Promising Hope (34 page)

The king turned to his scribe, who had been
diligently writing everything down. “Please read to me what I wrote
about the ancient texts when we found out that is what the Avialies
were looking for.”

The scribe shuffled through his parchment and
scrolls. Tense silence filled the room as Tisha and the king glared
at each other and William began pacing.

The scribe finally found it and he cleared his
throat. He read in a scratchy voice, “’Royal edict concerning the
ancient texts of the Avialies: all royal guards, soldiers, and
advisors may use force, bribery, or Mahri, Cosa, Thieran, or Zinna
magic to stop the Avialies from finding these texts.’”

“I said nothing about taking lives,” the king
said.

Tisha shook his head. “Force could be interpreted as
taking lives.”

“Not when compared to other edicts and the punishment
related to breaking those. Trust me, Tisha, you do not want to
fight me on this.”

“I’m not fighting you, your Majesty,” Tisha said, his
voice softening, “I’m merely asking you to reconsider for the
safety of our people.”

“I must consider the safety of the Avialies, as
well.”

Tisha looked incredulous again, and his mouth opened
and closed like a fish out of water.

“Are there any other issues?” the king asked, his
gaze sweeping over William, Tisha, and Kilar. “I wish to keep you
two as my advisors and I hope my son realizes my folly of the last
couple months.”

It was silent for a moment. “You know how I feel
about this,” Tisha finally said as he sat down. “I will not change
my mind, but I will keep advising you.”

“I will stay by your side and support your
decisions,” Kilar said. Grace refused to look at him. He knew what
she’d done. She’d given yet another person power over her.

The king waited for William to say something, but he
didn’t. William’s gaze lingered on Grace, and her skin felt hot and
prickly. She held his gaze steadily. Was he planning something for
her? Would he turn on her parents now that Dar was gone?

“Very well.” The king stood. “I will send out the
edict that they may return home and announce the crimes the various
Avialies have been convicted for.”

Tisha stood again. “Your Majesty, please, rethink
this.”

“I will not.” The king looked at Sashe and held out
his hand. “Let’s retire for the evening to my chambers.”

Sashe smiled softly and stood up. She squeezed
Grace’s shoulder and walked to the king. She took his arm.

“We will have a more detailed meeting tomorrow after
breakfast,” he announced. “Kilar, I trust you’re still searching
for a Cosa?”

“Yes, your Majesty,” Kilar said.

“I believe the castle is better off without one,”
Tisha muttered.

“Even after what happened today?” Kilar asked.

The king cut off Tisha’s response. “I will double the
guards outside. Kilar, make sure they have Mahri items to check for
shape changers. No one enters or leaves the gates without being
checked. We can discuss this in more depth tomorrow, but know that
the crimes and punishments, as well as the allowance for the
Avialies to return to Haltar, still stand.”

He and Sashe left. The scribe gathered up his
parchment and quills and followed. Tisha also left, slamming the
door behind him.

Grace stood up. If she could gather her things,
perhaps she could leave before William made some kind of threat. On
pretense, she’d always been here voluntarily. Could she make it
back to her house without William doing something?

“Please, wait a moment, Grace,” William said.

She tensed, smoothing down her dress. “I’m very
tired.”

“Kilar, will you tell my father everything that
happened today before Gregorio’s murder?”

“Of course, your Highness.”

“Do you think Lady Grace assisted?” William
asked.

Kilar glanced at Grace, smirking, and she wished Evan
or Adrian had killed him. If Kilar had his way, he’d have the
ancient texts. What for, Grace had no idea. How did he think they
would help him gain control over magic that wasn’t in his blood?
And when would he tell William the power she’d shown during the
attack?

“I’m not sure, to be honest,” Kilar said. “She seemed
alarmed when her bracelets changed, but she did leave with
them.”

“You left before us,” Grace replied, “so how do you
know when I left?”

“You were running all over the castle with them,”
Kilar said. “The guards saw you, the servants in the laundry
room.”

“You left before them?” William repeated.

