Maybe I can cut off Tornk’s scepter before I kill him, Dani thought, fantasizing again of the way she would murder her husband-to-be. It might be a blood-thirsty way to pass the time until her miserable wedding began, but it was better than letting herself think about Ky’s death. Better than remembering she would never see the only male she had ever loved again…
A knock at the door interrupted her morbid thoughts.
“Now then, now then,” Yana said, bustling to open it. “I do believe it is the Valued Attendant, come to lead the two of you to the ceremony.”
It was to be a double wedding, with Warro marrying Lavi as Tornk married Dani at the same time. The palace was buzzing with excitement—both Royal princesses married at once! Such a double wedding was new and unheard of.
Usually when two sisters married in the same ceremony, they were wedding the same male, as had been the case with Dani and Lavi’s mothers when they wed the Monarch. To have two such highborn ladies wedding two different males at the same time was causing quite a stir.
“Ah yes, I am certain it is the Valued Attendant,” Yana exclaimed, throwing open the door. “I am sure he—”
She stopped so abruptly that Dani looked up to see what had happened. The Valued Attendant was the person chosen to lead the bride from her chamber to the wedding ceremony—which in this case was going to be held in the throne room. It was usually someone close to the family of the bride and it was a great honor to be chosen for the position.
When Dani saw who was standing in the doorway, she understood why Yana had stopped talking and was now looking nervously over her shoulder at Lavi.
The Valued Attendant was Jontu.
Suddenly Dani was filled with anger. Wasn’t it bad enough that she and her little sister had both lost their true loves? Did Tornk have to rub it in by sending Jontu to do this job?
For she had no doubt that the evil Head Councilor was behind this. He wanted to intensify poor Lavi’s misery by making the very male she loved and could never have escort her to her wedding with Warro, who would never care for her and would doubtless beat and abuse her. And since Tornk knew how strenuously Dani objected to her sister’s marriage, it would be a blow to Dani herself as well.
It was just the kind of evil flourish Councilor Bray-bray would add out of spite. Well Dani refused to let it stand.
Striding up to the doorway, she hissed at Jontu, “What are you doing here? Don’t you know how much seeing you will hurt Lavi on this day? Couldn’t you say no when Councilor Tornk asked you to be the Valued Attendant?”
“He didn’t ask me, Princess Dannella,” Jontu said quietly. “I asked him.”
“Why—” Dani began but then Lavi brushed past her and threw herself into Jontu’s arms.
“Oh Jontu—this is the last time we shall ever touch! Oh why can’t we be together? I don’t want to be married to Warro—I hate him!”
“Hush, Princess!” Geora looked scandalized and Yana looked worried.
“You mustn’t say such things aloud, my sweet,” she said earnestly. “Even if you feel them in your heart.”
“I’ll say what I like!” Lavi cried recklessly. “My life is over anyway. Why should I care who hears it?”
“I fear she’s hysterical.” Geora looked down her bony nose at the crying Lavi critically. She looked at Jontu. “Perhaps I should come with you, to help you manage her.”
“No, no—that’s quite all right,” Jontu said quickly. “I’m sure everything will be just fine as soon as we get started. Lavi, my love,” he added, stroking her hair through the pale lace veil, “Please, compose yourself. We must go—time is of the essence.” He looked at Dani. “Please help me calm her—please.”
Normally Dani would have fought him every step of the way but there was something in the way he looked at her—a certain knowledge in his brown eyes that made her wonder if something was going on.
“Very well,” she said, straightening the pale purple dress she wore and coming to grasp Lavi by the hand. “Come, little sister—we must be strong,” she told the still-weeping Lavi. This is no time for tears.”
Lavi didn’t stop crying but she did stop clutching at Jontu’s ceremonial robes.
“I still think I ought to go with you,” Geora said, frowning. “And mayhap Yana as well. We can fall back just before you enter the throne room.”
“No!” Jontu barked—so sharply that Dani stared at him. He had never seemed to be an overbearing male before—it was one of the reasons she liked him.
Geora drew back, a barely concealed look of resentment stamped on her narrow features.
“Very well, my Lord Jontu. If you do not wish my help, I will not force it on you.”
“Your offer is very kind,” Jontu said. He took a deep breath. “It is just that I was chosen as the Valued Attendant and Councilor Tornk’s orders are that only I may lead the princesses to the alter.”
