“We stop this Gilbraith asshole. That’s our mandate. Find out what you can. You have my permission to poke around and ask awkward questions.”
“At last,” Janek said. “My purpose in life is revealed.”
As Raff opened the door, he was startled to spot the lead Noxblade pacing the halls outside. At his appearance, Ferith seemed to make a decision.
She strode into the room and bowed. She had a sturdy build and she favored blue-black hair and was meticulous with the dyeing, so you’d never see a glimpse of silver or white at the roots. The contrast of white skin, onyx hair, and pale blue eyes made her look like a character from a children’s story, but her attitude was all-business.
“I’ve come to make my report, Your Highness.”
12.
Thalia stayed with the fire until everything was finished and then she filled an urn with the ashes, more symbolic than complete. Full dark had fallen, so it was risky to venture out. Rather than put her people in danger, she climbed to the highest point in Daruvar—the roof of the west tower—and let Lileth go. She didn’t weep or say good-bye.
Despite the cold, she lingered, staring up at the starry sky. None of it seemed quite real. How could the world have changed so much in a short time? She was married to the wolf lord, and she’d lost Lil. It was hard not to see this as a trade, considering that Ruark had tried to murder everyone at the head table as the price of her alliance.
Enough. She’d want me to step on Gilbraith instead of wallowing in grief.
Squaring her shoulders, she climbed down and went to her room, where she found Raff waiting with simple food and a thermos of herbal tea. He offered a tentative smile. “I wasn’t sure when you’d get back. Ferith came by to talk about what she’s learned.”
“Let me wash up and then we’ll talk as I eat.”
“Go ahead, don’t mind me.”
This give-and-take was so awkward, but at the same time, it would’ve been worse to come back to a silent room and sit with the knowledge that she’d never see Lil again. Quickly, she took a shower, mostly so her meal didn’t go stone cold. It doesn’t matter. It’s fuel. She dried off haphazardly and shrugged into her robe.
Sometimes it seemed as if she’d spent her whole life embattled. Before she left the confines of Riverwind, it was a cold war, waged against her own father in secrets and schemes. Now, it would become an outright battle, fought against her own people—because they preferred a return to the old ways, or because they didn’t trust her to lead them in a new direction. Two sides of the same coin.
“What did Ferith say?” she asked, stepping out of the bathroom with towel in hand.
“She’s compiled a list of everyone who had kitchen access. There are like thirty names to eliminate, though. It won’t be easy.”
“Anything else?”
Raff shook his head. “She didn’t mention any particular suspicions, if that’s what you mean. I’m volunteering my services as your food sniffer, going forward. We won’t be caught like this again.”
“Thank you.”
If they’d thought to do that before, Lileth wouldn’t have died. Thalia should’ve known better, should’ve realized that if the other houses were acting in opposition, she couldn’t be safe anywhere. As if he sensed those thoughts, Raff stood and fetched her by the hand, tugging her toward the tray.
“I’ve already checked this out and tasted everything. If there was anything wrong with it, I’d be sick by now.”
She stared at him, wide-eyed. “I never intended for you to become my taster. That…it’s not part of our agreement.”
“Then take it as a bonus service. As you noted before, poison isn’t a good way to do in a wolf.”
“I don’t know what to say.”
“Don’t talk, just eat. I’ve got a shipment of drones on the way. They’ll help guard the perimeter and the surveillance feature should allow us to detect incursions faster.”
Since he’d said he didn’t want her thanks, she ate her food silently. It was lukewarm but filling, and she pictured him tasting each dish to make sure no harm came to her, a level of protection she hadn’t expected from their marital agreement. Once the tray was clear, he set it outside like this was a fancy hotel. Still, someone would probably pick it up eventually.
Thalia cleared her throat. “Things were…chaotic. At our wedding. Which means we left an important task undone.”
How am I supposed to bring this up?
“…Task?” Raff repeated the word with obvious bafflement. “Is there another part to the ceremony?”
“Consummation,” she said firmly.
In her whole life, Thalia had never propositioned anyone. She’d taken a few lovers at Riverwind, but only after mutual feelings developed and desire built on its own, over time. Her husband’s face reflected sheer astonishment, so she guessed he hadn’t thought of this.
“It’s not the time. Don’t worry about that. We have other problems—”
“This is one of our problems. If we fail to consummate, the marriage can be annulled, and I can be forced to wed Ruark Gilbraith. He will then use me to claim the throne and lock me away as my father did.”
“Like hell,” Raff snarled.
Thalia savored the bittersweet feeling for a moment before she responded. “We must join, whether you want me or not. Divorce is complicated among my people, and your claim will offer security from Ruark’s ill intentions.”
“I don’t want to own you,” Raff protested. “I didn’t realize your society was so…”
“Patriarchal? Yes, it always has been. That is one of the many things I’d like to change, if I survive long enough.”
“What I’m hearing is that we need to have sex.”
She sighed. “I’m sorry if you don’t want to, but we must.”
“Look, you just lost someone who was like a mother to you, and I’m not into coercion. I only take people to bed who are eager for it.”
On a deep breath, she untied her robe and let it drop.
