Fantasy of Fire (The Tainted Accords Book 3) (17 page)

“A half hour had passed since our arranged appointment. I decided to put the time to good use and enjoy the baths,” he continues. My eyes narrow at the laughter I detect in his voice.

“I didn’t mean to interrupt,” I say in a high voice. I frown and clear my throat. “I’ll just leave to you to it, with my apologies,” I say, nearly running for the door.

“Olina. We spent a night together. You’ve seen my body many times. Unless, you find the sight displeasing?” he asks, drawing the word out. I refuse to answer. Anything I might say would just make the situation worse. But I do know I could never find Jovan’s sculptured body displeasing. Splashes behind me let me know he’s submerged himself.

I retrace my steps, taking a seat on the cold stone bench as the king resurfaces. He meets my eyes with an amused glance and I glare at him, refusing to look away. He raises an eyebrow and gestures to the surrounding water.

“There’s enough water for two in here,” he offers. His words make me angry. I know enough to see the implication in his words, and where it may lead.

“Jovan, you’re not helping. You know we can’t repeat what happened.” My words echo loudly across the cavernous room.

I watch as he runs water up his arm and it trickles back down to join the pool. “And why would it be so disastrous to repeat?” he asks calmly. I wrench my gaze up to his, spluttering.

“Are you serious? We can never be together properly. Despite what happened between us, I’m not the kind of person to have … relations with any attractive male. I’m not going to sleep with you for the sake of it,” I say in an outraged voice, standing up.

Jovan, on the other hand, remains composed, trickling water over his other arm.

“That’s all there is to it?” he asks. “You worry what people will think?”

I move to the bath’s edge. “I worry what people will
do,
” I clarify.

He runs a hand over his chest, and I give up trying to look away until he chuckles. I flush and look at the bench beside me.

“Has it ever occurred to you that a union between us could strengthen the relationship between our worlds?” he asks softly.

I’m rendered immobile for a few moments, and unfurl my crossed arms, glancing back to meet his wary eyes. What did he just say? My heart thuds in my chest and my hands shake beside me. I ball them into fists, nails digging into palms.

“Strengthen?” I say weakly, giving a short, humorless laugh.

He shrugs one massive, sculpted shoulder. “Why not? It’s a new idea, but surely you can see the merits,” he says.

“I…” I snap my mouth shut. “Why would you
want
to, though?” My voice quickens as my reaction escapes me. Solis, he can’t be serious. How could two worlds possibly be joined in this way?

He’s judging me. His gaze is scorching, and full of something more. I saw it the night of the first ball as we sat listening to the musicians. It’s the look he had as he pinned me to the wall telling me I wouldn’t be learning to handle the dogsleds. It’s the same expression he had as we moved together
that
night. I stand tense, strung so tightly I feel my spine may crack from the strain. I watch as he shutters his expression. The burning in his eyes slowly fades as contemplates me.

“There’s no need to be alarmed, Tatuma. It’s merely an idea. Bad times sometimes call for dramatic change. Entering into a union, while perhaps not our first choice, could secure peace for our worlds. It is something to think on,” he says, an edge to his voice.

I ignore the painful jab I feel at his words, "not our first choice." A slight anger creeps into my shock as he reveals his true reason for suggesting such a thing. “Yes,” I say shortly. “It can be reserved as a last attempt to help our worlds.” His back muscles tighten for all of two seconds.

“What was your Outer Rings friend talking about at dinner?” he asks brusquely.

I roll my shoulders, asking myself why I came here. Jovan isn’t going to like what I say next. For some reason that doesn’t bother me anymore.

“When I returned to the barracks, two men followed me.” I hold up a hand as he turns in a swirl of water, mouth opened angrily.

“I was never approached. Didn’t know they were even there until Ice spotted them.” I smile at my friend’s cleverness. “I asked Ice to tail them back to their employer.”

“They reported to Sole,” I say quietly. “Were you aware of any of this?”

Jovan simmers, on the edge of boiling over. He slams a hand down onto the water's surface and begins striding out. I hasten to give him some privacy.

