THE CARRIAGE BOUNCED and rattled as Delton made his way to Skera. After last night, he’d decided to let Xara have her own carriage. Traveling alone gave him some time with his thoughts. Time which he planned to use to think about Ifer. Only, he couldn’t stop thinking about his wife. His mind returned to last night’s confession.
I am a virgin.
He should’ve known. They’d gotten married when she was so young. It was naive to think anything had changed since their wedding day. He hadn’t touched a woman since Karina, so why shouldn’t Xara do the same?
Some primal part of him liked that she was his—his to defile and his to pleasure. The scene at the portrait gallery had proven one thing—there was no denying the animalistic attraction he felt to her. There was something about her, a secret buried deep in her soul, that pulled him to her. His body, his mind, his psyche craved her. But there was one part of him that he’d never surrender.
You don’t have a heart, and mine is bleeding.
Oh, he’d had a heart long, long ago. Then he realized how useless it was. When he’d married her, revenge had been the only thing on his mind. But years later, he wondered if he should’ve been more careful with her. Xara’s youth had been one of the reasons he’d exiled her. He’d wanted to give her another chance at life. Apparently, she hadn’t taken the chance.
He hated having a conscience. It had appeared out of nowhere and was making this journey more cumbersome than it needed to be. So he closed his eyes and drifted off.
The carriage halted several minutes later. Opening his eyes, he found himself surrounded by voices. However, before he could make sense of it, he heard a sharp rap on the door, followed by a hurried opening. His worried guard glanced in.
“What is wrong? Why did you stop?”
Beyond the open door, he gazed at the makings of a city. Skera was filled with people. There were angels, demons, and humans walking side-by-side in the city. Its proximity to all three kingdoms made it a sort of gateway to Inferno. The town square was decorated with flowers, which jarred against the disharmonious atmosphere that filled Skera. The painted white houses, wooden buildings, buzzing markets, and orange skies completed the picture.
“The queen—”
Delton stormed out of the carriage before the guard could finish his sentence. What in the hell was his wife up to?
The sight of Xara clad in a high-necked yellow gown hit him. The high neck hid her lovebite because he was sure he’d given her one. She was crumpled from ten hours of traveling and the bags under her eyes indicated she was sleep deprived. Had she slept last night? He knew he hadn’t, remembering the feel of her under him. And her harsh words.
Next to her, a group of peasant children stood in tattered clothes. Their faces looked haggard, their thin skin sticking to their bones. They were orphaned, he assumed. Only such children lived on the streets. Their parents had died or couldn’t look after them anymore. These children were the unwilling casualty of the revolution and the poverty that swept Skera following the first revolt.
One of them clutched Xara’s skirt. A guard came forward, trying to extricate the child from her, but she held a hand up.
“It’s okay.” She dropped a coin into each of their outstretched hands before saying. “Would you like to come with me?” The kids stared up at her blankly. They probably didn’t know that she was the queen. Their faces beamed with hope. “There will be food and new clothes where I’m taking you.”
They scampered close to her, excited by the prospect of food, and eagerly nodded their heads.
“Let us take them to the royal residence.” Her voice rang in Delton’s ears. She wasn’t aware of his presence, choosing to deliver orders instead.
When she looked up at the guard, he offered a hesitant, “Are you sure, Your Highness? We don’t have enough space—”
“I can walk back. Let them take the carriage. When they reach the residence, they are to be fed and given new clothes—”
Damn, this was the last thing he expected to find upon waking up. His wife did indeed have a bleeding heart. However, instead of being annoyed by it, he was curious. Every new fact that he discovered about her intrigued him more.
“No, I can’t allow you to walk.” His voice startled her, making her turn around in horror.
“Delton.”
He took a step toward the children. Their piteous puppy eyes watched him, full of expectation and he felt another unwanted tug of anticipation. “How long have you been living in the streets?”
The children clung to Xara, hiding behind her billowing skirt. It looked like they were afraid of him. His intimidating demeanor often had that effect. Xara held their hands and he felt a strange sensation clawing at his heart. This was the kind, generous side of her that he’d never seen. It made her strangely attractive. He shook his head. He didn’t need more things to like about her. She had already taken over his thoughts. He kept wondering what other quirks she possessed, hoarding every little fact about her like a magpie hoarded shiny objects.
“They’re victims of the revolution,” he told Xara. “The product of Ifer’s greed.”
Her spine stiffened. She didn’t like that.
“I can’t leave them here. Let us take them back to the royal residence.”