“Yes,” Grace said. “He used some kind of Mahri smoke
to distract us and he slipped away.”

Kilar smiled smugly. “Magic is so useful.” He stood
and straightened his tunic. “So much power and possibilities, right
at our fingertips. It’s so tempting, wouldn’t you say, Lady
Grace?”

She shrugged, even as her muscles tensed. “I
suppose.”

He chuckled. “Good evening, Lady Grace, Your
Highness.” He walked out, leaving William and Grace alone in
silence. She let out a breath of relief. Her secret was safe… for
now.

“Lady Grace, I thought we could have another private
dinner tonight,” William said.

Grace grimaced for a moment, then wiped her
expression clean. “Tonight? After everything that’s happened?”

“You mean, helping Evan and Adrian kill Gregorio?
Yes, even after that.”

“I don’t know why you think I helped.”

William rolled his eyes. “Anyone who knows you well
enough would make the connection. My father is blinded by his
obsession with Sashe.” He closed the distance between them so only
inches remained. Her body tensed, and she took a tiny step
back.

He touched her face and brushed some hair away from
her forehead. “I fear I’m becoming like him. When I think of you, I
feel this strange mixture of pleasure and disgust. I want to keep
you here forever. I want you to be mine. But I know you never will
be. You belong to Dar, to the Avialies—”

“I don’t belong to anyone,” she whispered.

“Yet I can’t stop trying. You’re taking over me.” He
touched her cheek, and she couldn’t help leaning away from him.
“I’m sorry I hit you last night. You’ve covered the bruise quite
well, though.”

Her face flushed with heat, whether from anger or
embarrassment, she wasn’t sure. “I’m not going to stay here
forever,” she finally said. Her voice sounded strange to her
ears.

“No, I suppose you don’t have a reason to, now that
Dar’s gone.” William picked a piece of grass off of her dress
sleeve and studied it as though it was something immensely
interesting. “Will you go home to your parents?”

Her breath caught in her throat. She knew he wouldn’t
let her go so easily. There was no point in skirting around the
issue. “Are you going to hurt them if I do?”

His eyes met hers, and he actually looked amused.
“What kind of person do you take me for, Grace?”

“Someone who would kill just to control me.”

The amusement faded. “This isn’t about control.”

“You just said you wanted me to be yours.”

“I know what kind of a person you are, Grace. I know
you’ll fight me. But that’s part of the fun.”

Her fists clenched. “You’re sick. Just tell me if I
have to worry for my parents’ lives, you—”

He cut her off before she could call him a dirty
name. “General Daniel is too valuable to lose. Your mother, on the
other hand…” He paused, studying her face. Grace tried not to show
any expression, not to show how much she wanted to strangle him,
how much she hated him. “I know you want to leave and fight for the
weak and the pathetic, but you can do that here. For your mother.
For Sashe.”

“You wouldn’t do that to your father,” she said.

“For you, I would.” He kissed her on the cheek before
she had a chance to lean away from him. “Tonight, my chambers. I
promise it won’t be as unpleasant as last night.”

He left the room. She sat down, shuddering. She
wasn’t free from him, but Dar was. That was what was important.

She went back to her room in a daze. As soon as she
closed the door, she burst into tears. She slid down the door to
sit on the ground, and she buried her face in her arms. Everything
that had happened over the last few days hit her, and she soon
found it hard to breathe through her sobs. She’d shown so much
power today, and yet she was still stuck here. She was helpless,
but she’d killed someone today—a horrible man, yes, one who had
taken hundreds of lives, but he’d never done anything to
her
.

Her breaths turned hiccuping, and she dug her hands
in her hair as she tried to bring her crying under control. She had
to see William again tonight, had to deal with him, had to pretend
like she was fine, like he didn’t have any power over her.

A knock on the door startled her, and she groaned. “I
don’t want to see anyone,” she called over her shoulder.

The door hit her back. “It’s me, Lady Grace,” the
queen’s voice came through the crack of the door as she pushed on
Grace.

