The Tangled Tree

by S. K Munt

  They: he’d been pointing in Karol and Kohl’s general direction. Tears of fear filled my eyes and I tried to sit up. ‘Kohén-’

  ‘Are you insisting that there is a reasonable explanation for all of this that would clear your name, Prince Kohén?’ Dulcie demanded, but she looked at me. There wasn’t, not by half, but there were plenty of reasons to explain why he wasn’t exactly a villain either, so I nodded miserably and Dulcie blinked in shock. ‘Well… that’s…’ she scratched her head. ‘Well…’

  ‘It’s how it is,’ I said quietly. ‘And it is unfair that Kohén is copping the fallout for it all.’

  ‘I’m so tired...’ Kohén sagged against the wall and rubbed at his eyes, clearly beleaguered by his life even though sparks were still shooting all over the place from his fingertips. ‘We might have gotten through it all unscathed- especially after how you leapt to mother’s defence and ran from the chance to escape yesterday... but I swear, Amelia-Rose is spreading all of her own theories all over the place now that I’ve turned down her request to attend the ball with her- whispering lies into the wrong ears... and it’s escalating the tension because people believe that butter wouldn’t melt in her mouth! Then you scared me so much that I lost sight of the bigger picture and brought you out in a panic, and needless to say- having you seen wearing a sheet while your eyes were rolling back into your head didn’t exactly do me any favours, you know? And if word gets out that I didn’t let Karol in to treat you-’

  ‘Well you should have let him!’ Dulcie insisted.

  ‘I’m glad he did not!’ I threw in, feeling desperate.

  ‘Why?’ Dulcie demanded. ‘Why why WHY?”

  ‘It is not your concern!’ Kohén thundered. ‘But you saw what happened when you mentioned it!’ Kohén turned to me. ‘Larkin I was going to bring him in, I swear it- all that mattered to me was keeping you alive and I knew that he would have been a fool to try and do anything stupid while you were so close to death! But then it was like you knew that I was about to agree, and you went into cardiac arrest!’

  My heart skipped a beat. ‘Oh my God! Yes- I do remember that!’ I nodded, sitting up and swinging my legs off the bed. ‘I heard someone demand it and the idea of it sent me into a panic and… and the next thing I know, I was waking up here…’ I frowned at Kohén, confused. ‘How did you…?’

  Kohén pointed at me. ‘Look under your sheet and see for yourself.’

  I looked down, lifting the sheet away from my chest- and gasped to see the perfect handprint burned into my breastplate and breast- exactly where my heart was. ‘You electrocuted me?’

  ‘Mother made me- she said it was a way to get the heart started again- she’d seen father do it to me when I was stung by wasps.’ Kohén moved over to me, cupping my face and forcing me to look up. ‘I was so terrified that I’d kill you faster, but it worked so I guess your heart really had stopped already. And the moment your heart rate started to stabilise, mother had us plunge you into an ice cold bath. That brought your temperature down for long enough for Dulcie to recover her strength and we’ve been in here all night since, keeping you cool while running fluids through your system.’

  I looked down at my chest again, not sure if I was grateful that he’d saved my life- or unhappy about it. ‘And I didn’t have any other issues after the heart failure?’

  ‘No,’ Kohén kissed my forehead, then folded me into his arms. ‘I guess you just needed to be shocked out of whatever state you were in, and now that we know you haven’t eaten or drunk anything besides peach wine in days, I understand while the intravenous fluids have helped… and why you were weak enough to manifest such anxiety to begin with.’

  ‘She should be fine, once we get the healer from Rachiel in here to fix what we cannot with our treatments- the exterior stuff,’ Dulcie said sombrely, bending to pick up the scattered curlers and watching Kohén’s hands warily while addressing me. ‘And once you’ve eaten again…I don’t see any reason why you won’t feel back to normal in a few hours. Like Kohén said it wasn’t an illness so much as a spell.’

  ‘But the damage done to my reputation…’ Kohén sighed and stepped back, running his hands through his hair and staring at a spot above my head. ‘I just don’t know if there’s a Nephilim in the world that can heal that any time soon, and if that’s the case, then I’ll just have to live with that.’

