Page 68 of Ashborne Phoenix

‘The weapons these people wield are so much more dangerous than knives.’

‘Not if they don’t know the knife is coming,’ she sent with a wicked grin, though it faded quickly. ‘I’m not making light. I know what you mean. But you can’t be anyone’s savior if you’re dead. Please, keep yourself safe.’

‘I’m only safe if you are. You’re my weak spot. You and… and our… that is…’ My throat almost closed again as I dropped a hand to place it on her stomach, where I was nearly certain a baby grew.

Grace’s eyes grew wide as she looked down, then laid her hand over mine.

‘You and our baby,’ I breathed in the bond. ‘I’m only safe if you’re both safe.’

She tensed, but didn’t move. ‘Do you really think…?’

‘I don’t know for sure. But, yes. I think so. And if there’s even the slightest chance…’

I trailed off, but she raised her head then and lifted her other hand to rest it at the back of my neck, dropping her forehead against mine.

We both breathed, and kissed, and waited. Because we knew this time was almost over. The time for work would begin.

‘Burn it into your memory,’ I told her before we parted. ‘If at any point you begin to doubt, or wonder if I truly love you—if you fear I’ll abandon you—you think of this moment, and everything I’ve said. Promise me.’

‘I promise.’

And I knew she meant it. I knew she’d be faithful to it. It was up to me to do everything to deserve her unwavering belief.

I kissed her for far longer than I should have, then tore myself away to find a messenger, and send him running to my mother.

It was time for the Heir Apparent of the Cruors, the true owner of the Dominus mark, and that bastard, the Young Lord Ashford, to show them all that he still lived, and that his mother was no longer in charge.

A Storm of Threat

~ VOSKI ~

When Mother entered—throwing the door open so hard it banged back against the wall, to be caught on the rebound by the guard following her—I was sprawled in the chair looking bored, while Grace stood quietly under the window with her hands clasped at her waist. We both remained in our leathers. There seemed little point in hiding them at this point, since Mother knew of the dragons, and might have bespelled anything else.

“Thank the gods that you’re back—you almost ruined everything!” Her voice was high and tight as she swept across the room toward me. “If you truly expect to claim the Heir, you cannot simply hare off every time you’re displeased—”

I got smoothly to my feet and spoke over her calmly. “Perhaps you’ll think twice next time you consider setting traps for me?”

I caught her hand as she lashed out to strike me, gripping it so tightly, my hand shook. And I didn’t let go. For a single, furious moment I glared down at her and saw how easy it would be to tear her apart. And I wanted to. I wanted to make her bleed. Make her hurt. I wanted to see fear in her eyes, and—

‘Breathe,’ Grace whispered in my head.

I narrowed my eyes at my snarling mother and threw her hand back at her. “Attempt to touch me once more, and I will remove the offending limb. And stop shrieking like a child—I haven’t ruined anything.”

“You very nearly did!” she spat as a battery of servants filed into the room behind her, their arms either full of bathing and hairdressing tools, or gowns. “We have to prepare her now. I didn’t stray from the plan, so the laundry agents reported to the king this morning, and they expect the binding ceremony to go ahead in two hours!”

I didn’t let my shock show on my face. “That wasn’t supposed to happen until—”

“Apparently Breckon was delighted, and refused to risk waiting even another day. And the king is eager, as you can imagine,” she muttered.

“The binding ceremony?” Grace asked pleasantly. “Isn’t that the wedding? Isn’t that what binds us?”

I looked down my nose at my mother then turned to Grace to explain. “The wedding is a public spectacle. But the true marriage of a Cruor happens just before, or just after the public vows. It’s a secret ceremony attended only by the powerful Cruors. The audience we enjoyed two nights ago was the first step in that process.”

I kept my voice bored. Unconcerned. But internally I screamed for Kham’s help. ‘If they undergo the rites tonight, we’ll be bound by curses!’

‘Curses can’t touch you. Stop believing the lies of these dark specters. Their power is in your fear of them.’

‘I’m not putting her through a dark magik rite! Yet, if I pull her out, they’ll know I’m not one of them.’