“No. I had no fucking idea,” he growls. My cheeks heat as I feel his movement behind me as though I were right next to him. “But I’m going to find out.”

“Wait,” I say, risking a quick peek. His trousers are on—it’s safe. “I’ve asked Ice to trail Sole and see who he’s working for. You know Sole. There’s no way he’s operating alone.” Jovan is being purposely obtuse. Everyone knows who Sole works for. He’s an introverted Bruma who tends to keep to himself. Since my journey with the delegates through the Oscala, I’d puzzled over the timid deference Sole pays to Blaine. It all started to make sense when I found out Blaine was married to Macy.

“I could just beat the truth out of him,” he says. It’s tempting, if only for the fact Jovan would hear Blaine’s name from someone other than myself.

I move forward to grip his arm. “I believe he’s being controlled through his sister, Macy,” I say, hoping he’ll understand.

The confusion on his face baffles me. I’m unused to having to point out details to Jovan. I roll the left wrist I dislocated when saving Sole on the pathway.

All the pent-up frustration I have toward Jovan for his stubbornness threatens to boil over. “You know Sole answers to Blaine. Blaine threatens to harm Macy, so Sole does his bidding,” I explain slowly.

He scoffs. “Oh, this is about Blaine again,” he says.

“What do you mean ‘again’?” I ask in annoyance.

He sits on the bench, returning me glare for glare. “You have something against him. He’s spoken to me about it himself, trying to speculate as to why.”

I hate that Jovan’s been speaking to Blaine about me, when he won’t talk to me about the slimy traitor. I stare at Jovan, stunned. “And you believed that?”

He clenches his jaw stubbornly and dangles his hands over his knees in his favorite posture. I open my mouth to explain about Sanjay and Alzona, about Hale and Ashawn, or what I saw as Frost. He cuts me off.

“I would ask you to stop trying to turn my people against him,” he says shortly. “He is not a traitor. He’s one of the highest positioned Bruma in my assembly. My father trusted him as a brother! He bounced me on his knee when I was a young boy,” He breathes shallowly, running a hand through his hair. “Besides,” he says, “I questioned Macy. She didn’t know what I was talking about, and she didn’t appear to be lying. You must have been mistaken about Blaine beating her.”

My jaw drops. “She said she wasn’t beaten by him?” The news rocks me. I
know
she’s lying, but why would she do this?

Jovan stands up, towering over me. He’s not even trying to intimidate me with the act. Then I understand. Macy is afraid of men, and with her knowledge of Blaine’s importance to Jovan, she’d probably been terrified of telling the truth.

“She is too afraid to tell you,” I say.

I see anger flash in Jovan’s eyes as he contemplates me. “Are you saying one of my subjects is too scared to tell me she’s being abused?”

My own anger rises to join his. It’s not really about Macy or Blaine or Sole. We’re both angry about before. I’m hurt he only sees me as a resolution to the broken accords. This suddenly seems like the perfect outlet.

“Is it so surprising? You didn’t even know who she was until I pointed her out,” I say, stepping up to him. “You heard what you wanted to hear. I have other proof, Jovan. Actual written proof. I have witnesses who have had dealings with Blaine. Witnesses who can prove he’s a murderer, and a traitor.” I barely pause for breath. “I
saw
him in the Outer Rings when he was exiled to the Sixth Sector. He was joking with the man now helping him with Outer Rings rebellion. Why won’t you listen to me, Jovan?” It hurts so much that he won’t believe me.

He trembles with restrained fury. Is he seeing the truth? “You think, after a few sectors here, you know my own people better than myself? How many times do I need to tell you Bruma are not like Solati? There is honor in our culture, loyalty, and trust,” he withers. I gasp at his words.

“Blaine was there for me when no one else was,” he roars. “Every time I look at him, I see my father’s friend. You’d have me kill one of the last remnants of my father? You Solati know nothing of loyalty. I shouldn’t be surprised you’re pursuing this. Subterfuge always comes from within your court, so why would you ever think someone outside of this castle could be behind the rebellion?”

