The Key (24 page)

“Not at all.”
Darmik entwined his arm with hers, leading Rema down the road. They entered the city from a side street.

Rema had seen the
se buildings from the castle, but seeing them and walking among them were two very different experiences. The town near her home had one small market and only a handful of stores. King’s City had several markets and hundreds of stores. There were clothing vendors, butchers, and bakeries. People strolled through the streets shopping or heading to work.

Everything was foreign, yet, Rema’s eyes couldn’t get enough of the sights and colors. The familiar smell of fire and the clanking sound of a blacksmith’s hammer on the anvil made her feel right at home. She had only ever dreamed of making it out of Jarko, and now, here she was in King’s City.

Going down one of the side streets, Rema and Darmik came upon a group of children playing a game with stones. The kids appeared to be about five years old, and their clothing was too small, revealing knobby knees and bony arms.

Rema stopped, digging her fingers into Darmik’s arm.
“Give them the food,” she ordered. Her heart ached at the sight of the hungry children.

Darmik slid the sack to the ground and opened it. “Here,” he said, “take what you can carry and share
it with your family.”

The children
abandoned their game and eagerly grabbed the bread, filling their arms until they couldn’t hold any more.

“Thank you!” one little girl said, hugging Rema’s legs.
Then she took three loaves of bread and scurried away with a smile on her face.

“It’s good to see you happy,”
Darmik said.

“I like helping others
,” Rema replied. “The royal family has the opportunity to do so much good but . . .” her voice trailed off. She didn’t want to offend Darmik for not being more proactive.

Darmik nodded, seeming to understand what she was implying.
“It’s a shame King Barjon and Prince Lennek care more for their own well-being than they do for their people,” he whispered. Rolling the sack up, Darmik stuck it under his belt and stood. “Until I discovered you smuggling food out of the castle, the thought of defying my father and helping the people behind his back never occurred to me.”

A group of women carrying baskets walked by.

“Let’s keep moving,” Darmik whispered, keeping his face down. He offered Rema his arm, and they continued in silence, passing stores and strolling among people who lived and worked in the city.

Turning onto one of the more crowded streets, Darmik leaned in toward Rema’s ear.
“There’s something you have to try,” he said, leading her into a bakery. He bought a delicious piece of elderflower cheesecake with blackberry jam on top.

“This is fabulous,” she said in between bites. “I’ve never tasted anything like
it.” She shoved another piece in her mouth as they walked outside the bakery.

“I can tell
.” Darmik seemed amused. “You have jam on your nose.”

With one wipe,
she discovered there wasn’t anything on her face. Darmik was teasing her. Taking her finger, she scooped up some jam off the cheesecake and smeared it on Darmik’s nose before he realized what she was doing.

For a brief second
, she was afraid he’d be mad at her, but he laughed instead. Darmik pulled her across the street to a marble water fountain with a statue of King Barjon. A few kids played in the pool, splashing one another.

Darmik rinsed
off his face. “I’ll get you back for that one.” He chuckled.

“I thought I was getting
you
back.”

“Come on
.” He took her arm, and they continued walking through the streets. Darmik took her to the only park in the city. It was a grassy area with small beds of flowers spread throughout. It reminded her of Aunt Maya’s garden next to the house.

Darmik
squatted down and picked a flower, twirling it between his fingers. “So,” he said, “besides the obvious—that you’re a horse lover and fiercely independent, I know very little about you.”

“There’s not much to tell,” Rema replied. “I grew up on a horse farm. My aunt educated me. Now I’m here.” She didn’t want t
o think about her family or horses—it was too painful.

Darmik stood and gazed intently into her eyes.
“What happened to your parents?” he asked. “Why were you raised by your aunt and uncle?”

Rema looked at this handsome man
standing before her with strong, muscled arms, hands calloused from the sword, and warm eyes. Did he really want to know her? Did he really care about her?

“They died,” she said, “during the takeover. I have no one else. No other family.”

“I’m sorry.” He sounded sad, but his father was the one responsible for the death of so many people.

The image of the horse, bloodied and dead, was seared into her memory. She
shrugged her shoulders. A group passed next to them, no idea the commander and future princess were only two feet away.

Could she turn and walk away, disappearing into this large city? What
would happen to her aunt and uncle? Could she get word to them so they could also escape before Lennek took vengeance upon them?

“I want to ask you something,” Rema whispered. “
What would happen if I walked away and vanished, right now?”

Darmik tucked the white wildflower behind Rema’s right ear. His touch left her skin tingling, wanting more. She pushed his hat up half an inch so she could see his
mesmerizing brown eyes.

“Lennek would make sure you paid dearly for it. Your aunt, uncle, everyone you know in Jarko would be murdered. I don’t think I need to explain Lennek’s cruel side. You’ve already seen what he and my father are capable of.”

Her freedom wasn’t worth the death of another. It felt like someone squeezed her heart, destroying all hope.

Something toward the park’s entrance caught Darmik’s attention.
“We need to get back to the castle before Lennek returns.”

There was an odd twitch to his eye
, and for the first time, Rema thought that maybe Darmik was frightened of Lennek. She wanted to know what had happened to make him afraid of his own brother—but she was too scared to hear the answer. Still, he was the commander of an entire army and he knew how to take care of himself. She shuddered at the thought of someone so strong and powerful fearing Lennek.

****

There was a knock on the door. Rema set aside her book and looked up to see Darmik enter her private sitting room.

