Adrienne (29 page)

Chapter Nineteen

A week later, Malik had to go to the Kingdom of Iniko on urgent business. The Kings of Sondo and Iniko marked the message urgent because they noticed Ulan’s return to good weather, but neither had heard from Malik.

He tried to persuade Adrienne to accompany him, but she didn’t feel ready to face other monarchs yet. Having to stop in Sondo and retrieve King Ravalyn further turned her off to the idea. The thought of traveling to Sondo—even briefly, as Malik insisted—was out of the question.

“You will not embarrass yourself, my Adrienne. There is nothing to worry about,” Malik urged.

Adrienne sat on a chair in front of the ceiling-high mirror and combed out her hair. She looked at Malik’s reflection. “I’ve barely gotten used to this kingdom. And Iniko—hell, all of the other kingdoms—are so different from Ulan.”

Malik pressed a kiss to her hair. “I will bend, but next time you are coming. The other monarchs will wish to meet my new queen,” he said before he retired to the bed. “I will be gone for no more than four days. If I traveled by land instead of portals, I would have to go around Kakra to get to Iniko, which would make the trip a month or longer.”

“Why doesn’t everyone else use portals? It seems like a lot less hassle,” she pointed out. She put her brush down and joined him on the bed.

Malik stretched before he answered, “They would, but portals are unwieldy. They take a control and power most mages cannot manage. And, portals respond to emotions. The slightest shift in emotion would send an inexperienced mage careening off course.”

“You use them so easily, though.”

“I use them easily because I am not afraid to use them. I have always used portals indiscriminately and, some would say, carelessly. Only a few other mages can make such a boast.”

“You’re right. I do think using a portal to get from the throne room to the bedroom is a bit lazy on your part,” she chided with humor.

Malik pulled her into his arms and kissed her. He asked in a sly tone, “How else would I be able to return quickly enough to bed my beautiful wife?”

Adrienne giggled as she succumbed to Malik’s lust. They made love every time they were alone. Her period had started last week, but it didn’t surprise her.

Malik told Adrienne he would continue to use the contraceptive spell until after their first anniversary. Though Adrienne said he’d fulfilled his promise, Malik knew better. The contract spell remained. Malik had to give Adrienne an Earth wedding before he could give her a child.

Adrienne saw Malik off the next morning. It upset her that he left the Primaries behind even though she asked him to take at least one. He wanted her to be guarded extra closely in his absence. While his worry about her safety made her happy, she wanted him to think of his own. She didn’t want to rule this kingdom alone, and had a feeling she wouldn’t, since Derex’s will stipulated it would default to Hollace.

The more Adrienne thought on the subject of Malik’s recklessness, the more agitated she became. She decided to think happy thoughts and trust that Malik would be careful. When he returned, they would have a conversation about his reckless habits.

The portal barely closed before Adrienne felt a marked difference in the attitude of the patrons of the palace. Everyone laughed easier and smiled more.

The day after Malik departed, Adrienne decided to see if she could run the palace on her own, and found out how much Malik shielded her. She and Malik usually resided over upwards of twenty hearings before lunch. Actually, Malik resided over them, and Adrienne offered her opinion when she thought her reasoning was valid. Even after a few months on the throne, she still didn’t feel qualified to rule.

On her first solo try, Adrienne barely made it through six cases. Her major had been literature, not law, and legalese in any language was confusing and boring. She had retrieved her crocheting supplies on the trip to her parents’, but no amount of needlework would keep her awake.

The chancellors thought to take advantage and presented her with law amendments and city requisitions she knew Malik wouldn’t pass. At least, she thought Malik wouldn’t pass them. Being equal in power meant the chancellors only needed one monarch to approve something for it to take effect. Adrienne didn’t want to approve something then regret it, so she decided all matters should sit until Malik returned.

No one questioned her decision. She didn’t know if they were scared to ask her or if they felt she was incapable of ruling. Whatever the reason, she used the reprieve to her advantage. Or, she tried to.

