The Half King

28

In the days that followed, she almost always found an entrance to the Below, and then she and Kian would sneak off at sunrise, enter the cavern, and spend hours talking and embracing and making love.

A lot of love.

True to his word, he had continued his lessons while insisting that she direct his every movement and touch. He showed her a dozen different ways to join their bodies, and with each new, delicious act, she felt her magic grow stronger, not weaker. At times, the power within her cells felt like it would burst her apart if she didn’t release it, and so she began to discharge her energy by practicing her defensive drills before she and Kian returned to camp. There was no denying it anymore: the Order had been wrong about the act of love weakening a woman’s gift, or at least her gift. How could they have been so wrong?

The farther the caravan traveled toward the base of the mountain, the fewer stone slabs she was able to find. She knew that she should be grateful for each click that brought her closer to the palace, but she treasured her time with Kian in the Below. She would miss it.

The final day of their journey arrived. They would reach the palace in the afternoon, leaving them plenty of time to plan and hold a ceremony before sunset. Kian would get another chance if they failed, but Daerick wouldn’t. Cerise found her palms sweaty and her hands trembling as she folded her tent into a lumpy square.

Faith , she reminded herself. Don’t lose faith .

Sometime later, long after she had mounted her horse, she glanced over her shoulder and watched the blighted mountain shrink into the distance. A hint of wistfulness stirred inside her, and at first, she didn’t know why. She wouldn’t miss the desert heat or the thin air at the mountain summit. She certainly wouldn’t miss the shrieks and howls of nocturnal hunters consuming their prey. She wouldn’t miss the taste of jackrabbit or the ache in her bones after a day in the saddle. It wasn’t until she faced ahead and the palace loomed in the foreground that she realized what had been bothering her.

She didn’t want to return to her old life.

She didn’t want to change into her black-and-white temple gown. She was more comfortable in breezy linen pants and leather sandals. Her loose travel clothes made breathing easier, as well as climbing and stretching and running—all of the improper things she wasn’t supposed to do. Now she would have to learn to glide again, and the thought made her shoulders slump. There would be no more meals around the campfire. Tonight, if everything went well, she would dine at a mile-long table in the company of people she didn’t like, or else alone inside her bedchamber, or worse still, in the company of the priests in the sanctuary.

The sanctuary . How ironic that the place where she had once felt safe was now the source of her greatest fear. The priests had never warmed to her, not even when Father Padron had treated her with respect. Now she had lost his favor, and when she returned to the palace and word spread that she was the king’s lover, the priests would resent her even more. She would have to be twice as vigilant as usual in hiding her gifts. Her power had grown, but all of the defensive drills in the world wouldn’t save her from the collective energy of the Order if they decided to attack her.

Blue must’ve sensed her agitation, because he nudged her ankle with his snout to get her attention. She glanced down at him, and just like that, her fears gave way to love. The dark eyes peering back at her overflowed with adoration and with another emotion—a fierce determination, as though Blue would protect his mama from whatever threat had made her worry. He didn’t seem to know that he was still a pup and it was her job to protect him . Not that he looked like a pup anymore. He’d grown as tall as a pony and nearly as broad. His bulk had smoothed out the wrinkles from his coat, displaying his namesake blue birthmark. As large as he was, he was bound to raise eyebrows at the palace.

“You’re my very best boy,” she told him, reaching down to scratch his head. “My sweetest, strongest—”

“Ha!” Daerick called out from behind. Just as she glanced over her shoulder at him, he burst into a fit of wild, delirious laughter that turned her blood cold. “I see it now!” he shouted, swaying in the saddle as he pointed at Blue. “The particles of magic from his sire! I’ve been wondering how a titan hyena could possibly mate with a hound. Now I know!”

All of her worries returned in a rush. This was the first time since leaving the blighted peak that Daerick’s curse had touched him. She’d hoped the distance from that dark place had shielded him—and maybe it had, just not completely. Tomorrow was his Claiming Day. If she couldn’t break his curse, he would exist like this for the rest of his life, lost inside the fathomless depths of his own mind.

Faith , she reminded herself, though her pulse didn’t listen.

“A hyena mating with a hound?” Kian called over his shoulder, using the same loud, taunting voice that had jolted Daerick awake before. “Doesn’t that describe your parents’ wedding night, Lord Calatris?”