“No.” It was a definitive answer.
Her lip curled in distaste. “Why not? You keep telling me to produce an heir when there are so many children who need to be looked after. Aren’t these children yours too? You’re the King of Inferno, after all. They’re your subjects.”
Her eyes grew brighter when she spoke, face slightly flushed. And damn him if he didn’t find that sight attractive.
“You cannot keep them there. What will happen once you feed them and get them new clothes? They will be back on the streets again in no time.”
She glared.
“Nothing is going to be achieved by taking these children back to the royal residence.” He tried to make his voice gentler but all that came out was a low rasp. “We shall leave them at a shelter. That is the purpose of shelters, is it not, to provide for orphaned children?”
“The shelters around here were destroyed. That’s why these children are out in the streets.”
“Then, we will find one that hasn’t been destroyed,” Delton said. “They’re my responsibility, Xara. Let me take care of them.”
Xara’s breath stilled. Her instinct was to fight him. It took her a few moments to concede. “All right. But I will accompany them to the shelter.”
He groaned. She was stubborn. “Fine. The children can take my carriage and you can use yours.”
“You don’t have to—”
Delton held up his hand. “That was a command.” Turning to the men, he ordered, “Deliver them to the nearest shelter. Then, bring the queen back to the royal residence.”
To her, he said, “I have a busy day ahead. I won’t be able to see you this evening.”
She didn’t argue with him. The children were bundled off into two carriages and he was left alone with his guards. Never in his life had he sacrificed anything for another person.
Except for Karina.
He’d sacrificed his heart, his trust, his very soul on the altar of her love.
And look how that had turned out.
But this was duty. So, a sacrifice had to be made. As he walked to the Sapphire Serpents office nearby, he told himself that he’d sacrificed a lot more for power.
AFTER LENDING XARA HIS CARRIAGE, Deton made his way through cobblestone streets accompanied by his guards. The people gawked at him, surprised that the king had chosen to visit Skera at such a time. He waved confidently, as if nothing were amiss. However, an anti-royal sentiment pervaded the city. Though people gathered wherever he went, bowing and scraping, he could see the reluctance. Skera had gotten out of control while he’d been acquiring more land, trying to capture Elysium. Power was a fickle mistress. She demanded complete devotion. Or you’d find yourself cast out of her kingdom in the blink of an eye.
There were no posters of him nor any circulars bearing the royal insignia. Instead, he spotted something curious as he moved.
“Bring me that poster.” He pointed to one that he spotted in an alley. His eyesight was sharper than a human’s and he often saw things that nobody else did.
The guard hurried and brought the poster to him. “Just like I suspected.”
Embossed on the poster was the royal seal of King Elian’s family. It was a poster for a market gathering but no doubt that was shorthand for revolutionary activity. Had Walric used the seal? Was he trying to use the old king’s name to rouse anti-Inferno sentiment? The use of the seal had always bothered Delton. It was like Ifer was trying to resurrect Elian’s dynasty. And that was something he couldn’t allow.
“Destroy these posters.” He tucked the one the guard had fetched into his pocket. “And find out where they came from.”
With one guard gone, he headed to the Sapphire Serpents office, which was a few steps away. Sapphire Serpents was the official name of Inferno’s secret service. It had branches all over the country. He’d opened one in Skera to get intelligence on the revolution.
The interiors of the wood and brick building were wallpapered and carpeted. An unmoving cloud of smoke hung in the air. Upon seeing him at the helm, the employees kicked into action, bowing and scraping. They led him to the second floor where he found Darius waiting for him in Amara’s office.
“Your Majesty—” His moss-colored eyes widened at Delton’s unannounced presence. He quickly gathered himself and bowed. Amara stumbled from behind the desk and did the same. Michael wasn’t in the office, which was good because Delton didn’t trust him after he’d helped Xara sneak out of the palace.
Delton handed out the poster he’d found. “I found this on my way here. It seems like Ifer is using King Elian’s seal to win the people’s loyalty.” Amara’s light brown eyes moved rapidly, reading the poster. Clasping his hand at his back, he asked, “Have you located Walric yet?”
“Yes,” Amara looked up. “We have a potential location. However, there’s no sign of Osric yet. Felix wants us to wait and get them both together. We have spies watching his place. The army is inspecting the borders.”
He nodded approvingly. “I have something I’d like you to look into.” Pulling out the poster he’d found on his way, he unfolded the message and passed it to Amara. Darius hovered over her. “I want you to find out why Ifer uses Elian’s seal.”
