Chapter 21 #2
Ciana caught his gaze, giving him a small smile. He returned it quickly, then turned back to her approaching family.
Right. No smiling. This was time for business.
“What is the meaning of this?” Leon blustered. He marched forward, face red and angry, beady eyes darting furiously between Mariah and Ciana. “Our family has suffered an injustice, and that little bitch there must be put in her place—”
He halted, stopped by the sharp blade of a longsword against his neck. Ciana realized somewhat belatedly that Sebastian was no longer beside her, that it was his sword now at Leon Blaise’s neck.
Seriously, who was he?
“Leon Blaise.” Mariah drew out the syllables of his name. “I must say, I’ve been quite eager to meet you. I’ve heard so many interesting stories about you and your family.”
Even Ciana had to keep herself from flinching at the cruel edge in Mariah’s voice.
Her stepfather blanched, eyes narrowing. “Are…who are you?”
Mariah shrugged. “I’ve been called many names. For you, ‘Your Majesty’ should do just fine.”
Ciana couldn’t help herself. She grinned, savoring the confusion, then anger, then panic that made its way across Leon’s face.
“Your Majesty,” he blubbered. “Thank the goddess for your arrival. My family has suffered incorrigible mistreatments during our travels.” He glared at Sebastian—bold, considering his blade was still pressed to his neck. “This dog here attacked my son unprovoked. He nearly killed him—my only heir.”
Mariah hummed, as if considering. “That is interesting, Leon. We certainly wouldn’t want any innocent boys suffering needlessly.”
Leon nodded emphatically. “Yes, Your Majesty. Precisely. Something must be done.”
Mariah stepped forward, clasping her hands behind her back. “Do you know what else I find interesting?”
Leon gave her a questioning look.
Ciana could just see the edge of the dark, feral grin spreading across Mariah’s face.
“The fact that this same son of yours spent years abusing a girl under your care and protection, and you did absolutely nothing to stop it.”
The wind brushed through the desert. Leon’s jaw dropped.
“Those are lies!” he screeched, cheeks flushing a deep cherry red. “Filthy, foul lies told by a spoiled little girl—”
“Ciana?” Mariah glanced over her shoulder. “Do you stand by the things you’ve told me? Here, before your queen, your countrymen, and with the ear of the gods themselves?”
Ciana clamped her hands together. It was the only way to stop the trembling. She knew her eyes widened with panic as they met Mariah’s.
Despite all the scenario’s she’d run through in her mind about how this might go, this hadn’t been one of them.
Mariah’s gaze softened slightly, and she gave Ciana an almost indiscernible nod.
It dawned on Ciana. Mariah hadn’t asked her to voice her allegations or her trauma; simply to validate that what she’d told Mariah in the past was still the truth.
She swore to herself, the moment they were back in an Onitan kitchen, she was making Mariah the biggest plate of waffles she’d ever seen.
Ciana lifted her chin proudly, filled with her queen’s—her best friends—assurance. “I stand by everything I’ve said. It was all the truth. I swear to it in Qhohena’s name.”
“Why, you little bi—”
“Excuse me, Sir Blaise,” Mariah interrupted—the second time she’d done so in less than a minute. A thrill shot through Ciana at the blithering look on Leon’s face.
“Lady Visseau did not make the accusations against you. She has made them against your son. As he is an adult himself, he is expected to defend himself before his queen. Alone.”
Oh.
Ciana paled as Sebastian lowered his sword from Leon’s throat, taking a step away from the Blaise patriarch.
A step that allowed Lucas a path forward. A path to Ciana.
His soulless eyes bored into her with the same possessive fury that still haunted her nightmares.
“Lucas Blaise.” Mariah’s voice rang out across the sands. “You are accused of assaulting and raping your stepsister, Ciana Visseau. Such crimes are of the highest offense and are not tolerated in my reign—or under the reign of any anointed queen. What do you say in your defense?”
The world was still. Then Lucas took a lurching step forward, tilting up his chin. The discoloration of his face was more pronounced in the sunlight, the brightness of the day catching every bloody mark and purple bruise.
Sebastian had really beaten the shit out of him. Ciana didn’t think he’d ever been more attractive to her than he was right at this moment, even despite everything happening around them.
The glow bubbling up inside her died, though, when Lucas grinned.
“All I have to say,” he croaked through cracked lips, “was that the little slut enjoyed it.”
Gasps rippled through the crowd. Ciana’s mother paled, swaying slightly on her feet.
Sebastian moved first.
He was back in Lucas’s face, just like he’d been the other night. He gripped the front of Lucas’s shirt, lip pulled back in a sneer, normally neat hair falling forward across his brow.
“She was twelve, you fucking animal,” he growled. “A child. And all you have to say for yourself is that she enjoyed it?”
Lucas blinked, then shrugged.
Ciana was fairly certain Sebastian was about to gut him right then.
She couldn’t say she would be upset about it. Her stomach was turning, her blood pounding in her ears. She wanted nothing more than to run and hide away from all this, just like she’d done when she was younger.
Before the monster had dragged her back out, kicking and screaming.
“Thank you, Sebastian.” Mariah placed a hand on her Armature’s back. After three beats of Ciana’s heart, Sebastian finally relaxed, letting go of Lucas’s shirt and shoving the boy away. He staggered into his father, who caught him with a look of disgust.
Ciana knew it wasn’t disgust at his son’s confessions.
It was disgust at being caught.
“Leon Blaise. Lucas Blaise. Marion Blaise.” The wind swirled through Mariah’s hair.
“You are hereby banished from taking refuge here in Kreah. I don’t care where you go, but it will not be here.
You can keep your lives, and you will consider it a blessing.
But I will not allow you to enjoy the sanctuary I have bargained for my people.
” Mariah paused, focusing her attention solely on Leon.
“Things are changing in Onita, Sir Blaise. Monsters will no longer be allowed to hide behind privilege and wealth. Take your family and leave. Now.”
The watching crowd was silent, waiting—
“You cannot do this!” Leon erupted. “We are valued members of this society. If you cast us out, you will regret it!”
A sense of cold dread entered Ciana’s veins, but Mariah appeared unfazed. Instead, she turned to the crowd.
“If you allow the Blaise family to stay amongst you, none of you will be permitted to make camp. You will be sent back across the desert with them, country-less and queen-less. The choice is yours.” Mariah spun on her heel, Sebastian following silently.
They both stopped before Ciana, towering over her. That cool, slimy feeling still crept through her, but as she met Mariah’s gaze, it melted a touch.
Mariah might have just created enemies—not just of the Blaise family, but of everyone who’d traveled all this way. She may have lost some of her people’s trust, may have instilled fear in their hearts rather than love.
But she’d done it anyway. For Ciana.
Something cracked in Ciana’s chest. She reached out a hand, gripping Mariah’s.
“Thank you,” she whispered. Her lips tilted up in a soft smile, and the wind chilled the single tear rolling down her cheek.
Mariah squeezed Ciana’s hand. “For you? Always and anything, Cee.” She glanced at Sebastian.
“We need to get back to Amasis’s serekah. The others are waiting. There’s a lot we need to discuss.”