A Heart So Fierce and Broken (The Cursebreaker Series) (12 page)

I know this look on his face. He is cunning. Thoughtful. Strategic. He’ll figure it out himself if I’m not careful. The only thing working in my favor is that he expects the heir to have magic, and I’ve never shown any evidence of having any myself.

If I’d been able to use magic, I would have used it against Lilith long before now.

I feel the weight of Rhen’s eyes on me. “This stable boy is too young,” he muses.

I say nothing and slice through a glistening vegetable.

“Someone else at this tourney?” he says.

“If I was willing to give up command to keep this secret,” I say, “you will not easily guess it.”

“I could send guardsmen to Rillisk,” he says. “I can have them all questioned.”

“Would this be before or after you sent coins to free Tycho?”

He frowns. “Do not play with me.”

“I have seen the fate of other men you intended to question. I have seen the way your orders have been carried out. No one at the tourney knows anything. Do not condemn them to death because you fear your throne may be taken from you.”

His gaze sharpens. “You will remember your place here, Grey.”

“You should remember yours,
friend
. You are the crown prince. This heir is no threat to you.”

Rhen draws himself up, and I see the first flash of anger in his eyes. “Even
rumor
of this heir is a threat to me. To all of Emberfall.
Do you realize there are nobles who are questioning the very legitimacy of my rule? That there are whispers of Grand Marshals who no longer feel the need to acknowledge the Crown?”

Yes. I have heard these rumors.

“And what will you do?” I say. “What will you do with this heir, if you find him?”

“You know what I will do.”

I swallow. Yes. I know what he will do. “He is no threat to you,” I say again.

He slams his hand down on the table between us. “You cannot know that!”

“Yes—”

“You cannot!” The words explode out of him, but he breaks off and runs a hand across his jaw. He has to take a breath to steady himself, which is something I’ve never seen him do. “Lilith nearly killed Harper. She spent an eternity torturing us. If this man has magic, if he is of the same ilk as the enchantress … how can you protect him, Grey? How?”

I go still. All of a sudden, I understand his desperation to find the heir. This has nothing to do with his throne at all. Not really.

Rhen is afraid. Not of losing his throne, but afraid of the magic. Of what it might do to him, and to Emberfall.

I am the heir, Rhen. I am your brother. You have nothing to fear from me.

The words wait on my tongue, but they stall there. I watched the enforcers put a blade into Riley. I’ve heard the rumors from other towns. Once, I would have laid down my life to protect him, but this suddenly feels different. I am not under oath. I know I am no threat to him. I don’t want to die to prove it.

Rhen said he lost my trust, but I don’t think that’s true. I trust him the same way I always did: to put the safety of his kingdom ahead of everything else. If he believes magic is a threat to Emberfall, our shared history—even our shared blood—would not keep me safe.

“To keep this a secret is akin to treason,” Rhen says.

I say nothing. There is no path here. None.

His cheeks are flushed with anger. “Grey. Do not make me force answers from you.”

“We spent season after season allowing Lilith to torture us both,” I say. “Do you truly think you can?”

“I will do whatever is necessary to protect Emberfall.”

“As will I,” I say. “I keep this secret to protect you.”

“You keep it to protect
yourself
.”

“That too.”

He draws himself up, his eyes alight with fury. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen Rhen so angry, and it’s almost chilling to have it directed at me. Worse, I can now clearly see the fear buried beneath it. It pulls at cords in my chest. Season after season, he stood up to Lilith without fear. Often to spare me her torments.

“I swear to you,” I say quietly. “You have nothing to fear from this man and his magic.”

For a moment, I worry his fear is too potent. But then he sits back in his chair and sighs. The fury melts away. “I will grant you a day, Grey.”

“A day?”

“Yes. I will grant you a day to consider your stance, at your liberty, provided you remain on the grounds of Ironrose.”

“This is not a kindness. You believe I will reveal something to you. I will not.”

“Shall I call for Dustan to begin severing limbs right now, then?”

“I’d rather you didn’t.”

He smiles, but it’s more regretful than amused. “I’ve missed you, Grey.”