“Isn’t it because of Prince Walric?” Darius asked.
“But Walric isn’t Ifer. You told me as much yourself. Why would Ifer, who is probably unrelated to King Elian, want to revive his dynasty?” Amara and Darius looked at each other. “I’ve always found it disturbing. If he wanted to take over Skera, why not just use his own symbol? The people are more sympathetic to Ifer than King Elian. It’s been a long time since his death.”
“I will try to find out what I can,” Amara said, tucking the poster in her pocket. “Not a lot is known about Ifer. We don’t know his origins, his identity, or what drives him. That makes it hard to guess his identity.”
“That’s why I want you to find out more.”
“I understand.” Amara moved around her desk, opened drawers, and found a stack of papers. She placed them on the table. “This is what we have on Ifer’s origins so far.”
Delton neared the table, casting an eye on the dust-covered pages. “If your majesty would like these delivered to the royal residence–”
“No. I’ll read them here. You both can leave. I don’t want to detain you.”
Amara bowed to him and left with her subordinate.
“If we discover something, we will send a word to the royal residence immediately,” Darius said. Then, he took his leave too and Delton was left standing in the office.
Delton sat down and began reading the reports Amara had left him.
The reports that had been compiled over several years detailed all that they knew about Ifer, his supply networks, and his allies. According to the reports, Ifer started operating around a century ago, ninety-nine years, to be exact.
Ifer’s success was attributed to his mysterious persona. Nobody had seen his face. That’s why he’d never been caught.
The report detailed his origins. While his origins were unknown, Sapphire Serpents had traced one of his earliest deals back to Snakefront.
Snakefront.
That struck him as unusual. Snakefront was a small mining town in Inferno. There was nothing there except mines and a few establishments. Starting a business in such a small town wasn’t the brightest idea. Sure, Ifer had expanded his business to Cadia later, but the fact that his empire originated in Snakefront made Delton suspicious. Could Ifer be from Snakefront? He could imagine the miners needing Lag, but nobody would choose that place unless they had a personal connection to it.
Ninety-nine years ago, Xara had been exiled to Snakefront. Had Xara accidentally met Ifer? Was that when Osric became involved with him? Delton was sure he was missing something fundamental—a piece of information that was close enough to touch yet eluded him.
He needed to return home and ask her. It was possible that she was far more involved than he expected.
BY THE TIME he returned home, it was night. Xara’s carriage was outside, which meant she was back. After dismissing his guards, Delton went up to her room. The door was closed and there was no sound. Was she already asleep? He made his way to his room, but paused when he found something moving on the balcony. The royal residence had a balcony that overlooked the city. Getting out of the shadows, he approached the balcony door and swung it open.
Xara turned around, their gazes connecting. She was wearing a loose garment of emerald green with a square neck thon left her neck exposed. As he moved closer to her, he saw a reddish mark at the side of her neck.
A love bite.
His blood heated at the sight—of his territory marked. Her eyes followed his gaze and she immediately brought her palm to hide the bite. They remained silent for a few seconds, gazes locked. He wanted to kiss her again, to push her against the balcony wall and take her, but after last night, he knew she didn’t welcome his attentions.
“Did you manage to get the children to a shelter?” Clasping his hand behind him, Delton decided to start off with a safe topic. He wanted to ask her about Snakefront but she always looked startled at the sight of him, like a deer warily observing a tiger.
“Yes.” Her voice hit his tired brain like a hit of lag. “I-I didn’t think you’d lend them your carriage. Thank you.”
“I have more virtues as a king than as a husband” he said, a touch of lightness to his tone. Taking steps in her direction, he came to stand next to her, fingers curving around the railing. “Though Ifer tends to disagree. He thinks he’s improving Skera by liberating it from my control but all that’ll do is cause more suffering.”
“Suffering is an inevitable part of transformation.” Though her voice was quiet, he felt the stirrings of hostility in the air. He stifled the urge to skim his fingers down her cheek, down her throat, to where he’d kissed her last night.
“You think Ifer will do a better job than me.” It was a statement, not a question. She shifted uncomfortably where she stood, placing one foot back. “You think all this strife is worth it.”
“No, I don’t.” Her tone was flat. “That would be treason.”
He laughed. “You’re bad at hiding your feelings, wife. Your sympathies lie with Ifer. I wonder why. Do you know him?”
She went still. “Why would you think that?”
