Heart on Fire

by Amanda Bouchet

  Griffin is nearly old enough to be Kaia’s father and just as authoritative. She moves closer to me and hangs her head, duly intimidated and apparently mute.

  “She followed me,” Piers says tightly, dismounting as well. “I don’t know how she got out of Castle Sinta—dressed like that and with a horse—and I only realized she was on my trail when I was nearly to Kitros.”

  Resourceful girl. I nudge her arm, smiling a little. And good for her for not giving Piers her secrets.

  With a quick flash of a grin, Kaia smiles back, her head still ducked.

  If Piers could kill me with the evil eye alone, he would. Griffin doesn’t look happy, either, but I don’t know if it’s because of my nudge and smile, or because Kaia spent time on the road alone.

  “I didn’t have time to take her back,” Piers says in grudging explanation, “so I took her with me.”

  “To the bloody Agon Games? What were you thinking!” Griffin explodes.

  “I didn’t know what they’d be like!”

  I snort, and Piers has the good sense to try again.

  “I didn’t know they’d be quite like that. It was more horrible and violent than I ever imagined.”

  I stare at him in disbelief, the fear and pain still fresh in my mind and muscles. Horrible and violent doesn’t even begin to describe it.

  Piers swings his gaze back to me again. “And then there was your victory visit to Castle Tarva. That worked out well for you, didn’t it?”

  There’s a snide undercurrent in Piers’s words again, as if confronting dangerous enemy royals and taking over Tarva were just to satisfy some little whim of mine.

  I cross my arms, mainly to keep from reaching out and smacking him. “Would you rather it hadn’t worked out, and we’d all died?”

  His jaw clenches hard, a muscle bouncing out on one side. “That’s not what I said.”

  “Just what you implied.”

  He shakes his head, his features tightening in anger once again. “There were other, less dangerous ways to go about it.”

  “Like what? Throwing nameless, faceless soldiers at Galen Tarva instead of ourselves? He would have opened up a chasm in the ground that swallowed them whole, which is exactly what he tried to do to me in his own throne room. Who’s expendable, then? Anyone you don’t know?” I glare at Piers, disgusted now. “That’s leadership for you.”

  “Cat…” Griffin’s voice holds a hint of warning, urging me to back down. I understand. Soldiers have an important role, and I shouldn’t forget it. Griffin knows what armies can do. He’s led them.

  “Leadership is making wise decisions based on rational thought,” Piers snaps.

  “Leadership is actually leading, not using others as a shield while you shout orders and hop around in the back.”

  Piers’s eyes widen in obvious shock. Ha!

  Griffin grips my arm above my elbow, squeezing lightly. “Piers fought alongside me. Alongside us.” By us, he means Carver, Kato, and Flynn. My friends. My team. “And there was no hopping around in the back.”

  His censorious tone rankles, but I guess I did just shoot my mouth off about something I wasn’t there for and didn’t really know about.

  Frowning slightly, I extract my arm from Griffin’s hold. “I know Piers rides out on patrol. I know he can fight.” And that’s as much of an apology as he’ll get.

  “How do you plan to hold on to Tarva?” Piers asks. “Taking over a realm isn’t the same thing as keeping it.”

  If you ask me, we’ve already done the hard part.

  “The army you’re building might come in useful.” There. Another concession.

  I hear the sarcasm that creeps into my voice, though. So does Griffin. He looks at me sharply, probably disapproving of my hostility.

  I almost roll my eyes. If Piers weren’t his brother, Griffin would have knocked him senseless by now for speaking to me the way he has.

  For Griffin’s sake, I attempt a more neutral tone. “Honestly? I don’t think it’ll be much of an issue if all the Tarvans cheering at the castle gate are any indication. Then again, their last Alpha was a mass-murdering megalomaniac, so it’s hard to do worse.”

  Piers laughs a little—dryly. Does he think I’m worse? Please. Galen Tarva leveled an entire neighborhood in his own backyard just to send a message to my mother. He scared her enough that she offered up my unique skills—and me—just to keep him off her back. And when one psychotic monster is frightened of the other… Well, that’s saying something.