The teasing worked. Daerick blinked and returned to himself, but this time, he didn’t have a witty retort to offer. His face was ashen and expressionless. He said nothing until he nudged his horse forward. He rode on the other side of Kian and extended a hand. “Do you have any more of those stomach soothers?”

Kian fished around in his pockets for the tiny tin and then passed it to Daerick, who tossed several tablets into his mouth…and then a few more.

“Hey, now,” Kian objected. “Save some for the rest of us.”

When Daerick handed over the tin of stomach soothers, Kian hesitated to open it before he ate one. He peered at the sky, rubbing his thumb and forefinger together as he gauged the sun’s position, no doubt calculating the hours until dusk.

Cerise reached out and gave his hand a squeeze. She remembered the day Daerick had taken her into the city and what he’d told her about the cruelty of hope. Daerick and Kian had never been closer to breaking the curse, and that had to feel terrifying.

“Not much longer,” she told both of them. “We’re almost at the palace, and then we’ll have the ceremony—today—more than once, if that’s what it takes. Try not to worry. We have plenty of time.”

But speaking the words didn’t make them true. Time was the only thing they lacked, and Daerick surely understood that better than anyone.

They rode in silence until they reached the gatehouse and followed the grassy, tree-lined path to the palace and then to the stables beyond. With her first breath of citrus-scented air, she realized how much the journey had altered her sense of smell. The odor of sweat, dust, and horseflesh had created a new normal for her, and now the air seemed too sweet—and, by contrast, her body even more in need of a washing.

She dismounted her horse and then rubbed her sore backside before she caught herself and remembered to act like a lady. No one seemed to have noticed. The palace servants who had rushed to the stables to meet them were more focused on the king. Kian’s steward welcomed him with a moistened towel to wipe the dust from his hands and face, and then the man ordered another servant to prepare a fresh bath for the king in his quarters.

“Mine, too, please,” Cerise added.

The servant, a young brunette girl, nodded and curtsied and blushed, reminding Cerise of the reputation she had earned following the palace fire. It seemed like a lifetime had passed since then. She had nearly forgotten about her “sacred lungs”…and also about the repeated attempts on Kian’s life. It didn’t occur to her until then that breaking his curse would make him more vulnerable than ever. It was his curse that gave him a new body at sunrise. Without it, he could be injured—permanently, like anyone else.

She tried not to dwell on that. She had enough to worry about.

Then she remembered Lady Champlain and how Kian had made Delora his courtesan to spare her from an unwanted marriage. Did that mean he would continue the ruse? She didn’t know how she felt about that. They hadn’t discussed the matter. But when she looked to Kian and found him peeking through the stable doors at the position of the sun, she knew that Delora was the furthest thing from his mind.

And rightly so.

“We have almost three hours until sunset,” Cerise announced to everyone in the stable. She glanced at Kian and then at Father Padron. “We should cleanse ourselves, prepare the sanctuary, and leave at least an hour for the ceremony itself, as well as any further attempts we have to make.”

“Don’t forget about Cole Solon,” Daerick added.

“Right,” she said. “He’ll need to be notified.”

Father Padron brushed the dust from his robes. “I see nothing to prevent it. As long as I’m given the assistance of His Majesty’s staff…”

“Take what you need,” Kian told him. He gestured at Cerise. “My lady of the temple, I had hoped to escort you to your suite, but I think it would be more prudent of me to remain with my steward and discuss the ceremony preparations. Will you forgive me, my love?”

She smiled at him as she lowered in a curtsy. She understood his gesture. Subtle as it was, he’d publicly acknowledged their relationship. “There is nothing to forgive, Your Highness. I look forward to seeing you at the sanctuary.”

A welcome sight awaited her in the sitting room of her suite—a tub of lavender-infused water, along with a tray of soaps, shampoos, towels, and scented oils. She groaned aloud in anticipation, but she needed this to be quick, just cleansing enough to show her respect to the goddess.

She stripped off her clothes and walked toward the footed tub, the Petros Blade still in hand. She slid the blade underneath the tub and then climbed in, submerging herself to the neck. When Blue sat beside her and sniffed curiously at the soap, she told him, “Tonight, you’re getting one, too.”

He whined and covered his nose with one paw.

“It’s nonnegotiable.”

Just then, something in the adjoining room caught her eye: a bundle of scarlet fabric resting on the floor next to her bed. Squinting, she realized it was a luggage bag but not one of hers. Suddenly, Blue snapped his head toward the balcony. His ears perked up, and a low growl rumbled from the back of his throat. She recognized that growl from the mornings when Kian had secretly appeared in her suite at sunrise.

