Of Blood and Deceit

by Rachel A. Collett

  I stepped from the stairwell to the hallway that took me to my room. A woman came from the opposite direction. When she saw me, she gasped, dropping the basket of linens. Sameen ran for me. I was tackled in an embrace too strong to pull away from. Her warmth soothed.

  She held me from her, searching my face. Tears streaked her cheeks. She clutched my arms, then pulled me inside the room, but before she shut the door she shouted an order to the stunned captain. “Call for a bath to be drawn. Immediately.”

  Mikael nodded, a strange expression on his face.

  I lazed in bliss as Sameen brushed my hair, drying it before a warm fire. I had bathed for more than an hour, washing the grime of the past few days from my body and soul. Sameen had washed my hair twice, massaging my scalp until the headache I’d been ignoring reduced to a dull throb. Then, she dressed me in a beautiful new nightgown fit for a queen. The white material draped so soft against my skin I barely stopped myself from cocooning within the folds of fabric. Scooped wide on my shoulders, it kissed the skin at my collarbone then fell to my toes. Lulled into a deep sense of relaxation, I sank in my comfortable chair, basking in the care of my maid’s attentions.

  Even after I told her the horrible truth of my lineage, Sameen still fussed over me as a true mother would. Why didn’t she care? Only Castiel had reacted rationally, but he was right to shun me as he did.

  I sat up, feeling the sting of his rejection acutely. He would never look at me the same again, but why did it bother me so much? Caught up in my thoughts, I didn’t hear Sameen’s question.

  “What?” I asked.

  She gave me an exasperated look and placed her hands on her hips. “I really think I should sleep in here with you. Should I have a guard bring in a cot?” She placed the brush on my vanity table.

  I waved off the suggestion. “Of course not. I’m not going to subject you to such uncomfortable sleeping arrangements.”

  “But—”

  “Thank you for your care.” I stood, stretching sore muscles.

  “I really think—”

  I wrapped her in my arms, embracing her. She froze.

  “Thank you,” I said into the material at her shoulder. “For always taking such good care of me.”

  She patted my back soothingly, then gathered my dirty linens and left me alone. For a long while I stared from my window, watching the sun set past the horizon. I pulled my chair closer to the glass and tucked my chilled feet beneath the folds of my nightgown. My mind raced yet could not complete a full thought. I was the Demon Daughter to the Wraith Queen. That title had to have spawned from somewhere. Had my uncle created it? Who else of my kingdom knew of my lineage?

  Guards walked the grounds in pairs, their torches dotting the gardens and fields. Did the pryor walk the grounds with them, escorted by the king’s soldiers? If she were the descendant of the Wraith Queen, that meant she was my grandmother, or even great-grandmother. I shook my head at the absurdity.

  Should I look for her? But even as I thought it, the answer twisted in my stomach. No.

  The creak of my bedroom door drew my attention. I tipped my head to the side, waiting. “If that’s someone here to kidnap me again, at least let me change into something else.”

  The door pushed open and Castiel entered. He wore tan breeches and an unbuttoned white top that exposed his muscled chest. He was barefoot. “Do you find that amusing, Princess?”

  My chin rose at his formal tone. “And what if I was serious?”

  Castiel spoke to someone behind him, their voices too low for me to understand. I rose from my chair. Reese’s familiar shadow stood just beyond the threshold. The prince closed the door.

  “What is going on?” I asked. “Another search?”

  “Your new sleeping arrangements. Reese is the only one who knows about it. The only one I trust with that secret, outside of my own brother.”

  “And just what are these new arrangements?”

  Castiel peered about the darkened room but he did not answer.

  I crossed my arms protectively over my heart. “I see you’re still not wanting to talk to me.”

  He walked to the fire to lean upon the mantle. The dying flames claimed his attention. “It wasn’t that I didn’t want to talk to you.”

  “Then what?”

  His fingers threaded through his thick, dark tresses. Finally, he looked to me. “What Melora said… what Cyris said—it was a lot to work through. I needed time to think.”