“And I you.”

“You have until sunset tomorrow.” He raises his voice. “Commander!”

I’m returned to a different room, but this time, no shackles encircle my wrists. A guard remains outside, but as promised, I’m allowed some liberty. A low fire burns in the hearth, and a pitcher of water, a kettle of tea, and a selection of sweetcakes waits on a side table. Before I can touch them, a servant enters, bringing a pile of folded clothing.

“His Highness thought these would be more to your liking,” he says, leaving the clothes on a chair before exiting quickly.

I pick through them. Everything is made of fine leather and expensive cloth.

I
know
Rhen doesn’t think I can be lured into revealing the heir by extravagance. Maybe this part of his friendship is true.

A shadow flickers in the corner of the room.

I keep my hand on the clothing, running my fingers along a carefully stitched seam, but my attention is on the shadow now.

Maybe Rhen hopes to assassinate me. But that’s ridiculous. He could have had it done right in front of him.

Another small movement, by the draperies surrounding the corner window.

I straighten and sigh and stretch as though tired, then move along the wall, extinguishing the sconces one by one, making a
show of preparing for bed. When I reach the sconce by the corner, I plunge my hand into the draperies, aiming for a throat or an arm.

Instead, I find the clear features of a face. A woman cries out and flails at me through the lengths of gauzy fabric.

I jerk the drapes wide and pin her against the wall, one hand against her throat and the other gripping her arm above her head.

It’s a girl I’ve never seen before. Red hair hangs long and straight, past the curves that accentuate her waist. Soot streaks her face and arms. Her eyes are wide, her breathing quick.

“Who are you?” I demand, my voice low.

“My name is Lia Mara,” she whispers, her voice thick with the accent of Syhl Shallow. “And
you’re
the rightful heir.”

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

LIA MARA

In person, Grey is much larger than he appeared in the courtyard. Considering his injured leg, I didn’t expect him to be so quick or so violent, which is rather unfortunate because he’s about to crush my throat. His body pins mine against the wall, but my fingers dig at his wrist.

“Please,” I say, my voice strained. “I have little time.”

His grip doesn’t loosen. “How do you know who I am?”

“My mother.” Spots begin to flare in my vision. Breath rakes across my tongue. “Please—I need to speak with you.”

He studies me for the longest moment, until I’m certain I will lose consciousness. He’s extinguished most of the oil lamps along the wall, so shadow cloaks us both. His eyes are deep set and dark, like charred wood in a burning hearth, so much darker than eyes native to Syhl Shallow.

His hand eases on my neck, and sweet air floods my lungs. The weight of his body still holds me against the wall. No man has ever
been this close to me. Even with his hand against my throat, Grey is not being
rough
, but he’s close enough for me to feel his heart beat nearly against my own. A flush colors my cheeks, and I hope it’s too dark for him to see.

His fingers tap at my neck. “Now you have little to say?”

I swallow. “I did not—you are not what I expected.”

“I did not expect to find a girl hiding in the draperies, so we have that in common. Who are you?”

“Lia Mara.” I pause. “My mother is Karis Luran.”

He inhales sharply, and his fingers flex against my throat.

“I am not your enemy!” I whisper quickly.

“A spy from Syhl Shallow is certainly not a friend.”

“Prince Rhen knows I’m here.” His expression turns skeptical. “Well—not
here
,” I amend. “I may only have a short time before the guards discover I’m missing.”

“You are his prisoner.”

“No. Yes.” Grey is so unyielding that I turn flustered. “I did not—I am not a spy. I came to the castle with a proposal of peace.”

“Ah, a proposal of peace. So often delivered in such a way.”

I make a frustrated sound and snap at him in Syssalah. “
Fell siralla!
Would you stop talking? I am trying to explain.”

He raises his eyebrows, as if to say,
go on.

I quickly explain what happened when I arrived, how Rhen refused my offer and took me prisoner. When I get to the part where he executed Sorra, my voice begins to waver.

Grey’s expression does not change.

I steady myself and continue. “I saw you brought into the courtyard. I knew who you must be.”