Someone was in her bedchamber, but this time, it wasn’t the king.

Cerise snatched a towel off the floor, using it to cover herself as she stood up in the tub. “Show yourself,” she ordered, resting a hand on the back of Blue’s neck. “Or I’ll let go of my hound, and I warn you, he’s half titan, and his bite is worse than his bark.”

A familiar voice teased, “I surrender,” and a tall, veiled figure moved into view.

Cerise’s jaw fell. She would know her sister anywhere, even with Nina’s body softly rounded by pregnancy. Blue must have recognized her, perhaps from the heartrending mirror, because he relaxed and wagged his stumpy tail.

Too shocked to move, Cerise stood there, clutching her towel while she dripped into the tub. “Am I dreaming? Is it really you?”

Nina folded back her veil and removed any doubt that she was real. She smiled, lifting full, rosy cheeks that glowed with more radiance than ever before. Pregnancy had enhanced her beauty, something Cerise hadn’t thought was possible. She couldn’t breathe, couldn’t blink. Her gaze widened uncomfortably as she stared at her sister. Nina’s radiance was almost painful to behold, but Cerise would tear out her own eyes before sacrificing a single glimpse of it.

The veil lowered, and for the first time in Cerise’s life, she didn’t complain. “That was intense,” she said, blinking to soothe her eyes. “It actually hurts. How does your husband live with you and not go blind from the staring?”

Nina’s silk skirts rustled as she crossed the room and pulled a chair beside the tub. “He doesn’t love me as much as you do.” She sat down, pointing at the water. “Now, Cerise, darling, I’m glad you’re happy to see me, but please get back in. You’re filthy.”

Cerise grinned. Still in a daze, she dropped her towel and sank into the bath until she was submerged to the chin. She shook water off one of her hands and settled it on Nina’s belly. The swell was small but firmer than she had expected, like a sand melon. “You’ll have to hide your face from the baby, too. They won’t love anyone more than they love—” She cut off as the fog lifted from her brain. “Wait. What are you doing here?”

Nina laughed. “It’s good to see you, too, Cerise.”

“Did Mama and Father send you?”

Nina didn’t answer, which meant no .

“Do they even know you’re here?”

More silence.

“Does anyone know you’re here?”

“Well, of course, silly,” Nina said. “I’ve been staying in your room for two nights. I didn’t sneak past the guards at the gate. And then there was the maid who let me into your suite and the serving boy who’s been bringing me all of my meals.”

“Three servants?” Cerise asked. “That’s who knows you’re here?”

“Four,” Nina corrected.

Four was no better. What about Nina’s husband? He probably didn’t know about her visit, either, or he would’ve accompanied her to court.

“What’s wrong?” Cerise asked. “Did you find something in Mama’s journal? Something about my father?”

“No.”

“Then what aren’t you telling me?”

“Who said there’s anything wrong? A girl can’t visit her favorite sister?”

“I’m your only sister,” Cerise reminded her. “And I’m not a fool. So either tell me the truth, or…” She scrambled for an idle threat and found just the one. “Or I’ll compel it out of you.”

Nina cringed. “ That’s why I’m here. To stop you from doing something stupid and getting us all killed.”

“I was only teasing; I can’t compel anyone. I’ve been careful with my magic.”

“Not careful enough,” Nina said. “Walls have ears—especially palace walls. You shouldn’t say things like that.”

Cerise fidgeted with her pendant as she glanced at the suite door. She didn’t think she’d spoken loud enough for anyone in the hallway to overhear, but then again, she hadn’t known Nina was in the room until a few minutes ago.

“You didn’t take off the necklace,” Nina said. “Good. At least you listened to me about one thing.” She lifted the pendant to inspect it, then shook her veiled head. “I see you’ve been busy.”

“It really works. It saved me from dream weed smoke and a titan hyena attack.”

“Bloody crows. This is what you call being careful?”

“Oh, and also from falling off of a cliff face,” Cerise added. “How many uses does it have left, do you think?”

“One, maybe two. The link is already worn. Once it breaks, it won’t draw from his—” Nina smoothly corrected: “from its power source anymore.”

“His?” Cerise repeated. “It draws from a person?” She took back the pendant and rubbed her thumb over its gnarled metal, imagining it draining some distant priest each time she’d used it. “I could have killed him.”

“No, you couldn’t have.”

“You don’t understand how energy works.”

