36. Chapter 36 #2
Brushing a hand down his face, he let her shove him backward.
“You had so much to deal with already. Besides, as a brand new queen of an unstable realm, harboring exiles from a kingdom you are in the middle of negotiating a peace agreement with would have huge political ramifications. Not to mention Roland would take your doing so as a personal insult.” He shook his head.
“It would weaken your ability to negotiate now and ruin any potential future relations. I couldn’t do that to you. ”
He caught her hands with his, bringing them to his chest. “What I could do was agree to marry Tsara. It didn’t just ensure my mother’s safety.
I also got her to convince her father to honor the trade agreement and provide enough resources to get your kingdom through the winter.
I had everything all worked out so you wouldn’t have to face a marriage you didn’t want.
” His throat spasmed as he swallowed. “But before I could tell you what I’d done, Roland trapped you in the exact same deal.
I’m so sorry I couldn’t get to you first, and that you found out the way you did.
I will spend the rest of my life trying to make it up to you. ”
She barked a laugh, the sound coming out hard, brittle. “Yes, you should’ve talked to me first. What makes you think I’d ever be okay with you selling off your happiness for mine? You idiot!” She went to lift one hand so she could smack it against his chest, but Elessan held her tight.
His muscles clenched like he wanted to punch something. He released her hands and stepped back. “You don’t understand the power dynamic between me and the royals!” Spinning on his heels, he stalked to the far side of the room.
“Oh, I don’t?” She followed him, the backs of her eyes burning. “Look at me when I’m speaking to you, Elessan Svialto!”
At the use of his last name, he froze.
“You think I don’t understand how it feels to have no power and be surrounded by people who would use me as a pawn for their own benefit?”
He met her eyes for a heartbeat. His throat worked on a swallow as his jaw went slack at whatever he saw there.
It was her turn to back him across the room.
“My father married me off to a magical serial killer—a serial killer! Just so he could get the title to one more port city and become father-in-law to the king. And when I rescued him from Malkov’s dungeon, he had the audacity to chastise me for ruining his schemes to save my own life.
For the last week I’ve been surrounded by people who think they’re powerful enough to tell me how to live and whom to marry, all so they can advance their own agendas. ”
Elessan came to a stop against the far wall as Aliya stepped close, ramming her finger bruisingly into his sternum.
“So don’t you dare tell me I don’t understand what it feels like to be on the wrong side of power. Because I know full well, and I’m going to let you in on a little secret, Svialto.”
He flinched and something inside her bared its teeth in a cruel smile.
“The people around you only have as much control over you as you give them. No more. So, if you don’t like the dynamic, then it’s up to you to decide what you’re willing to risk to change it.”
Something that may have been approval, lust, or both flashed in his eyes.
She grabbed the warm feeling spreading low in her stomach and shoved it away.
Now was not the time to let herself get derailed by a pair of stunning lilac eyes, even if they did fuzzy things to her insides.
Because those were the eyes of someone who had followed her advice.
He hadn’t liked the power dynamic, so he had married into the sun elf royal family.
And now, they could never be together. Not officially. Her knees trembled, ready to buckle.
When he spoke, Elessan’s voice was deep enough to reverberate through her bones. “And what are you willing to do about your power dynamic?”
She scowled at him, wrinkling her nose. “Stick around and find out.” Spinning on her heel, she stalked across the room toward her bedroom. “Or leave with your father-in-law,” she tossed over her shoulder. “Your choice.” She didn’t care what he did.
Really, she didn’t.
She was mere steps from escaping to the privacy of her room when the door to her suite opened.
“Your Majesty?” One of the guards stationed outside stuck his head into the room.
She turned to face him. “What?” The question came out more acidic than she expected, and the guard blanched. Taking a deep breath, she brushed her hands down her skirt. “I’m sorry, lieutenant. That was uncalled for. What can I do for you?”
He cleared his throat. “There’s a Jalius Cogtinker here to see you.”
Aliya blinked. Jalius?
The rest of the world came rushing back in, filling the space that had been just her, Elessan and her aching heart.
Brooks’ hostages may have been freed, and his little insurrection dealt with for the moment, but the man himself was still locked in her dungeon, and the entirety of her royal council were traitors and had fled to who knew where.
She had one huge mess to clean up, and it wasn’t even lunch time yet.
Aliya rubbed her palms over her eyes to rid them of any betraying wetness.“Send him in.”
The sentry dipped his head and stepped back. A breath later, the small gnome strode inside. His gray hair, as always, stood on end in a storm of tangles. Pushing his spectacles up his nose, he eyed her before glancing at Elessan.
Aliya’s shoulders slumped. “What can I do for you?”
He gestured to the heavy book he held in one hand. “I thought now would be a prime opportunity to go over the spell you thought the Arcane Inquisitor performed?”
Ah, yes. And then there was that.
The gnome’s eyes flickered between her and Elessan again. “Unless I’ve caught you at a bad time?”
Exhaling, Aliya shook her head. “No, now’s fine.” The sooner they figured this out, the sooner they could try and execute Brooks, and the better off the realm would be.
Jalius sidled up to her desk and heaved the book onto it with a crash.
Aliya froze as something popped into her mind. “Can shapeshifters make jewelry to hide their eye color?”
The gnome raised his eyebrow. “That’s a random question, Your Majesty.”
“Please. It’s important.”
Jalius pressed his lips together as he hummed, his gaze unfocusing.
“I don’t know that they can. They don’t have the right kind of magic as far as I’m aware.
But there’s always been a hot market for beauty charms, especially among the nobles.
It wouldn’t be too hard to find someone who could fashion a trinket to alter a person’s eyes. ”
Aliya chewed the inside of her cheek. Well, that wasn’t good. Without the tell-tale quicksilver, how was she supposed to identify other shifters?
Jalius furrowed his brow. “Looking for a change, Your Majesty?”
“What, me?” She shook her head. “No. But…” She caught herself as she was about to ask him why Shadow, who’d spied on Malkov for over a decade, hadn’t bothered to hide her eyes with magic, but she didn’t want to go into that with Jalius. Not now.
“They’re expensive,” the gnome said. “And they don’t last forever. Most outside the nobility wouldn’t be able to afford it, much less justify the repeated expense.”
Sighing, Aliya tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. Well, there was that. Now she knew the shapeshifter impersonating Tsara had funds. Or at least, had been supported by someone who did.
Clearing her throat, she shook her head, bringing her focus back to the grimoire as Jalius opened it to the appropriate page. The dried blood appeared more black than the red-brown she’d expected.
A whisper of movement sounded at her back as Elessan came to peer over her shoulder.
“Were you able to translate it?” he asked.
“Mostly,” Jalius answered, as he pointed to a particular phrase halfway down the parchment.
“Assuming this means what I think it does, it’s a spell to make a shadow of oneself.
A doppelganger, so to speak.” He turned to pierce Aliya with his beady eyes.
“Can you tell me exactly what you saw, in as great a detail as possible, Your Majesty?”