It made a twisted sort of sense. Which didn’t mean it wasn’t a lie. But Zara could imagine the man Alexei had described doing just such a thing.
“Don’t bother assuming me a liar,” Rowan went on, as if he could hear her thoughts. “My gift confirmed the truth of it. He meant to conceal the Rose in a seldom used part of the castle, but fate intervened. Poor clumsy fool. He tripped on the stairs and dropped the most precious item in the world.”
A sharp, indrawn breath indicated Alexei’s shock.
“Yes.” Rowan sighed and his mouth drooped in what looked like genuine pain. “He broke it. The fabled Crystal Rose shattered into a thousand pieces.”
“Three!” Porfiry’s shriek splintered the horrified silence that descended, on the hall and on Alexei’s hopes. “It was only three pieces, and I never told you it was whole, only that I knew where it was. That was no lie!”
Then there had never been a future to hope for. Not for Alexei, and not for his people. There was no Rose to be found. And now that Rowan had gained entry to the castle, there would be no means of denying it again unless Athven chose to do so. Considering that the cat had apparently spoken to him mind to mind, and had even now begun to twine herself around the wretch’s ankles, Alexei doubted her allegiance could be counted on.
Silver was not an option either, much as Alexei would enjoy seeing Rowan wrapped in silver chains. The Erathi never used silver, and for all Alexei knew, even the presence of the metal within Athven’s walls might prove damaging. It would certainly be a threat to her bond with Zara. Alexei was not willing to risk Zara’s life, even for the sake of defeating the man who nearly killed him.
“Supposing this is true…” Zara’s voice did not waver even once. Alexei found that even without hope, he could appreciate her audacity. She was afraid, but fear only seemed to make Zara bolder. “What does it have to do with us? You can have no purpose here. Athven Nar is the home of Erathi sovereigns, not rejected Andari princelings.”
“Oh no?” Rowan said softly, a dangerous glint in his eye. “Then neither is it home to abandoned, homeless treasure hunters, and yet here you are.”
A surge of anger threatened Alexei’s determination to remain silent. He had never felt such an overwhelming urge to beat a fellow human to a bloody pulp. Not even his cousin. The realization shocked him into remaining still, despite his rage, though his gaze shifted to Zara, willing her to remember that she was not abandoned and homeless anymore.
“If one of us must be labeled abandoned and homeless, I think you will find it is not I,” Zara announced coolly. “I have a home, with Athven and I have found her quite hospitable, for a cat. And I have friends, who could have abandoned me if they chose and they have stayed.” She stepped forward, chin lifted, until she stood only a short distance in front of the tall, golden prince. “Of the two of us, I am not the one who is forced to resort to compulsion to keep from being alone.”
Rowan burst out laughing. “Athven told me I would like you, and she was more right than she knew. I am so looking forward to our partnership.”
“I don’t think you understand,” Zara said softly. “There is no partnership. There will never be a partnership.”
“It is you, I fear, who does not fully understand,” Rowan said. He spoke slowly and gently, as if to a child. “Perhaps Athven has not explained, but it is necessary. She has been searching for someone who can provide what she needs in order to survive. You have her gratitude, of course, for saving her, but your strength is not enough. She must bond with me as well, so that she can be fully herself once more. And when she has gained the use of my power, in addition to yours, all of us will benefit. Athven has agreed to grant me access to her limitless knowledge and wisdom, while she will be granted her chance at revenge. And you, Zara, will be free to search for your father.”
Zara froze. Indecision flitted across her features. “What do you mean ‘revenge’?”
“I have promised her the traitor’s life,” Rowan said simply.
Alexei shot a glance at Porfiry. His cousin’s eyes were closed and his lips were moving. Simply being inside Athven’s walls once more was probably more strain than his courage could bear.
“How could I be free to search?” Zara asked. “Surely Athven has told you…”
“He is trying to get rid of you, of course.” Alexei interrupted, willing her not to say more. There was so much he didn’t understand. Why had Athven changed her mind so suddenly? How could she propose to bond with an enemy? Those questions aside, Athven was clearly even more devious than they had given her credit for. She might have talked to the former prince, but clearly she hadn’t told him everything. And keeping Rowan in the dark might prove to be the difference between victory and defeat. “You know he will say anything to get you to agree. Once he joins your bond with Athven, he will have no further need of you and no desire for you to be underfoot, meddling in his plans. No matter what they whisper in your ear to try to convince you, they are both more interested in their own power than in you.”
“Please remember, I have no need to lie,” Rowan pointed out. “Especially once we are bound together, through Athven. She has told me the connection is a deep one, and you will be able to judge my sincerity for yourself.”
“What’s to stop you from killing me, before or after the bond is made?” Zara asked boldly. “You’d have what you want, so why would you share it?”
Alexei wanted to grin, but suppressed it. Zara had been quick to realize his intentions.
Rowan chuckled merrily. “Because in the first case, Athven would die with you, as you well know. And in the second”—he paused and appeared thoughtful—“I believe she has been honest with me on that point. Depending on the depth of the bond and the strength of Athven’s abilities at the time, there is a chance neither Athven nor I would survive its severing.”
