Kingdom of Sea and Stone

by Mara Rutherford

  “I thought I told you to be gentle with that lip,” Talin said from the doorway.

  I grinned at the memory of our time on the road together, before I’d left New Castle. We hadn’t kissed yet, but we were both anticipating it. I’d been anxious about finding Sami at the port market, but Talin knew who I really was, and though there were still many secrets between us, I had trusted him.

  He approached me slowly. He had shaved again for the first time in days, and his hair had been properly washed and combed.

  My stomach fluttered, as if we really had gone back in time and were near-strangers to each other. In some ways, we still were. There were so many years of memories we hadn’t shared, all the experiences that had formed us as people before we met. How could I expect him to make any decisions based on my desires when we’d known each other for such a short time?

  “I was told to meet my men in the library,” he said, gently folding a cloth covering one of the couches to keep the dust from flying. He gestured for me to sit. “But I’m afraid I see only you.”

  “Afraid?”

  He sat down on the sofa, leaving enough room for another person between us, and fixed me with a meaningful gaze. I had to force myself not to fiddle with the lace at my cuffs. It was absurd how nervous I felt, when Talin and I had been through so much together. But in the past week, a distance had grown between us that wasn’t just physical.

  He smiled and moved closer to me. “I could never be afraid of you. What did you want to talk with me about?”

  “You’re still planning to attack New Castle, I take it?”

  He took my hand. “I know it isn’t what you want to hear, but this is the way it has to be.”

  “What if it isn’t?”

  His eyes searched mine. “What do you mean?”

  I wrestled with telling him my plan. I didn’t want to cause a fight with him, not when I might fail and Talin could end up going to battle anyway. If something happened to him and his last memory of me was an unhappy one...

  He brought my knuckles to his lips and brushed a kiss against them, the faked formality gone. “Please don’t worry, Nor. Everything will be fine. I’ll make sure your family is safe.”

  Reluctantly, I pulled my hand away. “I want to negotiate with Ceren. I already spoke with your mother, and she agreed.” I didn’t tell him what her terms had been. That would only hurt him.

  He shook his head, but I held up my hand before he could speak. “I’m not asking for permission, Talin. I’m only telling you because I didn’t want to do this behind your back.”

  “I can’t believe my mother would agree to this,” he said, rising. “She must know how I feel about you—and how important your safety is to me.”

  “I think she does. But our relationship is not her priority, and it can’t be ours, either,” I added softly.

  Hurt washed over his features. “What are you saying?”

  “I’m only saying that until all of this is over, we can’t keep putting our concern for each other above everything and everyone else.” I stood up and took his hands. “I’m only going to talk to him, Talin. With an armed escort.”

  He gazed down at me, his expression vacillating between frustration and pride. “I’m not going to change your mind about this, am I?”

  I shook my head. “No.”

  He pressed his forehead to mine. “Let me at least come with you.”

  I only hesitated for a moment. “All right.”

  He tilted his head until our lips met, and for a moment I forgot about Ceren and Talia, about my parents and the battle ahead. Every mingled breath, each brush of his fingers, felt like an oath. I was his, and he was mine, and nothing was going to change that.

  “There you are.”

  I turned my head to hide my flaming cheeks as Talia entered the library. To my surprise, Talin didn’t disentangle himself completely.

  “Were you looking for me, Mother?”

  “You said you were meeting your captain. Unless he’s altered his appearance drastically since yesterday, I must assume you were lying.”

  Her tone was cold, but Talin smiled. “I thought I was meeting my captain. Nor’s presence was a very welcome surprise.”

  Talia’s voice softened. “Of course, my son. I remember what it was like to be young. But you’re a general. Your council is waiting for you.”

  “I’ll be there in a few minutes. My council can wait.”

  I felt a brief surge of hope. Talin wouldn’t cast me aside just because his mother wanted him to. Perhaps that meant there was hope he wouldn’t let her dictate how this war went.

