10

That evening, the people of Odalia gathered to witness the formal betrothal of the crown prince and the First Daughter of Kion. My voice rose over the din of the festivities without much effort.

“That was a low blow you took with the princess,” I told Fox. “Even for you.”

“No. Maybe.” Fox rubbed his nose. “I wasn’t thinking.”

“You were nicer to whatshername. That girl from Tresea you liked who preferred that other jerk, Maharven—”

“Her name’s Gisabelle. I don’t know why you remembered that ass’s name and not hers. And I didn’t know she was a princess when we first met.” Fox’s voice was testy; he was clearly eager to end the conversation.

“How could you not know she was a princess?!” Several people turned to look at us, and I lowered my voice.

He colored. “I never paid much attention to royalty.”

“That’s a terrible excuse, and you know it. You’re my familiar. How did I not know any of this?”

“I don’t have to tell you everything about my life, Tea.”

I wanted to argue that further but relented. Hadn’t I done the same thing regarding the azi? “At least tell me how you met Princess Inessa.”

He paused. “A public teahouse. She was dancing.”

“Dancing?”

He fixed his eyes on something in the distance. I could feel the emotions he often kept at bay, how raw they felt.

“Even veiled, she held the eyes of every man in the room. She said she had an overbearing mother and that night was the first time she’d snuck out. I thought she was a merchant’s daughter.”

I remembered finding Fox in a heated argument with a girl at the palace while I was a novice. I hadn’t known her identity to be Princess Inessa until later, and that was over two years ago. “And you’ve been…seeing each other since then?”

“Not after this engagement.” Bitterness seeped into him, lodging in my own throat. “Can we talk about something else? Or get away from all this?” He gestured at the revelers. “All this noise is giving me a headache.”

A hand landed on my shoulder. “And here’s our errant asha!” Zoya’s voice boomed. Uncaring of the widening circle around us by the crowd wary of asha, Zoya smoothed the wrinkles on the sleeve of my hua as a smiling Althy appeared beside her. “We’ve been looking all over for you!”

“Where’s Mykaela?” I asked.

“Resting, on Polaire’s orders. She’ll be here once the ceremony starts, but she needs to relax until then.”

Another figure beside them caught my attention, and my eyes widened. “Likh?” I asked disbelievingly. Unlike the other asha, who were dressed in elaborate hua and beautiful zivar, he was dressed in the black clothes more typical of Deathseekers. His long hair was pulled back, and despite his attire, he still looked exceedingly pretty.

I bounded over to give him a fierce hug, and he made a soft, little squeak at my exuberance. “Have the asha-ka made their decision?” I demanded. “If you’re wearing that because they’re forcing you to become a Deathseeker, then I am going to rip—”

Likh shook his head, waving his hand as if that could dissuade my bloodlust. “They’ll make their ruling next week. But I thought I ought to get comfortable, just in case.” Though he smiled, his silver heartsglass was an erratic display of blue and silver.

“We’re not going to give up on you that easily,” Fox told him.

Althy nodded. “We’re on good terms with the head of the Deathseekers. Zahid’s more flexible than the association when it comes to rules. If the prince and Zahid’s support is not enough, then we’ll figure out some other way.”

“You always do, Althy.”

We turned to find Mykaela standing before us, smiling, her hand on Polaire’s elbow and Kalen following close behind them.

Polaire nodded at me, our previous fight still rankling in the air between us. “You are not to wander around on your own in this crowd,” she lectured her best friend.

“I think Lady Mykaela can make her own decisions,” I said before thinking.

Polaire’s eyes flashed fire, but Althy stepped in. “We have other duties to attend to, such as the forming of the guards and seeing to the security.”

“Polaire’s been more domineering lately,” I noted sourly after the two had moved off.

Mykaela seemed amused. “Many of my old tasks she has since claimed responsibility for. Her nose has been in every nook and cranny of the palace, ensuring things run according to plan.”

“That’s a terrifying thought.”

“It keeps her occupied. She enjoys it, for all her complaints.”