Leaning on the railing, he turned to face her. “I read something interesting about Ifer today. Apparently, he began his career trading in Snakefront. ”
When he paused, she raised an eyebrow. “A lot of people live in Snakefront.”
“Around the same time you were exiled there.”
She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him. “What are you implying?”
He sensed the quickening of her pulse, the way her gaze turned wary.
“You know very well what I’m implying. Ifer was spotted on the night you snuck out of the palace. Amara told me that she saw you near the warehouse that night.” When he took a step in her direction, she flinched. He stopped. “Tell me what is going on. You know him. I’m certain of it. Did you meet in Snakefront? Did Osric introduce you to him?”
Xara exhaled shakily. “You presume too much. Just because I was in the city on the same day as Ifer doesn’t mean we’re friends. A lot of people live in Cadia. I don’t own the place. Nor do I keep tabs on everything that goes on there.”
“You’re surrounded by people who are associated with Ifer. It’s too much to be a coincidence.”
“Nevertheless, it is a coincidence,” she emphasized. “I know you’re desperate to find Ifer but that is no reason to suspect me.”
“What of your passionate defense of his cause? Why would the most notorious crime lord choose a small mining town? Ifer is a shrewd businessman.”
“We’re not lovers if that’s what you’re asking. I told you that I’m—”
“I know.” His voice came out a hoarse whisper.
“Then, why do you keep suspecting me?”
“Because there’s so much I don’t know about you.” He raised his head to meet her eyes. “I keep wondering what happened when we were apart…about the kind of person you are. The only thing I’m sure of is that you aren’t the shy bride I married.” The air grew thick with tension. “I want to know everything about you. Every little detail that I have missed.” Leaving the railing behind, he stalked in her direction with a broken laugh. His shadow fell over her when he stood a few inches from her, looking down on her form. “I can’t sleep because I think about you…about the things that you say and the things that you hide.” Raising a hand, he brought it forward to brush her love bite but didn’t touch it, the warmth from his skin radiating a few centimeters from hers. “I can’t touch you, even though I want to. Between you and Ifer, I don’t know who the greater threat to my peace of mind is.” With a shaky breath, he moved away. “I want to possess you so badly. But I don’t know how. And the worst part is that it’s my own fault.”
He paused, stunned at his confession.
“You’re right about that,” she said coolly. Though her voice was steady, he sensed the rapid pulsing of her heartbeat. “It is your own fault. You exiled me because of some petty vendetta against my father. All these years, you never even bothered to send me a letter. You’ve never begged for forgiveness. I meant what I said the first day. You don’t deserve me. I deserve to be loved by someone who can look beyond my father’s actions.”
A mixture of frustration, rage, and desire coursed through him. “You cannot look beyond the past either. That’s why you hate me. Because I remind you of who you used to be.”
Xara exhaled a long breath. “I don’t know why we’re having this conversation. Our marriage has been broken for a long time and neither of us wants to fix it. The only reason you came back to me was to find Walric.” Delton didn’t even deny it. “See? This is why I can’t forgive you. I’m not a territory to conquer, Delton. I’m not a trophy that you can win. I’m a person—a person you’ve deeply hurt.” When she swallowed, he saw a shimmer of tears in her eyes. “There is no point going over the past. You’re going to find what you came for and leave. And I’ll go back to my life in Cadia.” She moved away from him, reaching for the handle of the balcony door.
“What if I don’t want to return to the way we used to be?” His voice was solid.
“Then, you must apologize to me. Sincerely. I can’t guarantee I’ll accept your apology, but I deserve one from you.”
He looked at her, flushed and expectant, and swallowed. His fingers fisted as he tried to summon an apology but when he opened his mouth, nothing came out. He couldn’t bring himself to apologize for exacting revenge. Xara didn’t know what her father had done to him. If she did, she wouldn’t call his vendetta ‘petty’. One second turned into several until he realized that he had been stalling for almost two minutes.
“That’s what I thought.” Her gaze was piteous this time. “Good night, Your Majesty.”
With that, she left, closing the balcony door behind her. He leaned on the railing and exhaled roughly, taking his face in his hands. He hated being alone with his thoughts. Especially when they were thoughts of her. Since the kiss at the portrait gallery, he had begun thinking of her with increasing frequency. And it wasn’t just her association with Walric that he thought about. With every new thing that he discovered about her, he found himself more intrigued. She was taking over his mind and if he wasn’t careful, he might end up in a complicated situation. He resisted her as much as he wanted her.