Mushira sequestered Adrienne against her will in the royal chambers with twenty seamstresses chosen to make her wedding dress. Reminding Mushira that she had eight months was a waste of time and words, so Adrienne didn’t bother. She gave in and allowed one whole day for fittings and the like.

If the seamstresses wondered at the purpose of the dress, they kept their questions to themselves. Mushira ordered them to keep the entire affair quiet. Adrienne hinted she wanted to surprise Malik, which meant if too many people knew about the dress, he would eventually find out. Her explanation wasn’t a total lie—Malik shouldn’t know what her dress looked like until the day of the wedding. And the hint of conspiracy kept the ladies silent on the matter.

The following morning, Adrienne escaped to the gardens before Mushira could corner her. It was a beautiful day and she wanted to enjoy it.

“May I walk with you, Majesty?” Khursid asked, moving one pace away instead of five.

Adrienne waved him forward. “What’s on your mind, Khursid?”

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

Khursid glanced at her before saying, “You do not know what I am thanking you for, My Queen.”

“You and High Chancellor Travers have come to an understanding and you are thanking me for that, right?”

“Yes.”

“I’m glad that’s fixed. How is Bayard taking your impending marriage?”

“Well,” Khursid answered with a growl. “Bayard enjoys men and women. He wishes to find me a wife who will want two men in her bed instead of one.”

Adrienne chuckled at this.
You can’t win for losing
, she mused.

“It’s for the best,” Khursid conceded. “Women do not arouse me. Bayard’s presence will make it easier for me to conceive the heirs my father wishes of me.”

“How do you feel about your father being gay?”

“We have a subject on which we both agree—now. Before, we could speak of nothing and therefore we never spoke. I thank you again, My Queen.”

“Glad to be of service.”

Khursid bowed, then rejoined Qamar. She didn’t walk alone for long. Rena came running out of the palace with Mischief hot on her heels. Feyr followed a little while later.

Adrienne glanced over her shoulder and smiled. As she expected, the Primaries had come out of hiding. Indivar probably wanted Rena to know he was in the area so she would behave. With Indivar out in the open, Flavian and Bayard had no reason to hide.

The Primaries walked with Qamar and Khursid, but everyone dropped back more than ten paces, giving Feyr room. Despite Adrienne’s assurances that Feyr wouldn’t hurt them, her guards continued to give the cat a wide berth.

“
Does the day find you well, Adrienne?
”

“I’m not being bored out of my mind or poked with pins, so I’d say yes. The day finds me very well. You?”

“
I have spent most of the morning chasing after the cubs. Mischief is a bad influence on Rena, I am saddened to say.
”

“They’re children. They’ll grow out of it,” she reasoned. She contradicted her accepting attitude a few minutes later when she yelled, “Rena, Mischief, you’re getting too far away. Come back this way.”

Rena waved, then chased Mischief back towards them. The cub sat down because Rena couldn’t keep up otherwise.

At three months old, Mischief was half-grown. Adrienne had to stop holding him, which upset them both. He didn’t weigh too much, but Feyr thought it wise to wean Mischief off being carried sooner rather than later.

“
Thank you, Adrienne,
” Feyr whispered.

Adrienne gave him a surprised look. “What did I do?” This was a day for people to thank her, it seemed.

“
In all honesty, I did not wish you to have one of my cubs. Though not for the same reasons as my mate.
”

“Why?”

“
My experience as a kept animal made me vow never to let my cubs suffer the same.
”

“I don’t understand.”

“
I am not free to leave the palace.
”

“But, I thought—”

“
Malik needs me. Though he has you now, Malik still needs me. I cannot be amongst my own kind for more than a few days at a time. My fellows alienate and shun me because I am a kept animal,
” Feyr explained. “
I faced many more challenges than other males just to gain the right to be amongst the others. The challenges to have my mate went on for days
.”

“I’m sorry, Feyr. You should have said—”

“
My mate changed her mind when she saw your argument with Malik. I changed my mind when you decided not to take the cub if my mate did not wish you to have him. Malik would have taken the cub and I would have had to fight him.
”

“I thought you liked Malik?”

“
I do
,” he agreed. “
I do not like the way he acquired me, and I would not have it repeated with one of my own
.”