  Piers breathes deeply, the long inhale making his chest expand. His slate-colored eyes meet mine. “Can I speak with you for a moment? Alone.”

  Wariness tingles up my spine and then sweeps down my arms, making my knife hand twitch. I glance at Griffin. His brow furrows, but he nods, not seeming overly worried about Piers’s request. I have no idea what Piers could have to say to me that he can’t say in front of Griffin and Kaia. Their presence hasn’t exactly been holding him back.

  “All right.” My reluctant agreement comes with a quick and automatic inventory of any magic I could use to defend myself—none. The magic I absorbed during the Agon Games was lost to injuries and exhaustion afterward, and Piers already knows I can detect lies and turn invisible, so popping out of sight won’t even surprise him.

  There are always physical weapons. I’ve got my knives, and a sword, but I doubt Griffin would appreciate my taking a blade to his brother, no matter how annoying Piers might get. Betrayal and backstabbing just aren’t done. Not in his family, anyway.

  CHAPTER 2

  Piers leads me fifty paces from the road. The distance seems excessive to me, but what do I know? I’ve never had a private argument with him before. I have to skirt tumble bumbles and low-lying scrub that he can just step over with his prowling, long-legged strides. The trek over uneven terrain leaves me winded, and I have to wonder how baby Eleni, who I wasn’t even feeling a week ago and who’s probably only the size of a little bean, could be so damn heavy all of a sudden.

  I’ll have to scold her when she comes out. Gently. Maybe. Or maybe not at all?

  “Far enough, Piers.” I try to mask my shortness of breath with a brusque tone. “What do you want?”

  “Give it up,” he says plainly. “Stop here.”

  “Stop here?” I look at my feet.

  He scowls, irritated by my deliberate obtuseness. “You’ve got two realms. Stop before anyone else dies. Anyone you care about.”

  That was low. And hit hard. “I’m not the one orchestrating this. This comes straight from Olympus.”

  “The Gods have decided that you should rule all of Thalyria?” Snide. Again.

  “Do you think I can’t?” Do I think I can? No choice, really. Not anymore.

  “I think you’re a hotheaded egomaniac, and I have no idea why Griffin puts up with you.”

  “Awww. I’m blushing.” I fan myself because I need to. The little bean in my belly seems to be heating me from the inside out. “I like you, too.”

  Piers’s face contorts into something rather unattractive for an attractive man. Physically, at least. “You’re unbelievable.”

  I shrug. “I can’t help being special.”

  His face pinches even more. “Stop for a moment and think about what you’re doing. You could propel Thalyria into an endless war. It could go on for generations. Is that really the legacy you want?”

  “That’s already been going on for generations. It’s beyond ridiculous to blame me for it.”

  “The only wars I’ve seen in my lifetime have been started by you and Griffin.”

  Actually, that’s all Griffin. He took Sinta with an army. He fought battles and won. Then we took over Tarva together with our own blood, sweat, and agony.

  “That’s only because you hadn’t seen a Power Bid yet. And what went on in between realm wars wa
sn’t much better,” I point out. “Raids. Thievery. Abuse. There hasn’t been lasting peace in centuries.”

  “There might have been, at least for Sinta.”

  I shake my head. “All our sources say Sinta was about to get invaded by Acantha Tarva and her endless supply of snakes, and we wouldn’t have been able to stop her without the Ipotane.”

  “Ipotane you risked your lives to ensnare and then didn’t even use. Now we have horse-people crawling all over our border for no reason because you took it a step farther before anyone even attacked.”

  “Isn’t that the goal in life?” I ask. “People don’t generally say, ‘Good job! You took a step back.’ We took care of the Tarvan threat and gained a realm in the process. I have no idea why you’re being such a prick about it instead of patting us on the backs.”

  Piers’s evil eye turns epic. “The army isn’t fully trained or equipped yet, but it’s big enough to deter an invasion. Instead, you went ahead with a half-cocked plan that risked my family’s safety. And before that, you traded Cassandra’s life on a what-if.”