Is he really going to ignore everything I just told him? “You’re blind to what's happening around you!” I shout. “And all because that evil man bounced you on his damn knee?” I grip him just above the elbows and shake him. It doesn’t have much effect. “Open your eyes, Jovan. He’s stealing your kingdom from underneath your stubborn Bruma ass!” I swallow as I look up into his eyes. His rage emanates from him, rising from him like steam. “Please just stop and listen to me. Talk to some of my witnesses. Ask Macy again, or Ice, or Sanjay, but please don’t sit there and let him do this to you!”

He stoops to bring his face close to mine. “You’re mistaken. You mean well, but you don’t know Blaine, or what you’re speaking of. Perhaps this is your new way of coping.” His warm breath tickles my skin as a tendril of doubt worms into my conviction. I never thought about that. Is it me?

“Whatever it is, Tatuma, this is me telling you to stop. I don’t want to hear any more of your theories about Blaine, I don’t want you spreading lies to anyone else, either. This stops here. It’s the last time I’ll warn you.”

I refuse to let my eyes water as I hold his gaze. He growls when he sees I won’t agree and straightens. I step back from him, crossing my arms. Jovan opens his mouth again, but decides otherwise, turning for the door. He glances back over his shoulder as he pushes the door open in front of him, expression blank—which I hate—and ducks his head to walk out.

This is the first time in a long time I’ve felt like he’s the king of Glacium, and I’m the Tatuma of Osolis.

Now would be the perfect time to possess a punching bag. I think of the one swinging at the barracks and clench my fists. I’m so angry with Jovan. I look around uselessly and realize I’m on my own. No one’s going to help me take down Blaine. And Jovan’s proven he won’t, or can’t, listen.

I have to take down Blaine on my own.

I dash away a few traitorous tears, and then settle my gaze on the bath behind me. Sleep will be a miracle for me tonight. At least for next few hours. I reach for the bottom hem of my tunic, wishing I’d just joined Jovan when he asked.

* * *

I stumble blearily into the council meeting. The advisors, used to me, barely glimpse up as I take my seat, trying to pick up the topic. It’s probably the same topic as the last five meetings, and it will probably have the same outcome. Nothing.

I yawn. Loudly. Merc chuckles at the sound.

“Sorry, Tatuma Olina. Are we keeping you up?” Blaine asks.

I wave my hand at him. “No, Barry, please continue.” Several someones choke off laughter at my comment. Jovan will be pissed. And I don’t care.

A door opens to my right. Malir stands there, Rhone beside him. “My King. Forgive the intrusion,” Malir bows. “We have a problem. There’s a crowd out front. Growing quickly. People from the Outer Rings.”

I straighten, tiredness gone.

“Are they violent?” Jovan asks, standing and moving toward Malir.

“Not yet, but they have several Inner Ring hostages they’ve captured on the way here,” Malir reports. “They’re demanding to be heard.”

“Outrageous!” splutters someone, Drummond, by the pompous sound of it.

Blaine stands and moves next to Jovan. I remain seated, thinking furiously. Glacium is teetering on the edge of anarchy. This
cannot
happen right now. It could take years to resolve a civil war with the Outer Rings population, let alone the Middle Ring—if they decided to join in. And if the hostages are killed, soon all Bruma will be seeking their own retribution. Chaos.

“You must show a swift and decisive front, my King,” Blaine speaks. “You’d do no less for any other who spoke against you. Crush them.”

I raise my eyebrows, quickly preparing to voice my opinion, but Roscoe beats me to it.

“And strengthen their cause by creating martyrs? If they are angry enough to come in great number, they wish to be taken seriously. Killing them will spark an inferno. You need the hostages safe and the horde dispersed. Talk with them, see if you can find a solution.” There’s a reason Adnan’s father is Jovan’s top advisor.

“That would be wise,” Rhone offers from where he stands next to Malir.

“Your opinion isn’t wanted here,” Drummond snarls at Rhone. I start at the venom in his voice. “They’re your people,” Drummond continues. “Perhaps you are the traitor in our midst.”