“The prince himself does not know,” he says. “How do
you
?”

“I didn’t—not for sure. Mother only said you knew the true identity of the heir, so at first I believed you carried some secret. But I began to question why you would not reveal it to your prince. You were the captain of his guard, were you not?”

“Commander.”

“Yes. Commander. You forswear family, yes? If the heir were another man, you would surely volunteer that information.”

His eyes reveal nothing. I wonder if my hypothesis worries him. If
I
figured it out, surely the prince can.

“He will kill you if he finds out,” I say softly.

“As a matter of course.” He says this without emotion, without one breath of doubt.

“But you must have magic if you are the son of a magesmith! Why would you allow yourself to be taken prisoner?”

He swears. “Maybe I have the blood of a magesmith, but so far it has done me little good.”

I study him. “You could escape. My mother seeks you as well.”

“I want nothing from Karis Luran.”

His voice carries an edge like a knife, and I flinch. “She would offer her support to your claim on the throne.”

“I seek no claim to the throne.”

“Not even if it means peace between Syhl Shallow and Emberfall?”

“Peace between our countries cannot be achieved through trickery and treason.” His hand is very warm on my throat, a reminder that he could kill me right here and all my hopes would die with me. “Based on your story, it seems you’ve learned that lesson yourself.”

I frown. “I will not apologize for trying to save the lives of
thousands of people. You and your prince may believe that the solution to all life’s challenges exists at the end of a sword, but I do not.” I look him dead in the eye. “If you will not accept my offer of assistance—”

“I will not.”

I square my shoulders, but all it does is press my chest into his. I force my voice to remain level. “I will ask you to unhand me, so I can return to my room to await my fate.”

He’s staring at me like he’s unsure what to make of me.

“Now,” I add.

It’s a bold request. He could call for guards, and they would certainly put me somewhere I can’t slip through the fireplace. He could kill me himself, to keep his secret.

The weight of his scrutiny crackles in the air between us.

He frowns, but his hand slips away from my neck.

Before he can say anything, the door creaks, and he jerks back. I dash behind the curtains again.

I expect him to drag me back out, to use my trickery and escape to his advantage, but instead, he says, “Move to the corner. You’ll be better hidden.”

I slide along the stone wall, shifting silently until I hear a guard announce, “Harper, Princess of Disi.”

Even my breathing stops. Why would the princess visit a former guardsman?

“My lady.” Grey’s voice, hushed with surprise. No, more than surprise. He was so impassive when he faced me that I wish I could see his face now.

A rush of skirts indicates she’s moving. I allow myself a slow breath and pull deeper into the corner. All the sconces in this part
of the room are dark. Surely I’m well hidden. I peek around the edge of the curtain.

What I see almost makes me give myself away entirely.

They are
embracing.
My heart gives a sudden lurch in my chest.

I’ve been longing for a book in my hours here, but this is almost worth the hours of boredom in that room. The princess and the guardsman. What an absolute
scandal.
Nolla Verin will faint when I tell her.

If
I can ever tell her.

Grey puts his hands on Harper’s arms and draws her back. “You are the Princess of Disi. You cannot—”

“I don’t care! Grey, you’re
alive
.”

“Indeed. Until sundown tomorrow.”

The princess’s face goes solemn. “Rhen told me.” She takes a step forward, reaching for him, but he steps away. She stops and wrings her hands. “Please, Grey. Please tell him.”

“Forgive me,” he says, and his voice is gentle in a way I didn’t expect. “I cannot.”

“I watched what Lilith did to him, Grey. I can’t watch him do something like that to you. I can’t. I know why he’s afraid, but I told him—he can’t—” Her voice breaks. “You just came back. I can’t—he can’t—”

“My lady.”

His voice carries a tone of command, and she steadies herself. A slender hand swipes at her face. A tear glistens in the dim candlelight. “What?”

“We once spoke of my duty to bleed so he does not. I swore an oath to die so he would not. If I die bearing this secret, and it allows him to take the throne without challenge, what difference is this?”

“This is not the same, and you know it.”

“It
is
the same. It is very much the same.”