  “Oh, it was a lot for you to work through?” Although I tried to hide it, pain laced my words. “Well, I’m sorry it was so difficult. I know I’m a burden. I always have been.”

  He tsked. “You’re not a burden. I just had to figure things out.”

  “Whether or not to kill me?”

  He spun, shock twisting his features. “Of course not! For the love of Anolyn’s… I just can’t think clearly around you, Ilianna!”

  My heart broke at the sound of my name on his lips. “What is that supposed to mean?”

  Again, he said nothing. Frustration seared through me, deeply, painfully. Why did my eyes sting? Why did he affect me so much? My words tumbled out on a whispered sigh. “Just leave, Prince.”

  I moved toward my bed, wanting nothing more than to cast myself into its embrace, never to emerge.

  Suddenly, Castiel’s hand seized my wrist. He pulled me to him as his other arm snaked around my stomach and tucked me closer. I gaped and tried to wrench away, but his strength held me in place. His voice was rough at my ear, the sound vibrating deep into my chest. “Ilianna, I didn’t come here to argue.”

  “Then what?” I angled my head to glare, but my scowl fell flat against his weary expression. Like the other day when we had traveled together, he was so close, his mouth only a breath away. But this time I didn’t pull back. My gaze fell to his lips, so perfectly sculpted like the rest of him. His crystal blue eyes traveled my face. Heat sparked like flint between the small space that separated us and suddenly I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t move.

  Slow and warm, his hand glided up my side to my arm. Fire bloomed where his touch grazed. He lifted my wrists open to the side. “Were you at least taught how to dance?” he asked low in my ears.

  I swallowed. “Yes.”

  “Do you remember the steps?”

  I lied. “I don’t know.” It wasn’t that I hadn’t been taught. I wasn’t allowed to dance. Ilianna Drakara was a warrior, not a fool, and King Johan didn’t believe in letting his niece participate in such frivolities.

  He leaned down. His deep voice caressed my neck as he spoke. “Step forward with your left.” Without waiting for my response, he guided me, and I could do nothing but comply. “Step back. Now, forward with your right. And back.” One hand slid to my waist, gently twirling me around. “Turn in a circle to the left. And curtsy. Circle to the right. Curtsy.”

  What was I doing?

  Before, I had shunned the touch of others, terrified of ulterior motives. Of being hurt or betrayed. But this was different. With Castiel, there was no anxiety or fear, only intense… there was no word to describe how I felt.

  I closed my eyes and allowed him to steer me through several more actions, his touch electrifying my every sense. Every time I moved, he pulled me back to him, securing me in place. The steps he taught were almost the same from what I had learned as a girl, with only slight modifications, but no one had ever shown me like this.

  “I remember,” I rasped and drew away from his touch, but the prince spun me around on the next turn and I over rotated, stopping face to face with him. I froze in his arms. Only inches apart, his crystal eyes overtook me and darkened to reveal something I had never seen before. Something I didn’t understand but was powerless to stop.

  With a gentleness that nearly undid me, his fingers traced the length of my hair down my back, eliciting a shudder that traveled throughout my body. I inhaled his scent and reveled in the soft touch of his calloused hands. Slowly, almost painfully, he leane
d in. My breath caught, then gasped when his lips brushed against mine. Then again, and again.

  And my heart shattered into a million pieces.

  I loved him.

  He pulled away, and his hands cupped my cheeks, gently wiping the tear that trailed the length of it. His fingers traced the burned scar on my neck.

  He rested his forehead to mine. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have—”

  “Why?” I broke away.

  His head twitched. His eyes narrowed, confused.

  “Why shouldn’t you have?” Braver than I felt, my fingers pressed against his bare chest. Reaching up on tip toes and staring directly into those eyes, I kissed his lips. Then again. All thoughts fled when Castiel’s fingers threaded through my hair to secure me to him. His other arm pulled me even closer.

  A mixture of elation and fear did a number on my senses. On a falcry’s wings, my heart soared, but I worried at how hard I would crash to the earth when Castiel decided he was done with me. Then I realized—it didn’t matter. I desired this. Needed this as much as I needed him, and I would take what he would give.

