Page 143 of Born of Starlight
I’d hate to be under the scrutiny of that dark glare. But Elsie looked unaffected as she cocked a hip, like dealing with a petulant child. She had nerve, Fen’s sister.
“Would you have believed that I wasn’t just protecting him? I was broken—you gave me a job. A purpose. I thought my whole family was dead when you took me into the Sahlms.”
Darvanda rose from his seat, jaw tightened and fists curled. He leveled a look between Elsie and Fen.
“I’m sorry, but you both know I don’t renegotiate without a better offer once I’ve set a price. She is coming with us. My people will need assurances.”
Just as Fen was about to launch over the table, a voice interrupted.
“You will take me instead.”
All eyes shot to the head of the table. Emmerick took two steps toward Sybilla as if knocked forward, while Sybilla stood and rounded the table to Darvanda.
“What better way to provide your people assurances than to have the Queen of the Central Corridor of Henosis in your custody?”
“Fuck that. Sybilla—are you serious? Offering yourself like a prized pig at auction?” Emmerick stormed to her side of the table before his hands slammed down on the oak in front of her.
“Emmerick—you are speaking to your Queen.” Sybilla’s voice invoked respect, but her words had a waver that dripped with veiled pain. Emmerick’s face turned bitter and twisted.
“Funny. Based on what I’ve learned in the last twenty-four hours, you werenevermy Queen. Not really.” The words landed precisely as he’d intended, and Sybilla visibly reeled back as though struck.
I turned Fenris toward me and away from the table—he was still heaving with anger.
“Count…” I reminded him in a whisper.
This meeting couldn’t turn violent. We needed to remain calm no matter what Darvanda did to provoke us.
Amara chimed in, “You should hear Queen Sybilla out, Emmerick. I am sure King Darvanda would swear in blood to do Sybilla no harm. This could be a positive move for our realms—we can hold trials to ensure anyone who wants to leave Sahlmsara and return to Henosis has that chance. But when the trials end, she will be released back to Luz. There needs to be a timeline. Krait—you cannot just pluck a Queen from her kingdom. You, ofallpeople, know that.” Amara’s tone was political and placating.
Queen Sybilla nodded along, agreeing with Amara’s sentiments, but Emmerick looked bewildered.
“Should we share blood on that?” Darvanda asked with a curled lip that was part smile and part scowl.
“Sybilla, don’t you dare!” Emmerick’s shout rang through the room as guards approached him. They reached him and hesitantly restrained their own Constable.
Wyeth and Cassidee remained seated, glancing at each other with a look of slight amusement.
The Queen’s attention never left King Darvanda as if she was sizing up her opponent as she extended her hand to him.
Darvanda gruffly took it along with a blade from a belt sheath. The Queen’s hand seemed small in his as he sliced his own palm and then hers. Sybilla barely flinched.
“I agree to your demands. I will go willingly to the Sahlms so long as no harm shall befall me or my Corridor until the trials end,” Sybilla promised.
“Why are you doing this?” Emmerick shouted as the guards pulled him back by his arms. He wasn’t a match for the four of them, though they still struggled to remove him.
Darvanda huffed in amusement at Emmerick’s outburst then said, “No harm will come to the Central Queen, or her Corridor, so long as she is an ally to Sahlmsara in all negotiations with the rulers of the Corridors.” He glanced over at Emmerick with a quirked brow.
Darvanda and Sybilla let their blood fall to the ground. The magic sizzled—acceptance of the blood oath. My throat constricted—that oath seemed one-sided. While we owed the Sahlms a great deal, I feared for my friend.
“We leave tomorrow after our firstcouncilmeeting.” The icy sarcasm bled through Darvanda’s tone.
Emmerick was swearing and kicking against the four guards that dragged him from the room. My heart pounded as Amara followed them out.
“I missed being with you in the courts,” Cassidee whispered into Wyeth’s hair. The room had fallen so silent that I could hear their exchange.
“I did not.” Wyeth’s hair flashed a shade of green.
“Look at the bright side—now if anyone calls you my sister, I can acceptably knock their teeth out,” Cassidee joked.