“I just wanted to check on you.
How are you doing?” He wore riding clothes, and Rema wished she could go riding with him again. But she didn’t know if she could handle being around a horse yet.

“I’m good. And thank you for yesterday.” Visions of the stores and the pungent smells of the city
already felt like a distant dream.

He nodded. “I can’t stay today. Lennek’s in the castle.”

“So?” Rema asked, curious to hear Darmik’s answer.

“He won’
t be happy if he finds me here with you.” He stood tall and proud, his face revealing nothing.

“Are you afraid
of your brother?” Rema asked.

“It’s not that I fea
r him; it’s that he’s an unknown,” Darmik said. “A wildcard, if you will. He’s unpredictable and fueled by jealousy, revenge, and power. A deadly combination.” He sat down on the settee. Rema was thrilled he was staying, even if it was only for a little bit.

“But he’s your brother. You must love him.”
Using the excuse that they needed keep their voices low so no one would hear, Rema scooted closer to him.

“I love him because he
’s my brother, not because of who he is as a person.”

Rema thought she understood
that. Darmik fidgeted with the bottom of his tunic. She wished she could reach out and hold his hands. The image of them walking through the streets resurfaced. She had held his arm for most of yesterday, liking the way it was warm and strong. Darmik made her feel safe. Rema remembered what it felt like when he gave her the flower, when his hand briefly touched hers.

“So
...you and Bren were engaged?” Darmik asked.

The
change of topics surprised her. It was difficult to think about Bren. She wasn’t sure she could talk about him without getting emotional.

“I’m sorry. I don’t want to cause you pain. I was just wondering
...if you’re still in love with him?” Darmik stumbled over his words.

“
Bren was my only friend. My best friend. I loved him dearly, but only as a friend.” Tears filled her eyes. The image of Bren, bloody in her arms, was all she could picture. Rema wiped her sweaty palms on her dress.

Darmik shifted his body toward
her. “I’m sorry for your loss. For everything you’ve had to endure since we first met.” He put his arm on her shoulder. She froze, not wanting to do anything that would make him take his arm away. She needed the comfort and security right now.

“What about you?”
she asked. Darmik furrowed his eyebrows. “I mean, is there anyone special in your life?” She couldn’t believe she just asked him that.

His arm fell from her shoulder
, breaking their physical contact. A chill swept over her. She very much wanted him to touch her again. “No,” he said. “I’m busy trying to keep the kingdom from going to war with itself.”

Of course
, she thought. Still, she couldn’t help but wonder if he had ever been in love before. Looking into his eyes, Rema thought she saw pain there.

S
he knew it was stupid to entertain any fantasies about Prince Darmik. It was far too dangerous, and she had to keep reminding herself that he was a friend, nothing more. Besides, she wanted to escape this royal family—not be connected to it in any way.

Rema
just wished that, as a friend, he wasn’t so handsome. That his eyes didn’t make her stomach do flips. That he didn’t seem so interested in her. That he, himself, wasn’t so interesting. She had an intense desire to kiss him. It had to be the result of her circumstances—away from her family, Bren’s death, the horse—that made her vulnerable. Rema needed to gain control of her emotions. This wasn’t love. It couldn’t be.

Darmik opened his mouth to
say something, but the guards’ voices got loud, alerting him to someone’s approach. Darmik moved to the opposite couch and pulled out his dagger.

The door
flew open, and Lennek strolled in. “Brother,” Lennek said. “Come to admire my new trophy?” He sat next to Rema, putting his arms on the back of the settee, looking far too comfortable.

Darmik’s face was expressionless, revealing nothing. Rema’s heart pounded.
The dagger hung loosely from his fingers.

“Rema, sorry to ruin Lennek’s gift.”

She had no idea what he was talking about. He placed the dagger on the low table between them. Lennek’s eyes zeroed in on the knife.

“Is that what I think it is?” Lennek asked.

“It is. It’s the dagger that killed the last royal family member.” Darmik focused on Rema. “If you want me to have one made for you, it’s going to cost you. When you decide, send word through the guards again.”

She remembered Aunt Maya mentioning once that nobles exchanged gifts during the
wedding ceremony.

“You don’t need to get me anything.” Lennek took
Rema’s hand and kissed it. “You are gift enough.” His eyes lingered over her body.

Rema wanted to tear her hand away and wipe it on her dress.

Instead of letting go, Lennek squeezed and pulled her closer. “Darmik, leave us. I want to be alone with my fiancée.” Rema forced herself not to act guilty or look at Darmik. If she did, Prince Lennek would know she had feelings for Darmik.

Darmik
hesitated. Rema didn’t want Lennek lashing out at him because of her.

“Good-bye,
Prince Darmik,” she said smiling, trying to assure him that she could take care of herself. “Thank you for your input. The guard was right; you were the right person to ask.” He nodded and left.

“So, tell me dear,
” Lennek mused, “does Darmik visit you often?”

His breath was hot and revolting in her face. Rema remembered being on that cliff with Lennek and him threatening her if she ever lied to him. Lennek’s
hand stroked her cheek, his thumb attempting to caress her lips. He moved in for a kiss, and she stiffened. His mouth stopped, an inch from hers.

“Something the matter, dear?” Lennek asked.

“No...not at all.” She braced herself for his kiss.

Instead, his hands snaked around her waist,
and then moved up her back. “Kiss me,” Lennek demanded. “And mean it.”

“No
.”

“No?”
he asked in disbelief. She could tell his mind was already forming a threat.

“I’m still grieving
Bren. Besides, we’ll be married soon enough.”