“Trust me. No one was in danger except for you.”

There was no point in arguing. Nina wouldn’t listen. “If you say so.”

“I do.” Nina pointed at the water. “Now, tip back that dirty head.”

Cerise leaned down so Nina could wash her hair. She was glad to have her sister there, even if Nina had only come to the palace to fuss at her. She’d missed her sister. It didn’t seem like that long ago she had promised to break the curse for Nina’s baby. Now the time had come to prove it. Maybe Nina could see it happen for herself.

“There’s a ceremony in a couple of hours,” Cerise said. And then she told her sister everything, starting with Mother Strout’s journal and the clues that had led them into the mountains and ending with the test to win the Petros Blade. She left out the battle with the corpses, not wanting to scare Nina. But she didn’t leave anything out when she told her sister about Kian. She even included the details that made her blush to say them out loud.

“The king?” Nina asked, washing out the last suds from her hair. “Really, Cerise? After I asked you not to draw too much attention to yourself, you began a torrid affair with the most infamous man in the realm?”

“Yes, really,” she said. “And it’s not a torrid affair. We’re in love.”

To Nina’s credit, she didn’t scoff or laugh. “Well, I can’t say that I blame you. He is rather nice to look at.”

“He is,” Cerise agreed. She imagined Kian getting ready in his royal chambers, washing and dressing and eating stomach soothers like candy. He was counting on her. All of the noble firstborns were. Daerick and General Petros, Nina and her baby—their lives were in her hands.

Tension crept into her shoulders.

“You’re nervous,” Nina said, starting to towel-dry Cerise’s hair. “Just do your best. That’s all the king or anyone else can expect of you.”

“I’ll feel better knowing you’re there,” Cerise said. “You can stand right up front, where I can see you.”

“At the ceremony?” Nina shook her veiled head. “No, Cerise, I can’t go with you. No one can know that I’m here.”

“But the staff knows.”

“No one at court ,” Nina clarified. “This veil doesn’t make me invisible. It draws its own kind of attention. The more people see me, the more they’ll talk. Word will get around.”

“And get back to your husband?”

Nina hesitated as though she’d forgotten about him. “Yes, to my husband.”

“Where does he think you are right now?”

“Still visiting Mama and Father. So you can see why I have to be careful. You said it yourself: if the ceremony doesn’t work this time, you’ll keep trying until the king’s last sunset. That could take days, if it even happens at all.”

“Wait,” Cerise said, ignoring Nina’s lack of faith in her. “How long do you plan on hiding out in my suite?”

“Until you break the curse,” Nina said. “Or until the king’s last day, whichever comes first.” She grew still for a long pause. “Father’s carriage is parked outside the gatehouse. Do you remember what it looks like?”

“Yes. Why?”

“If anything happens, I’m taking you home.”

“What do you mean?” Cerise asked. “And to what home? To the temple?”

“I mean if you can’t break the curse,” Nina said. “And no, I want to take you to my estate in Calatris. It’s more secure. You’ll be safer there than anywhere else.”

“But the king…” Cerise shook her head. “I won’t leave him.”

“If he dies, you can’t stay here. You have to know that.”

“He’s not going to die,” Cerise insisted. “But even if he did, I can’t live with you at your estate. I’m a second-born. I’d have to go back to the temple and to the Reverend—”

“Damn the temple,” Nina snapped. “And damn the Reverend Mother! I’m not giving you back to her if there’s no one controlling the priests.” She seemed to catch herself and lowered her voice to a whisper. “Someone within the Order could very well end up on the throne. Have you thought about that? About what that would mean for a girl like you?”

“Of course I have.” She’d thought of little else. The idea of a priest as king—free to use the full force of the Order to persecute anomalies like her to the edge of the realm—robbed her of sleep some nights. “But what I haven’t thought about is failure, because it’s not an option.”

Nina stood from her chair and offered a dry towel. “You’re right. There’s no reason to panic. Yet.”

Yet?

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” Nina went on. “You rinse off quickly, and I’ll lay out your gown for the ceremony. When you go downstairs, I’ll stay here and watch Blue so you can focus on what’s important.” She drew a breath as if to say something more, but she released it and strode into the bedchamber.

Cerise had a good idea of what her sister had left unsaid, because she was thinking it, too. If the ceremony worked, all of their worries would be for nothing. Kian would remain on the throne with the priests bound to him. The threat would end, for her and for everyone else.

She had to break the curse: it was as simple as that.

And as difficult.