  No one means more to me than my husband and my team, and if Piers throws Cassandra’s death in my face one more time, I swear I’ll throw something back.

  “Since you were at the Games,” I say through gritted teeth, “I’m sure you know she’s not the only one who paid in blood.”

  “She’s the only one who’s dead.” Piers’s livid stare cuts straight through me. “And you could have stopped it.”

  I take a slow, deep breath, striving to control my baser impulses. “What is this really about? Your family? Thalyria? Me? The fact that you don’t agree with my choices but other people do?” I scoff. “Pick something and stick to it. Or let’s just agree to disagree. I don’t have all day.”

  His eyes narrow. “Too busy being a queen?”

  “Yes, actually. And I’m not a queen. I’m the Queen.” I wave my hands around. “There’s a lot to do.”

  “Like invade Fisa?”

  His hostile tone is really starting to grate on me, and my patience is far from legendary. That’s something I’ll have to work on before Little Bean makes her grand appearance.

  “Among other things,” I answer dryly. Here I am, defending something I don’t even want to do. If I never see Mother again, it’ll still be too soon. “Are you with us, or against us?” In the end, that’s all that really matters.

  Piers stiffens all over. “I’m never against my family.”

  My Kingmaker Magic flares to life with a blast of scorching heat. I feel the exclusion in his words, the truth pummeling me almost as hard as a lie would. To Piers, I’m not part of his family.

  Even coming from someone I’ve never gotten along with, being so clearly set apart stings.

  “Griffin wants to unite the three realms. That was his idea. You know that, and it was Poseidon who pushed him in my direction. Zeus, Hades, Athena, and Artemis have all helped us in some way. They’re backing us, and all we want is to make Thalyria a place worth living in again, like it used to be before the kingdom split and the Alphas turned all greedy and demented. Working against me means working against Griffin and everything he hopes to accomplish.” I study Piers, looking for some sign of the reason and intelligence on which he prides himself. “You must see that.”

  “Then why did he crown you? Why is he putting the power in your hands instead of his own?”

  Frankly, I wish he wasn’t. Griffin knows that. So does everyone we’re close to—I thought. But I’ve learned the hard way that the Fates don’t just go away. They dog your heels and bite you in the back. Destiny isn’t something you can ignore, and in my case, Griffin made sure of it.

  Piers wasn’t there when we told the rest of Griffin’s family about our time on the Ice Plains. They must have filled him in, but I say it again. “Artemis told us I’m the Origin. In essence, the new beginning. That means whatever we construct—hopefully a unified Thalyria where people aren’t living in fear of their royals most of the time—somehow starts with me. But Griffin and I will rule together. Of course we will.”

  “Until you decide you want all the power for yourself.”

  I look at him, completely taken aback. Is Piers blind? Deaf? “When have I ever given any indication of wanting that?”

  “It’s in your blood,” he says flatly. “You won’t be able to stop yourself.”

  “Oh, that’s fair.” I toss up my hands. “If your father was a murderer, I should just assume you’re one, too?”

  His eyes narrow. “You are a murderer.”

  My jaw drops in outrage. “I am not my mother.”

  “Yet. And you’re still a murderer.”

  He’s completely convinced. My magic only used to detect lies, except on very rare occasions. Truths mainly came to me as a natural by-product of falsehoods. Since I met Griffin, my magic can also flare hot and painful for truly strong, heartfelt honesty. Right now, the burn in my bones is telling me that Piers means every word.

  “I’ve only ever killed in self-defense. Or in the defense of others,” I say past the knot forming in my chest. “You’ve fought in a war. How is that any different from what I’ve done?”

  “I saw you in the Games. That’s killing for sport.”

  “We didn’t go there for fun. Or glory.” Anger and emotion are starting to get the upper hand and staying calm takes a real effort. “We went hoping to win the opportunity to confront Galen and Acantha Tarva without putting anyone in danger but ourselves. And we spared anyone we reasonably could in the arena, even the creatures. More people made it out of those Agon Games alive than they have in centuries.”

  Piers sneers. “Oh, yes. Elpis. I forgot.”