  Two knocks at the door forced us apart much too soon. Castiel pulled back to look at me.

  Passion. It was passion that darkened his eyes and emanated from him. It matched the heat amplified by my every nerve.

  His finger trailed the line of my jaw, then he went to the door and opened it. Reese entered carrying a cot and several blankets. I stepped back in strange awe as Castiel directed him near the dying fire.

  He took my hands in his when Reese clicked the door closed. The intensity of the moment had faded by the interruption, but not enough. I waited with bated breath, my lips tingling with a desire for more.

  Castiel cleared his throat. “I shouldn’t have kissed you, because I will be the one ensuring your safety during the nights until the ambassador leaves, and now I will struggle to keep from compromising you.”

  He must have read my reaction as trepidation, but that wasn’t what caused me to burn.

  Lifting my hand, he pressed his soft, marvelous lips to the back of my knuckles. “Don’t worry. I’ll be a perfect gentleman… from now on.” A smile lifted the corner of his mouth. “Reese is the only one that knows, and besides myself, he, Melia, and Sameen are the only ones I trust right now with your safety.”

  I considered my words before I spoke. “Not Mikael or your precious generals?”

  Castiel stilled, then released my hands to spread out the blanket over the cot. “Mikael was the one in charge of your safety before. While I don’t know if he had anything to do with your abduction, I will not risk having him watch over you. Not for a while. And the generals—well, they’re still not exactly on the same page yet.” He turned to me, then groaned. “I’m starting to regret my decision.”

  “I’m sure your assassin would be more than happy to watch over me,” I said, enjoying the moroseness of my humor. Castiel scowled in the familiar way that I loved.

  A knock at the door interrupted, and Sameen entered wearing a white cap and nightgown. When her eyes fell to the prince, her expression pinched as her arms wrapped around her chest. “I already told the princess I would stay with her tonight. Surely, you can and should sleep in your own room, my prince.”

  Something that sounded an awful lot like a laugh huffed from Reese before he shut the door behind her.

  Castiel gestured to the cot. “It should be comfortable enough, my dear.”

  “And where will you sleep?” she asked, her eyes shifting uneasily to the bed.

  He almost smiled. “On the ground in front of the door, of course.”

  “Nonsense,” I said, interrupting their conversation. They seemed to forget I was in the room. “Sameen, you will sleep with me.”

  She flinched. “I should think—”

  I waved off her words. “My bed’s big enough for five grown men. It’s silly to have it all to myself. Castiel, you take the cot but sleep near the fire. I’m sure you’ll wake if you hear any commotion.” I refused any further argument by crawling to the opposite side of my mattress to make enough room for my prudish lady’s maid. I pulled my blankets to my chin and gazed at the ceiling, listening as my orders were obeyed. Silence settled upon my room. I curled to my side, barely making out Castiel’s shadowed profile against the dim light of the fire.

  I loved him. The shock of that realization spun my thoughts and made me dizzy. I had once thought myself in love, but this was so different from what I had felt for Weylan. No more than a child when I fell for my uncle’s young star, I didn’t know what atrocities he could be capable of. His flirtations and motivations were manipulative, and like my uncle, he played a game I could never win. Castiel had no ulterior motive.

  There must be a union between our two kingdoms if we are to survive.

  Melora’s words raked through my mind. I squashed the memory with the twitch of my neck. I could never marry the king of Anolyn. While strong and good like his brother, Riaan wasn’t what I wanted. Besides, as much as they tried to hide the truth, it was obvious he loved Melia, and Melia loved him.

  I closed my eyes, sinking into the depths of my soft bed. Sameen’s delicate snore calmed.

  My uncle had to die. The Wraith Queen had to die. I would hand my kingdom to Anolyn, our two countries to be ruled by a hand that could lead my people towards peace and resourceful living. And I would—what would I do?

  The question plagued me as I fought for rest. Finally, I drifted off to sleep and dreamed of sailing away from this plagued continent.

  But this time, I wasn’t alone.

