Thirty
A WEEK PASSED, and then another. Charis had settled into a routine. Wake early and check to make sure Holland hadn’t changed his mind and snuck out of the palace at night. Force herself to eat a few bites of breakfast because, if she didn’t, Tal threatened to feed her himself. Remain stoic as the Rakuuna patrol searched her quarters and her person as they’d taken to doing the day after she’d returned from her clandestine visit to the bakery. Endure a visit from the Everlys and yet another interminable discussion about the upcoming wedding feast. Pick through their words and carefully guard her own. Watch Holland spar with Tal until he wore himself out and feel grateful that Tal was willing to give Holland an outlet for his fury. Feel grateful for the few afternoons that Dec and Grim were able to sneak out of their room to spar with Holland so that Tal could have a break. Pretend to enjoy dinner though she could barely stomach swallowing a bite. And then sit with Tal in the quiet of the night, trying to find and hold on to her equilibrium so she could do it all over again.
Tension coiled within her like a spring, tightening every time the door opened, every time she heard Ferris’s voice, and every time she had to stop Holland from exploding.
Her plan to expose the Everlys and force Queen Bai’elsha to swear allegiance to Charis instead was paper-thin. She couldn’t count on Lady Ollen and Lord Thorsby to somehow smuggle weapons into the feast when they’d had to flee the city. She couldn’t depend on Nalani to coordinate an attack with the retired admiral from Solvang. She couldn’t trust that any of her allies would honor her request to send three ships to Te’ash to threaten Queen Bai’elsha’s people. She had no leverage and no power.
Everything depended on being three steps ahead of her enemies, saying the right words at the right time, and bluffing a species of monsters capable of tearing her limb from limb in seconds.
If she failed at any point, all was lost.
The oatmeal she’d been trying to swallow tasted like dust in her suddenly dry mouth. Her heart pounded, a jarring rhythm that made her feel slightly sick. She reached for water to wash down her breakfast, but her hands shook, and she knocked the cup to the floor instead.
It shattered on impact, water spreading across the wooden floor, shards of glass gleaming in the morning light.
“I’ll get it,” Reuben said brusquely as she moved to pick up the pieces.
She forced the oatmeal down her throat and said, “I can clean up my own messes.”
“A queen doesn’t need to do that,” he replied as Tal and Holland came out of their respective rooms at the same time.
“What happened?” Tal asked, glancing from the shattered glass to Charis.
“I knocked it over.” She drew in a breath, cursing the tension in her chest that made it feel like she couldn’t properly fill her lungs no matter how hard she tried. “Just clumsy this morning, I guess.”
Holland snorted. “You’re never clumsy.” He stalked over to the breakfast tray, grabbed a slice of pumpkin bread, and looked at Charis. “Are you sick? Tal, she looks sick.”
If she looked sick, Holland wasn’t much better. His eyes were shadowed with worry, his body bruised from the merciless sparring sessions he and Tal participated in every afternoon. He looked utterly exhausted even as he kept himself in perpetual motion.
“I’m not sick. No, I’m—That’s not necessary.” She flinched as Holland smacked the back of his hand against her forehead. “See? No fever.”
“Then what’s wrong with you?” he asked as he took another bite and began prowling around the sitting room.
Tal crouched next to her as Reuben swept the mess into a towel. “Holland is right. You don’t look well.”
It was on the tip of her tongue to say that she was fine—a lie no one in the room would believe, but one she’d stand behind because the fate of her kingdom depended on her strength—when the suite door opened and a pair of Rakuuna guards walked in.
“On its feet,” he said, his high voice scraping over Charis’s nerves like a razor.
“Hey, genius, I’m already on my feet,” Holland snapped. “It’s like you have two brain cells and both of them are competing for third place.”
The guard snarled, swiveling his head in Holland’s direction.
Charis stood quickly, sending her bowl of oatmeal tumbling. Tal caught it before it hit the floor, but Charis was already rushing to put herself between the guard and Holland.