“But how have you been?” I felt guilty. I had been so busy with my responsibilities that I barely had time to talk to Mykaela beyond a few minutes each day. “I don’t want you pushing yourself, Mykkie.”

She ruffled my hair. “I never do. I trust you’ve been sleeping well yourself?”

I made a face. “I haven’t gone back to the prisons. As much as I want to.”

“Thank you, Tea. I know that was hard for you to agree to.”

I sighed. “Can’t I—not even one more night so I can—”

“Tea.”

“Fine.”

She laughed. “Shall we go? There’re some people I’d like you to meet.”

“Ah, Lady Mykaela,” Kalen began, faltering slightly. “Lady Polaire told us to stay here.”

“And I am telling you that I have a small matter to attend to elsewhere.” It was easy to dismiss Lady Mykaela’s frail condition and forget her forceful character. Her voice took on the tenacity of steel. “It would be a shame to leave you behind, Kalen.”

It didn’t take much for him to give in. “But of course, Lady Mykaela.”

“Pushover,” I murmured in a voice that wasn’t as soft as I thought it was, for Kalen shot an irritated look my way.

Zoya grinned. “Waiting is boring anyway.”

“And Likh?”

Smiling, the young boy nodded.

“Excellent.”

I fell into step beside Likh. “How are you holding up?” I whispered.

Likh shrugged. “As well as can be expected. Kalen and the others are nice. Many of the Deathseekers support my appeal. I’m not used to the attention.” His ears colored.

“The asha-ka are going to see things our way, even if I have to box them around the ears until they do.”

Likh giggled. “That’s a terrible image, Tea.”

“Tea! Fox!”

Our family stood several yards away, waving. My parents looked unchanged, though my dad stooped a little more than I remembered. Wolf and Hawk had gone from chasing each other around my father’s forge to becoming bearded blacksmiths like my father. Wolf was even starting his own family, which made my head spin. Beside them, Marigold, Violet, and Lily bloomed like their namesakes. Rose and Lilac, not quite asha but my sister-witches still, were the same as always, but Daisy had become even more beautiful. My heart ached, knowing how fast they had grown. Was this how Fox felt whenever he had come home on leave from the army?

Yes, my brother murmured.

We were swept up in a sea of hugs and kisses, my siblings surrounding us. “You rarely write!” Hawk complained, clapping his oldest brother on the shoulder. “You used to write enough to fill a book when you were in the army but then practically nothing after you and Tea left for Kion!” He turned to grin at me then—they all did, a little awed as I stood in my hua with its delicately embroidered waist wrap. What money Fox or I could save, we always sent their way, but I was self-conscious that my outfit cost more than what my family normally made in a year.

“Lady Mykaela was kind enough to invite us for the ceremony,” Marigold said happily. “So many people! It’s like solstice back at home, only the dresses are prettier.”

“I got a new heart for the occasion,” Daisy informed me proudly, displaying a gorgeously intricate heartsglass around her neck, gleaming red.

I groaned. “Daisy.”

“What? I dumped him because he was a louse. I wish I had a pretty silver heartsglass of my own.” Ever the opportunist, she turned to smile brightly at Kalen. “Aren’t you going to introduce me to your friend, Tea bunny?”

Growing older hadn’t altered who my family was. Had I changed to them? Did they still see me as the twelve-year-old with her head constantly in a book or did they see me as an asha?

Because I had changed. I wasn’t the girl they remembered. Would they be afraid of me if they knew the runes I wove, if they knew the monsters I’d raised? Would the girl they knew have hidden an azi in her mind and told no one? I knew the answer to that, and it hurt. I was a puzzle piece that no longer conformed to the shape of their lives.

“Thank you, Mykaela,” I whispered as my family joined the rest of the asha.

She smiled. “I know how difficult it is to be away from family.”

I had no time to voice more of my gratitude when my parents descended upon me.

“You’re not eating right,” my mother fretted. “Have they been feeding you well? Are you working too much?”

“Please, Mama,” I mumbled.

My father was a man of few words. “We’ve missed you, Tea,” he said in his low rumble, and I blinked back tears.

“I’m sorry I haven’t been able to visit.”