  ‘Live with what?’ I asked, not understanding.

  Kohén smiled weakly, and it was a broken smile if I’d ever seen one. ‘My people hating me. My people hating me and likely demanding that my twin brother be handed my crown…until I can prove them wrong about me.’

  I frowned. ‘People wouldn’t demand that, would they? And the king wouldn’t agree to it. We were scared of him taking your crown over the ball stuff last night but when you really think about it, he’d only punish himself by doing that. I mean, he knows that so long as you have me in the bag, you have this…’ I touched the diamonds at my throat. ‘But if you lose the crown, you lose the harem and me and Pacifica’s wealth with it, right?’

  ‘I don’t nkow what to think,’ Kohén yawned, covering his mouth as he sank onto the mattress at my hip. ‘The love of his people is worth more than diamonds, you know. Like God, the king is only powerful as his subjects allow him to be…’ he lay back across my hips and stared at the ceiling foggily, ‘and Atticus can still buy you with them if you are released from my evil clutches, can’t he?’

  I frowned. ‘You don’t seem as frightened as I feel right now. Then again, you’re not the one that’s likely going to end up in a blue caste brothel to be bid on or with Kohl’s well-being on your-’

  ‘Don’t be like that,’ Kohén chided me as he looked sideways at me sharply, reminding me that I couldn’t speak freely concerning Kohl’s fate in front of a witness, ‘I do not seem frightened because I do not believe it will come to that. Hold on...’ He sat up and said: ‘Dulcie, Larkin and I have something to discuss in private. Now that you’ve seen that she’s on my side here, could you please go tell my mother- and anyone else hanging off that bloody door- that Larkin is up, talking, not screaming for her freedom and fully intending on going to that godforsaken ball tonight to shut them the hell up?’

  ‘What?’ I gasped, but Kohén waved at me to indicate to hold on, while I practically panted with fear and excitement. I did not want to go to that ball- but now that I knew that Ora was getting angry with the family and that the other Companions were making things worse now that I’d settled Constance down, well, I was probably going to need another drip soon.

  ‘Of course, your highness,’ Dulcie said softly, bowing gently before crossing to the door- all respect and submission again. I didn’t know if that was because she believed that he was innocent of the crimes he’d been committed of or because he’d scared her with his temper, but I didn’t care- I needed to talk to Kohén alone. ‘Anything else I should say?’

  ‘Yeah- tell them that you heard her declare her love and that we’re all snuggly-wuggly, okay? In fact, tell them that I’m going to have a nap beside her because I haven’t the strength or desire to leave her side right now.’

  ‘Yes, your highness,’ Dulcie said, but closed the door with a clack that was louder than it needed to have been.

  ‘She thinks we’re both nuts, you do know that, right?’ I asked him after she’d left.

  ‘Actually she thinks I’m a kidnapping rapist that would have let you die before allowing my brother to come to your rescue- and she thinks you’re a brainwashed ninny,’ Kohén joked as he sat back down on the bed before laying down so that his head was on the pillow next to mine.

  ‘Seems legitimate about now…’ I remarked as I wriggled over, making space for him.

  ‘None of that. Now, as for the other stuff...’ Kohén glanced over me as though checking to make sure the door was shut, and then nodded in satisfaction to see that it was before lying back down again and taking my good hand, squeezing it. ‘I’m master of ceremonies now- or w
as, they may have changed their minds about that- but irregardless of who does all of the announcing tonight, I’ve already seen what Karol has planned for the evening, and so I know that after the fireworks go off at midnight tonight...’ He twisted to face me, smiling. ‘You’ll be able to leave this room- safe in the knowledge that Karol cannot legally lay a hand on you without losing his crown, his kingdom’s respect- and his future wife.’ He wriggled his eyebrows. ‘Care to venture a guess as to what’s going to happen to make all of that possible, my swan?’

  ‘Oh!’ The dizziness came rushing back but it was the giddy, delighted sort this time! ‘He’s going to ask Ora to marry him? Honestly?’

