Chapter 27 #2
“Quickly” was an understatement. The shouts and noises were getting louder, more desperate, as if a battle were happening right outside the door.
“The one time I sleep is the one time something happens,” he muttered.
“Don’t be ridiculous,” she whispered back. “It’s not your fault.”
The door was suddenly kicked in and over a dozen Lasi guards stormed the room. Theora screamed as they used shock rods against Argos.
“He’s already injured!” she cried as the guards dragged them from the suite. “You’re hurting him, stop it!”
Most of the guards held Argos down, forcing him to his knees, shock rods at the ready, despite his weakened state.
Two guards held Theora’s arms behind her back.
Pyre and all her handmaidens were also being held captive—it was obvious these people had no respect for anyone.
But Theora wasn’t in the headspace to feel offended by the physical touch, or to demand they let her go.
Even knowing who was responsible, she was far too devastated to see Venita standing before her.
Venita rubbed her belly, a strange contrast to her wicked deeds—life and death within her.
“I tried to do this differently, Your Grace, I really did. If you had only waited until peace was established and married my brother, I wouldn’t have to kill you right now.
But you just had to go and pick that savage. ”
“You murdered your own sister,” Theora snapped, “and started a war to cover it up. And you say Argos is the savage?”
“Oh, don’t pretend Leveya was a good queen,” she said, though not without emotion.
“It was her inaction that brought us to war, after a hundred years of peace. She didn’t listen to me.
You don’t listen to me. How could the Sovereign select such incompetent fools when me or my brother are perfectly capable? ”
Theora struggled against the hands that gripped her. “Are you insane? You’re the one who started the war.”
“And now I’m going to end it, thus making Apollo look like a hero. He’s beloved among the people, as well as by the parliament. I’m sure there would be no protests to his ruling, even if it isn’t quite traditional.”
Theora growled, hate blooming in her chest. “So, you’re a hypocrite.”
“No, Your Grace,” Venita said severely. “I’m a realist.”
She snapped her fingers, and one of the guards brought over a vial of bright blue venom.
“Venita, no!” Theora cried—too late to stop the guard from injecting it into her husband’s neck.
Argos didn’t so much as wince, but maybe that was because he was already still foggy from Pyre’s drugs.
But the look in his eyes when they met hers told her she didn’t have much time to get them out of this before a horrible reaction occurred, and Theora knew he was far too weakened to use his magic to slow the venom down.
So, she would have to help him by doing what she did best.
Talking.
“What is the purpose of all this, Venita?” she asked. “You already have me. Leave Argos out of it.”
“Let the queen go,” said Venita with an impatient sigh.
Theora shook the guards off as they released her, but when she stepped toward her husband they blocked her way, weapons raised.
“I’m giving you a chance to see things my way,” said the advisor. “Agree to marry Apollo right now—I have the judge standing by—and I will administer the antivenom. Or I could kill you both. Your choice.”
“You mean a choice like you gave Leveya?”
Venita’s smile dropped. “I’d given her plenty of choices before that point.”
“Well, excuse me if I don’t believe you.”
Already Argos was growling, and she could sense him activating his magic more and more. Soon enough his magic would overtake him…and maybe that was just what they needed.
“How can I trust you’ll give him the antivenom?” Theora said. “Administer it now, with me watching.”
Venita scoffed. “You must think I’m stupid.”
“Well, then.” Theora smirked. “Be prepared to lose the war.”
The guards were in a sudden uproar, barely able to keep control of Argos as his violent magic finally got the better of him.
The guards’ frantic cries turned to agony as Argos, without remorse, killed every last one of them.
With his hands, his teeth, their own weapons.
He was far too fast for any of them to escape death.
And while they were distracted, Theora ran over and untied Pyre, who broke the shackles off her wrists so she could join the fray.
“Shit,” muttered Venita, stepping behind her own guards. “Kill them!”
Her guards stayed in front of her, gripping their weapons in terror—but between Argos and Pyre, Venita’s forces didn’t stand a chance. And, with that realization, the final guards turned and ran for their lives, leaving Venita unprotected.
Theora picked up one of the shock rods, cornering Venita with it. “Where’s the antivenom?”
Venita glared at her. “In my pocket.”
“Don’t move.”
Theora stepped over to her, removing the vial from her pocket, but without enough time to move out of the way of the knife Venita stabbed into her stomach.
Except…there was no pain. The two women panted, then quickly looked down.
The knife rested against Theora’s abdomen instead of tearing through her flesh, despite Venita’s violent efforts and constant pressure on it.
The two of them, at once, realized exactly what this was as they looked at each other again, Venita’s eyes wide, Theora’s full of pride and victory.
Armor. Her clever husband had snuck in armor, right under everyone’s noses.
Except it didn’t cover her face, and the next time Venita cocked her arm back, she was aiming right for it—
Argos flicked the woman’s wrist, making her drop the weapon, then grabbed her by the throat and lifted her away from Theora.
“Argos, cease,” Theora said quickly, feeling the vibration of his magic ripple away. “Put her down gently. It’s not the baby’s fault her mother is a villain.”
Argos obeyed—though his idea of gentle wasn’t quite what Theora had meant. His simple act of setting her down sent the woman stumbling backward into the wall, coughing and gasping for breath.
“How do you do this?” Theora whimpered, blinking away tears that blurred her view as she fumbled with the syringe. “Argos, can you—?”
A large hand took the syringe from her, but it wasn’t her husband’s. She looked up, a strange relief flooding her to see Pyre.
The queen raised a brow at her. “How many favors do you owe me at this point?”
Argos’s growl was perhaps just from the effort of tamping down the effects of the venom with his magic, because he didn’t fight it when Pyre administered the syringe in his arm.
“Well,” said a familiar voice, and Theora felt like she might cry from relief at that single word, “that’s the last time I let you handle peace negotiations without me.”
Theora turned quickly, seeing Boada walk in with Apollo at her side. She charged into the older woman, wrapping her arms around her as if she would never let go.
“How did you know?” Theora asked.
“Argos and Apollo both called me. Between those two I was able to figure it out.”
She broke the hug, looking Theora over carefully. Meanwhile, all Theora wanted was to hug Boada again. As her mother, and nothing else.
Because she was her mother. She had to be. There was no other explanation.
Boada put her arm around Theora, leading her away from the carnage. “You okay, kiddo? You look like you need a strong drink.”
“Who’s my father?” she asked, as if she might never be able to ask again, the idea of calling Boada her proper title at the tip of her tongue. If only just to let her know that she knew. That she loved her more because of it.
Boada paused, but there was no uncertainty in her eyes.
Simply caution. They both knew that Theora’s rule could be a bit rocky going forward if it was revealed she wasn’t a full Aranean.
“He was a Warrior, like your husband,” she said.
She touched Theora’s cheek fondly. “And he would’ve been so proud to call you his daughter. ”