  Talin’s hand squeezed mine for one second before his fingers fell away. “I’ll tell Mother the plan.”

  I nodded and watched him go, but Talia’s green eyes were focused on me as she followed him from the room. She smiled, but there was a warning in her gaze as venomous as a sea snake’s. Do not come between us, it said. Or there will be consequences.

  * * *

  The next morning, I dressed in my riding leathers and went directly to the stables. A groom had already saddled Titania, and Talin was there with a dozen trained and well-armed soldiers. I was relieved to see his mother wasn’t joining us.

  Talin handed me a white flag. “Raise this as soon as we reach the field. We sent a messenger last night. Since he returned unharmed, I’m reasonably confident Ceren will obey the rules of warfare. Perhaps you’re right, and he’ll agree to some sort of truce. I hope so, anyway.”

  I mounted Titania, then followed the soldiers out of the stables. The drawbridge was lowered to let us out, and Titania’s hooves clomped over the wood onto the road. A moment after we’d crossed, I heard the creaking of wheels as the bridge was drawn up behind us.

  It was a two-hour ride to New Castle from Old Castle, but within an hour we could see the sprawl of tents in the fields before it. Ceren’s scouts would have seen us approaching by now. From the top of Mount Ayris, they had the best view in the kingdom.

  Finally, we spotted a small party riding toward us on the road. Ceren was unmistakable even from a distance. He rode the same black horse he’d ridden when we saw him at Galeth’s border, a beast of a stallion even larger than Xander. Ceren had never been able to ride before, but my blood must have healed any lingering weakness. His long blond hair hung loose over his black armor, which matched the uniform his soldiers wore. The bloodstones at their throats pulsed in time with the ones in his crown, steady as a heartbeat.

  The realization that I was about to confront Ceren face-to-face for the first time since I left New Castle struck me, and I felt my own heart rate speed up. I told myself I wasn’t afraid of him, that I would never again be his prisoner, but my body was unconvinced. My hands grew clammy on the reins, and my mouth was so dry it was an effort to swallow.

  Ceren called his men to a halt, and Talin ordered his soldiers to stop as well. He turned to look at me, a question in his blue-green eyes. I nodded, feigning confidence. We were just going to talk. I was not alone and without allies anymore.

  I urged Titania forward. She didn’t balk at the massive stallion, even though he outweighed her by half at least. We halted with a dozen feet between us, close enough to talk but not close enough to be in danger. He had a sword at his waist but no crossbow.

  From this distance, I couldn’t see the dark circles under his eyes or the weariness in his gaze, but I knew they were likely there since I’d noticed the signs of fatigue in my last vision. Still, he was larger than I remembered, and he sat as straight as a mast in the saddle. All the insecurity that once weighted him down appeared to have been washed away. There was a smirk on his face that I wanted to smack off, but I managed to maintain my composure.

  “Thank you for agreeing to meet with me,” I said.

  He dipped his head in the slightest nod. “I admit, I was curious to hear what you ha
d to say. You must know I’m not going to surrender. After what you did to me, I should kill you where you stand.”

  My eyes flicked back, toward Talin, but we were far enough apart that he couldn’t have heard the threat. “Without my blood, you wouldn’t be here at all.”

  His lips curled in a smile. “You can’t credit yourself with my very existence, Nor.”

  “No, just its prolongation.” I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “I didn’t come to exchange unpleasantries with you, Ceren. I want you to free the Varenians. You have enough bloodstones for your army. Let them go.”

  He laughed. “And what do I get in return? Queen Talia will give up her pursuit of the crown? We both know that won’t happen. You have nothing to bargain with.”

  “I have myself.”

  “I don’t need you anymore,” he said, though something in his expression had shifted.

  “Wielding the bloodstones is weakening you. I could see it in the visions.” If I wasn’t completely sure before, the way his eyes narrowed confirmed my suspicions. “You need more of my blood.”

