Page 72 of To Kill a King
“Why?” The word snapped out of her mouth before she could stop it. “Yeh hopin’ I’m still smart enough ta help in the war?” Would she even want to be involved now, even if she had anything to offer?
“Perhaps, but—”
Zadé rapped her knuckles against her temple. “Sorry, Aunt. Lost all my smarts in th’ ‘xplosion. At this point, safe ta say they ain’t comin’ back.” She reached for her flask and poured its contents down her throat, biting back the frown. It was better than water, but strawberry wine still wasn’t the best for taking the edge off, and she’d pay for it later. She should’ve kept the Pálinka instead of switching it out.
Cressida pulled the bottle from Zadé’s lips. “You served honorably. We would like to repay your service and find you help.”
Zadé guffawed. Like that’d happen. She didn’t want to stay here and be reminded how broken she was compared to everyone else. “What, so I can come back ‘n be cast aside twice? I may be stupid, but I ain’t dumb enough ta let y’all hurt me again.” She yanked her flask out of her aunt’s reach and shook it at her. “Yeh wanna help? Git me a bottle o’ th’ good stuff. Th’ stronger, th’ better.”
Lady Brightleaf sighed and stood. “Think about it. You could have a home here, instead of living on the fringes of society with the humans. Your friends, the human queen and Sorisana’s boy, will be here for a while. Take your time before you make a final decision.”
Zadé locked her jaw and glared at Cressida as she swept from the room.
Well, valek. If her family planned to guilt her into staying, where she’d always be aware how broken she was, she needed to leave yesterday. Elsan and Princess would be fine without her as a third wheel, too. She chortled. Maybe he would finally manage to get into Princess’s pants, since it was so obvious that was what he wanted.
Fishing her blankets off the floor, she pulled them over her head. She’d go as soon as her headache cleared and Elsan followed through on his promise to buy her a bottle of Filathas’s best.
Chapter 15
Aliya
Aliya rolled over, groaning. The elven beds, with their cushy moss mattresses, were more comfortable than she expected. She reached above her head, arched her back, and stretched, opening her eyes.
Light streamed through the sheet of vines covering the bedroom window.
Golden sunlight.
The sun was up.
Crap. Invisible steel bands tightened around her chest until it burned. She had an appointment with Lady Cressida at dawn. Way to hammer home her stellar first impression.
Throwing on the tunic and skirt she purchased yesterday at the market, she slipped into her shoes and ran out the door.
Lady Cressida glanced up from where she was eating her breakfast as Aliya sprinted into the clearing.
“I’m so sorry I’m late. I slept in.” Aliya rushed up, trying to bring her ragged breathing under control.
The older woman set her fork down, folded her hands in her lap and fixed Aliya with a flat stare. “Yes, I see.”
Aliya took a deep breath. “Please forgive me. It won’t happen again.”
Cressida narrowed her eyes. “Don’t make promises you can’t keep.”
Aliya bit her lower lip, resisting the urge to shift her weight from side to side. Now what? Her stomach growled.
After a few tense heartbeats, the other woman sighed. “Oh, for heaven’s sake, child. Sit down and eat some breakfast before you pass out.”
Breathing a sigh of relief, Aliya pulled out the other chair. The ever-present citrus the elves favored overflowed the table. Grabbing a dragon fruit, she spooned a mouthful of the tangy pulp into her mouth.
Lady Cressida ate another strawberry. “So, young lady, tell me what you know of your magic.”
“My magic?” Aliya swallowed. What kind of question was that? She rested her hand on her chest, below her collarbone. “I feel my power here. But it doesn’t respond like spellcraft should. No matter how many times I say the right words, nothing happens.” Cressida had warned her no more falsehoods, and lies of omission probably counted, too. “Or it goes rogue and does something else entirely.”
“The right words?”
“The incantations. You know…” She waved her hand in a vague gesture. “The ones written in the spell books?”
Cressida threw her head back and burst out laughing.