiniera would be there, in the darkest corner. Kiniera rarely left the shadows, where she could watch everything and everyone, and she did not let Jia down tonight.
Like clockwork, the spymaster was there, her long blonde hair half up and half down, black lipstick coloring her dark lips.
“Do you see them?” Jia seethed, pointing behind her to Kaiya and Enna, who were still locked together on the floor.
“Do I see . . . who?” Kiniera drawled, looking out over the floor with lazy, pale blue eyes.
“Kaiya Whitethorn and Enna Mistvalley, together. Kissing,” Jia hissed from between her teeth. “The House of Death is betraying us.”
Kiniera slid her eyes over to Jia, so slow and lazy it made Jia want to hit her. “Kaiya Whitethorn has overseen the training of Mistvalley since the Selection. They have been lovers for . . . oh I don’t know, a couple of months? I think Whitethorn bedded her not long after the first trial.”
“The first trial.” Jia seethed. Gods, she was so angry her hands were shaking. “You didn’t think to warn us? Why is she training her?”
“House of Death made the arrangement after the Death Queen chose Rorax to be their Contestar. House of Fire didn’t bring anyone adequate to train Mistvalley in hand-to-hand combat and Whitethorn is an excellent mentor.” Kiniera shrugged and took a long drink of wine. “They are all fools though. Mistvalley is so abysmally uncoordinated it would take a miracle from Ukuros himself to get her physically where she would need to be to wield the Guardian’s power with any authority. It might take years. Yet they still cling to the belief she is the best choice for the Guardianship.”
“What do you think?”
Kiniera’s eyes sharpened. “Doesn’t matter what I think, I have orders from the king.”
Jia could have throttled the spymaster right here in the Guardian’s ballroom. “I’m asking you, Kiniera. What’s your opinion on Enna becoming the Northern Guardian?”
“I would snap her neck with my bare hands before I would let that happen.”
“Then why let them train her?”
“One reason is because the House of Death still hasn’t come around fully to the idea of Rorax becoming the Guardian. It makes them feel better.” Kiniera rolled her eyes and swirled her wine in her glass absentmindedly. “The biggest reason though is because Rorax herself hasn’t accepted the inevitable yet. She was born to be the Guardian of the Realms, yet she still thinks she is destined for a life of self-pity and grief.” Kiniera rolled her eyes again and this time took a long gulp of her wine.
A shock went up Jia’s spine. “Do you really believe that?”
“Which part?” Kiniera asked, closing one eye, and tilting her head. “Though I suppose it doesn’t matter. The answer is yes, to both.”
“You really think she was born to be the Guardian of the Realms?”
Kaiya nodded. “I always believed that Rorax was shy. She was always in the shadow of some great leader, the Wolf, then Sahana. But over the past few months, she has proven to be shrewd, calculating, and emotionally in-tune more than I ever thought possible. Combined with her knife . . . I have been underestimating her.”
“So, you’re playing the long game, then?”
Kiniera nodded again, this time with a mean little smile. “Glad we could get you all caught up.”
Jia slanted one last look at Kaiya and Enna before she turned and left the hall.