Page 40 of Shadow Wings
The girl dropped her arms, and her cheeks tinged pink all the way to the tips of her pointed ears. “You don't have to be a Drae about it, Kamoi.” She sniffed. “Next thing I know, you'll be acting likeFather—”
Kamoi put his hand over his sister's mouth and shook his head. “Part of growing up is knowing what to say, when to say it, and how to say it, littleKami.”
Regardless of the rudeness of the little girl, I couldn't help feeling sorry for her. She’d been raised to believe what she was saying, and even three months ago, I might have agreed with her about theDrae.
The girl batted her brother's hand away then sniffed and offered me a tentativesmile.
Wow, this girl could change emotions like theweather.
“Are you one of the lost Phaetyn?” she askedme.
“Kami, please stop talking,” Kamoi said with a shake of his head. “Just go tell our parents I'm home and I've brought a Phaetyn from Verald as well as Lord Irrik and Lord Dyter. Lord Dyter is King Caltevyn'sambassador.”
Kamoi rattled the information off quickly, but I noted his sister’s flinch when he said Lord Irrik. Obviously, the Drae was known here, and I felt a flash of irritation at the prince for not giving Tyrrik a clean slate by using his real name. Kamoi clearly meant this as aninsult.
Kamini dropped a perfunctory curtsy and dartedaway.
This crawling sense of unease that skittered over my skin and burrowed deep into the pit of my stomach should not be so familiar after so short atime.
“Is your mother up for visitors, Kamoi?” Dyter asked. “Is she still the one making decisions here inZivost?”
Kamoi chuckled after a pause, but the tension in the air was only reinforced by the forced laugh. “Of course. Queen Alaini makes all of our decisions in regard to our country and our people. Just like the king does inVerald.”
Without further small talk, Kamoi led us through the open double doors and into the foyer of the stonehouse.
Dyter and I exchanged a quicklook.
I might've narrowly missed my calling as Soap Queen of Verald, but that didn't make me an idiot. I’d seen the same hungry looks on the young men in Verald as those on the younger Phaetyn rioting at the tree. Whatever was happening here, either the queen wasn’t making the choices, or she was making the wrong ones. Happy subjects didn’t have that look on theirfaces.
Trees didn’t decay when properly tendedto.
Dyter was right. We’d walked into a civilwar.
* * *
Kamoi ledus through the rose quartz home, Dyter and me staggering after while holding up Tyrrik. I swiveled my head without shame to take in the sparkling walls. There was no decoration in the hallways, and I could understand why they’d left the area so sparse with the way the walls glowed as though we’d stepped into another realm. Ididwonder if I could maybe chip some of the quartz off and add it to my stash, just one tiny piece. Would anyone evennotice?
“We’ll put Lord Tyrrik in here for now. He’ll be more comfortable,” Kamoi said, entering a smallchamber.
The room had two beds facing the outside wall and a small table between them. A pitcher and bowl sat atop the table, and there was still space for any personal things. The outside wall was a bank of opaque windows, letting in soft filtered light. The room was otherwise bare, but an adjacent door opposite the entrance made me think of the washroom in Tyrrik’s tower. What I wouldn’t give for abath. . .
“He’ll be safe whilewe—”
“Uh-huh,” I said, hunching over as Dyter and I deposited Tyrrik on the closest bed. I straightened and fixed Kamoi with a hard stare. “How safe will he be, considering we were attackedandrequired two sets of guards to gethere?”
Kamoi’s violet eyes narrowed, and he raised his voice and called out, “Malaleo.”
A guardappeared.
“You and two others are to guard Lord Tyrrik,” Kamoi said with a glance at the Drae. “He is a guest in this house. It’s your responsibility to ensure he does not meet with any harm, or the royal family will take it as a personalinsult.”
He quirked a brow at me, and I rolled my hand in a gesture, indicating for him to continue. There was no way I was going to come back and find he’d been injured. I didn’t quite understand how people twisted words and made loopholes, but I knew words and orders could be easily manipulated and misunderstood bynow.
Kamoi sighed and added, “If we return and find a single scratch on him, your lives areforfeit.”
The guard shifted uneasily, his gaze darting from Kamoi to me thenback.
Threaten their families, I mouthed, once the guard’s attention was back on theprince.