“We heard about you putting down daeva.” Worry colored my father’s heartsglass.

“I’m protected. The Deathseekers and the king’s soldiers make it a point to accompany me…and Fox, of course. The prince even accompanied me once.”

“The prince!” My mother clapped a hand over her heart. “Lady Mykaela told me she would introduce us to him today. Imagine that! Never in my lifetime did I think we would meet the king and his son!”

“Everyone’s excited.” My father cast a glance back at Daisy and Kalen and added dryly, “Even your oldest sister, although I suspect it’s for a different reason.”

To set Daisy loose in a roomful of eligible noblemen was always a bad idea. I hesitated. On one hand, it was amusing to see Kalen looking out of sorts. On the other, he had been nicer to me as of late.

Fox approached, knowing the plan that ran through my mind. My parents turned delightedly to him as he began introducing the other asha.

“Perhaps one of the king’s soldiers can show you around the city,” Kalen said as I headed for Daisy.

“But I’d feel much safer with you,” Daisy persisted, her hand tightening on his Kalen’s arm. I felt a twinge of irritation. This was moving too fast, even for her.

“He’s right, Daisy,” I said cheerfully, worming my way between the two, taking great care to remove my sister’s hand from Kalen’s as I did. My sister glared daggers at me. “Lord Kalen is a high-ranking member of the Deathseekers. What little time he can spare, he spends with me.”

“With you?” It was my turn to grab Kalen’s arm, pulling him away. “You can have your pick of suitors in Kneave, Daisy, but it would be nice if you could leave mine alone.”

Kalen’s mouth was working soundlessly. I stepped on his foot, warning him not to speak.

“Goodness!” Daisy’s hand flew to her mouth, looking both surprised and pleased. “Really? You never mentioned—”

I looped Kalen’s arm around my neck and snuggled closer to him. “It’s not like we want to announce it to everyone, but our relationship is not forbidden. Right, my love?” I poked Kalen in the ribs.

The Deathseeker coughed. “Yes. I, uh…”

“Oh, Tea! My little sister is growing up so fast!” Daisy clapped her hands in delight. She’d gone from flirt to doting sister in less than a second. “My apologies, Lord Kalen. I haven’t seen Tea bunny in such a long time, and I still see her as the shy girl she always was. So you really do love him, Tea?”

I planted as genuine a smile on my face as I could muster. “Of course! I’ve never been so sure of anything in my life.” I tugged hard at his sleeve. Kalen was selling this poorly, and Daisy would be sharp enough to figure it out.

“Agreed.” Kalen’s voice sounded so strange that I had to peek up at him to see if he was all right. The next thing I knew, his grip around my shoulders tightened, and he pressed his lips against my cheek.

It was like a jolt of lightning lanced through my skin. I jumped, though it was not an entirely unpleasant shock, and Daisy looked satisfied.

“My apologies, Lord Kalen. Tea bunny, I can see he’s quite smitten. Ooh, Marigold and Lily will be so thrilled to hear!”

“Wait!” I shouted, to no avail. Daisy was already dashing over to my sisters.

“Tea bunny?”

“Shut up,” I hissed. “What did you do that for?”

“I thought you wanted me to be convincing,” he hissed back. “And whatever possessed you to say we were in a relationship?”

“Daisy has a lot of bad habits, but she would never chase after a guy who’s already taken.” I stepped out of his reach. “Look, since you’re clearly uncomfortable, let’s just pretend this never happened. I’ll deal with my sister.”

I was spared from making a further fool of myself by the trumpets sounding as the ceremony began.

My family looked on in awe as both Prince Kance and Princess Inessa stepped into view. I could feel a faint tightening in the corners of Fox’s thoughts, his heartsglass gleaming too brightly to be natural. I reached for his hand and squeezed lightly. After a moment, he squeezed back.

Together, we watched them formalize their betrothal. They exchanged heartsglass, as was the custom, a symbol of their commitment to one another, and I felt my own heartsglass flicker when the prince leaned over and kissed the princess, concluding the celebrations.

