She immediately shakes her head, her pale lips firming. “I can do it.”
I reach out and squeeze her hand, relief hitting me like a drug.
“Okay,” I say. “Now we just have to figure out how to get our hands on that chip without betraying the king.”
Sarissa’s face goes hard. “These assholes thought they could use our desperation? Let’s make them see just how wrong they are.”
Arix
Korzyn is back on his feet, no matter how many times I tell him to rest. “Our enemies wanted to kill me so you’d be vulnerable.”
“Without Sarissa’s quick thinking, they would have succeeded.”
Korzyn’s jaw tightens, and I almost laugh. He hates that he was taken by surprise. And he loathes being in debt to the little human.
Truthfully, I can’t blame him.
Korzyn’s gaze is steady on my face. “You have the chip now. Will you give it to them?”
I remove the tiny silver device from my pocket, holding it up, and we both watch as it gleams in the low light.
“Such a small thing to cause so much deception,” I murmur. “I could snap it in the blink of an eye.”
Korzyn shrugs dismissively. “You and I both understand the lengths a person will go to protect their family. And those human females consider one another to be family.”
“I know.” But the knowledge burns.
Korzyn is studying me, his silver eyes almost glowing, and the hint of a smile plays around his mouth. “But you don’t forgive her for it.”
“The same qualities I admire about her, the ruthlessness, the deception, the commitment to her people…they are also the things that have allowed her to betray me.”
“You would have done the same thing.”
I nod. “I know. And the guilt wouldn’t have eaten at me the way it eats at her. Some days, she can barely look at me. To guarantee my people’s safety, I would do worse and never think twice.”
“And yet.”
I laugh humorlessly. “And yet.”
“You’re in love with her.”
I shake my head, and Korzyn laughs.
“Why else would you allow her to take her deception this far while still sharing your bed?”
“I need our enemies to believe they have turned someone I trust.”
“Tell yourself that as many times as you wish. But you could achieve the same by paying attention to her publicly and ignoring her in private. Unfortunately, you are unable to stay away from her.”
His tone turns cutting, and I narrow my eyes.
“Careful.”
“And there it is.” He waves a hand, and I grind my teeth, but I’ve made it a habit to never lie to myself. Truthfully, Vivian has gotten under my skin.
But she doesn’t have to stay there.
Tonight, I have a formal banquet with Mazark and some of our other allies from Kenritz, a large territory beyond my own kingdom. Thanks to my pact with Rakiz’s tribe across the water and my ongoing alliances with those from this side of the water, I have grown my power to more than even my father could have dreamed.
Yet I feel hollow, dissatisfaction plaguing me with every step. I won’t be seated near our guests for this banquet, and I find myself mourning the fact I won’t get to see the expression on Vivian’s face each time she tastes something new.
Focus on your kingdom. Soon she will leave Agron.
And I will be left here. Alone.
Chapter Fourteen
Vivian
“Do we have to go to this thing?” I mutter as Cauri arranges my hair into an updo that seems to need a thousand different tiny pins.
“Of course.” She sniffs. “As the king’s guests, it’s your duty to attend.”
I sigh. After my conversation with Sarissa, I have a feeling she’s not going to make it tonight. Now that she knows Hesa—her maid—is working with Arix’s enemies, she has banned her from her rooms after declaring she can get ready alone, much to Cauri’s horror.
I’ve watched Cauri carefully since we learned Hesa was to be our contact to get messages to Varge. Cauri hasn’t done anything to make me think she could be a traitor, and the way she adores the king makes it unlikely she’s dirty.
But I’m being careful anyway.
Cauri leans down and opens a drawer, pulling out a long, glimmering necklace. The jewels perfectly match my eyes, and I gasp as she fastens it around my neck, handing me matching earrings to fasten myself.
“The king asked you to wear these,” she says.
I run one finger over the cool stones at my ears, my heart pitter-pattering at the thought.
I turn my head at a knock on the door, ignoring Cauri’s scowl.
“Come in.”
Sarissa pokes her head in the door. Like me, she’s dressed only in a robe. Unlike me, her hair is out and falling down her shoulders, her face still completely free of any cosmetics.
“You’re not getting ready?”
“I’m not going.”
Cauri looks like she might have an aneurysm at this news, and I sigh.
“Can you give us a moment? Please?”
She sends Sarissa a dark look, muttering about selfish human females as she stalks out the door.
“What’s going on?” I murmur, and Sarissa sits on the edge of my bed.
“I have a migraine.”
“You don’t get migraines.”
“I know, but that’s my cover story. I’ve been thinking about this situation, and I don’t trust Varge. Unless he’s an idiot, he won’t be pinning all his hopes and dreams on us betraying Arix. I’m sure he and his merry band of traitors will have a backup plan. And if they do, they don’t need us, which means we have targets on our backs.”
My mouth goes dry, but I agree with her reasoning. “So what are we going to do?”
“You need to talk to Arix tonight and tell him everything. I’m going to find Korzyn before dinner and do the same. Then I’m going to start putting our plan into motion.”
My stomach turns to lead.
Maybe Arix will understand. Maybe he won’t want to kick me out of his kingdom for conspiring against him.
I almost snort. Arix is as likely to bend as a steel beam, and just as likely to forgive.
I return my attention to Sarissa.