Or at least so Athven had told him. Alexei wasn’t even sure how true it was. With three parts to a bond, the two remaining ought to be able to sustain one another, but it wasn’t as though Erathi history had very many examples. It was going to be tricky finding out what Athven had told him and what she hadn’t, but Alexei could at least be grateful that she had the foresight to protect Zara’s life.
Zara appeared to be lost in thought. Considering. Weighing.
“Zara, you don’t have to listen to him.” Alexei did not know what that look on her face meant, only that he could not let her agree to what Rowan proposed without knowing the consequences. The closeness of any magical bond, endured with a man like Rowan, would be a horror he could not bear to contemplate.
“Athven once suggested that it might not be up to me…” she said slowly. “She bonded with me the first time without my permission. Can she do this, as well, without my approval?”
“No,” Alexei told her firmly. “Not if she wants the benefits of a true partnership.” What Athven had apparently suggested was possible, but it was a despicable violation of free will that no Erathi would have agreed to participate in. That Athven had already done such a thing to Zara once—when the avatar was too weak to even be aware of what she was doing—Alexei had been willing to forgive. That she was still considering doing it a second time shook him deeply.
“He is correct, to a point,” Rowan agreed. “According to Athven, it is far better if the bond is made willingly. We would require your assent in order for all of us to receive the greatest benefit, but it is not impossible to forge a connection without it. I feel certain, however, that you will decide in our favor.”
Zara looked at Shadow, desperation in her eyes, but the cat only twitched her tail.
If you need help deciding,” Rowan put in softly, “I am certain I can provide it. Give me a chance. Let me show you that I can be what you need.”
“I don’t need you,” Zara hissed.
“But Athven does,” Rowan insisted. “Surely she has told you that you cannot give her what she requires. If Erath is to thrive, she requires power. Power I have. Together w
e could restore her to her former strength.”
“At what cost?” Zara asked, shaking her head. “I cannot imagine you having anything to say that could persuade me to do this.”
“What does Athven have to add?” Silvay asked unexpectedly.
“She hasn’t said anything,” Zara retorted.
But with another tortured groan of hinges, Athven made her wishes known. The door swung closed and sealed itself once again.
“I propose a truce,” Rowan announced, apparently undisturbed by the barrier between him and his army.
Had he known what Athven intended to do? Was she so fully committed to her choice that she was actively conspiring with him against them?
“There are far more of you,” he continued, truthfully enough, “and you could no doubt threaten my life should you so choose. However, I do have a certain amount of power and could most likely turn you against one another should it become necessary to defend myself. By Athven’s suggestion, why should we not agree to a trial? I will refrain from using my magic against you, and you in turn promise that I will go unharmed until a decision is reached.” He glanced at his erstwhile valet. “And Porfiry is to be safe as well. If we come to a bargain, his life belongs to Athven, and she might be angry if he is damaged before she has a chance to exact her revenge.”
“And what if you don’t like our decision? What if we reject your offer?” Alexei scoffed. “On our last meeting, your idea of losing graciously was to murder an old man because he was in your way.”
“And by doing so, I cleared a path for a new ruler, who is both fair and just, and who has freed many of your people from their chains. Do you object to the removal of a man who has caused the suffering and death of thousands during his reign?”
“I object to murder,” Alexei replied levelly. “It is not my right to decide who is guilty enough to deserve it.”
“Perhaps it is simply that you lack the will to do what must be done,” Rowan answered, his tone tinged with regret. “There must be those of us who do not shrink from making the difficult decisions, or from acting when the need is great.”
“I agree,” Zara said suddenly.
“What?” Alexei’s jaw dropped.
“To the truce,” she snapped, glaring at him before turning her glare on Rowan. “We won’t try to kill you in your sleep, and you keep your magic tentacles to yourself. If I catch you meddling with anyone’s head, the deal is off and Malichai gets to poison you.”
“What a very unromantic way to die.” Rowan smiled as though the thought did not trouble him very much. “But I have no plans to break our truce. I hope to spend my time convincing you that I mean no harm, and aiding Athven in showing you the many potential benefits of our partnership.”
“I’ll give you three days,” Zara told him flatly. “I will hear you out. I’ll even listen to Athven proselytize on your behalf. But it is my decision, and you’re both going to have to accept that.”
Rowan beamed as though she had handed him everything he desired. “I accept your challenge, my lady Zara. You will not regret accepting my offer. In three days, you will have seen what wonders could be accomplished if we only work together.”
Zara sighed and put her face in her hands. “I’m regretting this already.” She suddenly looked up and glanced at Porfiry, who appeared to have slunk farther and farther into the shadows with the hope of disappearing altogether. “What of the Betrayer?”
“As I said, he will belong to Athven after our bargain is complete.” Rowan waved a dismissive hand. “Until then, he need only remain undamaged.”
“Alexei, would you…” Zara widened her eyes beseechingly. “Take care of him for me? Keep him out of trouble? Make sure he’s comfortable?” The performance was entirely unlike her.
“Of course, my lady.” Alexei mimicked Rowan’s title for her, hoping it conveyed his understanding. “Porfiry will be safe with me.”