• • •

The party was in full swing by the time I entered the throne room, where dignitaries from most of the kingdoms mingled. Prince Kance smiled, catching sight of me as I entered.

“I’ve been looking for you all evening,” he said, folding his hands over mine, as was his habit.

“Are you feeling all right, Your Highness?” His face looked pale again.

“Kance,” he corrected me.

“Not today—a formal engagement in a public setting. Calling you by your first name wouldn’t be appropriate.”

“Then at least let me apologize.”

“That’s not necessary, Your Highness.”

“It is to me,” he said earnestly. “I wanted to tell you personally about the engagement, but I didn’t quite know where to begin. After all my talk about taking command of my own life, this reeks of the worst hypocrisy.”

“That doesn’t matter, Your Highness.”

The prince shook his head, and his heartsglass shone a somber blue. “It does. First Drycht and then this situation with Likh and now my engagement… Father’s been impossible all week.” He stopped, his eyes unfocused.

“Your Highness?”

He snapped out of his strange reverie, blinking rapidly. “What was I saying?”

“I think you need to excuse yourself from the celebrations, Your Majesty. You’re not well. You haven’t been well since before the aeshma hunt.”

“You’re right. Perhaps after greeting the rest of the guests.” He sighed. “I haven’t even talked to Inessa tonight.”

“Do you love her, Your Highness?” I asked softly, fearing what he might answer.

He hesitated. “I think I could grow to love her.”

That was a consolation. “If you truly believe that she can make you happy, talk to her about your engagement. You owe each other that much.”

Prince Kance smiled wryly. “I agree. I should.”

“And I have something that could help you with your exhaustion. Khalad made it.” I reached into the folds of my robe. The prince’s birthday was in three days but now seemed as good a time as any.

The prince brightened at the sight of the small glass pendant sparkling under the bright lights of the throne room. “I’ll keep it with me at all times.” He bent his head and pressed his lips against the back of my hand. “Thank you, Tea. You helped me understand that there’s more to a kingship than sitting on a throne.”

“It’s nothing, Your Highness.” My throat constricted. “And my best wishes on your engagement, Prince Kance. I hope you and the princess will be happy together.”

A melancholic smile appeared on his face. “Thank you. I wish I could—”

“Your Highness?” A courtier materialized by his elbow. “The king wishes to speak to you.”

“Let’s talk later, Lady Tea,” Prince Kance said, exhaling. “Please excuse me…”

I watched him stride to where King Telemaine and Princess Inessa waited and turned away. Polaire and the others were busy entertaining, something I was also supposed to be doing. This was a nobles-only event, so Fox was somewhere else in the palace with the rest of my family. I was on my own.

“You look like a little thundercloud hovering in the middle of a field of sunshine.”

I bit back a sigh and faced Kalen. “I’m flattered you made all this effort to keep the thundercloud company.”

“I was in the middle of a boring conversation with the Earl of Heides. You were an escape.”

“There’s something else eating at you.” I nodded at his heartsglass. “Do you want to talk about it?”

He paused, nodded.

I followed his gaze to his father, the Duke of Holsrath, who sat at the farthest table from the crowd, a drink in one hand and a small smirk on his face. Everyone pointedly ignored him, and the large coterie of guards around him was proof he was still a prisoner. He looked gaunt, undoubtedly from his time in the dungeons, though his hair and beard were freshly trimmed. He resembled Kalen on a superficial level, but I disliked him at first sight.

“I want him out of here,” Kalen said stiffly. “If it wasn’t in direct conflict with the king’s orders, I would have—”

He stopped at the sound of breaking glass. Heads turned toward the throne.

A glass had slipped from Prince Kance’s hand. He was ashen. He took two steps forward, his mouth forming my name before he collapsed on the floor.

I rushed forward, but Kalen was quicker, reaching his side before King Telemaine. “Send for a doctor!” the king roared.

Prince Kance took a deep, shuddering breath. His eyes met mine, then Kalen’s.

“Protect her,” he whispered.

Helpless to do anything else, the Deathseeker could only nod.

The prince smiled at him and then at me before the light in his heartsglass went out.