Chapter 10
CHAPTER TEN
T he stage was built for speed, not comfort.
Kason sat on one bench and I on the other, facing him.
Outside sat the driver, and beside her, the messenger from the palace.
Between the teeth-chattering roughness of the road and the driver shouting at other travelers to get out of the way, there was no chance for me to ask Kason what he was thinking.
Feeling. Or to even get a sense of what we might expect when we arrived in the capital.
We could use a moment or two of strategizing, but Kason’s eyes were distant as he watched the road pass through the stage’s window.
Out of the corner of my eye, through the window, I caught sight of something streaking toward us from the sky.
I hastily threw an arm through the glassless opening and the dragonet alighted on it, deigning to be brought inside.
Its multifaceted eyes sparkled with what I could only identify as amusement, even as I scowled at it.
“Not funny. You could have smacked into the side of the stage, and then what?” I shouted over the rattling of the wheels on the uneven road.
Then I would have gotten up and flown away again . The voice was one I’d come to know all too well—feminine, smug, and far too self-assured. The voice of a goddess.
The dragonet—or, rather, the form Rhianough had decided worked for her to pester me on the regular—turned to care for a scale on its shoulder.
I hadn’t decided whether Rhianough had been the dragonet from the start, when we’d first encountered it in the company of a vile merchant on the road, or if she’d possessed it at some point later.
It probably didn’t matter. With a sigh, I lifted the dragonet to my shoulder, her favorite perch.
You’re worried .
I shot the goddess a glare, then concentrated and answered with thought instead of spoken words. This was not a conversation Kason needed to hear. Of course I am. I’m about to venture into a viper’s nest .
Also known as your husband’s family .
They can be one and the same . I huffed out a breath. The messenger said the queen was attacked. He didn’t have any other details .
Ah. So you don’t know what you’re walking into.
Do you?
The dragonet chirruped. I am only concerned by a few humans in this world, and you are one of them.
So that’s a no .
The creature nuzzled my neck, right over the brand Rhianough’s snake had left on my skin, marking me forever as hers. Why she’d chosen to claim me after I’d shouted at her and insulted her, I had no idea.
You are mine, Mokido. Nothing will befall you .
Or Kason . I narrowed my eyes.
Rhianough’s sigh was nearly audible, for all that it sounded only in my head. Or Kason , she agreed. If only because he is yours .
The implication was clear—if that were to change, Kason would no longer be her concern.
My stomach swooped with that knowledge, the fact that Rhianough cared little for the man I…
I was married to. Well. I shored up my private, mental confidence.
That didn’t matter because Kason and I had vowed to make a true attempt at this marriage that had started out so accidentally.
That meant we were sticking together, no matter what.
As the spires of Kardonan finally came into view in the far distance, I hoped the city wouldn’t prove me wrong.
Approaching the gates of Kardonan so openly was a new and somewhat terrifying experience.
Every other time I’d visited the city of my birth in the past few years, I had done so while disguised, or I’d sneaked through an entrance guarded by the members of the underbelly of the city, if I could afford it.
Generally, I avoided Kardonan as much as possible, since I’d made something of a reputation for myself within its walls early in my career, one that had followed me throughout the kingdom, but nowhere as strongly as here.
All of my instincts said to raise the hood of my cloak and cover my distinctive ears and pitch-black hair—as identifiable as any sprite-color for its lack thereof.
A sprite without flashes of bright streaks in their hair?
Almost unheard of. Unless you were Mokido Azenas, and your hair reflected the blackness of your heart.
Or so the whispers in the worst alleys said.
I may have been the origin of those whispers. A reputation didn’t grow by itself.
The cart pulled up within sight of the gate, and we disembarked, Kason tossing the driver her fee and a generous tip by the smile that alighted on her face.
Then he grabbed my hand—as though knowing I’d need some physical encouragement to approach the guards—and started weaving through the crowd waiting their turn to pass the gates.
Rhianough-the-dragonet had left my side before the cart stopped, so at least I didn’t have claws digging into my shoulder as we wound our way through the crowd.
