Page 70 of The Rat King
“Don't get your feathers ruffled, Nighval. You know Link is only taunting you, right Link?” Eshan said.
“Honestly, she is extraordinary. I didn’t know you had it in you to get such a specimen to fall for you. I thought we were doomed,” Link said. His voice held that slippery seduction I’d come to understand was his personality. It definitely matched his fully human appearance. With his angular features, cool light skin, shoulder-length pale blond hair, and sparkling grey eyes, he’d be a shoe in for a scarred, after the war Draco Malfoy role, assuming he could act.
“I can't believe you got Samara to give you that pill. After Xavier was killed, I thought I was stuck that way forever. When I felt my magic come back to me, I dropped to my knees and wept,” Eshan said, and my heart squeezed.
Eshan, Nighval’s other dear friend, seemed to be the polar opposite of Link in appearance with his deep umber skin, and the tight curls he wore cropped close to his skull. He came across more reserved than either Link or Nighval and his thoughtful hazel eyes seemed to hold an entire world behind them like those people who call themselves old souls. I wondered if the comparatively fewer scars he had marring his skin was due to his gentler nature.
I remembered Link from before, now that the pills effect was gone, and I was glad to finally meet Eshan. I hoped they both would be around regularly so I could get to know them.
“Do you think now that we have all this power, we could kill Samara?” Nighval asked.
“I don’t know. She’s powerful. More so now than she was whenever she cursed an entire plane,” Link said. “What did you have to give up to get the spelled pill?”
“Well, outside of a lot of groveling, I had to promise to visit her once a week for the rest of my life. Now, do you understand why I want her dead? The witch wants to watch my heart bleed out of my chest weekly, like hers had.”
“Does Avery know?” Eshan asked.
“No.” His voice dripped with hurt. He didn't speak for a while and neither did the two other warlocks. “The day before we returned, she ran. She wanted to leave me. To find Samara and have her send her back to her own plane.”
“Goddess, Nighval,” Eshan said, and though I couldn't see him, I could imagine the man placing a comforting hand on the other's shoulder. The warmth in his voice told me much of his character.
“Would you believe me if I told you I haven’t spoken a word to her since I delivered her to her room yesterday late afternoon? I have no idea what's going on inside her head. I didn’t know she’d do that today. Honestly, I'm afraid of what she’ll say. Does that make me a coward?”
“No,” Link said, and huffed. “She gutted you. She had to know what it would do to you, and she did it anyway. That's some cold shit.”
“Link,” Nighval growled in warning. “She is my wife and your queen. I would watch my tongue if I were you. Besides, it's my fault, not hers. She’s only reacting to my betrayal.”
I didn't need the reminder as chills prickled across my skin. It was too much. The way he was taking the blame for my misguided actions to protect me. If I heard anymore, the tears would come back, and I needed to head to the kitchens to have my first of many meetings with the cooks. Then hopefully Leviticus would have the meetings lined up for me, and I could get to work. That was what I needed to distract me until my husband forgave me.
Eshan was saying something about Nighval needing to talk to me as I slipped away down the hall. I could only hope my actions this morning had been enough to keep him from taking me back to the palace.
I reached the doorway which led into the kitchen when I heard my title being spoken by a male voice. I paused and flattened myself against the wall as my breath caught. Something about the man’s tone gave me pause.
I’d met the head cook on a few occasions during the months I’d been here before. Then Nickola had eagerly taken his new queen’s menu suggestions, but based on the grumble in his voice he wasn’t as keen now as he said, “But His Majesty has never had a problem with the food I served before.”
The edges of my lips quirk downward. Had he only been playing along nice before because everyone had been coddling me in hopes I would break the curse?
He continued, “It's only that my cooks aren't used to the strange food she prefers. When she was here before, I spent half my time experimenting with recipes and training them. We hardly have enough staff to cover that extra labor meeting her needs would require.”
That's when a decidedly whiny femalehumphjoined the chorus. Olive. Why on earth was she still here? “I agree with Cook. Why do we have to change our ways for her?”
Leviticus let out an extended sigh. “Nickola, all I am asking is that you meet with her and try to make some accommodations. We can see to adding the additional staff you require. Our king has made the witch his bride and things will go much more smoothly for all of us if we complied. It seems she is here to stay and if you remember, His Majesty does not rule with a lax hand the way his brother did.”
I knew exactly what Leviticus was referring to. I watched my husband execute two people without blinking for speaking ill of me.
“You mean to tell me that that woman can get away with killing a king and then come in and order your staff around?” Olive asked, an insistent demand in her voice.
“Firstly, they are His Majesty’s staff. I am only tasked with managing them. Second, I am unsure His Late Majesty’s welcome will be extended to you now that the new queen and reinstated king are in residence.”
Olive huffed. “You can’t kick me out. Where else will I go?”
“That is not my concern, but I think you should make haste with your plans to do so before His Majesty catches wind of your presence and does so himself. You should bear in mind our king’s power has been fully returned to him, and I imagine he will be very protective of his new bride.”
My heart was thundering so loud in my head that it was almost hard to hear them over its roaring beat. I could hardly believe Olive was still living here, much less thought she might have some sort of sway with any of the council members. At least, Leviticus seemed to understand where his loyalties lied.
“If I may interject, there is wisdom in your words, Sir, and I will be sure to pass them along to the staff in my care,” Nickola said, which made a little of the tension which had been building in my neck ease.
Unfortunately, Olive didn’t seem to have received the message because she shrieked, “But she killed my love. Is no one going to do anything?”