  Preparations

  Meyrion buzzed with more activity than I had ever seen within its walls. Much to my dismay, I wasn’t allowed to explore. I had to watch the preparations from my lonely window as every able hand hustled to clean, cook, and decorate for the two-day festivities. Castiel kept to his word and left me alone the entire night, much to my chagrin. Not that he had any choice with my lady’s maid in the room, and not that I had wanted him to… to do anything to compromise me.

  Or did I? Warmth flooded through every pore of my body. I touch my lips, remembering the way his had felt on mine.

  I should have been with him.

  He had breakfast brought to me and Sameen at a most terrible hour and left before the light of dawn, giving me some terrible excuse as to why I was not permitted to join him or to participate in the arrangements. I was the guest of honor—although I felt that most of that honor was shifted to the new and more fascinating visitant, the reserved ambassador from Ardenya. I had yet to witness her for myself.

  Sameen left after eating to take care of my washing. Locked away in my room, I paced, my stomach twisting as the kingdom of Anolyn arrived in hordes for the grand feast. They pitched tents along the outskirts of the king’s land. Sameen had said this was customary, especially for those civilians traveling from a greater distance. It all seemed crazy to me. I observed from my window as great pits of fire dotted the courtyard, smoking pork, chicken, and beef. The smell traveled along the soft spring air, filling my lungs and causing my stomach to growl a pitiful noise. Musicians played their instruments and sang, their voices blending together in an odd collaboration.

  It was all a show put on by the cunning King of Anolyn. But would it be enough?

  No one knew that a snake lay hidden within their den, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. Why was the ambassador here? And why hadn’t she delivered whatever message she was sent to give? Would the Anouk brothers let her live once she delivered the message?

  A pang of guilt ripped through me. The answer should be no, but did Riaan and Castiel have it in them to do something so hard? The Drakara family would have no qualm in killing the messenger of an enemy.

  Eira had always been considered harsh, and not only for its weather. Only during the Demon Wars had the two opposing countries come together for any resemblance of a union, but now we would try to do so once more. An announcement would be made that very evening
, an accord between Anolyn and Eira, and then I would be introduced.

  How many countrymen would line up to take my head?

  Although I thought it better to cancel the cursed festivities altogether, I knew the king was right. It was important for Riaan to demonstrate to the ambassador that united we would fight against her master and any army she could bring. She would then take the message to her queen.

  Sameen entered with attendants trailing her—two young girls, barely of age. Their fresh faces observed me with wide eyes and barely suppressed curiosity. One carried flowers, ribbons, shoes, and other paraphernalia I was sure a sensible woman had no need of. The other, a silver tray laden with lunch, the smell of which caused my mouth to salivate. Sameen brought gowns, several of them, all different colors stacked high on her strong arms. She gently hung them within my armoire, then directed the girls where to place each item they carried.

  I absentmindedly played with the ends of my long hair until the young ladies were shooed from my room. “Am I allowed out of my confinement?”

  She picked through the things the girls had brought, not looking at me. “You will eat first, but then we must get you ready.” She turned to me and her expression pinched. “Why are you still in your nightgown?”

  I shrugged. “Why bother getting dressed if I’m to stay up here? Besides, it’s very comfortable.”

  Sameen snorted in artificial annoyance. “Well, the prince will gather you as soon as we’re done, so we must hurry. The festivities will start soon.”

  But still I lingered by the window. “Why don’t I eat with the townsfolk? The food smells delicious.”

  “The prince demands that all food you eat is prepared by our kitchen and is checked for poison by the cook himself.”

  “Do you jest?”

  “Princess Ilianna—”

  I held up my hand. “Never mind, I get it.” I was the enemy.

  I was dressed in record time in a simple, cream-colored day dress embroidered with gold-colored stitching. A gold belt was the only decoration. Sameen sat me down at the vanity and arranged my hair into a long, loose braid, interweaving ribbons throughout. From the pile of female fripperies, she drew a crown of pale pink, blue, and green wildflowers, but before she could set it on my head, I jerked away.