She had a plan, that much was clear. But unless she could find a private moment to tell him what it was, Alexei had no idea how to help. Neither could he imagine preventing himself from throttling his cousin. Still, he had promised Zara. According to the truce, Porfiry needed to be safe. Fortunately, he hadn’t promised anything about Porfiry being happy.
The Betrayer was about to answer questions twenty-six years in the making.
Chapter 13
Rowan’s first request under the terms of the truce was that his lady Zara would give him a tour of the castle. She rolled her eyes, but agreed, and Alexei gritted his teeth as the two of them walked off shoulder to shoulder, Rowan’s charm in full force. He wished he could trust that Rowan would keep his word and not use his magic to influence Zara’s decision. He wished he could trust that Athven would protect her from such an intrusion. But he could trust neither of them. Rowan because he had never earned it, and Athven because she had now more than once betrayed the confidence he had so blithely bestowed.
“He’s quite a piece of work, isn’t he?” Silvay observed thoughtfully, as soon as Rowan was out of earshot. “Fortunately, Zara’s a woman with enough experience to see through him. Smart too.” She grinned, and Malichai grinned back.
They both seemed to know something he didn’t. “Forgive me for not sharing your excitement,” he returned dryly. “Why are you so happy that someone we care about is now alone with the most appalling and dangerous man I have ever had the misfortune to meet?”
“You have it worse than I thought,” Malichai noted, still smiling. “If you weren’t so worried about your true love, you might have noticed that she arranged for us to be alone with your Betrayer.”
“Not my true love,” he responded automatically. “And I would be worried about anyone. I have every intention of asking my cousin some very pointed questions, but what makes you think Zara arranged it on purpose?”
Malichai strolled over to stand in front of Porfiry, holding his staff in one hand while casually smacking it into the palm of the other. “Weren’t you listening?” he asked. “Your little friend here said he broke the Rose into three pieces. And he still knows where it is.”
“What does it matter? It’s still broken. Nar is dead and there is no force on earth that can restore it.”
“But,” Silvay pointed out, “didn’t Zara say that Athven could feel the Rose? That she had them both searching for it even before we came?”
“Athven has not been precisely truthful,” Alexei retorted. “She could have been mistaken. Or trying to keep us here by giving us false hope.”
“But why bother with such a ruse with Zara? She knew nothing of the Rose and she had no hope of escape. I believe Athven was telling the truth.”
Despite all his efforts to quell it, a terrible hope rose in Alexei’s heart. “You are saying that you believe the enchantment could still be active. That if we can find it, it might be possible to…” He stopped himself. “You cannot be hoping that I can fix it.”
Silvay shrugged. “Do we have any other options? Any other ideas? Will it hurt anything to try?”
Alexei’s hands began to tremble, and he hastily closed his mind to the voice that begged him to believe in the impossible.
“There is no way for it to be fixed. Once broken, a crystal cannot be truly restored to what it once was.”
“But perhaps whatever you can do would be enough,” Silvay suggested quietly. “Zara clearly believed it, and I tell you now that I can see no other path.”
Alexei’s eye jerked to her face in spite of himself.
“No,” she admonished. “Even if I had Seen more, I could not say so. I risk much saying even that.”
“Very well,” Alexei agreed slowly. “I would be a fool to ignore the both of you, and I hope I am old enough to avoid falling into foolishness for the sake of my pride. But I will also not take this road without warning you that it has little chance of success.”
“Our chance of success will be much greater if we can keep our endeavors from coming to the attention of our guest,” Silvay said
, ever practical. “But I believe it can be done, if only because Athven is unlikely to interfere. If our princeling told the truth when he said he wanted the Rose, and Athven herself is only second best in his estimation, she will not want him taking it and leaving.”
“And it would also be in her interests to have the Rose whole, so she is unlikely to try to stop us.”
A smile drifted across Alexei’s face. Fool’s errand or no, this was something he could do. Or at least he would try. It would keep his mind off the thought of Zara alone with Rowan.
Even as his own memories of Rowan’s cruelty threatened to fill him with dread, Alexei reminded himself that Zara was not as vulnerable as she might seem. She was an intelligent, confident woman who was fully aware of what was at stake. Not only that, but she had given them a chance to fight back without breaking the terms of their truce. It was the only road Athven had left them and Zara had seen it before he had.
She might not be his true love, but she had certainly gained his respect. Brave, beautiful, and devious—he would never have assembled such a list of qualities had he been asked to describe the perfect woman, and yet, he wouldn’t wish to change the smallest thing about her.
Not even her impulsiveness, or her thorns, or her ridiculous habit of proposing at awkward moments.
“Let’s take him to the kitchen,” he said, pointing towards his shivering cousin, “and find out whether my traitorous relative has any sense of self-preservation.”
Without much apparent effort, Malichai picked up the squirming, protesting form of Porfiry and hoisted him over one broad shoulder. “Scrawny little thing, isn’t he?” Malichai muttered as he trudged off towards the kitchens. “I know you promised Zara you’d keep him safe, but does that mean we can’t rearrange him a little? You know, just until he talks?”
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