  ‘Proposal on the gazebo on the lawn at twelve-fifteen,’ Kohén whispered, and I almost whooped in delight. ‘Wish granted, Lark- you’re about to see your first Barachiel queen!’ I clapped my hands together happily, and Kohén grinned, nodding to communicate that he shared in my relief. ‘So no, I won’t risk you going to the masquerade before that has happened, of course, but you’re going after, and as soon as you’re out there…’ he smacked my backside playfully, ‘the tongues will stop wagging and start clucking again.’

  ‘You really think so?’

  Kohén chuckled. ‘Well, unless you plan on racing out crying for help repeatedly and throwing knives at me, yes.’ He forced me to lie back against the pillows as he traced the line of my lips with his fingertip. ‘You will be beautiful, obviously content, healed and on my arm, and none of the damage that had been done prior to that moment will count after you’ve proven to them that you’re not dead or in shackles- I am certain of it.’

  ‘But it will be so late!’ I whispered. ‘Who’s ever heard of someone showing up to a ball after midnight?’

  ‘Trust me when I say that no one’s going to have a ball until you show up,’ Kohén remarked dryly, ‘least of all- me. And since when has an Eden ball ever wrapped up before four a.m.?’ Kohén yawned again. ‘You’ll have plenty of time to make an impression after his proposal, and my duties- if I still have any- wrap up as soon as those fireworks start going off, so I’ll not have to let you out of my sight or grip for even a second. In fact, even with the engagement, I’ll still be keeping you a safe distance from Karol and Kohl after, just to be safe…’ he yawned once more. ‘And so long as they keep their wits about them- no trying to cheat on Ora for Karol, no crying jag and horse thievery for Kohl- everything will fall into place from there. And I don’t see why they would try to come between us anyway… I mean, we’ll all be officially escorting someone and you’ll be required to dance only with me as well, so they won’t have a valid reason for trying to separate us anyway.’

  ‘And you honestly believe that that will keep me safe from Karol?’ I worried my lip with my front teeth. ‘I don’t know Kohén- he has my word to come to him and I must honour that. If I could fight him or strike him or scream in good conscience it would be one thing, but if I try that… Lindy and Coaxley will suffer for it, I just know it! Even from this far away, he could hurt them couldn’t he?’

  ‘Not before I could warn them darling- that I can promise you as well,’ Kohén sighed. ‘But yes, I still fear what Karol might do if he gets you alone before then- we both know there are plenty of hiding places in this palace that he could take you if he got it into his head to try and call in that IOU before the clock strikes midnight… but I don’t believe he will try anything once he’s engaged to Ora which is why I’m all right with you making a late appearance. It’s one thing to crave a woman and try to sow some wild oats in your last days or hours as a single man- but to start an international incident over it once you’re considered betrothed? To lose his crown? No, he wouldn’t be that stupid.’

  ‘You would,’ I pointed out, and Kohén laughed, pulling me into his side.

  ‘And that’s why you love me- and don’t you forget it.’

  ‘Because you’re the insane-est of them all?’

  ‘And you the fairest- it’s a perfect match.’

  I sighed, staring at his wan complexion. ‘If you believe that everything will fall into place, why the rage and despair?’

  He opened his eyes again, and I saw the toll this week had taken on them. ‘Because you and I are the only ones that know that I can fix this, and until I can demonstrate otherwise- I have to deal with a shit load of dissent amongst the ranks. Suffice to say that I am too tired to deal with Emmerly in a good mood right now, let alone her, Elfin and Lette in foul ones. And as Dulcie just demonstrated, people are getting pretty pissy with me and aren’t shy about saying so, so I’m getting foul looks or cursed at every time I turn a corner! And just to add salt to open, stinging wounds, I have to brand those three harem banshees this afternoon so that they will be at liberty to take home the most dashing, loaded, un-escorted men present tonight, and I dread that like you wouldn’t believe.’

  My heart sank at the idea of not being able to hold Emmerly’s hand as she was burned. ‘Really? Doesn’t that have to wait until after midnight too?’

