Chapter 11
Eleven
Sabina
Arms wrap around me and a hand covers my mouth. Almost as fast as it happens, I’m released.
“Princess?” Brevan backs away, then a lamp flickers to life with a warm glow. He’s panting and wild-eyed, obviously still recovering from a stranger entering his tent without notice.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you.” The apology is automatic, then I remember why I’m here. My eyes drop to his bare, muscular chest before I drag my eyes to his face. Heat builds low in my belly and I curse my body for reacting to him.
“Actually, no, I’m not sorry. I’m here for a reason. You have the audacity to judge me when you use your magic to wipe out a dozen people at once?”
“You should go. You can’t be here.”
“That’s all you have to say?” My hands are on my hips and I’m staring up at him defiantly. “I know they have your sister, but you didn’t have to do that.”
“Yes, I did. You know exactly what it’s like. Why I did it. And you need to go before you cost us both,” he says.
My shoulders sag and I cover my face with my hands. Of course. In my hurry to confront him, I didn’t even stop to think about the fact that us together in his room would be just as bad as him declining orders.
He turns and grabs his tunic from where it’s tossed over a chair. I gasp when I see all the fresh wounds. Anger forgotten, I cross to him and when he tries to pull his tunic over his head, I stop him.
“I thought your magic would be unbound. Why is your back like that? What happened?”
“It’s nothing. Really, please go.” He pulls the shirt over his head, wincing briefly as soon as it settles against his back.
“Don’t be like that. Let me help you, at least.”
“I don’t need your help.” He walks toward the entrance and pulls aside the tent flap.
I cross over to him and grab his wrist. “Stop trying to be so fucking noble. You’re hurt.”
He releases the fabric, then turns to face me. “Did you know you are the most stubborn woman I’ve ever met?”
“Good. Now, take off your shirt.” I stare him down, daring him to oppose me.
He glares at me but the steely resolve he used to have is gone. I match his gaze, not backing down. Finally, he sighs, then shakes his head. “You’re going to get us both killed.”
“Stop worrying so much. Caiden is drunk and there’s another woman straddling his lap, so I think we’ll be alright.” I reach for his shirt and lift carefully, trying not to let it drag across his injured back.
He helps me remove it, then tosses it back on the chair. “Sorry. You shouldn’t have to watch your husband behave that way.”
“I was grateful. Maybe she’ll stab him when he falls asleep.” I shrug. “Where’s your salve?”
He opens a pouch that’s on the floor next to his bed, then passes the jar to me.
We don’t speak as I carefully smear it over the slices on his back.
It spreads the blood around, covering his marks.
My fingers trail over the raised scars from previous injuries and my heart is heavy as I carefully cover the rest of the fresh wounds.
When I’m finished, I close the lid, then pass it to him.
“Why did you do it?” I accept a cloth from Brevan to clean my hands. “And why are you still getting punished when the emperor is dead? Shouldn’t your magic be unbound?”
“I don’t know what he did to bind me. It must have exceeded the relics inside him,” he says.
“Did you know this would happen? Did you test it out after the emperor…”
“Yes.”
“Then why?”
“It’s fast. I can make it so there’s no pain, remember?”
I hand him back the cloth and guilt makes my face hot. I still hate that they’re dead, but he did it in the kindest way he could.
He takes the cloth from me and balls it into his hands. “Thank you, for tending to me.”
“I am sorry,” I try again. I don’t know how many times I’m going to have to tell him this, but it just comes out. He doesn’t owe me forgiveness and it’s selfish of me to expect it of him. “I’ll go. I hope you heal quickly.”
Just as my fingers brush the fabric of the tent flap, he grabs my arm. Shivers dance across my skin and flutters fill my stomach. I don’t turn to face him, but I freeze in place, desperate to feel his touch for even a moment longer.
“If things were different,” he says, his voice rough.
“But they’re not.” It takes everything I have to walk out of that tent without looking back. I know what that touch meant. What his words implied. If I’d faced him, if I’d reached for him, he might have folded. We might be in his bed right now.
But even if he could forgive my betrayal, he’d never forgive me if I was responsible for his sister’s death.
“Your highness, everything alright?” Nate asks as he escorts me back to my tent.
“I’m fine, thank you.”
“If I might speak candidly?” His tone is cautious.
“Go ahead,” I say.
“A woman never means it when she says she’s fine.”
I chuckle. “You have a wife at home?”
He nods.
“She’s a lucky woman.” I am about to ask him about her but instead, I gasp in horror.
Marcus, the guard we’d left behind, is laying on the ground in front of my tent with what looks like his own sword in his chest. Blood oozes from his parted lips and spreads like a horrible flower blooming from around the blade.