  That’s it. Fury heats my blood to the boiling point, and if it were possible to actually see red, I would. “I’ve had enough. Go home. Don’t help. Be impartial if you want to, just don’t get in my way.”

  “My way?” Piers loads enough scorn into his voice to sink a ship. “See? It’s starting already.”

  The urge to pummel him rocks me hard. I curl my hands into fists, but I turn on my heel and walk away before I do something I’ll regret.

  “Bloody sanctimonious bastard,” I mutter as I start back toward Griffin and Kaia. Being moved to physical violence is the easy and natural path for me, and my whole body almost vibrates with the need to pounce and pound. I’m trying to control myself and learn better habits, but Piers is making it hard.

  He suddenly grabs my wrist from behind and jerks me to a stop. I swing around, just barely stopping myself from punching him with my free hand. My lips draw back in a snarl, baring my teeth, and I have to hold on to my thigh to keep my fist from flying up. I’m too filled with rage to hear what he’s saying at first, but then I realize the pattern is a chant, and the words are familiar.

  No! Dread slams into me, replacing my fury with fear. I’ve heard those ancient words before, on the Ice Plains. Only there, different rules applied. Here…

  “Stop!” I cry, trying to break his grip on my wrist. “You don’t know what you’re doing!”

  Piers talks faster, louder. He’s Hoi Polloi, but that doesn’t matter. You don’t need to be Magoi to make this work.

  His stone-cold eyes glint with determination, and I let my fist fly, trying to punch him in the throat. I get him, but not hard enough to shut him up. His next words come out hoarse but still too distinct to break the flow of the chant. He starts a new, treacherous repetition, bringing us all closer to terrible danger.

  Jerking hard on the wrist he’s holding, I pull him closer and plant my foot in his groin. Or try to. He’s quick and pivots. I hit his hip, jarring the bones in my foot and ankle. Piers hardly moves, absorbing the blow in the same way Griffin would have. He keeps chanting.

  “Cat!” Griffin shouts my name from the road. Panic wells up, making my heart pump double time. He can’t be
here for this.

  I shift my stance and send a quick and powerful knee toward Piers’s gut. He swipes his free arm down and blocks me with his forearm, throwing me off-balance. Before I can recover, he spins me around and pulls me up against his chest, limiting my mobility.

  “Cat!”

  I look up and see Griffin coming for me at a dead sprint. Piers wraps both his arms around my torso, squeezing and lifting me to my toes. My leverage is gone, and I can hardly breathe with my chest flattened under muscles that are thicker and stronger than I ever thought. I grab for my knives, but I have to reach over Piers’s arms, and my fingers just barely graze the hilts. There’s no way I’ll get them out of my belt loops like this.

  “Stop chanting!” I claw at his arms, digging my fingernails into his skin. Blood slicks the backs of his forearms and coats my palms. “It’s not too late!”

  The old words keep tumbling into my ears, fast and low. I bang him in the shins with my boot heels, but Piers ignores me, my thumping feet, and my scraping nails. He begins another repetition.

  Part of me knows I’m not fighting him as hard as I could. Respect and affection for Griffin’s family hold me back. And Piers will stop. This is just to scare me, to get me to back off. Isn’t it?

  I use my head to crack him in the jaw. His chant stumbles, but only for a moment, and I see stars.

  Griffin is almost on top of us now, a look of absolute fury twisting his face. Kaia isn’t far behind.

  “Run!” I shout to him. “Take Kaia and run!”

  My voice holds enough of the panic I’m feeling to make him hesitate. He slows, his near-wild eyes swinging back and forth between his sister and me.

  “Get her out of here!” I scream with the last of my breath.

  Piers’s grip tightens painfully, and he starts backing away from them, dragging me with him. He shows no sign of abandoning his folly, forcing me to trade his safety for ours. I stop hesitating and try to muster the lightning that would definitely—and possibly permanently—shut him up.

  Nothing happens. No lightning. Not even a spark. The Olympian magic in my blood has a fickle mind of its own, and it fails me yet again. Only panic leaps through my veins, along with an icy current of dread.