Page 63 of City of Snakes
I continued, “That friend of Freya’s, an advisor to her father’s court, told him that we’d been married.”
Fen ground out, “Firose. She was Freya’s dearest friend.”
I nodded. “He took our marriage as a threat to his crown, a traitorous act considering Freya was his heir to the throne since Ryn had refused it.”
Fenris blew out a breath. “He killed her,” he guessed.
My body temperature rose. I was still unable to talk about it without the sinking feeling of rage. “We were in peace negotiations, but my troops were still stationed along Phynx’s borders as a precaution. That night, after he…”
“You chose to attack the city after he killed her.”
I nodded as that familiar lump in my throat grew.
It was my fault.
Focusing on the flowing water of the canal and the moonlight reflecting off of it, I admitted, “I lashed out in the only way I was trained to—I told Commander Stygian to prepare for war. He was instructed to provide a warning call so civilians could evacuate. He was to attack only until the throne surrendered. He did not issue any warning, and he did not retreat when white flags flew.”
Fenris shook his head. “Did you kill him?”
“We found his decimated body. His war helmet was all that was left to identify him. I wish I could have been the one to kill him,” I said with a tight jaw.
“Firose spoke with Stygian that night—she went to the front lines to negotiate with him. I’d thought...”
“We all thought wrong. We were all pawns in a much larger game.”
“Pawns of who?”
“Caym. He has risen—was rising then too.”
Fen cut me off. “C’mon, Krait. You know that I’m skeptical of the ‘Sources walking the lands’ legends. It’s hard to think of the Origins as anything but balls of energy in the sky—or wherever they come from.”
“How can you be so skeptical when your betrothed is in part one of them?”
Fenris turned to me with a scowl and snapped, “You leave her out of this.”
I raised my palms. “I apologize for what happened in Luz, but I can’t leave her out of it. Sheglows.When was the last time you saw someone withthatmuch Source power aside from me?”
“Ilikethe glowing.” Fen smirked. “Let’s say you’re right...What does it mean?”
I ground my teeth a moment. “You can’t deny that even for Firose, her actions were out of character. So were Stygian’s. There had to be an outside influence. I believe what happened in Phynx, and Luz, was Caym’s doing. It is just the beginning...We need to be careful.”
My old friend shook his head. “All I ever am is careful. But what does this have to do with wanting to take Asterie with you after the attack on Luz?”
I took a deep breath. “All those years I had you searching for something—you remember? I was looking for weapons against Caym. There are supposedly three relics. But I was not only seeking physical artifacts. I also sought a woman with Reverist power strong enough to be linked to the First Reverist’s lineage. And I’ve found her.”
Fen began to growl out, “If you think that I’m going to hand over Asterie—”
I cut him off. “It isn’t your Star-wielder. I thought so at first, but I was wrong.”
At my words, Fen reeled back as though realizing who else I could mean. There was a long silence as he studied me.
Before Fen could react, Ryn returned and clapped him on the shoulder. “Did you get to the part where I groveled to come with him into the Sahlms?”
“Not yet,” I grunted out.
“I adored Freya as much as our people did,” Ryn explained to Fen. “There was no world I wished to live in that she was not a part of. I wanted her to be happy, and there was never a time when I saw her happier than the day she married this asshole.”
Ryn had a way of demolishing my emotions anytime he said his sister’s name. He was the only one I didn’t bark at to not say it—he was owed his own grief.