Nate draws his sword. “The empress is in danger!” He moves closer to me, ready to challenge anyone who might come out of that tent.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see Brevan charging toward us, weapon drawn. He looks toward the slain guard, then stops in front of me, his eyes scanning me quickly to assess for injuries.
Several other guards have arrived and approach the enforcer, waiting for orders. Most of them seem like they’re trying very hard to avoid looking at the dead man.
“I want a list of everyone who is on duty tonight, now,” Brevan shouts. “You two, back of the tent in case anyone exits.”
Then he slips inside the tent. I hold my breath, but he’s only gone for a few heartbeats before he returns. “Nobody’s in there. Did anyone see anything suspicious? Any outsiders?”
As if Brevan’s question summoned him, Ludis strolls over to the group. “What’s going on over here?” He notices the dead guard. “Oh, I see. So this is the mighty Pendralian army? No wonder your emperor wanted our soldiers so badly.”
Brevan strides toward Ludis, then sweeps his foot behind his legs, knocking the prince to the ground. His eyes widen as the enforcer pins him with his boot.
Sword pointed at his opponent’s throat, Brevan leans down. “It’s awfully convenient how you’ve shown up after both attempts on the empress’s life.”
Ludis laughs. “You think I did this?”
“You’re Iskvalandian.”
“And so is she,” Ludis says, his eyes finding mine.
I glare at him. We both know it’s a lie, but neither of us can say it in front of so many witnesses.
“Enforcer, you can’t think the prince wants his own sister dead?” Another legionnaire asks.
Nate moves even closer to me, his hand clenching his hilt so tightly his knuckles go white.
Brevan takes his boot off Ludis’s chest, and the prince makes a show of coughing and gasping before he’s helped to his feet.
I roll my eyes as several legionnaires surround him and ask about his wellbeing. They like him. In the short time he’s been with them, he’s already won some of them over. I shouldn’t be surprised. He so easily won me over.
“Inform the emperor that there was another attempt on his wife’s life,” Brevan orders.
“How do you know it was an attempt on her life?” Ludis is brushing non-existent dust from his jacket.
“You don’t kill someone’s guard to have a conversation with them.”
Ludis shrugs. “I suppose. I’ll be in my tent. Sleep well, sister.”
Chills run down my spine. He’s so callous and cold. It’s hard to believe he makes Caiden look like a doting husband. As soon as he’s out of sight, I let out a breath. I didn’t realize exactly how difficult it was going to be to have him around. How am I going to pretend that he’s my brother?
“You’ll sleep in my tent, your highness,” Brevan announces.
I snap my attention to him. “That’s a terrible idea.”
“You’ll sleep in my tent. Alone. I’ll be outside.” He glances over at Nate standing next to me. “Can we trust this one?”
“Yes.” I don’t know why I feel so strongly, but there’s something about him that makes me think he’s not going to harm me. And I am the last person who should be making those decisions after what Ludis did to me, but I have to have someone I can trust to keep me alive.
“You can count on me,” Nate says.
Brevan grunts, then nods. “Fine. You guard the front while I patrol, and we’ll switch in a bit.”
I glance around, expecting to see Caiden strolling over to us any second. “I still don’t think this is a good idea.”
“Caiden—” Brevan clears his throat, “—the emperor will understand.”
My eyes catch on the dead guard and my brow furrows in sorrow. I am so tired of people dying for me. “Can we do something for him?”
“What do you mean?” Brevan asks.
“I’m not sure. Burial with honors? Money to his family? What can I do?”
“It’s not your fault, Princess,” he says.
“I know. But he’s still dead because of me.”
“I’ll make sure his family is taken care of,” Brevan says. “Now, will you go to my tent?”
I nod, suddenly feeling the fight go out of me. Someone wants me dead, and I can’t say I blame them.
We’re nearly at Brevan’s tent when I hear feminine giggling. I turn just in time to see Caiden leading the woman from the tavern into a nearby tent. Seconds after they vanish inside, she squeals with joy and I hear Caiden groan.
My cheeks heat. I should be happy that he’s bedding someone who isn’t me, but I’m supposed to be playing the part of his wife. He’s not making it easy.
“You want me to tell him what happened?” Nate volunteers.
“No, thank you.” Now hiding away inside Brevan’s tent doesn’t seem like such a bad idea.
The last thing I need is Caiden knowing I saw him with another woman.
I need leverage on him. Anything I can get.
And him being drunk and occupied by ladies that aren’t me benefits me.
I wonder if I could manage to get some poison into the hands of any of the women he might bring back to his room.
If I’m not the one who kills him, they can’t possibly harm Anya, can they?