It wasn’t the busiest I’d ever seen it, but it certainly wasn’t the quietest. There were a few murmurs of discontent as we pushed past people, but then someone recognized Kason, and those murmurs changed to ones of awe.
He had a reputation much better than mine.
Still, I felt the whispers and mutters like they were physical things.
“Is that…Lord Kason Estosia? The witch-hunter?”
“He’s more handsome in person.”
“And taller.”
“Oh, is that a prisoner?”
“It looks like he caught himself a witch, yeah.”
Of course that’s what they would think. Sprite ears could only mean one thing, right? I gritted my teeth and firmed up my spine as we finally reached the guards. They recognized Kason instantly, stiffening to attention and saluting.
“Lord Kason,” the one wearing the sergeant’s stripes said. I was surprised they didn’t address him by his true title, but perhaps he had an agreement to keep that identity secret. Or perhaps they didn’t know. Though if Imalfi knew, I had to assume the guards did too.
“At ease.” Kason flashed that brilliant smile that made everyone think they were the center of his universe.
Only I noticed it didn’t meet his eyes, and I wondered how often it did.
It certainly did when he looked at me. Which shouldn’t make me feel all smug but…
whatever. “I was asked to return to the city with all haste.”
I noted he didn’t mention the attack, which was smart, seeing as we were surrounded by a crowd. The messenger had said the attack wasn’t common knowledge yet. Publicly, the royal family had stated only that the queen wasn’t feeling well.
“Of course, sir. Shall we take custody of your prisoner?”
Kason’s hand, still wrapped around mine, jerked, and I wanted to laugh at his obvious shock. He was na?ve in so many ways. “I—this is—no.” He swallowed. “Thank you. I will escort him.”
Disappointment slithered through me. What was I expecting, that he would declare me his husband to all and sundry?
Of course not. I would be a secret, so as not to mar his golden reputation.
In fact, I would have counseled him to take just that tack if we’d bothered to discuss how to approach things once we arrived.
There was no need to announce me as…anything, really.
We could keep the marriage marks covered, and it would be simply something between us. That was best all around.
Wasn’t it?
Before I knew it, we were through the gates and being escorted by a pair of orange-and-blue liveried guards down a wide, cobblestone-covered boulevard that led through the merchant quarter to the noble side of town.
I kept my eyes to the front, trying not to think, and especially trying not to look at Kason, but he thwarted that plan by leaning close to one of my long ears.
“I will not declare who you are to the guards before I have a chance to do so to my family,” he murmured, his voice pitched only loud enough for me to hear.
“Oh.” My gut wobbled.
“I know what you’re thinking, Mokido, and you’re not to be my secret.”
The simple words made my eyes burn, and I blinked hard, once, twice, but didn’t look at him. Because if I did, I would have to kiss him, and that wouldn’t do if he didn’t want our relationship to get out before he had a chance to reveal it himself to the people who mattered.
“You’re important to me,” he continued. “The most important person in my life. It…it may seem otherwise once we reach the palace, but I beg of you, don’t forget these words. Please?”
Swallowing, I bit my lip and nodded.
He straightened, and his hand squeezed mine. “This will be a challenge. I won’t pretend otherwise. But as long as we stand together…” His voice trailed off.
I wasn’t sure if he didn’t say the words “we can face anything” because they went without saying…or because he didn’t quite believe them.
The palace was just as cold and intimidating as I’d assumed it would be.
White marble floors were smooth and seamless beneath my feet, and I resisted the urge to check behind us to see if I was leaving dirt tracks on them.
I probably was, but what was I to do about it?
Such a notion didn’t seem to occur to Kason as he walked behind our escort with his head held high, confidence pouring off him.
I considered mimicking his poise, but just as quickly dismissed the thought.
A half-sprite with his nose held high was asking for only one thing—to have it lobbed off his face.
So I did my best to keep my worries contained within my skin and distracted myself by estimating the value of the various treasures we passed.