“Of course, of course,” dithered Yana. “You must do as Councilor Tornk says. We will not bother you.”
“Just don’t blame me if Lavi has a fit of hysterics halfway to the ceremony and there’s no one to calm her down,” Geora muttered. She was giving Jontu a considering, suspicious look that Dani didn’t like.
“Come, Lavi,” she said shortly, for Geora’s benefit. “We must go or we’ll be late. As there is no putting this off, we must face it.”
Without waiting for an answer, she hooked her arm firmly through her sister’s and marched her out the door. She was now certain that something was going to happen—most probably Lavi and Jontu would make a desperate escape. It might be too late for Dani herself to find happiness—that had died along with Ky when his ship was blown up. But Dani would be damned if a chance for her sister’s happiness would be wasted.
“Come.” Shooting Dani a silent look of thanks, Jontu led them down the mirrored corridor that went from the women’s quarters to the main body of the palace.
They went at a stately pace, as befitted such a solemn occasion and Dani kept a firm grip on her little sister’s arm, anticipating another round of melodramatic hysterics at any time. But Lavi seemed to have cried herself out—she was silent and dead-eyed as she allowed Dani to lead her down the hall. Dani was certain she could feel Geora’s sharp, suspicious eyes on her back and she kept her chin high and her gate slow and steady, hoping the other girl would leave them alone.
At last they came to a turning point and Jontu took them in the direction of the throne room. Dani bit her lip. Had she been wrong? Was Jontu simply leading herself and Lavi to their wedding? Was nothing else going to happen?
Then, just before they reached the last corridor which led to the vast room with its golden throne, Jontu turned into a narrow side corridor. Dani knew it well—it led to a small, private courtyard where the Monarch sometimes came for peace and quiet, to get away from the pressures of ruling.
Lavi looked up, frowning as they entered the tiny hall.
“Jontu? What’s going on? This isn’t the way to the throne room.”
Jontu looked over his shoulder. “No, it is not, Princess,” he murmured. “It is a way out.”
“A way out?” Lavi exclaimed, much too loudly. “A way out of where? What do you mean, Jontu? Are we running away together?”
“Hush!” Dani pinched her arm, as Lavi had always pinched hers. “Be quiet for once, can’t you? Jontu is trying to get the two of you out of here but he can’t do it if you alert the whole palace with your big mouth!”
“Not just the two of us, Princess Dannella,” Jontu said. “This is a way out for you, as well.” As he spoke, he swung open the gilded double doors which led out into the small rounded courtyard, paved in multicolored stones.
Dani gasped, unable to believe what she saw.
There were two strange people standing there who must be Kindred—one must, at least. He was huge with mismatched eyes and fangs. Beside him was a tiny female with pale skin and long, dark hair. But it wasn’t these two strangers who drew Dani’s gaze.
Standing in the courtyard with a worried, intense look on his face was Kyron.
“Ky?” she whispered, holding back even as Jontu took Lavi’s hand and drew further into the courtyard. “Ky, is it…is it really you?”
She was afraid to go to him—afraid he might be only a shade. For how could he be living when she’d seen his ship blown up with him in it?
“It’s me, little girl,” he said in a hoarse, strained voice. There was an unusual tension in his broad shoulders and his eyes almost seemed to flash red when he looked at her.
What’s wrong with his eyes? Is that normal for a Kindred? Dani wondered. Or is it because he’s a… She stopped herself, not wanting to think the word “ghost.”
“Are you all right?” he asked.
“Yes. But…but how…” Dani could scarcely get out the question. “I saw you killed,” she whispered. “When Councilor Tornk ordered your ship destroyed.”
“I was in the Hive’s lair, scanning it, when that bastard blew up my ship,” Ky said. “I swear to the Goddess, I’m so sorry for leaving you, Dani. I never should have done that, even for a minute. Just please tell me you’re all right. That bastard didn’t get his hands on you, did he?”
Dani opened her mouth to reply but a hot hand suddenly covered her mouth while something cold and sharp pricked at her neck.
“As a matter of fact,” a familiar, hateful voice hissed in her ear. “He did get his hands on her.”
It was Councilor Tornk and he had a knife to her throat.