Chapter Fifty-One
CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE
Mira
Sabine looked like a wraith. Long, dark curls nearly covered her face, but they couldn’t hide her eyes. They were bright and luminous and alive , nothing like the terrible, inky black they had been earlier.
Was it possible that I had imagined it? That her eyes hadn’t changed colour at all?
The thought made me hesitate. Sabine had pulled me out of the way of a crossbow bolt, after all. It seemed ridiculous to be afraid of her. But then I remembered how she had just stood there, watching that soldier cut into his skin—
‘Mira?’
Sabine inched closer. She had always been graceful, but now that gracefulness seemed sinister.
‘Don’t come any closer,’ I warned, holding up a hand.
Sabine paused. ‘But we’re friends,’ she said, with a playful pout. ‘I even saved your life.’
I considered her warily. I had so many questions – why Sabine had followed me, what she had done to that soldier, how she was so calm about the magic I had used . . . and yet I already had my answers. Because her eyes – those icy blue eyes —
‘You’re not Sabine.’ The words left my lips with heavy finality, cleaving the air between us like a sword.
For a moment, it seemed like she would protest. But then she shrugged and said, ‘What gave it away?’
‘Sabine’s eyes were green. Yours are blue.’
‘Such an obvious mistake.’ She shook her head, smiling ruefully. And as she came closer, her features wavered, until I wasn’t looking at Sabine at all.
I was looking at—
I stared at Scarlett, who was dressed in black fighting leathers like mine, her hair snaking down her shoulders in deep, wine-coloured tendrils. The most obvious difference wasn’t her pale skin or icy stare, but the way she held herself: with a haughtiness that didn’t suit the girl she had been pretending to be.
At least now it made sense how she had killed that soldier. No doubt Zandri had given Scarlett some morbid kind of magic to protect herself. But her illusions . . . Gods, it should have been so obvious .
I didn’t want to give away how deeply her betrayal stung, but I had to know: ‘Was any of it real?’
‘It was real to me,’ Scarlett replied, her eyes intent on mine. ‘All of it.’
I wasn’t sure if I believed her – but I wanted to, and that was utter madness. ‘Why? Why would you pretend to be someone else?’
‘Isn’t it obvious?’ Scarlett asked, leaning against a nearby wall and folding her arms. ‘I did it to keep you alive.’
I couldn’t help it – I laughed. ‘You expect me to believe that?’
‘It’s the truth.’ Scarlett said nothing for a moment. When she did, her voice was very quiet. ‘As the emperor’s illegitimate daughter, I’m an outsider too. I have a target on my back, same as you. I thought perhaps . . .’ A hint of vulnerability softened her face as she said, ‘I thought we could help each other.’
‘Did you?’ I said, not bothering to hide my scepticism. ‘Most partnerships aren’t based on a lie.’
‘You lied to my brother when you stole his crown,’ Scarlett pointed out. ‘Cassius still found a way to look past that.’
‘This isn’t about Cassius.’
‘It is,’ Scarlett said, her voice measured, ‘but I’ll get to that in a moment. You want to know why I lied to you – well, what would you have done if you were me? I wanted to help you survive the Trials, but I couldn’t expose my involvement. The only way was to disguise myself as another competitor.’
‘But why did you want me to survive? The first time we met—’
‘I saved you. From that archer at the docks.’
‘You didn’t save me,’ I said bitterly. ‘You kept me alive for my execution.’
‘I delayed your death,’ Scarlett corrected. ‘I showed you as much mercy as I could, under the circumstances. As for what I said to you . . . we were being observed by my father’s Warriors. I couldn’t admit the real reason I intervened.’
‘Which was . . . ?’
Scarlett leant forward, until her face was bathed in the moonlight. ‘Mira, Zandri was King Arioch’s sister. She’s your—’
‘Aunt.’ The word tasted sour in my mouth, like even the syllable was poisonous. ‘She’s my aunt.’
Which meant that Scarlett . . .
I turned away abruptly. My only surviving family, and one of them was responsible for killing my father, while the other – my cousin – was standing here, asking me to trust her.
As if it was that simple. As if trusting the wrong person wasn’t a death sentence.
‘Zandri doesn’t like to advertise her past – not in Ravalia, at least. And she has no particular love for family. But I’ve never wanted us to be at odds, Mira.’ Scarlett’s voice was soft, almost tentative. ‘I hope you can believe that.’
Reluctantly, I allowed myself to look at her – searching for the resemblance that should be there.
‘I used to look more like you,’ Scarlett said, guessing my thoughts. ‘I was born with your olive skin and eyes that were almost hazel. When the court visited Kalure a few years ago, Roran tried to drown me. I survived, but I found myself . . . changed.’
I didn’t want to empathise with Scarlett, but I did. ‘I thought you were exaggerating. When you spoke about the threat your brothers presented.’
‘I wasn’t.’
‘But your father . . .’
‘The Ravalian Court values strength above all else. If I die, I will have proven myself weak enough to be defeated, and therefore unworthy.’
Silence fell between us as I digested that. What would it be like, living with siblings who plotted your downfall at every turn?
Not that different to a lifetime of running, I realised, thinking of my own childhood. A childhood spent looking over my shoulder.
Scarlett started walking and I followed, remembering the moments we had spent together. To my surprise, the truth didn’t change them much. Now that I knew what to look for, I could see glimpses of Sabine in Scarlett, and I suspected that she had crafted Sabine from parts of herself.
‘You could have told me,’ I said finally. ‘During the Trials—’
‘During the Trials,’ Scarlett interrupted, ‘I needed you to trust me. If I had told you who I really was, that trust would have dissolved – and then where would you have been? You wouldn’t have even made it through the final task.’