  “And you’re offering it?”

  This was the part I had kept from Talin. But if giving a little more of my blood to Ceren would free my parents, it was worth the risk. If I couldn’t prevent the war entirely, at least I could make sure the Varenians were safe. I had considered asking Ceren for some of his blood in exchange, but I didn’t want to alert him to the fact that we knew how to break the blood bond. Besides, if the plan Zadie and I had come up with worked, we wouldn’t need it.

  “In exchange for the Varenians—all the Varenians—yes.”

  “I must say, I’m surprised you’re so loyal to those people. They have nothing kind to say about you.”

  I hated that the words stung, but I hated even more that I had questioned my own loyalty to them prior to this. Talking to Blaise and seeing the other Varenians at Old Castle had reminded me that just because some of them had turned their backs on me didn’t mean I should do the same in return. At the end of the day, I was the one who would live with my choices, and I chose to follow the same compass that had guided me to this moment.

  “You’re one to talk about loyalty, Ceren. What would your soldiers say about you if you removed the bloodstones?”

  He laughed dryly. “That’s the difference between us, Nor. I don’t care what they think.”

  I wanted to believe it was a bluff. The dream-memory belied his words. But he had been a child then. I had to remember that the years since had warped him. “Is there nothing I can say to prevent this war? No truce you would agree to?”

  He almost looked sorry for me. “This was inevitable, Nor. Talia was always going to try to claim the throne in the name of her children, and I was never going to allow it to happen.”

  “Even though you’re not the rightful heir? You haven’t turned twenty-one yet, and you know how Ilarean succession works. Your little sister is your father’s heir.”

  “Ah yes, Princess Zoi. How is the little brat?”

  “She’s four years old. You can’t possibly resent a child.”

  He tossed his hair over his shoulder. “My father would still be alive if it weren’t for that child and her conniving mother.” He stared past me, to where Talin and the other soldiers waited. “I can see my brother hasn’t changed. Still watching over you like a hawk.”

  “He wouldn’t have to if you could be trusted.”

  He arched an eyebrow. “I have been honorable, haven’t I?”

  Today, I thought bitterly. There had been nothing honorable about his treatment of me in New Castle.

  “So those are your terms? Your blood in exchange for the Varenians?” His tone was nonchalant, but if he was considering the deal, he must need my blood even more than I’d realized.

  I nodded. “Yes.”

  “And how will we make this proposed exchange?”

  “Tomorrow, same place, same time.” I took a deep breath, hoping Ceren couldn’t see the sweat dripping from my forehead. “You can cut my arm and collect a single bowl of blood.”

  “In exchange for all of the Varenians? That hardly seems like a fair trade.”

  “Fair trade” was not a term Ceren had any right to throw around. “If you’re so intent on this war and so sure you’re going to win it, then one more bowl of blood should be all you need.”

  Something gleamed in his eyes, and I had the terrible feeling he had tricks up his sleeve I couldn’t anticipate. “Fine,” he bit out. “I’ll agree to your terms. Tomorrow, same time, same place. Once the deal is complete, the truce is off. By the end of this week, Ilara’s fate will be sealed.”

  I nodded. “Very well. I’ll relay the terms to Talia.”

  He started to turn, then reined his horse back around. “One more thing, Nor. I need to know if it works both ways.”

  I narrowed my eyes. “What do you mean?”

  “Can you see my memories in your dreams, or do I alone hold that honor?”

  My blood ran cold at his words. “What?”

  “Little Nor, writhing in agony from the wound on your cheek.” He touched his face where my scar was. “Being scolded by your mother for your sister’s failings. You want to be loved so badly, Nor, and that will always be your greatest weakness.”

  Ceren had violated me many times before: touching me without permission, locking me up, stealing my blood. But somehow this was worse. “Stay out of my head, Ceren.”

  “Why would I do that, when I enjoy watching you suffer so much?”