“We’re ready for your search,” she said, trying hard to sound calm even as her heart slammed against her chest as though it meant to tear itself free.
“We’re sick of your searches,” Holland said. “We aren’t allowed to leave this wing, and we barely leave this room. What do you think you’re going to find that you haven’t found already?”
“Holland, just get it over with,” Tal said.
“Fine.” Holland raised his fists and assumed a fighting stance as he faced the guard. “Come search me if you can.”
The guard lunged forward, his pale, webbed hands shoving Charis out of the way as he went for Holland. Charis slammed into the sofa and tumbled to the floor. Reuben snatched his curtain rod and leaped to her side while Tal vaulted over the back of the sofa to crouch beside her.
Holland roared in fury and grabbed a heavy brass candelabra from the side table. “Come and get what you deserve.”
The guard crashed into Holland, and they both collided with the table. Holland swung the candelabra at the Rakuuna’s face, but the guard wrapped his too-long fingers around Holland’s hand and wrenched the weapon free. He grabbed Holland’s throat with his other hand and squeezed. Holland bucked and twisted, clawing at the monster to no avail.
“Stop him,” Charis said as she struggled to her knees. “Please, Tal.”
Holland was going to goad the Rakuuna into killing him, and there was nothing Charis could do.
Tal ran toward the pair as from the doorway behind Charis, the other Rakuuna guard said something in her own language. Instantly, the guard who was choking Holland let go, though he kept Holland pinned beneath him.
Holland coughed roughly and then said, “Get off me if you know what’s good for you.”
“Holland?” A familiar voice filled the room, and Charis twisted toward the door to see Nalani standing just inside the sitting room. Her dark eyes were fearful, and a bruise shadowed the side of her neck. The air left Charis’s lungs as if she’d been struck.
Holland froze.
Tal used the opportunity to reach his side and press a calming hand on the other boy’s shoulder. Quietly, Tal said to the guard, “We apologize for the disturbance. He was worried about his sister. Please understand.”
The Rakuuna hissed at Holland, but the female guard said something, and he got to his feet in a lithe, graceful movement that was far more fluid than anything a human could manage.
Tal grabbed Holland’s hand and pulled him to his feet. The instant he was upright, Holland rushed to Nalani and threw his arms around her. Nalani hugged Holland, her forehead pressed to his chest, her shoulders heaving as she sobbed.
Tears stung Charis’s eyes as she waited her turn to hug her cousin. She barely noticed the guards searching each room, hardly felt their hands as they swept over her. They ignored the satchel, believing their ship captain’s report that it was medicine. She’d stuffed the little envelope of mursilla herb given to her by Lord Thorsby into the satchel, too.
The guards muttered to each other as they left, closing the suite door behind them. Holland patted Nalani’s back and said fiercely, “Don’t you ever scare me like that again.”
Nalani pulled back, her breath shuddering. “You’ve got a sack of hay for a brain if you think you were the one who was scared. I got dragged out a window in the middle of the night, thrown into a ship’s brig with the nastiest-tempered Rakuuna you can imagine, and spent a week on the water wondering if I was ever going to see anyone I loved again.”
Holland patted her one more time before slowly letting go. “Only a week?” His voice was thick with emotion, and he cleared his throat. “Charis, Tal, Reuben, and I spent a lot longer than that in a Rakuuna brig.”
“And that’s another thing!” Nalani raised a finger and pointed it in his face. “You were supposed to watch over Charis and stay alive, and what do you do? You let her act as bait for the monsters and then you join her.”
Holland raised an eyebrow. “Well, I certainly wasn’t going to be left out.”
Nalani threw her hands into the air and turned to Charis. “I expect it’s been difficult spending so much time with my brother.” One final tear slid down her cheek, and she swiped at it with her palm.
“You have no idea,” Tal muttered as Charis rushed forward and hugged Nalani.
“I heard that.” Holland folded his arms over his chest.
