Chapter 28 #2
I choked on my breath. Impressed? Suspicion doused any excitement at the thought. “I am queen of all my people. Not just Lurae or Nilurae. Once they began to see that in my actions, things started coming together.”
“I can see that.” A breeze caught the hem of her long skirt, purple fabric fluttering in the wind. “You’ve become quite a good investment, Your Highness.”
I wasn’t sure how to respond to that. “I’m glad you think so. The treaty between our nations is the highest priority.”
The queen’s mouth tipped up into half a smile. “Then perhaps we should begin negotiations today instead of waiting until tomorrow.”
A hand landed on my shoulder. “May I steal you for a dance, Your Highness?”
S?ren’s voice settled something in me, and I turned to smile at him. “In just a—”
But he tugged on my shoulder gently, his eyes urgent. Was that dirt beneath his nails? “Her Highness can wait one song.”
Shit. Something was wrong. I turned to the queen. “If you’ll excuse me—let’s meet back at the castle after this song and we can begin negotiations.”
She stood. “No. We’ll begin now. There will be plenty of time for dancing later.” S?ren’s hand tightened its grip, and the queen’s eyes flickered to it. She raised an eyebrow. “Unless you’d like to take back what you said before, about the treaty being your highest priority.”
We must act the part today, I told myself. When the treaty is signed, we can find Sonja and finish this.
I forced myself to nod. “In that case, let’s return to the castle. Mira?”
The teleporter grabbed my arm and the queen’s and pulled us away.
“You have my Hellbringer on quite the leash,” the queen said as we arrived in the throne room. Mira disappeared without a word, and Anja brushed her skirts. “It’s impressive.”
I tensed. This woman had a way of knowing exactly what to say to throw me off my guard. I was saved from replying when Mira rematerialized in the throne room, S?ren at her side. He stepped forward. “Do we need the others?”
“No,” I said, waving a hand. “Let them celebrate.” Dealing with the queen was the least I could do. Freja would be furious after I sat her down and gently told her the truth of what had happened to Halvar on my coronation day. This way, she’d spend as much time before then happy and carefree.
“Good.” The queen clasped her hands. “Mira, you may return to the festival.”
The teleporter bowed her head, but before she vanished, S?ren placed a hand on her shoulder. He leaned down and whispered something to her. Anja cleared her throat. “Leave us, Mira.”
S?ren removed his hand, and Mira’s eyes flickered to me briefly. Without another word, she left.
S?ren and I were alone with the queen. The throne room, despite its decor making it the most lavish room in the castle, felt hollow. My heart thudded ominously as I waited for the queen to reveal her hand—to finally demand what she truly wanted.
And there was no chance to ask S?ren what was wrong.
“Revna,” she began, “I sent my scholar to spend three weeks with you, while you learned mastery of your Lurae. Today there is one last test I would have you complete before we move forward. One to ensure we are both getting the most out of this treaty.”
I pasted a smile on my face and forced my voice to coolness. “Of course. What did you have in mind?”
She gestured to S?ren. “Show her.”
His hands clenched, knuckles whitening. He wouldn’t meet my eyes as he turned away, striding into the hall. My pulse thundered in my ears. What was he so upset about? What had gone wrong? Would there be a chance to find out before everything imploded?
S?ren returned, a body in his arms.
I stood frozen. The body hung limp, covered in a white sheet. S?ren’s jaw trembled, and I turned to the queen. My once calm demeanor turned to ash and I snarled, “You killed someone? One of my citizens? This is a peaceful negotiation, not a battlefield.”
S?ren stepped to a table that had been set up next to the dais of thrones. I hadn’t even noticed it when we arrived, too preoccupied with the queen and her abrasive comments. He laid the body down gently, almost reverently, and when he turned back to me there was undisguisable panic in his eyes.
“No one has been killed today,” the queen said, waving her hand as if it would brush away all my concern and anger. To S?ren, she said, “Lift the sheet.”
He pulled away the sheet to reveal a shock of red hair and a pale face covered in dirt. I took a step back. “Frode? You—” My anger knew no bounds. The threads of my Lurae writhed in my peripheral vision, and I clung to them, trying to hold them back. “You dug up my dead brother?”
“But, Revna, don’t you see?” the queen said.
Her eyes shone with a fervor unlike anything I’d seen in her before.
“Your Lurae can control blood, certainly. But more than blood, it controls life itself. Souls. You are the prophesied heir of Aloisa’s power—well, one of the heirs. S?ren here is the other.”
She moved toward me, and I stumbled, tripping over myself in an effort to get away, away, away.
Away from the horror of my brother’s dead body staring at the throne room ceiling.
Away from the madwoman who had taken everything from me.
Away from the past as it choked me, fingers tight around my throat.
My Lurae song began to echo.
“And as her heirs, you can do anything Aloisa could do.” Still, the queen advanced toward me.
S?ren appeared between us like a phantom. I hadn’t even seen him moving. “Stop,” he demanded, holding out a hand until the queen stilled. “Revna doesn’t want you any closer. If you have something to say, then say it. Without moving.”
My breaths had become shaking gasps, and it was a struggle to stay upright. But everything froze when the queen uttered her next words.
“Together, the two of you can raise the dead.”