Her voice turns sharp. “If he does this, I don’t know if I can ever forgive him.”

Grey’s expression is resigned, his eyes full of shadows. “A king should place his country above the woman he loves.”

Harper goes still. “That’s what he said, too.” She scowls. “You stupid men and your stupid ideals. You were imprisoned here together for like
ever
, but you can’t just talk this out and figure out a solution?”

I was right yesterday. She and I could have been friends.

“My lady.” Grey finally steps forward and touches a finger to her chin, lifting her gaze. “If you love him, you will try to understand his motives. Do not underestimate his ability to rule as he sees necessary. We have spoken of mercy and weakness.”

She sighs. “I know.”

“Do not underestimate my ability to stay alive either.”

Her eyebrows go up, her expression turning hopeful.

Grey shrugs and drops his hand. “I have been granted a day, and I did not expect that much.”

She reaches out to catch his hand, clutching it between her own. “You’ll figure out a way. Promise me you’ll try.”

“Easily done. You have my word.” He pauses. “I would ask a promise of you as well.”

“Anything.” Princess Harper straightens. “I’ll make a case for your innocence—whatever you need. Tell me the right words. I can go to his advisers—”

“My lady. You misunderstand. My request is not that you intercede.” He hesitates. “I do not want you to
watch
.”

She blanches and takes a step back. “Grey …”

His voice is firm. “I will keep my promise if you can keep this.”

She swallows. “Okay. I will.” She pauses. “I’m still going to try to stop him.”

He smiles, though there is little humor in it. “That is why you were destined to stand at his side.”

A tear slips down her cheek, but she hurriedly wipes it away. “You must be tired, but …” Her voice trails off, but then she looks up, her eyes hopeful again. “Maybe we could spend some time together tomorrow? He says you can do whatever you want as long as you stay on the castle grounds.”

He nods. “Yes, of course.”

“I’ve been working on swordplay. Zo has been helping me.”

His smile is a little sad. “I look forward to seeing your progress.”

“Good,” she says. Her face nearly crumples, but she swipes at her eyes again. “Tomorrow morning?”

“As early as you wish.”

The princess slips out as quietly as she came.

Grey stalks across the room, moving quickly despite his injured leg, and tosses the curtain wide.

I stare up at him. “And to think you spoke of treachery and treason.”

He frowns. “What?”

“You and the princess. No wonder you ran.”

To my surprise, he laughs. “Rhen would hardly allow me an inch of freedom if that were true.” He sobers quickly, which makes me think there may be more that he is not saying. “Do not speak of things you do not know.”

Interesting. “Did you mean what you said? That you’d rather die than tell him you’re the heir?”

“Yes.”

He answers so simply, so
guilelessly
. After the polished doublespeak of the prince, his forthright honesty is unexpected.

He frowns. “How
did
you get in here?”

“The fireplace. I pulled the barrier wide.”

His eyebrows go up. “Those barriers have not been moved in years.”

“That’s probably why it took me all day.”

He glances at the hearth, then back at me. Again, I am self-conscious of these clothes that reveal every curve, and I wish I could pull back into deeper shadows.

“You crawled through a lit fire?” he says.

I scowl. “It was not lit on my side, and I am more nimble than I look.” Outside, bells signal the change of guard. “Will you allow me to return, or do you intend to reveal my escape to your prince?”

He studies me for the longest moment, then stands back. “My room is guarded as securely as yours is. You will find no escape through here.”

I kneel on the hearth and put my back against the side wall so I can ease around the flames. “You told the princess not to underestimate your ability to stay alive.”

“I’ve made it this far.”

“So have I. Don’t underestimate my abilities either.” I shimmy through the narrow opening, flicking a lit ember off my sweater, mindful of his eyes watching me.

“I don’t suppose you would change your mind?” I say. “About working with my mother? Working toward peace?”

“Your mother is a monster,” he says.

I frown and put my hand against the brick, then ease through the gap and look at him across the flames. “Given what I’ve learned, so is your prince.”

Without another word, I put my day’s work to good use, and I pull the handle to snap the barrier smoothly back into place.