“You were meant to.” Tal moved closer to Nalani and said, “I’m really glad you’re safe.”
Holland laughed. “No one in this room is safe.”
“You know what I meant.” There was a warning in Tal’s voice, but Holland paid no attention.
“I know that all four heirs are now in the palace, which means the filthy traitors in our midst will be trying to kill us soon.” For the first time in weeks, Holland sounded like his normal self. He settled into a chair, draped one leg over the edge, and snatched another slice of pumpkin bread.
Tal grabbed breakfast for himself and sat on the sofa while Reuben stood by the door, ready to cause a distraction if the Everlys entered during a discussion of their treachery.
Charis ignored them all and simply held her cousin. Nalani had lost weight. Her bones pressed sharply against her skin, and she trembled as she leaned against Charis.
“I can’t imagine how awful that trip was when you were all alone,” Charis said. “And Holland’s right. We aren’t safe here. But I am so glad to see you alive and well.”
Nalani clung to her and whispered, “I thought you all must be dead. Why else would they send for me? They needed an heir to exchange with Alaric, and I thought I must be the only one left.”
“If Ferris gets his way, none of us will be left,” Holland said, an edge of fury to his voice.
“Ferris?” Nalani stepped back, wiping more tears from her face.
“It’s an explanation that can keep for a few more minutes.” Charis shot a look at Holland, and he closed his mouth. “Let’s get you cleaned up and fed.”
An hour later, Nalani was bathed, dressed in a plain gown of green wool, and had eaten a bowl of oatmeal and two slices of bread. Charis had eaten more as well—not because she was hungry, but because Holland was right. Now that Nalani was here, the Everlys would soon make their move, and Charis had to be clearheaded if she was going to have any chance at defeating them.
As if her thoughts had summoned him, the suite door opened, and Ferris entered. Holland choked in the act of swallowing the rest of his sister’s bread and coughed so hard, he gagged.
Ferris’s lip curled. “That’s disgusting. Go be sick in the bath chamber.”
Holland coughed once more and then said, “I can’t be the only one you have that effect on, Ferris.”
“One of these days someone is going to have to teach you some manners.” Ferris brushed his hands against his shirt as if wiping off the taint of being near Holland.
Holland raised his head and pinned Ferris with his dark eyes. “Want to try?”
“I see nothing has changed,” Nalani said, dusting crumbs from her dress.
“If by that you mean that your brother is still an embarrassment to Caleran nobility, then you are correct.” Ferris moved closer to Nalani, and Holland made a warning sound in the back of his throat.
Nalani raised one eyebrow in a look that was a copy of the expression her twin usually wore. “I meant that you’re still as insufferable as you ever were.”
Something flashed across Ferris’s face, and a chill spread over Charis’s skin. Holland opened his mouth, but Charis said, “Enough arguing. Ferris, would you like some bread? We have one slice left.”
“Thank you, Charis, but I’ve been sent by Queen Bai’elsha to deliver a message, and I can’t stay long.”
“We’re heartbroken.” Holland took the final slice of bread and stuffed half of it in his mouth.
“What message?” Charis asked, folding her hands in her lap to hide their trembling. She knew what he was going to say before he said it. All four heirs were here. It was time.
“She welcomed King Alaric and his traveling companions to the palace several days ago. Now that Nalani is here, she and Alaric have agreed to hold the wedding feast this evening so that Alaric will send for the jewels the Rakuuna need.” Ferris stepped back. “We’re to dress appropriately, of course, so a maid will bring clothing fit for the occasion.”
Charis met his gaze and inclined her head. “Thank you. Do you want to join me in discussing how to convince Alaric not to go through with his plan to kill us all once the wedding is finalized?”
Nalani sucked in a breath but said nothing.
Ferris waited a beat and then said, “I wish I could, but Father needs me.”
“Of course.” Charis kept her expression open and somewhat friendly as Ferris left the room.
Seconds after the door closed behind him, Nalani said, “Somebody start explaining what in the seers’ name is going on.”