  I nudged Titania away, refusing to let him know how much his words disturbed me. “I’ve seen you, too, Ceren,” I said over my shoulder. “And you are as much of a child now as you were then.”

  26

  With the first part of my plan in place, we rode back to New Castle. Talin asked me repeatedly what deal we had made, but I wouldn’t tell him anything until Zadie, Sami, Ebb, Adriel, Osius, and Grig were present. This plan affected all of us.

  A part of me still couldn’t believe I had agreed to Zadie’s idea. When I’d told her that I planned to offer my blood in exchange for the Varenians, her protests had begun even before I finished speaking.

  “I won’t let you offer yourself up to Ceren like a fish on a platter,” she had said in the courtyard, her amber eyes blazing with anger. “I can’t believe you thought you could get away with this.”

  “I’m not going to tell Talin, and neither are you. You promised.”

  She folded her arms across her chest. “That was before I knew you’d completely lost your mind.”

  “Zadie, offering Ceren a little of my blood in exchange for the Varenians is a good deal. Frankly, we’ll be lucky if he even agrees to it.”

  Zadie and I had argued back and forth for nearly half an hour, neither one of us backing down. “Even if I trusted Ceren not to hurt you,” Zadie said, “you’d be winning the battle just to lose the war.”

  “And what do you propose?” I had shot back, exasperated. “If we do nothing and Talia marches on New Castle, Ceren will have the Varenians to use however he sees fit: as troops, cannon fodder, or collateral. And I’m not sure Talia cares enough about them to let that stop her.”

  She had paced for a few minutes, considering. “What if we only let Ceren believe he was getting your blood?”

  I shook my head. “Ceren isn’t stupid. He’ll want to collect the blood from my arm himself.”

  That was when Zadie had proposed her idea, and our arguing had only escalated from there. But I had recognized the same determination in her eyes I’d seen the night she scarred herself. I had always been known as the stubborn one, but when it came down to it, Zadie was even more obstinate than I was.

  Now, as Zadie explained to the gathering what we had agreed upon, it was Samiel who exploded in a fit of rage.

  “I can’t believe I’m hear
ing this!” he shouted, practically leaping from his chair. “We can’t send Zadie in Nor’s place. Assuming Ceren even falls for it, she doesn’t have Nor’s healing abilities. If he cuts too deep or too hard—”

  “He never has before,” Zadie said calmly.

  I turned to Talin, who was staring at me with silent, seething anger. “Say something,” I pleaded. I hadn’t expected him to like the idea of me offering my blood in exchange for the Varenians, but I had hoped he would at least understand why I did it.

  “I can’t believe you made a deal with Ceren without consulting me first,” he said finally.

  “I knew you’d never agree to it. Anyway, you should be thanking me. We needed to lure Ceren out of New Castle, and we have. There is a place where the forest grows relatively close to Ceren’s camp. You can ride there under cover of darkness tonight with your troops. When we make the exchange, we’ll give a signal. By the time Ceren realizes what we’ve done, you’ll have cut him off from New Castle and the rest of his army.”

  I was afraid Talin would dismiss the deal outright, but he closed his eyes for a moment before speaking. “I need to discuss this with my mother. We’ll meet again in an hour.” When he opened his eyes, they went straight to me, and I half hoped he would ask me to stay so we could talk through this. Instead, he dismissed us all with a wave of his hand.

  Sami and Zadie disappeared to their room to argue in private. Adriel followed me back to our room in silence. Once the door was closed, she had plenty of say.

  “I hope you know what you’re doing.” She flopped down on her bed, arms and legs stretched out like a starfish. “Because I have absolutely no idea.”

  “Zadie wants to do this, Adriel. And I’d be a hypocrite if I wouldn’t let her do the very thing I proposed. She asked me to trust her, and believe me, knowingly putting my sister in harm’s way is one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do. But she’s braver than people realize—than I realized—and I believe she can do this.”