  ‘No, that’s when Karol’s chosen few will be released- mine aren’t waiting for a wish to be granted or for a birthday to happen… they were free to leave the moment I released them. I only put off branding them until now because I knew they’d have to stay on here for a few days and had other things to deal with in the interim.’

  ‘Like me burning in Hell?’

  ‘Exactly.’ He sighed. ‘But they need to earn a living now, and they can’t do that until they have the silver Companion brand so…’ He curled closer to me. ‘Actually you know what? You should do it for me. I saved your life so you owe me one.’

  I slapped his shoulder. ‘Participate in that barbaric ritual? Let me within an inch of that branding iron and I will melt someone’s nose- not a female, third-born someone’s either...’

  Kohén moaned and buried his face into my breast, making me wince when he connected with the spot where my skin had been charred. ‘You know I didn’t create these customs myself…and the other girls were looking forward to getting their brands, hey?’

  ‘Then why the apprehension?’ I asked curtly. ‘If you’re so sure you’re doing the right thing, then shouldn’t you feel good about it?’

  ‘Because they anticipate the honour that will come with it- not the pain that I will have to inflict upon them in order to give them said honour. Plus only father and I will be present with the healer that comes, and so they’re going to feel as free to be as candid with me as Dulcie just was, and it’s not going to be pretty.’

  I shrugged. ‘Yeah well, you made your bed…’

  Kohén looked up at me. ‘I did,’ he said softly, touching my face, ‘but you are in it now, so if I have to stab every person in Calliel with a hot branding iron in order to keep it that way-’

  ‘You’re not funny,’ I whispered, leaning in to kiss him gently. ‘You know that right?’

  Kohén’s eyes fluttered open, dazzling me. ‘Liar. You laugh at all of my jokes- why do you think I want to marry you so much?’

  ‘Because everyone else hates you now?’

  Kohén chuckled, closing his eyes. ‘Hmm… maybe…but everyone loves you so tell me Larkin…’ he opened his eyes and regarded me intently. ‘Why didn’t you run when you had the chance yesterday? Was it because of Kohl?’

  ‘Yes,’ I said honestly, and his face contracted with pain, but I smiled gently and brushed his hair out of his face, finding it awkward to do with the cannula still attached. ‘And because you’re incredibly good-looking.’

  He arched an eyebrow. ‘That so?’

  ‘Yes. That’s all I ever wanted in a man. Someone who would give me beautiful child-’ I stopped myself, and felt my stomach tense. Oh God, I’d meant it as a joke but saying it out loud…

  ‘I will,’ he promised me. ‘I don’t know how- I admit that much, but I’ll find a way to give you children, Larkin Whittaker. And if not- we’ll just take someone else’s!’ he winked at me while I swatted at him. ‘Hey I’ve got an older
brother and a twin so they can carry on the family name while I carry you and the children we kidnap from the villages.’ I laughed at that even though it wasn’t funny given the ‘Given’ circumstances that I’d been taken from my mother in, but Kohén touched my lips and whispered: ‘There it is again- that beautiful sound. Told you I was funny.’

  I nodded and snuggled closer to him and when I did my sheet slipped down, reminding me of the precise reason for why I’d stayed with him: not because of Kohl and not because of Karol, but because of the scorch mark that had blistered my skin.

  I’d stay in Eden because I’d been branded by the prince at the age of five: right on the heart, and it was only now that he’d released the others that we could finally both make it clear to everyone.

  17.

  Kohén and I drifted off into an exhausted sleep but it felt as though my eyes had only just fluttered shut when I heard the door bang open again. It was Dulcie- she was returning to tell us that she’s passed on Kohén’s message and that his father had had two to give us in return- that Kohén was to get his ass upstairs directly, and that Dulcie was to immediately start seeing to my preparations for the ball.

  Kohén tried to protest that both he and I needed sleep if we were going to have the energy to attend a party after the night we’d just had, but Dulcie practically chased him out with a curling wand, saying she wouldn’t have Elijah’s anger with him on her head and that no one was going to believe that he intended me to go anywhere, so Kohén reluctantly made to leave.