‘And after the final task? Why didn’t you say anything then ?’
‘I almost did,’ she murmured. ‘After you were initiated. But then I discovered you were working with my brother.’
‘Something you did your best to discourage,’ I said, thinking of Sabine’s warnings – and Scarlett’s.
‘For your sake as much as mine,’ Scarlett replied. ‘Cassius tried to kill me recently; I know exactly how ruthless he can be.’ She smiled at my surprise, but her smile held no humour. ‘I couldn’t help you openly, Mira. But whether as Scarlett or Sabine . . . I have been helping you.’
That much I knew to be true. But—
‘What about Aric?’ I asked. ‘How does he fit into your plans?’
‘I promised Aric that I would find out what happened to Kain – and whether Roran was involved in his death.’
‘And was he?’ I asked carefully.
‘Yes. But I think you already know that.’ Scarlett tilted her head, sending red waves tumbling over her shoulder. ‘I understand why you wanted to keep it from him. Revenge is all-consuming.’
Exhaustion seeped into me, turning my limbs heavy. Scarlett was right. The further I travelled down this road – the closer I came to my vengeance – the more I suspected it had no end. I didn’t want that for Aric. He deserved to move on – to have a life of his own. Not one consumed by tragedies of the past.
‘You don’t have to tell him.’ The words left my lips before I could think better of them.
Scarlett shook her head. ‘I already told Aric everything, and I promised to help him when the time is right.’ She paused, debating, and then said, ‘I could offer you both the chance to destroy Roran. I have a feeling that’s something you might want as well. Or am I wrong?’
Not wrong, perhaps, but presumptuous.
And unnerving.
‘You don’t have to decide now,’ Scarlett said softly. ‘But I hope you’ll consider working with me. Unlike Cassius, I want to rule differently to my father and build friendships with other countries. I’m even willing to deal fairly with the Ravalian resistance.’
I kept my face expressionless, wondering whether she had seen me enter their headquarters earlier. Wondering how much she knew. ‘Those are easy promises to make.’
‘What if I could prove that I mean them?’ Scarlett tilted her head as she considered me. ‘Darius’s execution date is coming up. With my illusions and some additional assistance, I could help him escape.’
‘You would do that?’
‘I would,’ Scarlett replied. ‘As a show of good faith – for the rebels, and for you.’
Scarlett slowed to a stop, and I was surprised to realise that we had made it all the way to the palace grounds. Reflected in the light of the fire braziers, Scarlett no longer seemed so cold and aloof. I wasn’t sure what to make of her – or our new relationship.
‘Why Ravalia?’ I asked suddenly. ‘You’re Kalurian – or half Kalurian, like me. You have a claim to more than one throne, and yet you’re so focused on beating your brothers. I don’t understand it.’
‘Don’t you?’ she said with a brittle laugh. ‘I would have thought you knew exactly what it felt like to want to prove yourself. And to want revenge on the people who wronged you.’ Our eyes met, and I knew the same shadows I saw in Scarlett’s gaze were echoed in my own. ‘As for Kalure . . . the Kalurians despise my mother for the same reason you do. They seem determined to view my rule as an extension of hers. That’s why I kept it from you. I thought that if you learnt the truth . . . you would come to hate me. Just like Cassius and Roran.’
There was something raw about her words, and it was impossible to doubt her sincerity. For a moment, we just stared at each other. How strange it was to begin the day with one view of Scarlett and end it with something entirely different. Strange – but not unwelcome.
‘Think about it,’ Scarlett said again. ‘That’s all I ask.’
I hesitated, but then I nodded. ‘I will.’
Scarlett touched my arm as she moved past me. Beneath the chill of her touch, I felt that kinship I hadn’t been able to explain. Until now.
‘That locket,’ she said, and my hand rose protectively to the necklace I wore. ‘I didn’t see you wearing it when you were brought to the palace.’
‘I . . . Aric gave it to me,’ I said quickly – too quickly.
Scarlett smiled, just the slightest twitch of her lips. Clearly, she didn’t believe me.
‘Your mother stole something once,’ she said, her tone conversational. ‘Something valuable.’
I said nothing.
‘I’m not sure how much you know about blood rubies, but they’re powerful magical objects – so powerful that Zandri usually keeps them under lock and key. The guards searched you and your mother in the cells, but they never found the blood ruby that Adalyn stole.’
I met Scarlett’s stare without blinking. Cousin or not, there were some secrets I was unwilling to trust anyone with. ‘My mother probably hid it somewhere. Or maybe she sold it.’
Scarlett’s smile widened, as if the thought of selling a blood ruby was ludicrous. But all she said was: ‘Do you remember what I told you once, about the kinds of magical aptitudes Adalyn possessed?’ When I didn’t answer, she said, ‘You demonstrated one of those aptitudes tonight. Her aptitude for fire .’
Those icy eyes glittered as Scarlett studied me, then the locket around my neck. She reached out and picked it up, rolling it in her palm. An arctic chill emanated from her skin.
The moment lingered until it became uncomfortable. Then Scarlett released the locket.
‘Yes,’ she murmured, stepping back from me. ‘Perfectly ordinary.’ But the twist to her lips said otherwise. ‘Regardless, I think it best that you keep the locket out of sight from now on.’
Her eyes met mine, and the warning in them was clear.
She didn’t wait for a response as she strode off. I watched her go, feeling more conflicted than ever. Family or not, I didn’t trust Scarlett much more than I trusted Cassius. Which meant I was playing a very dangerous game – with Scarlett and with her brother.
It occurred to me that I was now in the most precarious position possible: caught between two warring heirs who hated each other.
And my survival depended on backing one of them in their bid for the throne.
But which one?