Grace stood, trying to wipe her damp cheeks and
snotty nose. Once she turned around, the queen was already in her
room. Her gaze swept over Grace’s face, and her upper lip curled in
disgust. She looked so much like William at that instance it made
Grace fairly sick.

“What are you still doing here?” the queen asked.

Grace gritted her teeth. “Excuse me, Your
Majesty?”

“Your Avialie lover is gone, the Thieran who cursed
them is dead. Why are you still here?”

“Do you want the truth or would you like me to give
you an answer that will please you?”

“The only answer that would please me is to hear that
you’re leaving right away.”

“I am still here because I fear for my family once I
leave,” Grace said. Her hands clenched into fists, and she took a
step closer to the queen. “You defend your son, but he is a
conniving, controlling—”

The queen cut her off by striking her across the face
with her hand. Grace’s face stung with pain as she stumbled away.
Her mouth falling open in shock, Grace touched her face and stared
at the queen.

The queen pointed at her. “As long as you stay in
this castle, benefiting from the generosity of the royal family,
you will speak with respect and decorum.”

A laugh bubbled from Grace’s lips, uncontrollable and
hysterical. She covered her mouth, trying to keep it down.

The queen bared her teeth. “If you spread lies about
my son, I will destroy you. Do you understand?”

Grace grinned. She must look maniacal, but she didn’t
care. Everything was falling apart around her, and she had no
control over any of it. “Perfect. What’s one more royal set to ruin
me?” She wanted to spout off and ask what on earth the queen could
possibly do to her. She paraded around, acting like she had so much
power, but she merely watched as she entertained nobles and foreign
dignitaries. Yet Grace still had a little bit of sense left to know
that she didn’t know everything about the royal family and how
things worked. Perhaps there was more to the queen than her sarcasm
and random bad moods.

The queen glared at her, turning to open Grace’s
door. “I don’t know what your game is, but you won’t be here much
longer.”

Grace’s smile faded just a bit. “I hope you’re
right.”

* * *

Grace was back here again, back in his room, back at
the table. They’d hardly spoken so far, exchanging short greetings.
They were alone. The food was different, the wine different, and
yet she was having flashbacks to last night, when he hit her, when
he whispered in her ear about killing Dar, when his hands touched
her legs.

William broke the silence. “I was harsh with you last
night.”

Grace glanced up at him and said nothing.

“I am sorry I hit you.” He pushed the food around on
his plate with his fork. “Growing up, I never had to share my toys.
I was the prince and my friends were only noble children, so of
course I got everything I wanted. I’ve gotten everything I wanted
all my life… with little work.” He chuckled, setting his fork down.
“And then you… when I was so sure I had you, when we were getting
along so well… you just leave. You run off after the very people
who kidnapped you. And the only reason you come back to me was
because of a love potion.” He met her gaze. “How do you think that
makes me feel?”

Grace pursed her lips. If she was perfectly honest,
she hadn’t thought much of William’s feelings since the love potion
wore off. She thought of what he wanted politically, of his pride,
of his possessiveness. “I know… I used you to keep Dar safe. I’m
sorry.”

“Are you?” He raised his eyebrows. “Because you got
what you wanted, didn’t you? Dar’s alive as a result of me being
your pawn.”

She gritted her teeth. “Fine. You were a pawn in my
game, and I am a prize in yours.”

He scoffed and leaned back in his chair, away from
her. “Is that what you think of me?”

“Why, then? Why the courtship? Why did you follow me
after I left?” She leaned forward, locking her gaze with his.

“I liked you,” he said, narrowing his eyes. “I told
you that when you were in the garden, when you were on the love
potion. Do you remember anything from those days?”

“I remember you saying that you hated to think of me
with another man, that you wanted our families to be
connected—”

“That I enjoyed spending time with you. That I wanted
to give you a wonderful life.” He shook his head and poked at his
food some more. “I’ve acted… horribly towards you these past few
days, but you act like no one but Dar cares about you.”

Angry heat spread down her neck to her chest. She
gritted her teeth. “No one who cares about a woman would try to
kill her.”

He stilled, his head down.

“No one who cares about someone else would hit her
or—”