Some part of her didn’t want to ask, but she did anyway. “What happened?”

Feyr explained in solemn tones, “
A few months after the assassination of Malik’s mother, King Iasion decided to cheer his son with a rare gift. He ordered his men to capture a mulit cub. They completed the task to the king’s satisfaction; however, they killed my mother in the process, and my siblings were left to fend for themselves. We were only a few weeks old. I am sure they did not survive.
”

Adrienne didn’t say a word since nothing seemed appropriate.

“
I hated Malik at first. We fought constantly…physically. Everyday, Malik and I sported new wounds for the palace mages to heal. It impressed me that a mere human could hold his own in a fight against me.

“
I started enjoying Malik’s company, though the pain of my loss was forever with me—as his loss is with him. We learned to speak to one another shortly before his father’s assassination. From that day forward, we were inseparable. I am a physical manifestation of Malik’s anger and I enjoy my job.
”

“You still can, Feyr. If there is someone deserving of your kind of punishment, I will send you after them myself,” she promised. “You’ll forgive me if I don’t watch. I want to continue in my naiveté of your true power for as long as I can.”

Feyr was about to say something when he stopped walking instead. He lifted his nose and sniffed.

Adrienne stopped walking when he did. She spared him a glance before her attention went to Rena and Mischief. They had run to the far end of the garden during Feyr’s story. She opened her mouth to call them back.

Her voice froze in her throat and her knees gave out beneath her. Instinctively, she raised her hands to break her fall. White noise crackled all around her in a deafening cacophony. Her vision started blurring.

She heard the voices of her guards calling to her. A screaming woman drowned them out.

Adrienne realized she was the one screaming moments before she passed out.

In the shadows, a cloaked man clenched his fist around the orb he held. He watched in delight as the confusion spell wove around Adrienne without hindrance. He had worried Malik would leave a barrier orb with her, or something else to mess up his plans. He gave praise to the goddess Yatima—queen of the gods on high—for his good fortune that nothing interrupted his plan. Soon, his mistress would have her prize.

He snapped out of his happy stupor and erected a barrier around Adrienne before the Elite guards could help her. He smiled as they tried futilely to break the barrier. No mere Elite guard could break his spell. Malik’s chancellors were not even up to the task.

From the depths of his cloak another orb appeared. This one opened a series of portals beneath Adrienne. He couldn’t chance opening a portal directly to the destination he wished Adrienne transported to, because someone might see and then later alert Malik.

His task was almost done. Soon he would…

“Damn,” he cursed as loudly as he dared.

He watched in horror as Malik’s cat Feyr held the girl’s hand firmly in his mouth and kept her from dropping. The confusion spell should have affected Feyr, as well. The cloaked man had heard rumors Malik endowed the damn cat with powers to rival those of the chancellors. The rumors now had proof. Thankfully, he had a backup plan.

He pulled out another orb. This one—unlike the others, which were clear—was metallic. With a push of will, the orb sped towards Feyr. The cloaked man’s smile of triumph grew as he watched the cat drop in obvious pain.

No matter how powerful the mage, no one—not even Malik—could fight the neutralizing effects of mage metal. If worn, mage metal nullified any and all magicks the wearer might try to use.

Wearing mage metal did not make a person immune to magickal attacks, however. To be immune from magickal attacks, the mage metal had to be embedded inside the body. But this would also render the individual unable to use magicks.

The cloaked man wanted to keep the cat from contacting Malik, if it hadn’t already. He thought he would have to reveal himself and attack the cat openly. But the mage metal worked and the cat suffered terribly, from the looks of it. He kept to his hiding place and watched, his task almost finished.

Adrienne woke as she started falling. She opened her eyes and blinked repeatedly to clear her vision. Everything remained fuzzy, but she saw Feyr. His jaws were wrapped around her hand.

Through her confusion, she managed to grab the edge of the hole. Just as her fingers brushed the edge, Feyr collapsed. Another scream wrenched from her lips as she dropped into eternal blackness. The light from the opening disappeared. The portal closed.